Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter

Thanks to Scholastic and @kidlitexchange for the ARC of this book, which is out now! All opinions are my own.

Maggie has wanted a puppy for so long, and her parents finally say she can get one! Her parents are preoccupied with the baby that's on the way, and her younger twin brothers have each other, so Maggie is ready to have her own friend in the family.

When Maggie is meeting different puppies at the shelter, she starts to itch. After a visit to the allergy center, Maggie learns she's allergic to animal dander, so no puppy for her. She can't even be around the class pet, so all of her classmates blame her for her allergies! Maggie starts a list of other pets she could get, but nothing seems quite right. Luckily she makes friends with her neighbor, so she has someone to play with, but friendships can be hard to manage...

I love graphic novels for kids because they're engaging, regardless of the reader's level or "reluctance." I especially love when they tackle tougher topics, and allergies are one I've never thought much about. I liked Peanut by Ayun Halliday, but it's about a girl faking an allergy to be interesting. Allergic deals with how allergies can distance you from others and it's an important topic that is often overlooked. 

Beverly Cleary Author Study: Runaway Ralph

Illustrations by Louis Darling, though my copy 

has a revised cover with no (discernable) artist credit. 

I wanted to make more of a note about the illustrations and cover this time. I can't find a name (or decipher the signature) for the cover illustrator, but this is the last book of Cleary's that was illustrated by Louis Darling. He died in 1970, the year this book was published, and it is dedicated to him.

Ralph is one of the most unique characters in Cleary's books and he's back for another adventure. This time he wants to be independent and leave his family behind. He's tired of being told what to do and when he can ride his motorcycle, and he doesn't like giving his younger relatives rides on HIS motorcycle.

He learns there is a summer camp nearby so he decides to run away. Trying to live on his own around so many children is difficult, especially since the camp also has a dog and several cats roaming around.

This book was a fun read because Ralph is clever and gets into interesting situations, but I liked The Mouse and the Motorcycle more.