(4) 4-6 Just Jake series. Illustrated by Victor Rivas Villa. It's summer break, and Jake is relaxing and earning money through innovative online sales when his father decides they will attend a survival camp hosted by a celebrity. His sister and the bratty quadruplets she babysits tag along. None of this is believable, but Jake is likable, the action is funny, and mixed-media illustrations and photographs add dashes of additional humor.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(4) 4-6 In his second book (Just Jake), Jake's long-term substitute teacher convinces his class (and their parents) that working on her pet-grooming business is a valuable way to spend the rest of the year. The situations are unbelievable and the dialogue rarely sounds authentic. Still, readers who like wacky shenanigans will find plenty here, underscored by colorful mixed-media illustrations and photos captioned by Jake.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Victor Rivas Villa. Sixth grader Jake's family relocates to Maryland, uprooting his hard-earned social status at his old school but not his self-confidence. His comic efforts to make friends and fit in are off-set by his astute observations of the people around him; the caricatures he meets are predictable yet amusing. Mixed-media illustrations and photographs are annotated by Jake. Another journal-novel for fans of the format.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca