(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Tuesday Mourning. An easygoing, enjoyable sequel to The Two and Only Kelly Twins, this short chapter book features more everyday episodes of suburban twins Arlene and Ilene, including losing a tooth, having a separate sleepover, and a lice outbreak. The girls ultimately realize they'll always be twins, even if they don't do everything exactly the same. Mourning's attractive watercolor illustrations zero in on key moments.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Tuesday Mourning. Hurwitz is spot on with the interplay between second-grade twin girls in this beginning chapter book. Arlene and Ilene do absolutely everything together, until Arlene gets sick and must go to the hospital. The pair's give-and-take rings true, natural language flows nicely, and Mourning's watercolor spot and full-page illustrations highlight points in the story well.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Anik McGrory. Spring arrives for first-grader Monty, and along with it comes his new baby sister, Mother's Day, the Memorial Day parade with his karate class, and a magic set from his grandmother. Monty's appealing everyday adventures are told with humor and insight and are accompanied by attractive line drawings. Monty's fourth chapter book makes a good read-aloud for younger audiences.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Anik McGrory. Monty Morris's third book focuses on surprises. Some surprises are terrific, like getting two parakeets for class pets; others, such as having an asthma attack in the carwash, are not good. But the most amazing surprise of all is the arrival of his baby sister. Monty's quiet but amusing adventures, shown in unfussy black-and-white watercolor illustrations, ring true to first-grade life.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Anik McGrory. Shy first grader Monty isn't sure he wants to be a "budding actor" in the school play. Later, he joins a karate class, one of the few sports he can do despite his asthma, and voluntarily participates in the class exhibition. This gentle story, illustrated with good-natured black-and-white watercolors, uses empathy and humor to win over readers.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 1-3 Park Pals Adventure series. Illustrated by Kathi McCord. Central Park squirrel Lexi and his cousin Lenox leave the comforts of home to explore the city streets after which they were named. Their adventure is a manageable one with a satisfying conclusion. The format includes plenty of white space and many comfortable spot illustrations so readers new to chapter books will have success.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Anik McGrory. Monty's nervous to start first grade because he has asthma. He gains confidence as he proves to be a good reader, finds a pet he isn't allergic to, and makes friends. Once Monty's illness is established and Hurwitz moves on with the story, Monty has some amusing low-key adventures. McGrory's black-and-white illustrations show Monty's initial timidity, then his growing sense of self.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Andy Hammond. Julio, Lucas, and the rest of their class are facing their first standardized tests in this latest reassuring school story by Hurwitz. While test anxiety is the nominal focus here, there are plenty of other events--Julio's big brother getting his license, a skating party, an appendectomy--to keep both readers and characters from getting too anxious (or serious).

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Debbie Tilley. Cozily bookended with episodes about Elisa, now seven, and her grandmother in Florida, these chapters in the lives of the Michaels family are easygoing and easy reading. There's one about a new babysitter, another where Elisa decides to eat nothing but chocolate all day long (she barely makes it past lunch). Hurwitz knows kids, and while she writes like everyone's favorite aunt, she's nobody's fool.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2003

(3) K-3 Brand New Readers series. Illustrated by Brian Floca. In this series designed for beginning readers, the books all have four stories, each one preceded by a few lines of plot summary. The stories consist of eight short, repetitive sentences with a humorous twist at the end, which supplies added motivation to keep reading. Simple clear illustrations enhance the humor. A page of tips for adults completes the package. [Review covers these Brand New Readers titles: Edna Elephant, Ethan Out and About, and Mouse Has Fun.]

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) 1-3 Park Pals Adventure series. Illustrated by Patience Brewster. In this continuation of PeeWee's Tale, PeeWee is no longer the only guinea pig loose in Central Park. He courts the nervous Plush, makes a plan to survive the winter, and teaches Plush with sophisticated lectures: "only in a large zoo like this one can you find such a range of diverse animals...." Illustrated with active line drawings, this is a pleasant if not entirely convincing fantasy.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Mike Reed. Noah's attempts to impress the kids in his new neighborhood don't backfire, exactly, but they land him in water just hot enough to keep readers entertained. Hurwitz gets the summer suburban-neighborhood setting just right. She uses her likable eight-year-old hero's new-kid status to introduce us to a cast of characters who, with any luck, will stick around for a sequel or two.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Heather Maione. When four-year-old Russell decides that he wants to stay home from school like his baby sister, his mother treats him like a baby instead of a big boy, and soon he is clamoring to go to his classroom after all. The notion of acting like an infant again will amuse young listeners, and the drawings are executed with a light touch that suits the story, which was adapted from a chapter in Hurwitz's Rip-Roaring Russell.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) 1-3 Park Pals Adventure series. Illustrated by Patience Brewster. In this sequel to PeeWee's Tale, Central Park squirrel Lexi and her guinea pig pal PeeWee help a human stranger and prepare for the squirrel circus. The satisfying story, with its bit of mystery, happy ending, and likable animal characters, is presented in a cozily small format, liberally sprinkled with pencil sketches.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Heather Harms Maione. Elisa's summer is a string of everyday adventures. During the first weeks, she misses her brother Russell who is at camp; when he returns, the whole family vacations in the country. Elisa continues to be a warm, likable little girl who grows in small, realistic ways. Maione's black-and-white line drawings, done in the style of Lillian Hoban, are consistent with the artwork of the earlier books.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Patience Brewster. PeeWee is a guinea pig whose mother taught him to read from the scraps of newspaper lining his cage. His skills come in handy after his new owners dump him in Central Park and leave him to fend for himself. PeeWee is an engaging character, but it's difficult to accept that he can survive so easily outside his cage. The expressive line drawings in this small book add to the charm.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Diane deGroat. Curtis acquires a dog in the wake of his parents' divorce, but Sammy bites, and the family eventually finds him a home on a farm with experienced dog owners who can train him properly. Although this might not be the story that Hurwitz's fans expect, it is told with her customary empathy and clear style while stretching boundaries a bit for her readers.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2000

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Mark Graham. Fifth grade is a big year for Adam in this sequel to A Llama in the Family. He includes his pet llamas in the celebration at the library; he becomes friends with Alana, a new girl in his class; and when his mother goes into labor unexpectedly, he and Alana assist with the delivery. A brief episode in which Adam mistakenly thinks Alana has been killed in an accident seems out of place, but otherwise, the fast-paced story is told with humor.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Karen Dugan. Cricket and the gang from the Class Clown series will accept any excuse to bake, from excess zucchini to a school bake sale to a surprise party for their teacher. Cricket is a teacher's pet and the situations she gets into are pedestrian, but young readers will enjoy trying out her recipes themselves (with adult supervision): all desserts, and all included in the book.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Karen Dugan. The twin brothers of Lucas Cott (of the Class Clown series) are put in separate kindergartens in the same school. Marcus and Marius decide to switch places to settle an argument about who has the better teacher, but on the same day, their teachers decide to switch places to settle their own argument. This is irony at its humorous best for young readers, who will delight in anticipating the inevitable chaos.

Reviewer: Cyrena Musset | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 1998