Third grader Grace does not want to sleep in a tent at Grace F.'s birthday party, but keeping her fears a secret leads to small lies that snowball. When help arrives from an unexpected source, Grace is able to come clean. As always, the illustrations (including Grace's own comics) add lots of humor to the story, which will appeal to fans and newcomers alike.

Gr 2-4 In this latest series installment, Just Grace has been invited to Grace F.'s birthday party. When she learns that it is to be an outdoor sleepover, she is nervous about the sleeping in a tent. Grace also deals with challenges at school after telling her friend Mimi that there is a ghost in the recycling container, which she does to hide the fact that she forgot to make Grace F. a birthday card. Soon the whole school is lining up to see the ghost and Grace has a hard time keeping track of her lies. After a practice night camping in the backyard with Dad, Grace resolves her problems at school and heads off to the super sleepover. The first-person narrative, interspersed with cartoon drawings, shows the third-grader's unique perspective on the challenges of school, friendship, and family. Short vignettes make this an approachable selection for new chapter book readers. Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga Public Library System, OH

In this latest update, Grace, anxious about an invitation to an outdoor birthday sleepover, feigns eagerness to best friend Mimi, an enthusiastic camper. One untruth leads to another, culminating in Grace announcing that a (nonexistent) birthday card is lost in a haunted recycling container fib that her classmates are more than happy to promote. As always, the humor derives from Grace's earnest attempts to do the right thing; luckily, Grace's renowned empathy rubs off on Mimi, who is forgiving of her friend's fabrications. Subplots involving Miss Lois' fervent geography unit and Grace's growing appreciation of Sammy add to the fun, as do Harper's squiggly spot cartoons.