Gracie Wei #2: You're the Boss, Gracie Wei by Basia Tran, Kristen Mei Chase
ISBN: 0593813006
Genres: Emotions & Feelings, Family, Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Friendship, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

Gracie Wei is back with her cast of amazing friends – and this time, they are ready for summer vacation! Gracie and her friends have decided to form the “Summer Club of Awesome” – meeting together every day for fun activities. Gracie, who is hosting activities at her house, is determined to plan every last detail and schedule every activity. But her friends keep suggesting they do other activities than what she had planned! Worst of all – they want to go biking, and Gracie hasn’t gotten on her bike since she last fell off. Can she be the boss and direct them to other activities instead? Or will she learn to be flexible and face her fears? Like the first story, this early chapter book is full of good lessons, sweet friendships, and diverse characters. The black-and-white pencil and graphite illustrations are thoughtfully placed throughout the text and perfectly depict the emotions of the characters. Recommended for ages 7 to 9 (2^nd to 4^th Grade).

Reviewed by: Jenn Mead, Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, Lovell

Gracie Wei #1: You're a Winner, Gracie Wei by Basia Tran, Kristen Mei Chase
ISBN: 0593812964
Genres: Emotions & Feelings, Family, Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Friendship, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

Gracie Wei knows for certain that she is going to win the Grapevine Elementary Fourth-Grade Class Spelling Bee. She knows because her teacher says “practice makes perfect,” she’s pretty sure that perfect people win spelling bees, and because she has practiced (a lot!). When Gracie wins the spelling bee, she will finally have something of her own displayed on her family’s “Wei Special Wall” of awards and prizes. She is the only person in her family that hasn’t gotten an award yet (including her toddler brother who got one for going potty at school!). However, when she gets to school, it looks like Gracie has competition – Elena Yarberry has also practiced, and is ready to win. When they take the stage, Elena panics and leaves the auditorium. Worried, Gracie follows Elena to see if she is OK. Gracie helps Elena to feel better, but both end up missing the spelling bee! How will Gracie Wei make it onto the Wei Special Wall now? This early chapter book is full of good lessons, sweet friendships, diverse character representation, and descriptive cultural details. It includes black-and-white pencil and graphite illustrations, which nicely break up the text and provide depth and emotion to the storyline. Recommended for ages 7 to 9 (2^nd to 4^th Grade).

Reviewed by: Jenn Mead, Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, Lovell