(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Craig Smith. Cassie loves to dance but struggles with stage fright. When she learns that her confident classmate Jake is also reluctant to participate in the class show, they team up, beat their fears, and perform with style. The text tells a believable story in a straightforward way, and readers will empathize with the characters. Scribbly pencil drawings reflect Cassie's inner turmoil.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(3) PS Illustrated by Craig Smith. Most of Cat's adventures unfold over four pages, the first presenting Cat and an adversary ("Cat. Sprinkler"), then the reverse ("Sprinkler. Cat"), next an escape ("High fence"), and finally the refrain: "Thank goodness for that!" The humor is elucidated in the richly colored green- and brown-tinged gouache and pen-and-ink illustrations that move the action along from one episode to another.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Craig Smith & Craig Smith. Eleven-year-old Troy begins writing peotry...er, poetry...as a class project that culminates in an end-of-year contest. This volume contains eleven writing assignments in which Troy's teacher explains how to write haiku, limericks, and other types of poetry, followed by Troy's clumsy, rude, and often funny attempts. Drawings, collages, and handwritten notes add a busy, visually appealing component to an otherwise slight, predictable book.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta