A highly respected author demonstrates clearly her understanding of exuberant six-year-olds--here in Maine and mostly on a school bus. The pages are not crowded with ""I love yous"", ""Have a pleasant day, Mama's darlings"" and tender goodnight kisses, which plague so many easy-reading books about children. Jonathan is lively; he is forgetful; he is imaginative. The kids tease and pick on one another, and then in a minute are boisterous friends again. The realistic, eventful journeys to and from school are packed with natural dialogue and comical events. Definitely manageable vocabulary and large print. A few superfluous illustrations.