(3) 1-3 Alien in My Pocket series. Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. In book seven, Amp, the small blue alien living in Zack's bedroom, finds a telescope and discovers an alien invasion in progress. Zack, his best friend Olivia, and Olivia's grandpa must use their savvy--and a little real science--to save Amp and, hopefully, Earth. Black-and-white cartoons complement the humor, and the appended try-it-yourself experiment elucidates a scientific concept within the story.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) 1-3 Alien in My Pocket series. Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. Until now, only Zack and his best friend Olivia knew about Amp, the small blue alien from Erde who crash landed into Zack's bedroom. But that changes in this satisfying series conclusion when a fleet of Erdians invades Earth. Utilizing science and Amp's favorite foods, Zack and Olivia help save the planet. Black-and-white illustrations and a detailed appended science experiment amplify the sci-fi fun.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. In addition to the original Flat Stanley story, this compilation includes Stanley, Flat Again!; Stanley in Space; and Stanley and the Magic Lamp. All four books were published in paperback in 2009 with Pamintuan's then-new illustrations. For libraries looking to replace their old copies, this sturdy paper-over-board edition will be welcome.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. Written by Lori Haskins Houran. On vacation, Flat Stanley and his brother discover a sunken ship while snorkeling. "In the middle of the wreck sat a chest of gleaming gold!" Stanley attempts to bring a gold bar up to prove their find but must leave it behind to save a trapped dolphin. Accompanied by the series' cartoony illustrations, this easy-to-read story is mildly suspenseful.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 1-3 Alien in My Pocket series. Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. Zack's best friend Olivia and Amp, the small blue alien who crashed in his room, are last-minute additions to the family's annual camping trip. When the trio gets lost, Amp uses his scientific approach to steer the kids to safety. As usual, abundant black-and-white illustrations and a blend of silly sci-fi and palatable science (a related project is included) will please new readers.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. Written by Lori Haskins Houran. In this episode, Flat Stanley and his brother, Arthur, help Pete the baker win back customers when a neighboring town's bakery lures business away. As in the previous books, the plot hinges on Stanley's lack of depth; here, Stanley's contributions are mostly accidental rather than purposeful. Cartoonish illustrations accompany the accessible and mildly diverting text.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. Written by Lori Haskins Houran. In this episode, Flat Stanley skates on thin ice--literally. Due to his low body mass, Stanley has an advantage on the skating pond, but when the ice begins to break up, he's trapped. Unlike the previous books, where the plots hinge on Stanley's flatness, brother Arthur is the one to save the day and Stanley. Cartoony illustrations accompany the accessible if not-particularly-engaging text.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) PS Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. The zoo animals hop into a rocket and blast off to the moon, but an asleep-at-the-wheel rhino sends them off course, returning them to Earth. The text, with its quasi-rhymes, wordplay, and onomatopoeia, is awkward, but the story has an easy-to-follow trajectory. Clear, energetic digital illustrations reminiscent of film animation will engage both the space-travel and zoo-animal fandoms.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) 1-3 Alien in My Pocket series. Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. Amp, a small blue alien who crash lands in Zack's bedroom, needs help returning home. But Zack prefers baseball to science, so his best friend Olivia and Amp illuminate various scientific concepts for Zack amid spaceship reconstruction. Complete with instructions for safe experiments and illustrated with comic black-and-white ink drawings, this series is a winning concoction of silly action and serious science. Review covers these Alien in My Pocket titles: Blast Off! and The Science Unfair.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) 1-3 Alien in My Pocket series. Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. Amp, a small blue alien who crash lands in Zack's bedroom, needs help returning home. But Zack prefers baseball to science, so his best friend Olivia and Amp illuminate various scientific concepts for Zack amid spaceship reconstruction. Complete with instructions for safe experiments and illustrated with comic black-and-white ink drawings, this series is a winning concoction of silly action and serious science. Review covers these Alien in My Pocket titles: Blast Off! and The Science Unfair.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) 1-3 Alien in My Pocket series. Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. The latest installments in this silly series packs comic punches as Amp, the small blue alien, continues to wreak havoc on human Zack's life. While packaged for maximum reluctant-reader appeal, the book will engage new readers with entertaining plots, believable characters, humorous black-and-white line illustrations, and palatable science; each volume includes a related science experiment, appropriately detailed for elementary students. Review covers these Alien in My Pocket titles: On Impact! and Radio Active.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) 1-3 Alien in My Pocket series. Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. The latest installments in this silly series packs comic punches as Amp, the small blue alien, continues to wreak havoc on human Zack's life. While packaged for maximum reluctant-reader appeal, the book will engage new readers with entertaining plots, believable characters, humorous black-and-white line illustrations, and palatable science; each volume includes a related science experiment, appropriately detailed for elementary students. Review covers these Alien in My Pocket titles: On Impact! and Radio Active.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(4) 1-3 Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures series. Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. Written by John Greenhut. Flat Stanley continues his travels by visiting Texas. After promising to be prompt in meeting his mother at the Alamo, Stanley and three companions explore the area; they incur various adventures and arrive late at the rendezvous. Stanley fears a showdown with his mother, but the day is saved by the arrival of his friend, Calamity Jasper. Cartoonish drawings accompany the slight, mildly diverting story.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 1-3 Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures series. Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. Written by Josh Greenhut. In installments eleven and twelve, Stanley continues to travel around the world saving the day. The two-dimensional hero catches a thief at the Louvre by posing as a painting and he helps a daredevil friend escape from Alcatraz in California. The slim standalone plot lines are laid out in short action-packed chapters that incorporate some general cultural markers. Cartoonish illustrations appear throughout. Review covers these Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures titles: Escape to California and Framed in France.

Reviewer:

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Pamintuan Macky. Written by Lori Haskins Houran. Flat Stanley agrees to let his brother bring him for show-and-tell--because Stanley's good at wiggling his ears. As in the previous books, Stanley's lack of depth saves the day. Accompanied by pedestrian illustrations, the story has a whiff of tension and an accessible text. There's an alluded-to "real reason Stanley was going to Show-and-Tell," but it's not clarified.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) 1-3 Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures series. Illustrated by Pamintuan Macky. Written by Josh Greenhut. In installments eleven and twelve, Stanley continues to travel around the world saving the day. The two-dimensional hero catches a thief at the Louvre by posing as a painting and he helps a daredevil friend escape from Alcatraz in California. The slim standalone plot lines are laid out in short action-packed chapters that incorporate some general cultural markers. Cartoonish illustrations appear throughout. Review covers these Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures titles: Escape to California and Framed in France.

Reviewer:

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. The young owner of Dino Wash Deluxe knows "you gotta know the customers!" Every dinosaur is different, every cleaning job unique. With this in mind, the boy uses goggles to put mean T. rex, worried about getting soap in his eyes, at ease. Though generic, illustrations of unthreatening dinosaurs and the accompanying requisite dinosaur facts will appeal to reluctant bathers and dinosaur fans alike.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) 1-3 Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures series. Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. Written by Josh Greenhut. When Flat Stanley, in Washington, DC, to receive the National Medal of Achievement, mistakes his security detail for kidnappers, he sets off a chase around DC's many monuments. The story is more message-y than amusing, but series fans won't care. Cartoonish illustrations appear throughout.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. Written by Lori Haskins Houran. Flat Stanley Lambchop returns in his third easy-reader adventure, a baseball game. But are flat players allowed? Do they have an unfair advantage in center field? Stanley good-naturedly proves that whether he's flat or stuffed with Mom's clean laundry, he's an asset to the team. Beginning readers will enjoy this amusing Stanley story. The cartoony illustrations are bland but clear.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) 1-3 Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures series. Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. Flat Stanley and his brother have a blast surfing and snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef after winning a trip to the land down under. But when the siblings fashion Stanley into a boomerang, a gust of wind blows him deep into the Outback. This mildly amusing adventure will please fans of the series. Cartoonish drawings appear throughout.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute