Duck and Goose
by Tad Hills

Duck and Goose find an egg, or so they think. They argue about whether the egg will hatch a duck or goose, and also as to who should care for the egg. Ultimately they decide they can share parental duties, only to realize that the egg is actually a ball.

Kids seemed to like this one.

The Rise and Fall of a 10th Grade Social Climber
by Lauren Meehling and Laura Moser
2005

Mimi Schulman follows her newly separated father to New York City. He is back in the city searching to rekindle his fame as a photographer. Mimi is coming back to her onetime best friend Sam, and a new, unusual school, the elite Baldwin School in Brooklyn Heights.

Mimi soon finds that fame looks a lot less preppy at the Baldwin School than it did in Texas. She also finds herself locked into a bet with Sam as to whether she can infiltrate the inner circle of the most popular girls at Baldwin--a diverse group of girls united more by their exclusivity than anything else. So there's a lot of wasted teen behavior going on--partying, substance experimenting, cheating... there's also family shames and secret altruism.

Mimi's bet with Sam spirals out of her control as Sam takes her diary public, leading to all kinds of social ramifications.

A book like this could really only be written by two authors.

The Mysterious Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart, with illustrations by Carson Ellis
2007

Four gifted children, each with distinct talents but with a shared uncommon love of truth, are united after a series of tests administered by the very unusual Mr. Benedict and his assistants. Reynie Muldoon sees Mr. Benedict's opportunity as a chance to live with people who will appreciate his interest in learning. Kate Weatherall is a utility bucket toting acrobat eager for adventure. Sticky Washington has run away from his parents, whose only interest seems to be capitalizing on his incredible memory to profit from game show winnings. Constance Contraire, is a loud, obnoxious poet; but Mr. Benedict insists that she will play an important role in the team's mission. Their mission: to infiltrate the evil Mr. Curtain's island fortress and stop his plan of brainwashing the masses.

Reminiscent in many ways of Brainboy and the Deathmaster (Seidler), the story is sort of unwieldy and overlong, yet is satisfying overall. The tone in places recalls A Series of Unfortunate Events but the presence of an extra couple major characters lengthens the book considerably. The minor characters are less memorable, however, than in the Snicket books. Carson Ellis's illustrations for each chapter break up the almost 500 pages helpfully and nicely. I anticipate that this book will intimidate many kids, and Stewart's choices to expand rather than constrict the scope of the book does reduce the kid appeal. Those kids who are willing to take the challenge offered by The Mysterious Benedict Society will likely enjoy it.

The Big Bad Wolf and Me
by Delphine Perret
2006

On his way home from school, a boy mistakes the big bad wolf for a sick dog. The big bad wolf hasn't been scary in quite a while, and the boy takes it upon himself to remedy this situation.

This is quite a charming picture book. The layout doesn't lend itself to reading aloud to a group of kids, however. Fake chapters are a plus.