Sassy Series (by Sharon M. Draper)

Sassy is sweet without going overboard. Draper's approach is long on innocence, family love, and friendship. Unlike many books geared toward tweens, the kids and adults here have mutual respect for one another. One problem: there isn't much story to grab. Sometimes it reads more like random events in Sassy's life than a linear story and the dialogue is sometimes too immature for fourth graders. Still, kids will find lots to like here.

In this novel, Draper gives us more feel-good family time, adventure,  a cohesive story  and less baby talk from Sassy -- an improvement from the first book. There are situations the family experiences that can be used as opportunities to talk about the environment, conservation, and current events like airport security. As always the main lesson is family love and support -- even through a birthday party-ruining hurricane.