Fourth grade can be tough. Just ask Penelope Crumb, star of this funny, often poignant story from Shawn K. Stout (Fiona Finkelstein, Big-Time Ballerina!!), the first in a planned series.
Penelope is having major problems. She's convinced that her teenage brother, Terrence, was kidnapped by aliens and returned as one. She calls him Terrible and keeps a list of his alien traits for when she turns him in to NASA. Terrence/Terrible is the least of Penelope's problems. For starters, no one has told Penelope that she has a big nose; the heroine sees it for herself in her best friend's portrait of her. It turns out Penelope inherited her "humongous" nose from Grandpa Felix. Now, it turns out that Grandpa Felix isn't really "Graveyard Dead." Can Penelope dodge the alien, break all of Mom's rules, find her missing grandfather and reunite her family?
Penelope Crumb is the hilarious story of a fourth-grader determined to find out the truth about her family. She channels the quirkiness of Ramona Quimby and the detective skills of Cam Jansen. Stout gives the supporting characters, including best friend Patsy Cline Roberta Watson, enough definition to be lovable and memorable, but no one steals Penelope's spotlight. The author tackles surprisingly serious family problems from the honest viewpoint of a child. From turning the discovery of her big nose into something to be proud of (it kind of makes her a superhero) to issues of abandonment and loss, Penelope will delight children and parents alike. --Kyla Paterno, trade book buyer and blogger, Garfield Book Company at PLU