Sorry!
Grade 2-5–Ludwig continues to tackle serious subjects in this follow-up toMy Secret Bully(River Wood, 2003) andJust Kidding(Tricycle, 2006). Here she deals with the insincere apology. Jack's friend Charlie behaves badly all the time and gets away with it by saying he's sorry even though he clearly isn't. Jack doesn't like this about Charlie, but he does like how being the boy's friend makes him a somebody. Then Charlie damages Leena's science-fair project, and she tells him that Sorry doesn't cut it! A teacher helps him understand that he has to make amends for the hurt and damage he has caused. With Jack's help, he fixes the project. In the end, Jack chooses Leena's company over Charlie's. An afterword on the importance of apology, an author's note, discussion questions, and Apology Dos & Don'ts are appended. The text is stilted and lacks an authentic age-appropriate voice. Manning's digital pastel-and-watercolor illustrations effectively capture the characters' myriad emotions and provide valuable support to the text. Purchase this title as need dictates.–Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NHCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.