Roscoe Riley Rules #1: Never Glue Your Friends to Chairs
The first title in this new series for independent readers introduces good-hearted, mishap-prone first-grader Roscoe. In short chapters filled with simple, snappy sentences, Roscoe tells his own story. He’s excited about his class’ bee-song performance for the school open house. But the students’ bobbing antennas keep slipping, and kids won’t stay seated. Aiming to help, he tries Super-Mega-Gonzo Glue, a too-successful solution that attaches antennas to chairs and brings chaos, remorse, and new appreciation for glue’s cautions. Roscoe is an appealing, lively kid whose story is both entertaining and thought provoking (adults may want to review with kids the meaning and repercussions of permanent glue), and Biggs’ expressive pencil drawings add to the humor. A list of Way Cool Things that Somebody Should Invent closes. The second title in the series, Roscoe Riley Rules #2: Never Swipe a Bully’s Bear, is scheduled for simultaneous release. Grades K-3. --Shelle Rosenfeld