Matthew Swanson

A big sister wants nothing to do with the new baby, but when her titular wail makes him cry, she realizes what the baby really needs is a better big sister. She proceeds to teach him everything she knows, so they can team up against their parents.

A fun take on the "new sibling" theme. See also: King Baby by Kate Beaton, Julius the Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes

Moxie McCoy misses her best friend and detective partner, Maude, who has moved to California. She's looking for a replacement in her fourth grade classroom, but an important case seizes her attention: Eddie the Owl, the school mascot, has been stolen from the display case in the hall! Moxie makes lists in her notebook and plays bad cop, but without her good cop (Maude), her interrogations don't go so well. Forge-ahead Moxie has overlooked her little brother Milton, a first grader with show more excellent powers of observation; in fact, it's pretty clear to readers (if not to Moxie herself, at least at first) that Milton is the better detective, and together, the team cracks the case.

Clementine meets Ben Yokoyama.

Quotes

"You may be brave. And also pretty wise. But sometimes you're not very patient." (Milton to Moxie, 251)

But sometimes it's even better to see something good happen to someone you love instead of getting it for yourself. (Dad, 315) show less

Upon receiving a fortune from a fortune cookie ("Live each day as if it were your last"), Ben decides to act as if today IS his last day: he makes a bucket list and gets started right away, at 12:01am. The whole madcap book takes place over the course of a single day: Ben's mom and dad, best friend Janet, and neighbor (and possible witch?) Mrs. Ezra all get involved, while Mr. Hoggenweff and his cat, and Mona and her mom, and five-year-old Patty all provide obstacles. Chock-full of show more descriptive similes and metaphors, Cookie of Doom is very, VERY funny. show less

Another wonderful book by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr. Moxie McCoy, the world's best 4th Grade detective, is called by her sworn nemesis to solve a mystery. She has to join a group of girls, wear a disguise, and try to solve this mind-dazzling mystery.