Sally Warner’s accessible EllRay Jakes series now has a little sister of its own! See the world through Alfie Jakes’s eyes in Absolutely Alfie and the Furry Purry Secret (Puffin, $5.99 PB/Viking, $14.99 HB) and Absolutely Alfie and the First Week Friends (Puffin, $5.99 PB/Viking, $14.99 HB). Shearry Malone’s playful illustrations add extra appeal to Alfrie’s quest to break her family’s NO PETS rule, as well as her attempt to bring two friends together at the beginning of a new school year. Ages 6-9
Fans of the Mercy Watson series and other Tales from Deckawoo Drive, meanwhile, will love Kate DiCamillo and illustrator Chris Van Dusen’s latest delivery from Deckawoo. In Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package (Candlewick, $14.99), a mysterious box containing an accordion arrives for Eugenia, who is a practical, no-time-for-music kind of person. Can she learn to love this unwelcome addition to her household? Ages 6-9
Karen English tells another story about first impressions and second chances in her latest installment of The Carver Chronicles. Khufu is The New Kid (Clarion, $15.99) in school, with a big personality and even bigger stories to tell. Leery of this stranger’s tall tales, third-grader Gavin blames Khufu when his bike goes missing. Impeccably placed spot illustrations by Laura Freeman add intrigue to Carver’s compelling narrative about the effects of making snap judgments. Ages 6-9
