In her third adventure, Marisol (Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey, rev. 5/21, and sequel) helps her friend Felix learn to ride a bicycle, navigates her best friend Jada's jealousy that Marisol is spending so much time with Felix, and worries about a neighbor's scary-looking German shepherd, who has gone missing. (At bedtime, after learning that the dog has escaped, Marisol "wonders where he is. She wonders if he will be waiting for her in the morning with all his teeth.") Marisol is an anxious second grader, and her concerns are emotionally spot-on. The limited omniscient narration means that readers know what the protagonist is feeling and thinking while still viewing the world from outside of her head. The book design is approachable for young readers, featuring wide margins, plenty of white space, and an abundance of line drawings. Give this to fans of Dominguez's Stella Diaz Has Something to Say (rev. 5/18) or those ready to move on from Faruqi's Meet Yasmin! (c) Copyright 2024. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In her latest series outing, Marisol Rainey faces her fear of a large dog on the loose. Marisol loves riding her bike, especially with her best friend, Jada. On weekends they ride around their neighborhood, pausing only when they come to the house where the terrifying beast lives, whom they call Daggers. They've never interacted with the dog, so Marisol doesn't know if Daggers is his real name or if he is even dangerous at all. One day Marisol sees a lost dog flyer for Daggers (actually, turns out his name is Gregory). Her nervousness grows, making it difficult to ride her bike alone. She and Jade seek help from their friend Felix, who claims he can talk to animals. Felix doesn't know how to ride a bike, so the girls make a deal: They'll give him lessons if he finds a way to communicate with--and recapture--Gregory. But teaching someone takes patience, and Jada is being rude to Felix. Marisol, who's often plagued by the what-ifs, confronts her fears and discovers she's not the only one who worries about things. Short and sweet, this installment is full of humor and relatability. Characters deal with friendship ups and downs and learn not to make snap judgments about people. Kelly's charming black-and-white illustrations add fun facts about animal communication and bike safety. Marisol is biracial (her mother is Filipina, while her father is White), Jada is Black, and Felix presents White. A fun read that brings only delight. (Fiction. 6-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey (2021), Marisol overcame her fear of falling and climbed a tree. In Surely Surely Marisol Rainey (2022), she overcame her aversion to sports and learned to play kickball. Now, after her mother teaches her how to interact with unfamiliar dogs, she overcomes her anxiety about encountering Gregory (aka Daggers), a fierce-looking German shepherd; when he gets lost, she befriends him and helps reunite him with his owners. Meanwhile, another story thread reflecting Kelly's strong understanding of childhood involves Jada, Marisol's best friend. While Marisol is teaching Felix, a friendly classmate, how to ride a bike, Jada is sometimes downright rude to him. Until it's explained to her, Marisol doesn't understand that Jada is afraid of losing her best friend. Throughout the book, Kelly's appealing grayscale drawings decorate chapter headings and illustrate the characters, settings, and events. The writing is simple enough for readers transitioning to chapter books but never simplistic when portraying characters or creating believable, involving story lines. A satisfying early chapter book for Marisol fans and new readers alike.