Books by Megan McDonald and Complete Book Reviews

Megan McDonald, Author . Pleasant/American Girl $12.95 (196p) ISBN 978-1-58485-782-2
The creator of the Judy Moody novels introduces a trio of similarly spunky girls, three sisters—ages eight, 10 and "123/4"—whose parents are both actors. Their mother lands a job as the host of a TV cooking show (though she has...
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Megan McDonald, Author Orchard Books (NY) $15.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-531-05478-9
Despite this first novel's firm sense of place--Pittsburgh--its grasp on time, narrative structure and characterization remains rather shaky. A pivotal event, in which protagonist Hallie's father ``flies'' his car from an unfinished bridge across...
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Megan McDonald, Author, Marsha Gray Carrington, Illustrator , illus. by Marsha Gray Carrington. Atheneum/Jackson $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-689-85167-4
Blending bits of history and long-accepted lore into a snappy story, McDonald (Is This a House for a Hermit Crab? ; the Judy Moody series) entertains readers with her imagining of the Liberty Bell's whereabouts during the American Revolution....
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Megan McDonald, Author, Ted Lewin, Illustrator Scholastic $6.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-531-07065-9
Atmospheric watercolors by the Caldecott Honor artist cast a glow over this Norman Rockwell-esque story of a neighborhood peddlar who helps two boys when they accidentally smash a prize pumpkin. Ages 4-7. (Sept.)
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Megan McDonald, Author, G. Brian Karas, Illustrator , illus. by G. Brian Karas. Candlewick $13.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-7636-1265-8
Insect buddies Ant and Honey Bee think they've come up with an ingenious joint costume for Cricket's dress-up party: a washer and dryer, complete with sound effects ("Blub! Blub!" and "Buzzzzz!," respectively). They discover...
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Megan McDonald, Author, Nancy Poydar, Illustrator Orchard Books (NY) $13.95 (48p) ISBN 978-0-531-30046-6
A trio of breezy tales fills this beginning reader, which stars the peppy title character and her easygoing best buddy, Merlin. McDonald (The Great Pumpkin Switch) shrewdly gives each selection a theme or setting loaded with child appeal: in ""Eye...
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Megan McDonald, Author, Peter H. Reynolds, Illustrator , illus. by Peter Reynolds. Candlewick $15.99 (144p) ISBN 978-0-7636-0849-1
This sequel to Judy Moody handily matches the original in zip and wit, portraying the spunky Judy in her quest for recognition. Famous for her changeable moods, the third-grader wants to become just plain famous after her arch rival, Jessica, wins a
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Megan McDonald, illus. by Peter H. Reynolds. Candlewick, $14.99 (128p) ISBN 978-0-7636-7206-5
Back to share top billing in the fourth Judy Moody and Stink story, the Moody siblings gear up for the local Gobblers-a-Go-Go festival: Judy plans to dress up as Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who persuaded President Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a...
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Megan McDonald, Author, Peter H. Reynolds, Illustrator Candlewick Press (MA) $15.99 (176p) ISBN 978-0-7636-2024-0
Judy Moody, M.D.: The Doctor Is In! by Megan McDonald, illus. by Peter Reynolds, brings back the irrepressible heroine as her class studies the human body. Taking a field trip to the hospital, performing an operation on a zucchini (they first ""take
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Megan McDonald, Author, Peter H. Reynolds, Illustrator Candlewick Press (MA) $17.97 (460p) ISBN 978-0-7636-2563-4
And readers will be raring to get these books out of their boxes. About Megan McDonald's third-grade star (and Peter Reynolds's rendering of her), PW wrote, ""It's hard to imagine a mood Judy couldn't improve."" Now The Judy Moody Star-Studded...
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Megan McDonald, Author, Peter H. Reynolds, Illustrator Candlewick Press (MA) $9.99 (128p) ISBN 978-0-7636-2236-7
Judy Moody Predicts the Future in the famously temperamental third-grader's fourth adventure by Megan McDonald, illus. by Peter H. Reynolds. Here Judy, equipped with a mood ring, convinces herself and her classmates of her clairvoyant ...
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Megan McDonald, Author, Peter H. Reynolds, Illustrator Candlewick Press (MA) $15.99 (160p) ISBN 978-0-7636-1792-9
Judy Moody Predicts the Future in the famously temperamental third-grader's fourth adventure by Megan McDonald, illus. by Peter H. Reynolds. Here Judy, equipped with a mood ring, convinces herself and her classmates of her clairvoyant ...
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Megan McDonald, Author, Peter H. Reynolds, Illustrator Candlewick Press (MA) $15.99 (144p) ISBN 978-0-7636-1446-1
Inspired by environmental studies in school and a humiliating defeat in a Band-Aid design contest, Judy Moody, in her third adventure, revamps her family's recycling efforts and confiscates her classmates' wooden pencils in Judy Moody Saves the...
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Megan McDonald, Author, Peter H. Reynolds, Illustrator Candlewick Press (MA) $15.99 (160p) ISBN 978-0-7636-0685-5
McDonald's (the Beezy books) comical novel introduces the entertainingly mercurial Judy Moody. The book itself has a look as fresh as its heroine (a compact trim size and an inventive jacket design die-cut that reveals the bright green and orange of
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Megan McDonald, Author, Peter H. Reynolds, Illustrator , illus. by Peter H. Reynolds. Candlewick $12.99 (112p) ISBN 978-0-7636-2025-7
This spirited launch of a new series focuses on Judy Moody's younger brother, Stink. But Judy's fans will be pleased that she plays a pivotal role here. Each day she pulls out a tape measure to learn whether Stink—the shortest kid in...
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Megan McDonald, Author, Peter H. Reynolds, Illustrator , illus. by Peter H. Reynolds. Candlewick $5.99 (160p) ISBN 978-0-7636-2343-2
The famously temperamental third-grader, in her fourth adventure, dons a mood ring and convinces herself and her classmates of her clairvoyant capabilities. Ages 6-10. (Mar.)
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Megan McDonald, Author, Peter H. Reynolds, Illustrator , illus. by Peter H. Reynolds. Candlewick $5.99 (160p) ISBN 978-0-7636-2087-5
Inspired by environmental studies in school and a humiliating defeat in a Band-design contest, Judy Moody, in her third adventure, revamps her family's recycling efforts. Ages 6-10. (Apr.)
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Megan McDonald, Author, Peter H. Reynolds, Illustrator , illus. by Peter Reynolds. Candlewick $5.99 (126p) ISBN 978-0-7636-1931-2
In this sequel to Judy Moody, the spunky heroine has a quest to become famous when her rival wins a spelling contest. In a starred review, PW said, "Even Judy could spell two words that describe both the plot and its heroine: f-r-e-s-h and f-u-
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Megan McDonald, Author, Nancy Cartwright, Read by Imagination Studio $15.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-7393-3555-0
When hearing Cartwright create the voices of McDonald's cast, it's not hard to see why she was chosen as the voice talent for one of the best-known TV characters of all time, Bart Simpson: she has the perfect voice for rebellious kids. Cartwright,...
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Megan McDonald, Author, Peter Catalanotto, Illustrator Orchard Books (NY) $16.95 (1p) ISBN 978-0-531-09529-4
McDonald (Is This a House for Hermit Crab?) turns to geography here, showing vastly different houses from around the world which all have one feature in common: the ""roof"" of stars that hangs over them. Eight colorful, dense vignettes feature a...
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Megan McDonald, Author, Peter Catalanotto, Illustrator , illus. by Peter Catalanotto. Scholastic/Orchard $5.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-531-07181-6
McDonald turns to geography in this picture book, showing vastly different houses from around the world which all have one feature in common: the "roof" of stars that hangs over them. Ages 5-8. (June)
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Megan McDonald, Author, DK Publishing, Author, Ponder Goembel, Illustrator DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley) $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-7894-2581-2
With strong visual echoes of Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram's Guess How Much I Love You, this slightly forced picture book features long-legged rabbits, a simple text dressed in hand-lettered fonts, and a cozy tone full of warm fuzzies. Rosie is...
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Megan McDonald, Author, Jane K. Manning, Illustrator , illus. by Jane Manning. HarperCollins/Greenwillow $15.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-06-001354-7
A red-haired second grader who longs to be "a true pioneer" takes center stage in this tongue-in-cheek tale about edible entomological fare. When Beetle McGrady claims she'll "eat an ant in a second," her friends dare her to...
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Megan McDonald, Author, G. Brian Karas, Author, DK Publishing, Author DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley) $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-7894-2559-1
In a mythic narrative voice accompanied by primitive images, McDonald (Is This a House for Hermit Crab?) describes a mysterious old woman who sifts sand to find bones. Readers can almost hear a drumbeat accompaniment to the text: ""Like the desert...
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Megan McDonald, Author, Vera Rosenberry, Illustrator , illus. by Vera Rosenberry. Atheneum/Jackson $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-689-84932-9
McDonald's (Judy Moody) lilting poem tells parallel stories about a mother baya bird weaving a nest "strand/ by strand/ by willowy strand" and an Indian mother weaving a safekeeping blanket "thread/ by thread/ by whispering thread.
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Megan McDonald, Author, Paul B. Johnson, Author, Paul Brett Johnson, Illustrator Scholastic $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-531-06874-8
Pigtailed and bespectacled-and with a freckled, round face and turned-up nose-Amanda Frankenstein looks like a junior pedant. And perhaps she is. Crazy about insects, the strong-willed girl dumps her brother's fireflies out of the jar and informs...
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Megan McDonald, Author, Katherine Tillotson, Illustrator , illus. by Katherine Tillotson. Atheneum/Jackson $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-689-84415-7
Filled with fun puns, this penguin tale touts the importance of home and friends. Penguin and his young sidekick, Little Blue, perform daily for packed crowds but Penguin remembers the glories of his former life ("Once he'd been emperor,...
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Megan McDonald, illus. by Katherine Tillotson. S&S/Atheneum/Jackson, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-4169-7932-6
Shoe Dog has a big problem: his new owner (referred to as “She, Herself”) is a shoe lover, and he’s an incorrigible shoe eater. He’s barely settled in from the animal shelter, when “Shoe Dog chewed through five high heels, four flip-flops, three...
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Megan McDonald, Author, M. McDonald, Author, Ted Lewin, Illustrator Scholastic $15.95 (1p) ISBN 978-0-531-05914-2
When the Potato Man came to East Street, a white-haired man tells his wide-eyed grandchildren, bad luck came with him. Back then, the narrator was a boy in knee pants and the street, with its endless stream of hucksters, was an exciting place. But...
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Megan McDonald, illus. by Scott Nash. Candlewick, . $16.99 ISBN 978-1-5362-2873-1
Best friends Bunny and Clyde—a beret-wearing yellow rabbit and a chipmunk sporting a green blazer—are tired of being good. Determined to be “bad to the bone,” but at a loss for how to achieve this, they head to the library seeking inspiration. “Bad...
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ARTICLES
  • Step Aside, Judy!
  • Judy Moody and Hank Zipzer Look to a Younger Audience
  • On Tour with Megan McDonald
  • Judy Moody Takes the Stage
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