A new beginning chapter book series introduces Andy Russell, in many ways a typical fourth-grade kid. Andy wants to do well in school but has problems paying attention in class; he's got a perfectionist, goody-goody older sister he admires and envies but inadvertently manages to aggravate; he wants to show his folks he's responsible, but it seems timing is everything, and Andy's is just a little off. His pet gerbils escape; his friend Tamika needs a new foster family; his mother is pregnant. Andy's family and friends certainly face real challenges and hardships, but issues are somewhat oversimplified and treated superficially as the book heads quickly toward its almost fairy talelike ending. Still, Adler paves the way for part two of Andy's inevitable new challenges--coping with a new baby in the family and adjusting to life with Tamika as a foster sibling. The text, accompanied by black-and-white drawings by Will Hillenbrand, is friendly and accessible, and the characters are engaging; kids will no doubt relate to Andy's snowballing troubles, both great and small, and appreciate the simple humor. (Reviewed August 1998)

In this new series debut, Andy wants to ask his parents if his friend Tamika can live with them now that her foster family is moving. Trouble is, it's a bad time to ask for favors--his mother has just announced she's pregnant. Andy is a likable hero, and the spunky, animated illustrations add life where the somewhat sluggish telling does not.

Gr 3-5-Fourth-grader Andy Russell faces a host of problems over a period of a few days. They range from escaped gerbils to finding out that his mother is pregnant to worrying about a friend who would like to live with Andy's family because her foster parents are going to South America. All of the boy's troubles, though, great or small, are described in a fast-paced, breezy style and kids will be sure to identify with his befuddlement and concerns. Fortunately, Andy's best friend is on hand to supply some funny one-liners. The black-and-white illustrations capture the humor of the story, although readers may be somewhat unsettled by the 180 degree swivel of snotty Stacy Ann's head on one of the pages. This is the first in a series of books about Andy and his friends, a fact that will undoubtedly be good news to many young readers.-Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL