AMBER BROWN GOES FOURTH

Now that her best friend has moved away, Amber (Amber Brown Is not a Crayon, 1994, etc.) is facing fourth grade and the difficulty of finding a new best friend in a class where everyone has already paired off. Meanwhile Amber's mom, recently divorced, is finding her own new best friend, Max, and Amber doesn't like it one bit. At once lighthearted and poignant, this is a clever continuation of Amber's funny first-person narration of the everyday ups and downs of her life. Everything in the story is slightly idealized: Her teachers are gifted, her mom is kind, Max is understanding, and Amber is witty beyond her years. Seasoned with puns and repartee, and leavened with a bit of insight, this easy chapter book is a thoroughly enjoyable read. (Fiction. 8-10)