ALA Booklist

Beatrice Zinker does her best thinking upside down. Her nontraditional behavior can be disruptive, or embarrassing, to those around her: Kate, her older sister, gets frustrated; her parents, exasperated; Lenny, her best friend, thinks she's unique; and her no-nonsense teacher is most unappreciative. Beatrice has spent the summer developing a top-secret scheme for the new school year, and before Lenny leaves on vacation, the girls agree to wear ninja suits on their first day of third grade. But when the day arrives, not only does Lenny fail to keep her end of the clothing bargain, she also arrives with a brand new friend! What will this mean for Beatrice and Lenny's own friendship? This hilarious family and school adventure will have readers laughing, but also recognizing how misunderstandings can challenge friendships. In this, her first book, Johannes combines her artistic abilities, creating playful spot illustrations reminiscent of Lauren Child, with lighthearted prose to offer a relatable look into the drama of everyday situations. Fans who love Beverly Cleary's Ramona Quimby will certainly be attracted to Beatrice.

Horn Book

Beatrice Zinker always did her best thinking upside down

Kirkus Reviews

Beatrice Zinker is a kinder, gentler Judy Moody. Beatrice doesn't want to be fit in a box. Her first word was "WOW," not "Mom." She does her best thinking upside down and prefers to dress like a ninja. Like Judy Moody, she has patient parents and a somewhat annoying younger brother. (She also has a perfectly ordinary older sister.) Beatrice spends all summer planning a top-secret spy operation complete with secret codes and a secret language (pig Latin). But on the first day of third grade, her best friend, Lenny (short for Eleanor), shows up in a dress, with a new friend who wants to play veterinarian at recess. Beatrice, essentially a kind if somewhat quirky kid, struggles to see the upside of the situation and ends up with two friends instead of one. Line drawings on almost every spread add to the humor and make the book accessible to readers who might otherwise balk at its 160 pages. Thankfully, the rhymes in the text do not continue past the first chapter. Children will enjoy the frequent puns and Beatrice's preference for climbing trees and hanging upside down. The story drifts dangerously close to pedantry when Beatrice asks for advice from a grandmotherly neighbor but is saved by likable characters and upside-down cake. Beatrice seems to be white; Lenny's surname, Santos, suggests that she may be Latina; their school is a diverse one. A kind child in a book for middle-grade readers? There's no downside to that. (Fiction. 6-10)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Debut author Johannes introduces a proudly unconventional heroine in Beatrice Zinker, who -always did her best thinking upside down- and shows up in a ninja outfit on the first day of third grade. The only problem (besides a teacher who-s determined to -keep an eye on- her) is that her best friend Lenny didn-t wear her ninja costume, as the girls had planned: Lenny instead shows up at school with a chic new look and a new friend. Johannes-s orange-splashed illustrations have as much energy and personality as her heroine-Beatrice slinks, leaps, bends, and bounds across the pages, (and sometimes trips and falls). Fans of free spirits such as Judy Moody and Dory Fantasmagory are a natural audience for this promising series kickoff. Ages 7-10. Agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House. (Sept.)

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4In the tradition of Ramona Quimby and Clementine, this chapter book series debut tells the story of a young girl dealing with the problems of friendship, family, and school. Beatrice Zinker is an unusual girl; she does all her best thinking while hanging upside down. She and her friend Lenny agree to wear ninja suits on the first day of third grade. But during the summer, something changed. Lenny came back from vacation with a new best friendand she isn't wearing her ninja suit. Beatrice is devastated and has to come up with an idea to rebuild the friendship before it is lost forever. While there are many titles that feature realistic stories about young characters dealing with the problems of friendship and family, Beatrice stands tall among her contemporaries. Readers will appreciate the heart, humor, and clever storytelling in the upside down adventures of Beatrice Zinker. Illustrations on nearly every page make this ideal for children transitioning to chapter books. VERDICT A great choice for fans of Beverly Cleary and Sarah Pennypacker.Patrick Tierney, Dr. Martin Luther King Elementary School, Providence