"Axle Annie" was an overwhelming read-aloud hit with a class of second graders in my elementary school library. Tedd Arnold's comical illustrations are the perfect complement to Robin Pulver's tall tale about a dedicated school bus driver who can always make it up Tiger Hill, no matter how snowy it may get.

When the superintendent asks her on blizzard mornings if she can make it up Tiger Hill, Axle Annie always replies, "Do snowplows plow? Do tow trucks tow? Are school buses yellow? Of course I can make it up Tiger Hill!" This is how he always determines that Burskeyville Schools will stay open in stormy weather.

Another bus driver, Shifty Rhodes, who hates to drive in blizzard conditions, teams up with disgruntled ski resort operator, Hale Snow, who never has extra business because local schools never close for snow days. Together they come up with a plan to prevent Axle Annie from making it up Tiger Hill.

In our elementary school, where a majority of the students ride the school bus, and where we sometimes DO close for snow days, the kids could relate to the exaggerated personalities of the drivers, as well as the snowy conditions that every child--and some teachers--hope will shut down school once in a while. Around here, many kids probably would probably go skiing, sledding or snowboarding.

The repetitive line, quoted above, quickly becomes a chorus with children listening to this hilarious story. This is a fun book, and would be perfect for children in late Fall or early Winter, as the days get colder and the clouds get grayer! Recommended.

My 5 year old loves this book! We enjoy watching Annie trying to get the children to school. The illustrations are hilarious and it's a lively fun story. We love anything by Tedd Arnold!

"Day after day, the punctuation marks showed up in Mr. Wright's classroom. Day after day, they did their jobs. They put up with being erased and replaced and corrected and ignored and moved around. Then on the hottest, stickiest day the class had ever seen, right in the middle of a lesson about commas, Mr Wright mopped his forehead and said, "Let's give punctuation a vacation..." Those cruel kids cheered and ran out to the playground. The punctuation marks looked at each other in disbelief and grew angry, very angry. If the kids could take a break, well they could too. And with that, they rushed out the door and left school on a little vacation of their own. When Mr. Wright's class returned, they discovered a big problem. They couldn't read or write or learn. In fact, nothing made any sense at all without punctuation. A few days later, some rather unusual postcards began to arrive from Take-a-Break Lake..... Author, Robin Pulver's zany and engaging story is a lesson in disguise, filled with droll humor, clever wordplay, silly sound effects, and lively punctuation fun. Lynn Rowe Reed's bold, bright, and busy childlike illustrations are playful and entertaining. Together, word and art offer a delightful, manic romp that's perfect for story time, or as a help reinforcing grammar lessons. With a straightforward list of rules at the end to complete this manic, fun-filled treasure, Punctuation Takes A Vacation is a delightful crowd pleaser, and kids 6-10 may find that punctuation lessons will never be boring again.

I frequently look for positive ways to talk about my son's special needs with his sister. She sometimes has a tough time accepting his differences. "Way to Go, Alex" is a great way to open the conversation about trying to do our best, and being proud of what we can achieve. This story helps my daughter understand that feelings of frustration can be turned around to a more positive approach to the challenges she faces having a brother with learning and physical disabilities. The story accurately depicts how difficult it is for a child to understand and cope with a sibling's disabilities. It is a wonderful introduction to Special Olympics. I hope many parents share the story with their children and discuss how important an encouraging, supportive, and accepting community is for people of all abilities.

The book goes on and on and on forever as the various parties try to get the coat off. It could be shorter by 10 pages and everyone would be better off

I highly recommend this book to all children. My daughter loves Mrs. Toggle and asks me to read with her every night.

This book is warm and gentle and humorous--a feel-good story that makes you wish you were in Mrs. Toggle's class. Lively text complemented by soft and kid-friendly illustrations that add to the fun. Appropriate for younger children, but with enough humor for older kids to "grow into."

Mrs. Toggle and the Dinosaur is an exciting and creative children's story, and Robin Pulver is a great author. After Mrs. Toggle receives a call from the principal of the school she works, she announces to the class that they will be joined by a new student. The new student is a dinosaur. Mrs. Toggle was nervous, so her and her students prepare the class and themselves for the new student. When everything is ready, and the new student arrives, Mrs. Toggle and her class were shocked! There was no dinosaur, the new student turned out to be a small girl named Dina Sawyer. Obviously, there was a huge misunderstanding. To me, this book is appropriate for teachers to read when a new student joins their class. Children also get the chance to imagine what it would be like to have a dinosaur in class. I recomend this book to teachers, and parents.

Second grade is about the age where children are torn between wanting mom to visit school, but aware their friends might think it uncool. Second-grader Cassandra's mother would like to go, so Cassandra suggests mom dress like a plant to tie in with what is being taught, but more importantly, to stay anonymous. While the other children find something "very peculiar" about the visiting plant, Cassandra learns that her mom and plants have a lot in common, and that having mom at school is fun! This one earns an extra star for making my little one giggle all the way through!

We checked this book out of the library and my 4 year old daughter insists on me reading it every night. A good testimonial! The book is pleasant and easy to read with nice illustrations. It provides a good basis for a discussion of need v. want. Like the above reviewer, I too was disappointed in the overly tidy ending. Also, the illustrations appear a bit too impressionistic (for example, it is difficult to identify Alicia on several pages) which frustrates my daughter and me.