Here is a mystery for your upper- grade Hi-low readers. The color illustrations are very close to graphic novel style, only page-size. Each page of text has two or three words jumping out at the reader by way of size, color, and/or style. Like in any good mystery, the reader will need to read between the lines.

As the book begins, it’s the first day of middle school for both the narrator and Ms. Fleek the new science teacher. As the weeks pass, Ms. Fleek can not find the key to unlock the science lab room. The class is forced to continue reading and doing textbook  assignments, even though I can see a glow coming from under the lab’s door. By mid-October, Ms. Fleek is questioning her ability to teach science when she still can’t find the key to the lab. Then one night, after yet another strange and bad dream, Ms. Fleek awakes to find the key in her hand. “We’ve been able to do all of our science labs since Ms. Fleek opened THAT DOOR three months ago.    I was so excited when we first had the equipment out! But science class and Ms. Fleek have become strange. She doesn’t smile as much. Well, not real smiles anyway.” (34) In February, the English teacher asked me some questioned about Ms. Fleek. Then,  the English teacher disappeared from school after Spring Break. I have stopped hanging out around the science room. “Anytime that door OPENED … I felt sick.” (44)

Next fall, when I am in 8th grade, “I stayed AWAY from Rm. 201.”  [Cliff-hanger]

We all know children who get a ‘bee in their bonnet’ (pun intended) and won’t let it go. This is such a story, but for all the right reasons.

Hurrah! It’s summer. Anna can’t wait for Friends, Fun, and Flowers day camp to begin in her school’s friendship garden. Her younger brother, Collin, is thrilled to be going to the Bugs, Bugs, Bugs day camp there. Then, not enough people sign up for Bugs, Bugs, Bugs.   Bugs, Bugs, Bugs and Friends, Fun, and Flowers are combined to become Sweet Peas and Honeybees. Anna is not thrilled with having her little brother around. On the first day of camp, they go on a field trip to an apiary, much to Collin’s delight. Anna is asked to be Collin’s buddy as the group walks there. “N-O F-A-I-R!” (18) Anna thinks. Collin is acting like an insect all the way there. “The apiary sat on the rooftop of a nearby apartment building.”(19) Mr. Blanco, the bee keeper, gave information about bees.  Collin stated, ” ‘ honeybee colonies are dying.’ ”    “Mr. Blanco nodded sadly…’And if we lose too many, that means lots of food that we enjoy…might disappear.’ ” (25) Now Anna wants to help solve the bee problem.

Anna asks her father to take her to their neighborhood home owners’ meeting dealing with spraying their yards with weed killer. At the meeting Anna shares her information about the blight of honeybees and of their importance. The meeting goes long, the vote will be taken at a later time.

Anna, with Collin’s help, plans to help the honeybees by throwing a BIG BEE BASH. Their invitations read: “Come to Anna and Collin’s house for honey-sweetened treats, waggle dancing, and bee games and activities. Monday night at 7 p.m.’ …they took a walk around their neighborhood with their mom and dad and passed out invitations to their friends and neighbors. They brought an invitation to Mr. Blanco, and asked him to bring his cool bee stuff and honey to sell. She knew he could get people excited about bees.” ( 86) They posted an invitation at the school garden, too, along with a place to donate to the ‘Wildflower Fund’.

Their Big Bee Bash is a success. The homeowner’s society still vote to spray their yards with weed killer, though. Anna is disappointed she has not made a bigger difference. Her parents reassure her that every little bit helps, “it will all add up.” (104)

In the end,  two hives are put on the roof of mom’s restaurant.

The story ends, but there are two more items of interest. The first are directions to the ‘Waggle Dance Game’ from the Big Bee Bash. These are similar to the dance honeybees do to point out directions to flowers for other bees. The second item is a recipe for Anna’s honey cinnamon ice cream.

What are your personal feelings about Groundhog Day as a holiday? Believe it or not, in this installment of the Black Lagoon Adventures, Hubie thinks it is ridiculous. Nevertheless, when Hubie’s teacher assigns his entire class a job for their school’s morning news show in February he becomes anchorman for February 2, Groundhog Day. As any good reporter Hubie begins with research in the library. It turns out, the groundhog, Punxsutawney  Phil, is only “right 39 percent of the time.” (14) Anything can be right 39% of the time. Hubie is not excited about Groundhog Day like the rest of his class. He thinks it’s silly. Humhog. The school is having a play during lunchtime about Groundhog Day.  Hubie has a hogmare the night prior to his broadcast. In it, Hogzilla “cast a big shadow.” (28) Hogzilla ruins parts of the school. Hubie is hoping the school won’t be serving groundhog for lunch on February 2. Early on February 2, Hubie gets up at 7:25 AM to begin watching for Punxsutawney Phil on TV. Punxsutawney Phil does not see his shadow. ” ‘I guess spring is in the air,’ I smiled.” (50) The newscast goes well. ABC, NBC, and CBS News all want Hubie to work for them.

The book closes with 8 Groundhog facts.

This would not be a Black Lagoon Adventure book without silly, but humorous, little doodles in the page margins by Jared Lee, in addition to the other major black and white sketches accompanying the story.

In this fourth book by R.W. Alley, the four children go another outdoor adventure using imagination as a key element.

This time, Annabelle escapes her two brothers and little sister by going outside into  the snow in search of the South Pole.  “Annabelle stared into the blizzard. Horrors! It was the Abominable Snow Giant!” Annabelle knocks off its head with a snowball. Annabelle and the roly-polies (magically turned into penguins for the South Pole) help put the Snow Giant’s head back on its body once it promises to be good. Annabelle is in luck because the Snow Giant will take her to the South Pole. As Annabelle, the roly-polies, and the Snow Giant arrive at the South Pole, they realize “The Wizard of the World and his gang (AKA Ananbelle’s siblings) had gotten there first.”  They threaten to melt the South Pole using a hot chocolatey potion. Bravely Annabelle swallows the potion saving the world. Off they go “back to base camp,” which remarkably looks just like their house’s front porch.

Young children enjoy figuring out which items in the world of imagination match up with the children’s world of reality.