(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mike Deas. "Yes, a great Jedi Luke Skywalker will become. A Jedi, too, you wish to be? Help you I can." Speaking directly to readers, Jedi master Yoda calmly dispenses tenets of the Jedi code. In the lively illustrations, Luke Skywalker faces his fears, learns to believe in himself, and trains to use the Force (as he does in The Empire Strikes Back). Deas's lithe lines and soft color palette match Chhibber's channeling of Yoda's mediative tone. As legions of fans already know, Yoda's wit and wisdom have relevance beyond the Star Wars universe.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Seventh grader Clea struggles with organization, attention, and school assignments, so her parents have her evaluated for ADHD. The approachable, realistic novel handles Clea's trials with sensitivity while giving readers plenty of solid information about the disorder. Once she has a diagnosis and appropriate support, Clea's small steps toward school success are both believable and encouraging.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Brendan Wenzel. A reverie on life--its mutability, joys, and challenges--leads to a conclusion of hope: "There is always a new road to take." The poetic (if slightly bromidic) text is given rigor and specificity by a series of gorgeous, richly colored, dramatically lit landscapes and animal portraits. With its inspirational life lessons, this is sure to find its way to new graduates.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis

(3) PS "I show you how to talk to strangers... / and how to slow down." A child enumerates all the things taught to an adult, sounding uncannily like what a parent does for a child. This big-hearted, small-scale book's dainty line illustrations in black, brown, and yellow show the caregiver-child pair observing ants, playing in cardboard boxes, and otherwise enjoying life together.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 The daughters of very busy parents reunite with Ms. Rapscott (Ms. Rapscott's Girls) for a second semester. With the benevolent assistance of two sweater-wearing corgis named Lewis and Clark, the girls learn life lessons through whimsical adventure and somewhat controlled chaos. Each character is granted time to shine, while pencil illustrations soften the lessons and add to the humor.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) 4-6 At her school inside a lighthouse, Ms. Rapscott--with the cheerful assistance of two meticulous, turtleneck-wearing corgis--offers life lessons to the lonely daughters of "the busiest parents in the world." An unusual plot, with whiffs of Mary Poppins, is filled with whimsical details and dashes of humor. Pencil illustrations add to the magic, occasionally taking helm of the narrative.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(2) PS Fisher includes the basics: left and right; counting; shapes, colors, and patterns; etc. Little plastic dolls and toys are photographed against bright, solid-color backgrounds, cleverly demonstrating each idea. Most spreads stand alone, and the book has an extremely loose structure. This sunny volume will help children build independence and also remind adults of just how capable very young ones can be.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2014

(4) YA Guy's Guide series. The boy-edition of this updated series examines emotions and offers advice on coping. Chapters look at situations where these emotions crop up, the physical and emotional effects of feelings, how the moods manifest, and when they might be dangerous. Text boxes, quotes, and quizzes help break up the information. The page design is drab, and production quality is poor. Includes hotlines for further information. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Guy's Guide titles: A Stressed-Out Guy's Guide, A Hassled Guy's Guide, An Unloved Guy's Guide, A Lonely Guy's Guide, and An Angry Guy's Guide.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(4) YA Girls Dealing with Feelings series. The girl-edition of this updated series examines emotions and offers advice on coping. Chapters look at situations where these emotions crop up, the physical and emotional effects of feelings, how the moods manifest, and when they might be dangerous. Text boxes, quotes, and quizzes help break up the information. The page design is drab, and production quality is poor. Includes hotlines for further information. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Girls Dealing with Feelings titles:Stressed-Out Girl?, Feeling Unloved?, Hassled Girl?, Angry Girl?, Jealous Girl?, and Lonely Girl?.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(4) YA This updated edition is part faux-memoir, part self-help book: Kermit first describes his rise to fame and then provides life advice to readers. The collection of tips he offers may not be groundbreaking ("Be happy with who you are"), but guidance from this eternal optimist may be just right for Muppet-lovers.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(4) K-3 Understanding Emotions series. Illustrated by John Bendall-Brunello. Four young animals deal with emotions and how the feelings affect those around them as well as themselves in these picture books. The stories, illustrated with appropriately emotive pictures, are fairly cheesy but surprisingly light on moralizing given the series' preachy-sounding premise. Each book contains ideas for adults to use when sharing it with children as well as helpful coping tips. Review covers these Understanding Emotions titles: The Elephant Who Was Scared, The Hippo Who Was Happy, The Tiger Who Was Angry, and The Zebra Who Was Sad.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) K-3 Understanding Emotions series. Illustrated by John Bendall-Brunello. Four young animals deal with emotions and how the feelings affect those around them as well as themselves in these picture books. The stories, illustrated with appropriately emotive pictures, are fairly cheesy but surprisingly light on moralizing given the series' preachy-sounding premise. Each book contains ideas for adults to use when sharing it with children as well as helpful coping tips. Review covers these Understanding Emotions titles: The Elephant Who Was Scared, The Hippo Who Was Happy, The Tiger Who Was Angry, and The Zebra Who Was Sad.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) K-3 Understanding Emotions series. Illustrated by John Bendall-Brunello. Four young animals deal with emotions and how the feelings affect those around them as well as themselves in these picture books. The stories, illustrated with appropriately emotive pictures, are fairly cheesy but surprisingly light on moralizing given the series' preachy-sounding premise. Each book contains ideas for adults to use when sharing it with children as well as helpful coping tips. Review covers these Understanding Emotions titles: The Elephant Who Was Scared, The Hippo Who Was Happy, The Tiger Who Was Angry, and The Zebra Who Was Sad.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) K-3 Understanding Emotions series. Illustrated by John Bendall-Brunello. Four young animals deal with emotions and how the feelings affect those around them as well as themselves in these picture books. The stories, illustrated with appropriately emotive pictures, are fairly cheesy but surprisingly light on moralizing given the series' preachy-sounding premise. Each book contains ideas for adults to use when sharing it with children as well as helpful coping tips. Review covers these Understanding Emotions titles: The Elephant Who Was Scared, The Hippo Who Was Happy, The Tiger Who Was Angry, and The Zebra Who Was Sad.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) K-3 Nicely designed pages with monochromatic backgrounds and large type create the backdrop for fairly unoriginal truisms: "s-t-r-e-t-c-h yourself, / take the leap, / and shoot for the moon!" Most of the sayings aren't particularly dog-specific, the exception being "just roll with it," showing Rudy, a tan and white pup, rolling around on a carpet.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 About two-dozen cumulatively tiresome clichés about life ("You might feel like a fish out of water or like a small fish in a big pond") make up this volume. There's an element of much-welcome tongue-in-cheek fun in the minimalist line drawings, which are cleverly augmented by spot photographs.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) YA Illustrated by Monika Melnychuk. This health guide for pre-teens and young teenagers covers basic information about the physical and emotional changes of puberty. Chapters discuss everything from diet and exercise to doctor visits, while encouraging dialogue with caring adults. The information is solid, but the unattractive illustrations and design elements compromise its potential. Ind.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Thomas F. Yezerski. Three stories chronicle the friendship between the worry-prone Rose (a vole) and the more easygoing Riley (a groundhog). Cutler's quiet text captures the affection between the two, while Yezerski's watercolors emphasize their differing personalities and provide a cozy setting. Frog and Toad they ain't, but though there's not much humor here, there's lots of security and warmth.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. When ten-year-old Marcus gets to meet his idol, basketball star Jason Carter, on a school field trip, he is surprised when Jason advises him to pursue more than one dream (Marcus is good at math as well as basketball). Though the story is somewhat didactic, Marcus is an appealing character, and the easy format makes it a slam dunk for reluctant readers.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) YA Introduction by Queen Latifah. A hip, non-patronizing, and readable text outlines basic rules for living. Williams offers advice by relating anecdotes from her own experience as a publicist and through stories of some of her celebrity clients. Quotes from real teens are also included in this book that is full of good, sound advice.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden