Upset about her parents' divorce and her mother's growing friendship with Max, Amber has trouble getting her schoolwork done. Though this sounds like a typical problem novel, it's an Amber Brown book as well, full of humor arising from Amber's fresh point of view. Written in the first person, with a good ear for dialogue, the story offers believable characters, adults as well as children. Danziger skillfully weaves the emotional threads into the fabric of a fourth-grader's everyday life. From the colorful jacket to the drawings throughout the book, Tony Ross' expressive and sometimes comical illustrations capture the spirit of the story. The last chapter, a progress report from Amber's teacher, closes with the words I look forward to watching her progress for the rest of the year. Readers will echo that sentiment. (Reviewed June 1 & 15, 1996)

Amber Brown's unhappiness about having to meet her mother's new boyfriend makes her unable to concentrate on schoolwork, and her grades fall. When she does meet Max, the boyfriend, he helps her with a school project and Amber finds that she likes him. Amber, a combination of sophistication and vulnerability, won't disappoint the readers of her earlier adventures in this breezy chapter book.

Gr 3-5--Fourth grade is off to a shaky start for Amber Brown, so she asks her teacher for extra-credit work. The girl learns that since she has not handed in her original assignments, she doesn't qualify. She realizes she needs to work hard on her upcoming projects so her mother won't find out about her poor performance. Paralleling this school situation is the fact that Amber is coping with her parents' divorce. She engages in all sorts of antics to emphasize her displeasure with her mother's new companion, and learns that her father (living in France) has also met someone. By the end of the story, Amber realizes that life holds change, as well as the potential for happiness. With her feisty, resilient personality, she is ready for it. Line drawings decorate the narrative. Readers will laugh out loud at the child's energetic capers and feel the sense of loss she expresses. Whatever the emotion, Danziger warrants "extra credit" for her latest addition to Amber Brown's escapades.--Cheryl Cufari, N. A. Walbran Elementary School, Oriskany, NY