Izzy Barr, Running Star

Izzy Barr is the star athlete of the third grade: she hits homeruns on her softball team and is one of the fastest runners in her class. But at home, her half-brother, Dustin, seems to be her father's favorite athlete—why else would her dad go to all of his games and miss so many of hers? Izzy pretends that she doesn't care, but as she, her friends Annika Riz and Kelsey Green, and the rest of their class are gearing up for class field day, she can't help but hope her dad will be there to cheer her on in the big race against her rival, Skipper Tipton. Dad doesn't make it to field day, but when he realizes how important it is to Izzy, he and all of her friends and family are there to watch her participate in the citywide 10K run. Izzy Barr, Running Star by Claudia Mills, illustrated by Rob Shepperson, is part of the Franklin School Friends series of chapter books. "The quick pacing keeps the plot moving; the writing is concise and interesting. . . . Whimsical black-and-white illustrations add to the engaging fun of this middle grade book, part of the Franklin School Friends series. Students who enjoy this series will also enjoy Kelsey Green, Reading Queen, and Annika Riz, Math Whiz." —Children's Literature