The Artsy-Fartsy Auction

Gr 2–3—Katharine is excited when her homemade popcorn bowl is in the school's art auction, but a misunderstanding with another third grader causes her to start a bidding war that turns the charity event into a competition fueled by greed. This book concentrates on the jealousy Katharine feels toward her classmate Vanessa (Miss Priss-a-Poo), but it also reveals her compassionate side by including a secondary story line involving her cousin, whose parents have recently divorced. Instructions for making a papier-mâché popcorn bowl are included. In Ditch-a-Roo, someone is ringing Katharine's doorbell and then disappearing. Her cousin Crockett tries to convince her it's the Invisible Man but by using her detective skills she eliminates all the suspects except one: Vanessa. Katharine doesn't unravel the mystery until she accidentally spills water on Vanessa's science project. The "spark in the dark" experiment complements the information about electricity discussed in Katharine's science class. Finally, Katharine does not have the "write stuff." She received only a C on her essay about Slip-N-Slide World. If she wants to earn one of Mrs. Bingsley's coveted pencils, she'll need to practice writing interesting details, creative titles, and strong action words. These techniques work fine when she revises her schoolwork, but they get her in trouble when she uses them to rewrite a note from her teacher. This book contains great writing tips, but Katharine's cutesy vocabulary ("hug-a-roonie," "sassitude," "rush-a-rooed") can be exasperating at times. Divided into eight short chapters, the stories contain several black-and-white line drawings. For general purchase where this series is popular.—Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada