Published by Disney Hyperion

Summary: Waylon’s finding fourth grade tough, both at school and at home. In school, Arlo Brody, the kid everyone wants to be like, has decided that the boys should be divided into two teams. Waylon just wants to be friends with all the kids, but Arlo says the teams are at war. A new boy, Baxter, who might be a criminal, seems to want to hang out with Waylon. Meanwhile, Neon (Waylon’s 14-year-old sister formerly known as Charlotte) has taken to wearing all black and locking herself into her room. Waylon’s passion is science, but even his best ideas can’t help him figure out the people around him. When he learns the word isthmus in geography class, he decides that’s what he has to be—the bridge between friends and family members who seem to be living in two different countries. A happy almost-ending is in store for everyone—until the final end raises a big question that will surely need a sequel to resolve. 208 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros: Clementine’s classmate gets a story of his own, with the Sara Pennypacker-Marla Frazee team produces a book every bit as winning as their first series.

Cons: See pages 12 and 13 for some pretty egregious typos.

Published by Penguin Young Readers Group

Summary:  Bea Garcia likes to draw pictures of everything in her life.  She keeps her drawings in a book she calls—you guessed it—My Life in Pictures.  She has pictures of her mom and dad, pictures of her little brother Pablo, a.k.a. The Big Pest, and pictures of her best friend Yvonne, who, sadly, has just moved to Australia.  Yvonne’s house next door is empty, but not for long.  Pretty soon a new family moves in with a boy just Bea’s age—or is he really a monster?  Bert, a.k.a. Burp, ends up in Bea’s class, and she’s pretty sure nothing can be worse than the first day of school…until she gets to the second day.  Just when it seems like disaster is about to strike, Bea’s book of pictures winds up saving the day.  134 pages; ages 6-9.

Pros:  Bea is a likeable character with realistic-sounding problems and a spunky attitude to handle them.  The heavily illustrated text will make this a good choice for readers transitioning to longer chapter books.

Cons:  I was a bit disturbed that Bea’s teacher showed her artwork to the whole class without first asking her permission.

Published by Random House 

Summary:  When Shen’s boat crushed by frozen waves in a sudden ice storm, he’s left on his own with part of the ship’s cargo—66 pugs.  They manage to cross the ice to the nearest village, where they meet Sika and her family. Sika tells Shen that it’s True Winter, an event that only happens once in a lifetime.  True Winter means the Snowfather can be reached at the North Pole, and there will be a sled race to get to him.  Whoever gets there first will be granted a wish.  Sika wants to go to see if she can save her dying grandfather; she has a sled, but no dogs.  Turns out sixty six pugs can do the work of a dog sled team, so off they all go, racing against a group of formidable opponents.  Undeterred by yetis, snowbots, and cheating competitors, the kids and their pugs prove that they are contenders.  224 pages; ages 7-10.

Pros: Don’t be put off by the goofy cover; this is a good adventure story with original characters and loveable characters. The humor is accentuated with silly illustrations on every page.

Cons: There’s no getting around it, those pugs are pretty ugly.

Published by Scholastic 

Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVhK8kZN5w0

Summary:  Oona lives in a cave with her high-powered mother (she’s trying to market the newly-invented wheel), her father (he’s a laid-back hunter-gatherer who likes to cook), and younger brother, Bonk.  When Oona discovers a large egg, she hopes it will hatch into something that Bonk’s not allergic to. And that it won’t be interested in eating her and her family.  When she and Bonk have a fight, the egg mysteriously disappears, and Oona is heartbroken.  Using her wits and ingenuity, she figures out what happened and tracks down her unhatched pet just as the egg is starting to rock and crack a bit.  It breaks open, and out steps a baby…well, I can’t give everything away.  Book #2 comes out in September.  160 pages; grades 2-4.

Pros:  The Oodlethunks are a modern Stone-Age family, and 21^st century kids will chuckle over the up-to-date reinventions of prehistoric life.  The author’s note at the end separates fact from fiction, explaining that much of the Oodlethunks’ village is based on ancient Colorado.  Fun illustrations.

Cons:  The geologic ages are a bit mixed up.

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 

Summary:  Dolores “Lola” Levine is an athletic second grader who loves playing soccer, writing in her diary, and hanging out with her best friend, Josh, who is also the school principal’s son.  When she makes an aggressive play during a recess soccer game, a boy in her class gets hurt, and she is banned from playing soccer.  Worst of all, some of the girls in her class start calling her Mean Lola Levine.  After suffering a few days in silence, Lola confides in her family, and together they figure out a way for Lola to resolve her problems.  96 pages; grades 1-3.

Pros:  With a Jewish father and Peruvian mother, Lola is a multicultural successor to Judy Moody and Junie B. Jones.  She incorporates aspects of both cultures into her strong, feisty personality.

Cons: Not a particularly groundbreaking entry into the early chapter book genre.

Published by Arthur A. Levine Books 

Summary:  Sylvie and Miranda have been best friends just about their whole lives.  But now a new boy in the neighborhood, Georgie, is becoming friends with Miranda, and Sylvie is worried that she’s losing her friend.  She decides that Miranda’s upcoming birthday party is her chance to prove what a good friend she is by giving the most spectacular present she can find.  Her misguided attempts result in a stolen ferret, a twisted ankle, and an enormous cardboard castle covered with glitter glue.  Will Miranda appreciate Sylvie’s efforts, or is their friendship doomed to come to an end?  Grades 2-4.

Pros:  Sylvie is a likable character with worries and self-doubts that many kids will relate to.  Her clumsy but heartfelt efforts at friendship will engage beginning chapter book readers.  Look for the sequel, Mean Girl Meltdown.

Cons:  The stolen ferret storyline made me anxious.

Published by Beach Lane Books

 Summary:  There’s a drought in Gooseberry Park, and it’s up to Kona the dog, Murray the bat, and Gwendolyn the hermit crab to get water to the elderly and baby animals that live there.  Together, they hatch an ingenious Master Plan which requires the cooperation of Murray’s cousin Morton, Herman the crow, a possum, a cat, three young squirrels, and 200 owls.  Working with split-second precision, the team manages to secure and store enough water to keep the animals going until much-needed rain brings the park residents permanent relief.  Grades 1-4.

Pros:  This perennially favorite author-illustrator team have produced a worth sequel to Gooseberry Park.  The story is engaging, but the book is driven by the characters, such as spiritual Gwendolyn (she does Reiki) and motivational speaker Morton.  Readers will cheer for the success of the master plan and root for another book about this wonderful community.  This would be a perfect read-aloud for primary grades.

Cons:  Some of the characters’ quirks may be more appreciated by adult readers than children.

Published by Scholastic Press 

Summary:  Second-grader Suzannah and her friends are back for the second installment of the Shelter Pet Squad series.  This time, they are captivated by Merlin, a lively ferret who loves to hide, steal shiny objects, and play.  Wanting to make sure he finds a perfect home, the kids decide to make up a ferret quiz for any potential adopter.  As the youngest member of the group, Suzannah sometimes struggles to keep up with the other kids, so she decides to do her research from the biggest book she can find.  But she’s not quite ready to tackle such a weighty reading assignment, and her sketchy reading causes her to give Merlin a toy that almost proves disastrous.  Fortunately, she’s surrounded by friends who are glad to help, and a happy ending is in store for all, including Merlin.  Grades 2-4.

Pros:  Newbery honoree Cynthia Lord has created an early chapter book series that has a bit more depth and character development than many books of this level.  Kids will love reading about animals and the children who get to help them.

Cons:  Readers may be disappointed to learn that seven-year-olds working with animals in a shelter is, in general, purely fictional.