"With humor and sympathy for her appealing protagonist and his secret friend, Jenkins continues a strong series for readers of short chapter books. (Fantasy. 7-10)"
A whoopie-pie truck threatens the Wolowitz family ice cream business in this third adventure starring fourth-grader Hank and his invisible bandapat friend, Inkling.
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"Water may flow in abundance through these pages, but this title is an outpouring of observation that repays careful readers richly. (Picture book. 3-6)"
From sunrise to sunset on a scorching summer day, people (and animals) use the water found in a park in many different ways.
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Brooklyn fourth-grader Hank Wolowitz faces his worst Halloween ever when his invisible friend, Inkling, discovers that pumpkins are his favorite kind of food.
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"Anyone who who has ever had an imaginary friend will appreciate sassy Inkling (who's invisible—not imaginary). (Fantasy. 7-10)"
Nine-year-old Hank Wolowitz fears the prospect of fourth grade at New York's PS 166 without friends—his best friend Alexander just moved away (against his will).
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"Poignant and compelling, this sequel sparkles. (Fantasy. 5-9)"
Even more tender than its predecessor, these six related stories skillfully capture the bittersweet challenges of childhood independence.
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"Pratt's paintings use bold strokes and deep hues against the background of brilliant green grass, with blurry shadows adding a dreamlike quality to Dumpling's story. (Picture book. 4-7)"
Jenkins and Pratt team up for a second canine-themed collaboration, this time focusing on a white dog named Dumpling and her unlikely friendship with a skunk.
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"A blend of Toy Story and the stories of Johnny Gruelle and A.A. Milne, this is a solid collection that will serve as a good read-aloud, as well as a nice choice for young readers, who will enjoy exploring the warm, secret world of toys. (Fiction. 6-10)"
A little girl has three toys who are best friends: Stingray, a stuffed stingray who claims to know it all, Lumphy; a daring and curious stuffed buffalo; and Plastic, a bouncing, red toy who has yet to find out her true identity.
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"While the assurance of parental love is commendable, might young listeners assume there are no negative consequences to misbehavior? (Picture book. 3-6)"
"But they are not so very different either,' without adult interpretation. (Picture book. 7-9)"
Wielding pen, brush, and odd bits of cloth or cardboard with breezy abandon, Cantone depicts a pop-eyed, carrot-topped child in variously skewed domestic settings, tallying her "particular tastes"—"Dogs are not her favorite thing. ‘I do not like large ones that drool, but small ones that keep their tongues in their mouths are okay.' " After going on to weigh in on cats, foods, colors, her big brother, baths, boats, and baby dolls, Alberta concludes with the unsurprising revelation that her very favorite thing is (wait for it): "ME!"
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"A moving and sensitive story, artfully enclosed in an engaging and deceptively lighthearted narrative."
A touching, genuinely funny debut from Jenkins (Tongue First: Adventures in Physical Culture, not reviewed) on the strange coming-of-age of a precocious girl at a progressive school in the '70s.
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"Truly original creative turns show promise, but can't compensate for a wild-card plot. (Fiction. 8-12)"
When Billie and her baby brother, Bix, neglected children of rock stars, stow away in their uncle's car, they find themselves transported to the Borderland, a world where animals talk.
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