(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Nancy Meyers. The fifth standalone adventure in the Geisel Honor–winning series finds dog King and girl Kayla visiting Grandma's lake house. When a lost dog, Fred, is discovered, King uses deduction to reunite Fred with his people at a nearby campground. King's enthusiasm is, as always, hilarious. With alternating sentence lengths, strong word repetition, plot-reinforcing illustrations, and plentiful white space, this is a supportive early chapter book.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ed Young. While based on cited research, this biography doesn't quite bring to life Chaplin's groundbreaking artistry. The free-verse text, rhyming occasionally and erratically, unpredictably switches from silent film cards to text blocks within illustrations.Young's collage and ink art, which is full of texture, color, and pattern, doesn't capture facial and body expression--a strange choice for a book about a celebrated visual communicator. Reading list.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Diana Toledano. In her second adventure, word-loving aspiring writer Polly Diamond uses her extraordinary book to magically transform the school fair. Polly creates book-themed rides and face paint that converts people into their favorite literary characters (booklist appended). The wish-fulfillment story is abundantly illustrated with whimsical, textured grayscale art; the unconventional vocabulary makes this series best for strong young readers.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) 4-6 Backstagers series. Illustrated by Rian Sygh. While battling Greek theater purists, the backstage theater crew at St. Genesius Prep faces personal and supernatural challenges in this boundary-pushing series based on the Backstagers comics. The Backstagers here explore equity, diversity, and inclusion as they put on a show about a Deaf girl featuring, for the first time, a Deaf girl as the lead. Cartoon-style monochromatic spot illustrations add humor and distinguish the characters.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) 4-6 Olive feels left out when all her friends make plans for the fifth-grade variety show until she decides to use her own strengths to be the emcee. This full-color graphic novel makes smart use of panels and a friendly pastel palette. A sweet, Raina Telgemeier–lite story featuring supportive and realistic relationships among the diverse cast of characters.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Marla Frazee. Eleven-year-old Waylon struggles with what to do when every family member has an important event on the same day he's supposed to present his science project--and maybe meet his scientist idol. The third entry in this heartfelt, humorous, character-driven series (a spinoff of the Clementine books) delivers lots of warm emotion, perfectly augmented by Frazee's expressive spot illustrations.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Amber Ren. Starting with Beethoven inspiring Schubert; leading to a young brown-skinned girl discovering music; and culminating in that girl becoming a composer and conductor, this is a jubilant celebration of the power of music. The narrative through line keeps pace with ribbons of music that swirl around the detailed digital illustrations featuring a variety of skin colors, hair, and clothing in a diversely peopled orchestra and audience.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(4) 4-6 Born in the U.S. but raised mostly in France, savvy, sophisticated aspiring spy Jada Sly moves to NYC so her affluent African American father can reopen the family art museum. Jada denies that her mother died in a mysterious accident and enlists new friends to investigate her mother's whereabouts. A strong first-person narrative referencing many famous visual artists and their works overcomes a few unrealistic plot twists.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) 1-3 Bea Garcia series. Bea and her best friend (Judith) Einstein inspire their classmates to save their school's giant white oak tree. The students visit an arboretum and recite their poem, inspired by Emily Dickinson (namesake of both the tree and their elementary school), at the school board meeting. As in the previous three series titles, the humorous illustrations and Bea's first-person narration work hand in hand.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(4) PS To the six verses of the classic holiday song, two children ride in a sleigh through a snow-covered forest to see their grandparents on Thanksgiving Day. Painterly illustrations feature friendly, round-faced humans and smiling forest creatures. There's a lack of visual context for some of the more old-fashioned words, a missed opportunity to make them relevant for modern kids.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Jessica Meserve. Lucy really wants to join Songwriting Club but instead goes to self-centered neighbor Scarlett's Craft Club. Scarlett tricks Lucy into doing all the work and blames Lucy when things go wrong. Eventually, Lucy learns her lesson--and also how to play the ukulele. This charming story of a kid who still loves being a silly, messy kid has spot illustrations that support readers transitioning to longer chapter books.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jennifer Oxley. Fair-skinned Melia loves inventing; brown-skinned neighbor Jo is always singing, dancing, and making art. However, this unlikely pair (perhaps inspired by Amelia Earhart and Josephine Baker?) learn that they can "create more super-cool stuff together than either could create alone." Bright, cartoony illustrations featuring orange, lime, and purple complement the motivational (if message-y) text. Back matter includes craft instructions and a STEAM-encouraging note.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) 4-6 Orchard Novel series. Illustrated by Natalie Andrewson. In the third Orchard novel, Olive, Peter, Lizzie, and Sarah are excited for Garrison Orchard's zombie hayride. But Olive's skepticism about the paranormal threatens the tight-knit quartet. Set in small-town New England, a diverse cast includes Olive's two dads, a lesbian mayor, and townsfolk of various racial/cultural backgrounds. Sweet and fast-paced with a touch of the supernatural, this friendship story will appeal to established fans and new series readers.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) PS Illustrated by Julia Woolf. Inspirational rhyming text printed in a cursive font encourages readers to make and hear music everywhere (Play) and to build a variety of imaginative homes, from castles to cabins and submarines to rockets (Build). Final longer poems provide ideas for music- and fort-making. Cheery full-bleed illustrations on thick cardstock pages show a diverse cast of characters. Suitable for preschool classrooms looking for theme-specific read-alouds. Review covers these titles: Build Me a Home and Play Me Some Music.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) PS Illustrated by Ana Sanfelippo. Inspirational rhyming text printed in a cursive font encourages readers to make and hear music everywhere (Play) and to build a variety of imaginative homes, from castles to cabins and submarines to rockets (Build). Final longer poems provide ideas for music- and fort-making. Cheery full-bleed illustrations on thick cardstock pages show a diverse cast of characters. Suitable for preschool classrooms looking for theme-specific read-alouds. Review covers these titles: Build Me a Home and Play Me Some Music.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(4) K-3 Dabble Lab: Amazing Magic Tricks 4D series. Barnhart, a professional comic magician, presents guides for kid-magicians at a range of skill levels. Most amateur tricks (Hocus) have six steps or less; veteran tricks (Alakazam) are more complex and require increased dexterity; all use cheaply acquired items. Illustrated with photos, the step-by-step instructions occasionally lack clarity, but videos on the (free) Capstone 4D app help young readers grasp the elements of distraction, storytelling, etc. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Dabble Lab: Amazing Magic Tricks 4D titles: Alakazam!: Tricks for Veteran Magicians and Hocus Pocus!: Tricks for Amateur Magicians.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(4) K-3 Dabble Lab: Amazing Magic Tricks 4D series. Barnhart, a professional comic magician, presents guides for kid-magicians at a range of skill levels. Most amateur tricks (Hocus) have six steps or less; veteran tricks (Alakazam) are more complex and require increased dexterity; all use cheaply acquired items. Illustrated with photos, the step-by-step instructions occasionally lack clarity, but videos on the (free) Capstone 4D app help young readers grasp the elements of distraction, storytelling, etc. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Dabble Lab: Amazing Magic Tricks 4D titles: Alakazam!: Tricks for Veteran Magicians and Hocus Pocus!: Tricks for Amateur Magicians.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) 4-6 During two weeks at Camp Rockaway, drummer Melly processes her parents' just-announced divorce, her changing best-friendship, and her first crush on a girl. Meanwhile, she and her bandmates learn how to listen to and support one another. This summer-camp crushmance is filled with realistic characters, witty dialogue, and frequent music references. Hand to tween readers who loved Pérez's The First Rule of Punk.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) PS It's bedtime, but Arlo's animal friends are excited to put on a play. In each spread, the animals highlight a different element of playmaking: scenery, costumes, sound, movement, props, etc. Finally, everything comes together in a satisfying gatefold. Speech-bubble text, clever die-cut curtains, and canny details in the bold gouache illustrations encourage exploration, observation, and rereading.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) K-3 Pebble Plus: Great Asian Americans series. Using short, simple sentences and engaging photos, this early-reader biography introduces the Chinese American figure skater. Key moments in Kwan's professional life are covered briefly and chronologically, accompanied by a cumulative timeline. Ample white space around the text and large pictures make for an attractive and supportive layout for new readers. This series fills a gap for children's biographies about Asian Americans. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester