Gr 3-6 Though Burnham breaks no new ground here, this is nevertheless an appealing tale with an engaging narrator. Ten-year-old Teddy Mars, the sixth of seven children, wants to stand out from his siblings and do something meaningful. Unfortunately, in addition to having five older sisters (a singer, twins, a sports addict, and a bully), he is plagued by an energetic younger brother whom he rightly calls, The Destructor. Little brother Jake adores Teddy but expresses his feelings by ruining most of his older sibling's prized possessions. Teddy's solution is to move out of their shared bedroom and into a tent in the backyard. He also finds respite in reading "Guinness World Records " books and in helping an old neighbor with his homing pigeons. Those two pastimes come together as Teddy attempts to set his own world record. His actual accomplishment won't come as a surprise to astute readers, but Teddy is so amiable and put-upon, he'll find plenty of fans who'll want to read more in the promised series. The book's format, with monthly chapters divided into smaller subchapters, makes this a good choice for reading logs, and the report Teddy has to do on pigeons makes this book an ideal pairing with a nonfiction title on these urban birds. Marie Drucker, Malverne Public Library, NY

Other than finding ways to outsmart his younger brother, aka The Destructor, Teddy Mars is always thinking of ways to set a Guinness World Record en in class. After his teacher permanently moves him away from his friends (and world-record coconspirators), Teddy finds himself part of a new group with a brilliant idea for the school's Inventor's Fair: build a doggy-poo collector. Teddy's excitement over the fair gets muddled when the leader of the new group decides they should also earn a world record by collecting plastic bags e very record Teddy and his friends have been secretly working on! Torn, Teddy must decide whom to help. In her follow-up to Almost a World Record Breaker (2015), Burnham places Teddy in the middle of a hilarious story that revolves around school, friends, and family. Add Spencer's expressive black-and-white drawings and you have a page-turner. Whether read individually or heard as a read-aloud, kids will find themselves portrayed in its pages and laughing at Teddy's many antics.

Teddy has finally set a world record, but his mania for competition is tested when his classmates decide to break a group record together. They split into rival groups, both seeking his help; Teddy just wants to stop the infighting. Over-the-top humor and authentic dynamics among family and friends will delight returning fans, despite the story's predictability. Black-and-white illustrations not seen.