(2) 4-6 Homeschooled Emma is nervous the night before starting fifth grade at a traditional school, but the lost domesticated rabbit she and her father rescue is a good distraction. Her first day goes badly; complicating matters is Jack, a special needs boy in her class. Emma's anxiety about social dynamics and her close relationships with family members are well drawn. Facts about pet rabbits divide chapters and imply broader meanings to contemplate.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(4) 1-3 Shelter Pet Squad series. Illustrated by Erin McGuire. Suzannah's embarrassed to be the only Shelter Pet Squad member without a pet, especially as her second-grade class Pet Day approaches. Can sharing the story of Paloma, a shelter dog from Puerto Rico, be just as special? Dog lovers will appreciate Paloma's happy ending in this third story with overtly integrated pet-care tips; halftone illustrations capture Suzannah's enthusiasm. Additional facts and activities are appended.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 Scholastic Reader series. Illustrated by Greg Paprocki. In their fourth easy reader, Hot Rod Hamster and friends head to the waterpark on a hot day, where Hamster challenges two big dogs to a race down a waterslide. As usual, rhyming verses engage readers with choices: "Striped tube. Bright tube. Race tube. White tube. Which would you choose?" Brightly colored illustrations make a splash as the pals cool off.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) 4-6 Small-town Mainer Lily and migrant worker Salma become fast friends, bonding over Lily's blind dog, Lucky. Lily wants to earn money for surgery for Lucky; Salma wants to win the local Blueberry Queen pageant. Both support each other's plans despite the obstacles (the operation is risky; "outsiders" never enter the pageant) in this warm-hearted, thoughtfully written tale of a memorable friendship.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(3) K-3 Scholastic Reader series. Illustrated by Greg Paprocki. In their third book for new readers, Hot Rod Hamster and friends are psyched for an upcoming Halloween party, but a broken-down hot rod slows the gang until friendly ghosts come to their aid. As usual, rhyming verses engage readers with choices: "Carve time? Sweet time? Drink time? Meet time? Which would you choose?" Brightly colored illustrations are filled with affable pumpkins, ghosts, and costumed party guests.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) K-3 Scholastic Reader series. Illustrated by Greg Paprocki. A lively rhyming text relates Hot Rod Hamster's ATV adventure. As in previous titles, several choices are offered to the reader: "Bridge trail. Tree trail. Swamp trail. Sea trail. Which would you choose?" When a yelp for help reveals a friend-filled ATV stuck in the mud, the proper tool choice may save the day. Brightly colored, mud-splattered illustrations capture the all-terrain fun.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) 1-3 Shelter Pet Squad series. Illustrated by Erin McGuire. Seven-year-old Suzannah wants to find Merlin the ferret the perfect home, but as Maplewood Animal Shelter's youngest volunteer, she cannot read the ferret-care book or attend a pet-adoption event on her own. Suzannah has spunk, and McGuire's halftone illustrations capture characters' emotions. Unfortunately, the narrative sometimes reads as a vehicle for pet-care information. Ferret facts and activities are appended.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Derek Anderson. Hot Rod Hamster and his bulldog buddy (and readers, too) have myriad choices of rides and food at the fair: "Slurp treats, lick treats, eat it on a stick treats. Which would you choose?" Ultimately, Hot Rod's biggest thrill is filling in for driver Fearless Franco in Monster Truck Mania. Colorful acrylics complement the peppy rhymes and the boisterous good time.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) 1-3 Shelter Pet Squad series. Illustrated by Erin McGuire. Second-grade animal lover Suzannah cannot have a pet in her apartment, so she spends time volunteering at a local shelter. When guinea pig Jelly Bean is left there, Suzannah and her new friends spring into action. A predictable plot with unnecessary explanatory passages make this series-starter both easy to understand and dull. Sweet halftone illustrations and appended activities and facts are included.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith

(3) K-3 Scholastic Reader series. Illustrated by Greg Paprocki. The Wacky Whatever Race requires a box car powered by neither motor nor paws touching the ground. Hot Rod Hamster and readers have several choices during building: "High wheels. Low wheels. Fat wheels. Slow wheels. Which would you choose?" When the car loses speed, the quick-thinking critter makes it roll without breaking the rules. Bright digital illustrations enliven the energetic rhyming text.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(2) 4-6 When twelve-year-old Lucy enters a photography contest, she must decide whether to submit a picture of her new friend Nate's grandmother, whose life has become punctuated with moments of dementia and confusion. Nate is horrified by his grandmother's panicked expression, but Lucy knows it's an amazing picture. The story is moving, and readers will find themselves caught up in sensitive Lucy's honest and thoughtful narration.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2014

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Derek Anderson. "Best day, bake day, candles on a cake day!" A chipper text, along with dialogue balloons, tells of Hamster's surprise birthday party. While Hamster accompanies his bulldog best friend on mundane errands, preparations for the party are ongoing. The festive, cartoony acrylic illustrations are thoughtfully composed.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Derek Anderson. A feisty little hamster is determined to join the big dogs in a hot rod race. With help from his friends (and the reader), Hamster builds the perfect car. A consistent rhyming text poses choices ("Rust car, clean car, itty bitty green car") and asks, "Which would you choose?" Large, colorful acrylic illustrations enhance the action of this root-for-the-underdog read-aloud.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(1) 4-6 After the state threatens to close its school, Maine islanders take in foster kids to increase enrollment; Tess's family fosters thirteen-year-old Aaron, who's not exactly eager about it. Tess is well versed in axioms about luck, and each chapter opens with a different one. Her narration gives readers a real feeling for island life, while her sense of humor keeps things light.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2010