Mia, Matt and the Lazy Gator Raffi's New Friend Music by Morgan

Gr 3—4—These brief books are marketed as "First Novels," but the intended audience is uncertain. While the covers and illustrations feature young children, beginning chapter-book readers are unlikely to relate to some of the mature material. Mia, Matt, and the Lazy Gator is a summer adventure story about two children who are trying to help their uncle train an obstreperous alligator to dance for a commercial. Mia's brother's crush on her best friend and the uncle's love interest are intertwined throughout the story. Raffi's New Friend, a story of unexpected friendship, deals with issues such as sickle-cell anemia, racism, bullying, and war. Music by Morgan is the most appropriate for a young audience, focusing on two children who are forced into doing extracurricular activities that don't interest them. A scheme to switch places is concocted, which fails, but the youngsters and their families learn a good lesson about being true to oneself. The plots are simplistic and relatively easy to follow but emerging readers will struggle with the vocabulary. Mia and Raffi are translations and have unfamiliar terms and phrases are peppered throughout. Black-and-white cartoon illustrations in all three books are appealing.—Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh, PA