BOOKS

Have No Fear!

by Nicole C. KEAR
Have No Fear! illus. by Tracy Dockray. 144p. (The Fix-It Friends: Bk. 1). Imprint. May 2017. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781250115775; pap. $5.99. ISBN 9781250085849.
COPY ISBN
Gr 1–3—The first in a planned series featuring Veronica Conti, an outgoing seven-year-old who wants to solve conflicts, including her new friend Maya's problem: a fear of bugs. While her heart is in the right place, Veronica's plans leave something to be desired, and everything goes disastrously awry. Maya's problem and some of the resulting action in the book are somewhat contrived and the solutions pat. However, the premise, an idea of a series about a group of friends helping others in need, makes up for some of the title's minor shortcomings.
VERDICT A serviceable if not memorable beginning chapter book.
Reviewed by Kaela Cochran, Lincoln Township Public Library, Stevensville, MI
"The Fix-It Friends," a group that works together to help their peers solve problems, forms in [cf2]Fear[cf1]; they help a friend learn lines for a play ([cf2]Show[cf1]), another friend to stand up when teased ([cf2]Sticks[cf1]), and one of their own to process losing a pet ([cf2]Wish[cf1]). Narrated by spunky seven-year-old Veronica and emotively illustrated, these kid-empowering books' lessons go down easily. Back matter includes resources for dealing with each story's concern.
 , Jun 01, 2017

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