Harvey Hammer: New Shark in Town by Davy Ocean, illustrated by Aaron Blecha

This is part of Aladdin's Quix series, which is similar to Scholastic's Branches. The books physically look like a slightly smaller, thicker version of an easy reader but they have more text, similar to a beginning chapter book. A few black and white illustrations are sprinkled through the pages. Some of them are reprints of older books, including several series by Stephanie Calmenson and Robert Quackenbush, and some are original. In all honesty the only series I've liked well enough to purchase is Mack the Rhino by Paul Dubois Jacobs (also creator of Animal Inn) but I keep an eye on them as I do have parents who want those beginning chapters with fewer pictures.

Harvey Hammer(head) is the new shark in town and his first day at elementary school is not going so well. His baby brother threw up on him, he's being bugged by bullies, and his attempt to show off has made him stand out and not in a good way! Even the teachers seem to be annoyed at him. Luckily, after a school assembly where his mom, the new police chief, embarrasses him, he manages to make friends with the bully and the two end the day happily drawing comics.

The book opens with a lengthy (two-page) list of characters and ends with a word list and questions. Silly black and white cartoons are scattered throughout the pages. This is a spin-off of Shark School, a beginning chapter series with the same characters, that's aimed at a slightly older audience and runs a little over 100 pages.

Although there's nothing outstandingly "wrong" with this, there's nothing to really make it shine either. It recycles the same tired old stereotypes about bullies, throws in some mild gross-out humor, and has a lengthy list of characters that I doubt most young readers will retain. While I think there's plenty of room for humorous school-centered books, I'd like to see some with more emotional depth and better social-emotional examples. It is possible to still be funny and not have stereotyped, shallow characters and I was not particularly impressed with this series.

Verdict: If Shark School is popular and you just want to fill up with transitional easy readers, there's nothing wrong with this as an additional title but if you have a limited budget and are buying more cautiously, stick with the offerings from Scholastic's Acorn imprint.

ISBN: 9781534455122; Published May 2022 by Aladdin; Review copy provided by publisher