Waylon! Even More Awesome (Waylon!, 2) - Hardcover

Sara Pennypacker splits her time between Florida and Massachusetts, were she feels lucky to be able to write every day. She is the author of many children's books, including Waylon! One Awesome Thing, the New York Times #1 bestseller Pax; seven in the New York Times best-selling Clementine series; two in the Stuart series; Meet the Dullards; Summer of the Gypsy Moths; and Sparrow Girl. Her books have won numerous accolades, including a Golden Kite Award, a Christopher Award, and several children's choice state awards, and they have appeared on many Best Books of the Year lists. For more information, visit www.sarapennypacker.com.


Marla Frazee illustrated Waylon! One Awesome Thing and all of the books in the Clementine series. She was awarded a Caldecott Honor on two occasions: for All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon, and her own A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever. She is also the author-illustrator of Roller Coaster, Walk On!, Santa Claus the World's Number One Toy Expert, and The Boss Baby, which inspired a major motion picture. Marla has three grown sons, and works in a small backyard cabin under an avocado tree. Visit her at www.marlafrazee.com.

Gr 2–5—Dumpster Eddy, the stray dog at the center of Waylon's first adventure, continues to be a unifying presence in this second entry in the trilogy. Waylon and classmate Baxter both love the pup and face a crisis when they learn he'll be sent away to a shelter in 10 days. "Science-y" Waylon is wary of partnering with Baxter, "an expert on all things criminal," but comes to appreciate his new friend's skills as they work together to find a solution to Eddy's plight. Fellow fourth grader Clementine makes a few appearances, offering the boys assistance and her trademark shoot-from-the-hip opinions. The novel's themes of teamwork and respect are underscored through subplots involving a comic Waylon is creating with classmate Charlie and a film script Waylon's father is writing. Pacing moves quickly, with Eddy's predicament revealed at the close of the novel's first chapter; gentle humor, an episodic plot, and a school setting make this an ideal classroom read-aloud. Frazee's expressive black-and-white illustrations (some spot, some full-page) help readers visualize pivotal moments in the story and distinctly convey characters' emotions. Waylon's obsession with science—Neil deGrasse Tyson is an idol—doesn't make him eccentric. He's a kid young readers can relate to who will help them appreciate their own—and others'—uniqueness. VERDICT An appealing novel that stands on its own and intriguingly teases the trilogy's conclusion.—Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY