The prolific Vail here turns her attention to early chapter books in this introduction to second grader Elizabeth. Elizabeth's nemesis is Anna, who, by virtue of alphabetical order, always gets to be first. When the children have to make posters featuring their names, Elizabeth decides to rename herself Alizabeth, so she can be first for once. Employing very short chapters (some only a few sentences long), Vail moves the story along quickly, which is just right for keeping a new reader's interest. Still, there's plenty of room for substance. Though some may quibble with the prominence of the old adage, "sticks and stones may break my bones," in the story, this has a satisfying conclusion, as the class comes together to decide what's really important when it comes how to order things. The clever dialogue is matched by the delightful pencil illustrations that capture Elizabeth's shifting emotions.

Second grader Elizabeth (younger sister of Vail's Justin Case) confronts the inequities of alphabetical order, deals with the downside of her longer first name, and learns how excluding classmates hurts feelings and complicates friendships. Friendly halftone illustrations grace these gentle stories of classroom dynamics, family, and friendship--perfect for newly independent readers.