Check Please!

Gr 2–4—In A. J. Stern's third adventure (Grosset & Dunlap, 2010) starring a little girl with big dreams of finding a grown-up job, Frannie is considering food service. Her attempt at waitressing at the school dinner ends abruptly when she spills spaghetti on the PTA lady's shoe, so she decides to be a food critic instead. When she investigates a new French restaurant, she's shocked to discover that they are serving "bugs." Frannie feels compelled to warn the community, so she and some friends print flyers that expose the restaurant's infestation. When her parents explain to her that the "bugs" were really escargot, she is sorry for her mistake, apologizes to the restaurant manager, and eventually gets to have dinner with a real food critic. Fans of Frannie's previous adventures will enjoy this latest installment. Stern makes the misguided thought processes behind Frannie's innocent mistakes both amusing and believable. The juxtaposition of what she thinks she is doing and what she is actually doing creates the kind of comedy that will delight early readers. Michele Medlin's voice is youthful and energetic, and she pulls off Frannie's unique vocabulary—words like "pride-ity," and "concentrate-y"—without a hesitation. Of course, listeners will miss Doreen Marts's lighthearted illustrations (you might want to have the book handy), but the quality of the audio performance makes up for it.—Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT