(3) 4-6 Illustrated by James Bernardin. A ten-gallon hat, fake roses, and cat fur are key clues in Encyclopedia Brown's latest batch of cases. The ten mini-mysteries stick to Sobol's tried-and-true formula, with gal pal Sally, bad boy Bugs Meany, and other familiar characters making appearances. Readers will, as always, enjoy checking their solutions against the answers at the back. Bernardin's black-and-white drawings enliven the stories.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by James Bernardin. Young mystery fans can join Encyclopedia Brown in solving another ten puzzles, from "The Case of the Glittering Diamonds" and "The Case of the Home-Run Hitter" to "The Case of the Arrowhead Hunter" and "The Case of the Courageous Camper." The mysteries' solutions and how Encyclopedia arrived at them are provided at the end of the book. Black-and-white line drawings accent the stories.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Illustrated by James Bernardin. Revisiting eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon's letter to the New York Sun (reprinted within), Plehal presents a classic story with modern touches as Virginia and best friend, Ollie, attempt to answer an age-old question. Bernardin's illustrations combine caricature, sentiment, and historical details, matching Plehal's energetic text. While messages about charity and childhood are heavy-handed, it's a decent adaptation for those new to the tale.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by James Bernardin. Young mystery fans can join Encyclopedia Brown in solving ten new cases, from "The Case of the Stolen Stamps" and "The Case of the Scrambled Eggs" to "The Case of Mrs. Washington's Diary." The mysteries' solutions and how Encyclopedia came to them are provided at the end of the book. Black-and-white line drawings accent the stories.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) K-3 Illustrated by James Bernardin. Twelve Nativity players offer prayers expressing their places in "God's plan." Though some of the rhymes are clunky ("I could not have known / when I turned them away, / pure love from above / would soon lie in the hay"), the writing is more often serviceable. Lavish paintings illustrate the traditional Nativity scenes using rich blue and gold hues.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by James Bernardin. This engaging easy-reader biography of President Obama (who is referred to as "Barack" throughout) provides interesting details about his unconventional childhood. It also depicts the excitement of his historic victory, while emphasizing his interest in finding a way for everyone to work together to make America a better place for all. Soft-focus realistic illustrations emphasize the man's approachability.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by James Bernardin. A boy observes the many nifty qualities of his friends' parents--Katie's mom drives a convertible, Ben's parents go camping, Sydney's mom and dad teach square dancing. His parental wish list grows, but the boy finally concludes that his own parents have special characteristics that he "wouldn't trade." Large, colorful illustrations embrace the warmth and vitality of each family member.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by James Bernardin. Encyclopedia's ten new cases stick to Sobol's tried-and-true formula. Each mini-mystery offers enough clues for readers to identify the evidence needed to spot the bad guy--be it Encyclopedia's long-running arch-nemesis Bugs Meany or giggling Goldie, a five-year-old who's been wreaking havoc in a soccer star's house. Black-and-white drawings illustrate the stories; solutions are noted at the end of the book.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by James Bernardin. Encyclopedia Brown is back, solving cases for his friends and police chief father. He tackles these ten new cases with ease; readers can flip to the back of the book to see just how. With the same voice and setup as the original stories, Sobol's new collection will be warmly welcomed by old fans. Bernardin's black-and-white line art meshes well with the stories.

Reviewer: Becky Levine

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by James Bernardin. Three siblings are perplexed when their parents react to their bad behavior with non sequiturs (e.g., handprints on the wall get a response of "eat your vegetables"). Discovering this is a ploy to improve their comportment, the kids turn the tables and begin spouting nonsense phrases of their own. Though moderately amusing, the thin plot probably would have worked better as a short story.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by James Bernardin. These two books are set in northern Vermont in the early 1900s. In Doctor, Margaret, who dreams of becoming a doctor, gets some experience during the 1918-1919 influenza outbreak. In Library, Ruby must help her large family after her father's death in a logging accident. Readers will be drawn to these two courageous protagonists and their engaging stories. The books are illustrated with black-and-white drawings. [Review covers these titles: A Doctor like Papa and Lumber Camp Library.]

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by James Bernardin. These two books are set in northern Vermont in the early 1900s. In Doctor, Margaret, who dreams of becoming a doctor, gets some experience during the 1918-1919 influenza outbreak. In Library, Ruby must help her large family after her father's death in a logging accident. Readers will be drawn to these two courageous protagonists and their engaging stories. The books are illustrated with black-and-white drawings. [Review covers these titles: A Doctor like Papa and Lumber Camp Library.]

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(3) K-3 Illustrated by James Bernardin. Sim Webb, the African-American fireman for legendary train engineer Casey Jones, tells of the events leading up to the crash of the Cannonball Express in 1900. Jones is seduced by an unearthly sounding seven-quill train whistle, and he insists on running the train faster than Webb feels is safe to get enough steam to play the seventh pipe. Expressive illustrations capture the drama of this event, based on the real-life disaster.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith