Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Trouble with an insensitive teacher threatens an enthusiastic 8-year-old's love of school in this series starter.Third grade looks rocky for Bibsy Cross. For the first time, she and her best friend, Natia, aren't in the same class. And Bibsy's new teacher, Mrs. Stumper, seems to sigh with irritation every time Bibsy raises her hand. Granted, Bibsy has a tendency to "go on" just "a stone too far," as her teacher puts it. But Bibsy has a such a font of interesting information and a yen to share it! Mrs. Stumper indicates her displeasure by moving the paper apple bearing Bibsy's name to the bottom of the bulletin board. The teacher grows increasingly exasperated until the dreadful Wednesday when the apple isn't just plucked, but hole-punched. On Friday, Bibsy will have to take her apple home to be signed by her parents. Garton's prose is marked by whimsy, enchanting turns of phrase, and an intuitive understanding of how children perceive the world. Bibsy's empathy (she worries for a classmate whose apple is often grounded) and her willingness to make the best of a bad situation (or to turn "sours" sweet, in Bibsy's words) make her a winsome protagonist. Gracefully composed, two-color illustrations and line breaks make for even faster page-turning. Bibsy and Mrs. Stumper appear light-skinned in the art; Natia presents Black.Pitch-perfect writing, a charming protagonist, and relatable conflict-what more could readers ask for? (Chapter book. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews (Wed Oct 30 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Trouble with an insensitive teacher threatens an enthusiastic 8-year-old's love of school in this series starter.Third grade looks rocky for Bibsy Cross. For the first time, she and her best friend, Natia, aren't in the same class. And Bibsy's new teacher, Mrs. Stumper, seems to sigh with irritation every time Bibsy raises her hand. Granted, Bibsy has a tendency to "go on" just "a stone too far," as her teacher puts it. But Bibsy has a such a font of interesting information and a yen to share it! Mrs. Stumper indicates her displeasure by moving the paper apple bearing Bibsy's name to the bottom of the bulletin board. The teacher grows increasingly exasperated until the dreadful Wednesday when the apple isn't just plucked, but hole-punched. On Friday, Bibsy will have to take her apple home to be signed by her parents. Garton's prose is marked by whimsy, enchanting turns of phrase, and an intuitive understanding of how children perceive the world. Bibsy's empathy (she worries for a classmate whose apple is often grounded) and her willingness to make the best of a bad situation (or to turn "sours" sweet, in Bibsy's words) make her a winsome protagonist. Gracefully composed, two-color illustrations and line breaks make for even faster page-turning. Bibsy and Mrs. Stumper appear light-skinned in the art; Natia presents Black.Pitch-perfect writing, a charming protagonist, and relatable conflict-what more could readers ask for? (Chapter book. 6-9)

Publishers Weekly (Thu Oct 31 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Princeton University historian Cook (Ancient Religions, Modern Politics) provides an ambitious if uneven overview of Muslim civilization since the 600s. Depicting the pre-Islam Arabian interior as a stateless wilderness populated by feuding tribes dwelling in the shadow of powerful Persian and Byzantine empires, Cook argues that such conditions made the rise of a Muslim state an unlikely success story. He briskly outlines Islam’s early years—including the conquering of Mecca in 630 and a civil war over succession beginning in 656—before diving into a narrative-driven account of the Islamic empire’s outward expansion and its eventual collapse in the face of weak rulers, hostile states, and financial troubles. Moving on to the post–empire Islamic world (the 11th through 18th centuries), Cook tours the globe, bringing cultures and customs to life in evocative detail (such as how a Muslim-majority Tamil community built a network of women-only alleyways). He competently tackles topics with modern implications, like race and the trans-Saharan slave trade, though his academic tone leads to a chronic case of understatement (e.g., “the controversial idea of the curse of Ham”). The last section pivots to a less illustrative, more discursive analysis of the 1800s through today that makes for a rocky ending to an otherwise steady narrative. The result is an accessible history of the Muslim world that falters in its finale. (May)

School Library Journal (Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Gr 2–4— Life is a breeze for title character Bibsy: a "regular-pegular" eight-year-old girl who is introduced in this early chapter book series' first installment. From the "bell that begins the day" to read-alouds with her favorite teachers, Bibsy has loved school since kindergarten. Now in third grade, Bibsy struggles to connect with her new teacher, Mrs. Stumper, who thinks Bibsy is too chatty and often dims her bright, inquisitive mind. It also does not help that her best friend Natia is in a different class this year. Mrs. Stumper's bulletin board of paper apples displays students' names and whether or not they stay hung on the class tree throughout the day, fall to the ground, or get figurative wormholes hole-punched in them—all dependent on individual behavior. As the status of her apple looms over her like a dark cloud each day, Bibsy does her best to stay true to herself and hope for acceptance from her teacher. Bibsy shows a magnetic love for the many ingredients that codify being a happy kid (including but not limited to knitting while watching TV and riding her bike), and she has an affinity for school. Young readers will find Bibsy both a likable and relatable character. This is a fine story of friendship and individuality—sprinkled with some engaging science. VERDICT This should circulate often in an elementary library and keep readers engaged enough to continue with the subsequent books.— Kerra Mazzariello