Beatrice More Moves In

K-Gr 2—Beatrice More is an eight-year-old with serious neatness issues. The book opens with a moving van pulling away from the family's new home. In record time, Beatrice has not only set up her room perfectly but expects the rest of the family to have completely unpacked as well. The plot of this story is simple: Beatrice is a neat freak, while the rest of her family members, including their slobbering dog, are not very organized, and Beatrice is determined to have them follow her example. In the course of her campaign, the protagonist makes lists of things she can't change in her little sister and a list of "things to do to be successful in third grade." Her parents just roll their eyes while her little sister simply enjoys being a typically sloppy four-year-old. Beatrice takes the dog out for a walk and meets two girls her age, whom she invites over to her house. Beatrice tells the girls that her house will be perfect by 3:00 p.m. and then goes home and forces everyone to quickly unpack in order to be done by the designated time. The organizing of the house, with Beatrice cracking the whip, takes up about a third of this short book. In the end, Beatrice lets go of her compulsion, realizes that her family's messiness and disorganization are perfectly fine, and plays with her new friends. This easy chapter book features a highly predictable plot and simple characterizations, making it most appropriate for brand-new readers or those struggling with more complex texts.