Encore, Grace! (Grace-junior Readers) - Hardcover

MARY HOFFMAN has written over 70 books for children. Her titles for Frances Lincoln include An Angel Just Like Me, A Twist in the Tail, Women of Camelot, Three Wise Women, Parables: Stories Jesus Told, Miracles: Wonders Jesus Worked and Animals of the Bible, as well as the Grace series of stories and picture books CAROLINE BINCH's first book written and illustrated for Frances Lincoln, Gregory Cool, was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. In 1993 she won the Smarties Prize for her illustrations for Hue Boy by Rita Phillips Mitchell.

Grade 2-5-This chapter book, which features a character first introduced in the picture book Amazing Grace (1991), has an old-fashioned tone. Grace and her friends play imaginatively, adults are mostly understanding, and even word choices seem dated. However, Grace is faced with challenges that are universal and timeless. She must deal with the death of an elderly neighbor, saying good-bye to a friend who moves away, and feelings of jealousy when a bright new girl at school tries to steal the show. She must also face the consequences after being caught skipping school, and worries that her mother may remarry. As in Starring Grace (2000, both Dial), the lively protagonist gets to act in a play, this time an updated version of Sleeping Beauty. Settings are spare, feelings are sometimes described more than shown, and Grace's friends and loving African-American family do not come to life. Allan's occasional black-and-white sketches do not radiate much emotion or action. Encore, Grace! is a pleasant read but only a first purchase where the earlier books are popular.
Tina Zubak, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA
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