Just Grace Goes Green, by Charise Mericle Harper

Rating: Very Good

Houghton Mifflin, 2009, $16.00

ISBN: 9780618959570

Age/Grade Level: Grades 2-5

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Like the prior books in the "Just Grace" series, Just Grace Goes Green presents a fun and spunky narrator, "Just" Grace, who encounters small, child-friendly conflicts (like a favorite stuffed animal being "borrowed" for too long) and quickly solves them with the help of her supportive friends and family. In this installment, Grace's class is learning about "going green", so the story contains tips and ideas for how children can help the environment. The ideas are well placed and match the plot without seeming didactic. The subplot of a visit from her best friend's cousin is also sweet and of course ends well. Interspersed with lists and drawings, this is an excellent choice for readers who are new to chapter books. The format is easy to follow and fun, even if you haven't read the previous titles. Though Grace gets in less trouble than her spunky-girl-character cohorts, this is also recommended for fans of Ivy and Bean, Clementine, and Junie B. Jones.

Reviewer: Jacqueline Overlid, OCPL/Villa Park Branch

Dirty Laundry, by Daniel Ehrehaft

Rating: Additional

HarperCollins, 2009, $16.99

ISBN: 9780061131035

Age/Grade Level: teen/high school

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Boarding School lit is always a hit. Something about the confines of high school combined with prep school drama is a guaranteed fun read. Dirty Laundry is no different, flipping things around a bit since the students at The Winchester School are the cast-offs from other prep schools: they are the "dirty laundry" of the academic world. The two main characters here, Carli and Fun, narrate the story in alternating voice, giving a nice mix of flavors to the information provided and tone of voice. Carli is actually secretly researching prep school life for a TV role and Fun is stuck being her PA for her duration. This personality conflict, plus the mystery of a missing fellow student, give the story potential, but not much else. Carli is whiny, Fun complains and YELLS in all caps, and neither are particularly interesting.

One major pro is the two male characters, Fun and his buddy Nails, misfit emo artists who get their time to shine and rant--character types too often passed over in the world of Gossip Girl and Demonata. Additional title for larger teen collections, sure to get readership because of the drama and mystery elements.

Reviewer: Jacqueline Overlid, OCPL/Villa Park Branch