(2) K-3 Illustrated by Qin Leng. Russell and his father build a simple tree fort in their new house's maple tree. While their neighbor's newly erected fort, fancy and customized, is objectively "better," the time Russell and his father spent together makes theirs more valuable. Leng captures the loving father-son relationship in a warm palette balanced with generous white space; Kerrin includes subtle moments of humor throughout the story.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(4) 4-6 Owen and his grandfather go on a spur-of-the-moment trip from Canada to Iceland. Owen is determined to retrieve his own notebook, accidentally sent to Icelandic archives by Granddad in place of a famous Icelandic poet's journal. Information about real-life poet Stephan Stephansson is woven into the earnest intergenerational family drama; Owen's concern for his increasingly forgetful grandfather is more compelling than the subplot involving Owen's secret notebook.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) 4-6 In the standalone prequel to The Spotted Dog Last Seen, an awkward friendship builds as sixth graders Loyola and Trevor complete a dog-walking community service project. Concern for an elderly man and his missing dog and Trevor's mixed emotions about his family's frequent moves propel the quiet story. Believable, interesting characters will attract both mystery fans and readers of the first book.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) 4-6 Lobster Chronicles series. Illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong. When Norris accidentally destroys his teacher's cactus, he hatches an elaborate scheme to displace the blame. Meanwhile, his father's high auction bid for a giant lobster highlights the wealthy family's outsider status in the community. The narrative is critical of Norris's snobbery while still projecting compassion for his isolation, striking a complex but kid-accessible balance to all the hijinks. Small pencil illustrations open each chapter.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(3) 4-6 Derek, with two misfit classmates, is learning about the care and history of an old cemetery for a school community service project. The work disturbs Derek's old memories of a friend's long-ago death but also propels him to deal with thoughts he would rather bury. A mystery lightens the somber tone of Derek's emotional journey to self-forgiveness in this satisfying novel.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(4) 4-6 Lobster Chronicles series. Illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong. Earnest Ferguson, determined to help his grandfather find a legacy to leave behind, is the focal perspective for this third overlapping tale of how the trapping of a giant lobster affects a small fishing community. Kerrin weaves community memory, intergenerational bonding, and tension between old ways and new into a thoughtful plot, but the leisurely pace and extreme subtlety will limit the book's appeal.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(4) 4-6 Lobster Chronicles series. Illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong. Budding marine biologist Graeme's lobsterman father catches a huge, record-breaking lobster. In order to get at that crustacean, crafty cannery scion Norris exploits Graeme's desire to raise funds to visit the Big Fish Aquarium. There's also a classroom mystery, and the plot is a bit muddled. The maritime North Atlantic setting is vivid in this first entry in a planned trilogy.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Joseph Kelly. Likable boy-next-door Martin learns a few more lessons about family and friends in two episodic stories. In "Keyboard," Martin eventually comes around to supporting his mother's enthusiasm for music--despite her lack of talent. In "Rope" he recognizes true courage when his sometimes-friend Laila joins the all-boy Junior Badger scouts. Lively black-and-white illustrations round out these engaging tales.

Reviewer: Marika Jeffrey

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Joseph Kelly. Martin Bridge is at it again in these realistic and engaging stories about a boy's everyday experiences at home and school. Whether fantasizing about the latest Zip Rideout game, building bicycles, dealing with friends and family, or working on science fair projects, Martin is a perfectly likable imperfect kid. Funny and expressive black-and-white illustrations give the stories extra punch. Review covers these titles: Martin Bridge, in High Gear! and Martin Bridge, the Sky's the Limit!

Reviewer: Marika Jeffrey

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Joseph Kelly. Martin Bridge is at it again in these realistic and engaging stories about a boy's everyday experiences at home and school. Whether fantasizing about the latest Zip Rideout game, building bicycles, dealing with friends and family, or working on science fair projects, Martin is a perfectly likable imperfect kid. Funny and expressive black-and-white illustrations give the stories extra punch. Review covers these titles: Martin Bridge, in High Gear! and Martin Bridge, the Sky's the Limit!

Reviewer: Marika Jeffrey

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Joseph Kelly. In the first story, Martin struggles with his feelings about a braggy classmate. In the second, he falls from his tree house while trying to emulate his hero, Zip Rideout. The people in Martin's world are kind, helpful, and caring, and the characters' emotions are real and believable. Frequent graphite and charcoal illustrations add to the book's richness.

Reviewer:

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Joseph Kelly. Martin Bridge is growing up. In the first story, he feels like everyone is making fun of his little-boy interests. In the second story, Martin and his friend get locked inside a toy store. Martin continues to be such a believable character, it's like Kerrin is channeling a real boy. The charcoal and graphite illustrations are perfectly suited to the writing.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2007

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Joseph Kelly. In the two stories in this book, Martin does the things boys do in the summer: camps with the scouts (a jar of green slime figures prominently) and watches his favorite superhero cartoon. Martin is a real boy with parents who allow him to find his own way, a rarity in today's early chapter books. Expressive graphite and charcoal sketches add an extra dimension.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2006

(1) 1-3 Illustrated by Joseph Kelly. Martin Bridge means well, but his wonderful plans don't always turn out right. Slice-of-life incidents, presented in three stand-alone chapters, ring with truth and familiarity because Martin is no cookie-cutter elementary school boy. Frequent gentle graphite-and-charcoal illustrations add exuberance and dimension to the text. A rich story for new chapter-book readers, who will be more than ready for Martin Bridge.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2005