Kelsey Green LOVES reading. She can't believe how lucky she is when the school Principal, Mr. Boone, comes into her third grade class to announce there will be a month long reading contest! She goes to great lengths to read more books than anyone else and to help her class earn a pizza party. Can she do it all by herself? Not everyone in her class loves to read as much as she does, will this become a problem? This is a fun book about someone who clearly loves reading more than anything else. Kristin (J Fiction)
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Babies, Burglars, and Other Bumps in the Night by Lenore Look
Hailing from Concord, Massachusetts (which is very hard to spell!), Alvin Ho faces new fears and obstacles in this hilarious installment of the series. This time around, Mom’s having a baby—and Alvin has found himself with a “simply pathetic” pregnancy. At the same time, there’s a thief on the loose in Concord, and things get personal when the thief steals Alvin’s PDK (Personal Disaster Kit) and the money he plans to donate for relief in Haiti. Many books deal with the issue of a new baby in the house: and this one does so in moving and hilarious ways. Readers will also enjoy LeUyen Pham’s funny and sweet pictures of Alvin and his adventures throughout the text. Parents and caregivers who read alongside their children will also find themselves in stitches as Alvin deals with the trials, tribulations, and phobias of second grade! Cassie (J Fiction)
Al Capone Does My Homework (Al Capone at Alcatraz #3) by Gennifer Choldenko
Welcome back to Alcatraz Island. Moose Flanagan’s dad has just been promoted to assistant warden giving Moose even more to worry about. His dad’s in danger from the cons, the other guards are seriously jealous of the unlikely promotion, and a suspicious fire has left the Flanagan’s without an apartment. Plus, other families are trying to blame Moose’s autistic sister, Natalie for the fire. This may put the family’s place on the island in jeopardy. Alcatraz may not be a normal place to grow up but it’s home to the Flanagans. Don’t miss the last installment in the Newbery Honor-winning Alcatraz trilogy! Alia (YA Fiction)