Released: May 28, 2013
"With Celia, Derek and Abner all having played starring roles in the series, fans will be eager for Tate's turn. (Magical adventure. 6-9)"
Hollowstone Hill's magic (
Lawn Mower Magic, 2012, etc.) returns in grasshoppers that, when fried and eaten, give Abner Willow an unexpected bounce.
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Released: Feb. 28, 2012
"Second in a promising series that began with Hamster Magic (2010) this is a good stepping stone to more challenging reading. (Fantasy. 6-9)"
The four Willow children attempt to tame an old-fashioned reel lawn mower with an enormous appetite for grass.
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ANIMALS
Released: July 5, 2011
"Fans of Emmy and Raston will welcome their latest escapades. (Fantasy. 9-12)"
Ten-year-old Emmy Addison returns with rodent pal Raston Rat to prove she's a responsible kid who still has what it takes to outwit her former nanny, the devious Jane Barmy, in this fast-paced sequel to
Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls (2008).
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ADVENTURE
Released: Sept. 1, 2009
"Eccentric and entertaining. (Adventure. 9-12)"
A plucky little girl literally rises to the occasion, rescuing a passel of exploited orphans and solving the mystery of her mother's death.
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ANIMALS
Released: Sept. 1, 2008
"More clever, rodent-filled fantasy featuring the irascible, irresistible Raston Rat and the extraordinary Emmy—and Bean's flip-book wizardry. (Fantasy. 9-12)"
Emmy Addison and her friends Joe (a boy) and Raston (a magic rat) return in this whirlwind sequel that picks up weeks after Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat (2007) ended.
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ANIMALS
Released: Aug. 1, 2007
"Fun and funny, this fast-paced page turner appropriately begins and ends with the unforgettable Rat in an acrobatic flip-book feature. (Fiction. 9-12)"
Ten-year-old Emmy lived happily with her parents in an apartment above their bookstore until an unexpected inheritance changed their lives.
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ANIMALS
Released: Aug. 1, 2002
"Purposeful and honorable. (Picture book. 5-8)"
He was an ordinary mole—digging, tunneling, moving dirt—who loved his family, and was strong, brave, and steady.
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FAMILY AND GROWING UP
Released: May 1, 2001
"Then you smooth down the prickles," readers will smile along with them. (Picture book. 3-7)"
FAMILY AND GROWING UP
Released: March 1, 2001
"A touching and astute tale about keeping the important things in perspective for frazzled moms and their bewildered offspring. (Picture book. 4-8)"
Jonell's (It's My Birthday, Too!, 1999, etc.) latest adventure involving siblings Robbie and Christopher comically captures that classic conundrum: when moms are at their busiest, their children are at their neediest.
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Released: March 1, 1999
"It's all familiar but lovely in this format—boiled down to the essentials and gleeful in its simplicity. (Picture book. 4-8)"
From Jonell and Mathers (I Need a Snake, 1998, etc.), an immensely appealing story of brotherly dynamics, and the sparks they throw off.
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ANIMALS
Released: May 18, 1998
"Nevertheless, Mathers's drawings have the appropriate feel of a child's own scenes, and if Robbie's enthusiasm doesn't rub off on his mother, it will certainly convince readers. (Picture book. 4-6)"
From Jonell and Mathers (Mommy Go Away!, 1997), a charming solution to the age-old dilemma of convincing parents that snakes are good pets; unfortunately, it also promotes the stereotype of female ophidiophobia.
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FAMILY AND GROWING UP
Released: Oct. 13, 1997
"A highly original book that will strike a chord in every child's experience, and one that parents will enjoy immensely. (Picture book. 2-6)"
Jonell turns the tables on parental authority and childlike obedience in a terrific story of a boy and his mother. ``Pick up your blocks,'' ``No more T.V.,'' and ``Time for your bath'' are the phrases that set off a small boy's protests.
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