Brie is in love with Lanc me Juicy Tubes, Louis Vuitton accessories, and her gay best friend Charlie, who is in love with 1960s pop art, 1980s teen movies, and serial heartbreaker Walker, who has ever only been in love with his VW Bug, until he meets Daisy . . . who is too busy hating everyone to know what love is. Set in London, this girl-loves-boy-loves-boy-loves-girl romp is set against a theatrical production of The Taming of the Shrew, and features enough on- and off-stage drama to satisfy teens looking for a beach read—or a read all year round.

Fans of Polacco's (Thundercake; Pink and Say) work know well her talent for weaving her colorful family history throughout her picture books. Here Polacco shares her childhood triumph over dyslexia and discovery of reading in an inspiring if slightly formulaic story. Young Trisha is eager to taste the "sweetness of knowledge" that her grandfather has always revered (here symbolized by drizzling honey onto a book and tasting it, which harkens back to Polacco's earlier The Bee Tree). But when she looks at words and numbers, everything is a jumble. Trisha endures the cruel taunts of classmates who call her "dumb," and falls behind in her studies. But finally the encouragement and efforts of a new fifth grade teacher, Mr. Falker, trigger a monumental turning point in Trisha's life. She begins to blossom and develop all of her talents, including reading. Polacco's tale is all the more heartfelt because of its personal nature. Young readers struggling with learning difficulties will identify with Trisha's situation

Thirty years of silly songs, rhymes, lullabies, classics, and just plain favorite music come together on this reissue of the 25th Anniversary Celebration. Chosen from among the hundreds and hundreds of songs that Wee Sing has collected over the last 30 years, this treasury is a fitting tribute to the best-selling name in children’s music!

The creators of Brothers of the Knight here offer an inspirational story of a hopeful young ballet dancer who complains of her too-big feet and too-long legs: "I was too big for the boys to pick up, and too tall to be in line with the other girls. So I watched from backstage, dancing in the wings, hoping that if I just kept dancing and trying, it would be my turn to dance in the spotlight." Though her brother and several of her peers constantly razz her, Sassy's uncle encourages her to audition for a role in a summer dance festival, asserting, "All you gotta do to make your mark on the world is walk into a room." The director of the festival echoes this sentiment when he announcesAin the book's foreseeable denouementAthat Sassy has landed a place in his program. Allen's wordy narrative occasionally tries too hard to be hip (featuring such slang put-downs as "Your mama" and "Talk to the hand"), but this tale may well boost the confidence of youngsters who share Sassy's lack of self-assuredness. Nelson's animat

Lola is dog-sitting her very most favorite dog in the whole wide world—Sizzles! But when Sizzles disappears, it’s up to Charlie and Lola to find him. Kids will love joining in the search for Sizzles by helping to look for him under 50 different flaps!

From School Library Journal PreSchool-K—Maddy asks her grandmother for a story: "Tell me about the day I was born. Tell me how I was a hurrying child. And how you hurried across three states to meet me." This simple picture book tells that tale, relating how a young couple headed for the hospital after making a rushed phone call to Grandma, who then embarked on her own longer journey by train, knitting all the way. She arrived just in time to meet her new granddaughter. Details of Maddy's birth are presented side by side with highlights of Grandma's trip. The "meanwhile" narrative structure adds interest, as do certain visual details (especially the doll that is old and well-loved in the preschooler's arms, but fresh out of the box, curly hair intact, before that child is born). Some of the figures look a bit stiff, but Chorao's watercolors are pretty and accessible, and the poetic text capitalizes on children's interest in their own history. While not an essential purchase, this book will be useful i