Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker (Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker #1)

Gr 2-4--In the tradition of Ramona Quimby and Clementine, this chapter book series debut tells the story of a young girl dealing with the problems of friendship, family, and school. Beatrice Zinker is an unusual girl; she does all her best thinking while hanging upside down. She and her friend Lenny agree to wear ninja suits on the first day of third grade. But during the summer, something changed. Lenny came back from vacation with a new best friend--and she isn't wearing her ninja suit. Beatrice is devastated and has to come up with an idea to rebuild the friendship before it is lost forever. While there are many titles that feature realistic stories about young characters dealing with the problems of friendship and family, Beatrice stands tall among her contemporaries. Readers will appreciate the heart, humor, and clever storytelling in the upside down adventures of Beatrice Zinker. Illustrations on nearly every page make this ideal for children transitioning to chapter books. VERDICT A great choice for fans of Beverly Cleary and Sarah Pennypacker.--Patrick Tierney, Dr. Martin Luther King Elementary School, Providence

Debut author Johannes introduces a proudly unconventional heroine in Beatrice Zinker, who "always did her best thinking upside down" and shows up in a ninja outfit on the first day of third grade. The only problem (besides a teacher who's determined to "keep an eye on" her) is that her best friend Lenny didn't wear her ninja costume, as the girls had planned: Lenny instead shows up at school with a chic new look and a new friend. Johannes's orange-splashed illustrations have as much energy and personality as her heroine--Beatrice slinks, leaps, bends, and bounds across the pages, (and sometimes trips and falls). Fans of free spirits such as Judy Moody and Dory Fantasmagory are a natural audience for this promising series kickoff. Ages 7-10. Agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House. (Sept.)