(3) 4-6 Fish Finelli series. Illustrated by Jason Beene. Fact-obsessed Fish and his friends aim to win the Captain Kidd Classic in the old Fireball while wealthy Bryce lords his newer boat over them. There's plenty to keep series fans and new readers interested, including frequent humor, illustrated trivia sidebars, and the introduction of a girl to the competition. Cartoonlike black-and-white illustrations match the tone of the text.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) 4-6 Fish Finelli series. Illustrated by Jason Beene. In his first outing, precocious Norman "Fish" Finelli and his friends search for Captain Kidd's famed long-lost treasure while frequent sidebars explain the science and history behind the trivia-nut narrator's many dropped facts. Scatological humor adds entertainment for the young middle-grade set. Beene's black-and-white illustrations show amiable, earnest-faced young detectives prowling land and sea for booty.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Jason Beene. Max rebels by going outside on a Wednesday, the day when everybody locks themselves inside to avoid "the wednesdays," creatures who make everything in the otherwise normal village go peculiar. As Max befriends the monsters, he realizes that he is becoming one of them; he must get to the bottom of the phenomenon before it's too late. An outlandish, pleasantly creepy romp.

Reviewer: Ariel Baker-Gibbs

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Jason Beene. Third-grader Sophie's parents react to their genius daughter's love of knowledge with fear and embarrassment; in fact, all the parents of her acquaintances are terribly mismatched to their offspring. In her efforts to acquire a graphing calculator, Sophie also ends up sorting out the other kids' issues. This spoof tickles the funny bone with witty observations and ridiculous situations.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2010