Zigzag Kids

Gr 2—4—The Zelda A. Zigzag School may have an unusual name, but it has the essential ingredients of the elementary school experience: questionable cafeteria food, mandatory after-school activities, and a diverse range of spirited children. Each book in the series by Patricia Reilly Giff is told from the perspective of a different student, and listeners will see themselves or kids they know in the cast of characters. In Number One Kid (2010), Mitchell is worried that he isn't talented enough at anything to win a medal on Prize Day. In Big Whopper (2010, both Wendy Lamb Books), Destiny tells Gina that she is related to George Washington and worries that she will be caught and punished for her lie. Both books are performed by young narrators, Everette Plen and Bailee Madison, which works well with the elementary school setting. However, they don't quite nail the pacing so that some parts sound rushed and even jumbled. Also, all the voices aren't spot-on, especially when the character has an accent. Strangely, an Asian-American student is given a Japanese accent despite the fact that she is just learning Japanese. Listeners will particularly delight in the spunky narration for Big Whopper. A solid purchase for libraries where the series is popular.—Amy Holland, Irondequoit Public Library, Rochester, NY