Emma McKenna, Full Out (The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class book 1) by Kate Messner, illustrated by Kat Fajardo (Algonquin Young Readers, 128 pages, grades 1-4). Emma is excited and nervous about starting third grade at the new Curiosity Academy. Her nerves get the better of her, though, when Lucy, a former best friend turned enemy, walks through the classroom door. Emma does her best to make new friends, but she sometimes feels like her classmates are more interesting than she is. When the school has a competition for a new mascot, Emma chooses a capybara, an animal that is curious and makes friends with all kinds of other animals. By the end of the book, Emma has started to find her groove, giving an almost-winning presentation on the capybara, and making tentative overtures toward mending her differences with Lucy.
Each book in this series focuses on a different kid in Mrs. Z’s class and is written by a different author (librarians, be careful how you catalog this, or the series will end up scattered through your fiction collection). It’s a fun premise for a series, and the first four books are now available, with more coming in 2025. I found Emma’s story perfectly serviceable, although not particularly distinguishable from other spunky girls who are featured in other early chapter book series.
Wrath of the Rain God (Legendarios book 1) by Karla Arenas Valenti, illustrated by Vanessa Morales (Aladdin, 144 pages, grades 2-5). Twins Emma and Martín are not happy to be moving from Cuernavaca, Mexico to Chicago for their father’s new job. Before they leave, their abuela gives them a book of Mexican legends that turns out to be a portal to the places in the stories. They find themselves in an Aztec village that is on the verge of being wiped out by floods. From there, the twins are sent on a quest to help retrieve the lightning bolt belonging to Tlaloc, the rain god, so that he will stop the torrential downpours. The twins are very different from each other, but each has strengths that help them to complete their quest and return home to Chicago, which starts to feel more like home by the end of the book. Includes a glossary.
This has a Percy Jackson vibe, complete with a stolen lightning bolt. Kids who have seen The Lightning Thief movie or TV show but aren’t quite ready for the books may be interested in trying this series instead. They’ll learn a bit about Mexican and Aztec cultures and mythology in a page-turning adventure story with two unique protagonists. Book 2 of the series came out in August, and book 3, a few weeks ago.