Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000

January 4, 2010
Frankie is really down on his luck in this second installment of the Frankie Pickle series. He's convinced he'll remain a Pygmy instead of advancing to Shrew in Possum Scouts as everyone else in his scout pack has advanced except for him. When his dad reminds him of the Pine Run 3000, a special race where scouts can compete regionally using hand-crafted model cars, Frankie believe his luck just might change. Through trial and error in designing the perfect car and using his imaginative day dreaming—shown in short easy chapters mixed with comics—Frankie realizes he may not have what it takes to produce the perfect race car. Simple black and white line art keeps the momentum of adventure moving forward and readers entertained. Ages 4–8.

February 1, 2010
Gr 2-4-Frankie Pickle is back in the series that began with "Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom" (S & S, 2009). He wants to become a Shrew Scout with the rest of his Possum Troop but can't because he lacks the points. However, an opportunity arises with the Pine Run 3000, the "greatest game ever invented." If Frankie's model car wins, he can advance up the scouting ladder. This meld of graphic novel and chapter book is a sure bet for reluctant readers. The black-and-white illustrations make the text "woooosh" along just like the fast-paced race scenes toward the end of the book. Readers get glimpses of the protagonist's inner thoughts; once he even pictures himself working on a David-like sculpture as he creates his model car. Despite obstacles to winning, Frankie stays wide-eyed and optimistic until the end."Carrie Rogers-Whitehead, Kearns Library, UT"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2010
Grades 2-4 Wrights arch and accessible mixed-format stories of Frankie continue to be a treat for early chapter-book readers. Here, Frankie, who always tries too hard and has an imagination that far outstrips his abilities, fails to make the next Possum Scout level when his knot tying goes awry. But he can earn those needed badge points if he places well in an upcoming kit-built-car race. Slightly retro cartoonsreminiscent of late 1950s coolare interspersed with the text throughout as Frankies latest adventure unfolds with enough twists on and off the racetrack to satisfy his reading peers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)