Drooling and Dangerous: The Riot Brothers Return! - Softcover

Mary Amato is an award-winning children's book author, poet, playwright, and songwriter. Her books have been translated into foreign languages, optioned for television, produced onstage, and nominated for the children's choice awards in many states. She lives in Maryland.

Ethan Long has written and illustrated dozens of children's books. His accolades include a Theodor Seuss Geisel Medal. He lives in Florida.

Gr. 3-5. Amato's fun-filled title in the Riot Brothers series follows fifth-grade Wilbur and his third-grade brother, Orville, as they create more crazy games with often amusing results. The first section, in which the boys become spies, and the last part, in which they play an opposites game and get to be school principals for a day, are the most clever and entertaining. The boys' mix of silliness and creativity will resonate strongly with children, and the large print and short chapters make for easy independent reading. Long's black-and-white illustrations add significantly to the book's humor. A fun read that will leave kids eagerly awaiting sequels. Roger Leslie

Grade 2-5–Fifth-grader Wilbur Riot and his younger brother, Orville, are fighting boredom once more in this uproarious follow-up to Snarf Attack, Underfoodle, and the Secret of Life (Holiday House, 2004). Amato presents three new humorous exploits, each told in brief, fast-paced chapters, as the boys embark on a spy mission, unwittingly star in a movie, and take their mother's place as school principal during a wacky Saturday Switch Day (Dwitch Say). Mom is good-natured throughout all of their antics, even getting in a joke or two of her own (sneaking plastic bugs into their sandwiches) while maintaining a level of control. An appended section compiles the brothers' many sayings (A bad day is like bad breath. It just gets worse unless you do something about it) and instructions for games such as Bye-Bye Buggie and Dirty Dockball. The black-and-white cartoons, large print, and straightforward language will attract both newly confident and reluctant readers, who will want to get in on the fun. This title stands on its own, but be prepared for youngsters to demand more about this crazy twosome.–Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY