(2) K-3 Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. When the little girl narrator visits her grandmother, a former prima ballerina whom she calls "Grand Jeté," dance infuses their ordinary moments ("we arabesque our plates and lunge for the milk"). Preparing for and attending The Nutcracker together, of course, is an extra-special occasion. Kent's text goes through the ballet's story line in a useful introduction for first-time attendees and gives a sense throughout of the warm relationship between doting grandmother and admiring grandchild. Glasser's merry illustrations include lots of dancing across the page, as well as moments of rapt spectatorship against the more lavish scenes of the ballet itself. An author's note explains Kent's own experience dancing in Balanchine's Nutcracker, and a glossary defines ballet terms.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. When friends Nancy and Bree find a litter of kittens, Nancy's allowed to keep one--to her dog's consternation. O'Connor's pleasing-enough story positions the pets as siblings to get readers to reflect on rivalry; but really, as usual, the book is a showcase for the standard Nancy-isms ("investigate" is "fancy for finding out what's up") and for Glasser's trademark art, which resembles something elaborate a baker might create with frosting.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser & Ted Enik. Fancy Nancy demonstrates her resourcefulness after a rainstorm and traffic jam force her to miss the class trip to a planetarium. The art in this serviceable tale shows Nancy as glammed up as ever, but, in a refreshing departure, the "fancy" stuff isn't center stage. The book concludes with "Fancy Nancy's Fancy Words" (also known as a glossary). This inexpensive paper-over-board edition includes an appendix celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of I Can Read.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Fancy Nancy series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. When her parents win an overnight at a resort, Nancy reassures her little sister that she'll take care of her while they're spending the night at a neighbor's house. O'Connor keeps the franchise fresh by spotlighting braggadocio-spewing Nancy's human side (guess who misses her parents at the sleepover?). Glasser doesn't waste any chance to shoehorn in a pleasingly swirly detail.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 1-3 Fancy Nancy series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. While learning about the Gold Rush, Nancy's class starts their own entrepreneurial businesses; Nancy and best friend Bree find that running a business is hard work. An excursion to Antiques in Your Attic (think PBS's Antiques Roadshow) helps Nancy understand the true meaning of "priceless." The seventh appealing chapter book, filled with fancy Nancy-isms and Glasser's signature curlicue art, gently explores family economics.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) PS Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. A mother describes the anxiety and anticipation of her pregnancy and the joy she feels after her little one's arrival: "Love. Big fat love." Sweet, pastel-colored vignettes show the (gender-unspecified) child growing up and underscore the close bond between the two. By the final page, children may be bored, but their mothers are likely to be a little choked up.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) 1-3 Fancy Nancy series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. Nancy is excited to be in the third-grade variety show. When Nancy says some things she doesn't mean to best friend Bree, she needs help from her family to work things out with Bree and overcome her own jitters. While Nancy wouldn't consider her performance a smashing success, a YouTube video makes Nancy a star. Black-and-white illustrations match this fifth chapter book's peppiness.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) K-3 Fancy Nancy series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. Twelve previously published easy readers and picture books are reformatted and gathered in one uniform storybook volume. The book's uber-pink cover, fancy words, and frilly art will delight loquacious Nancy's many fans. That the stories are light on plot won't bother them a whit (that's a fancy way of saying fans won't be disappointed).

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 1-3 Fancy Nancy series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. It's soccer season and everyone has soccer mania. Nancy Clancy doesn't excel at the sport like her friends, but with help from her dad and best friend Bree, Nancy tries hard to improve. Filled with Nancy-isms and sweet black-and-white illustrations, this sixth chapter book explores teamwork and sportsmanship. And while the underdogs don't ultimately win, the ending is satisfying.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. Nancy is (finally) invited to a wedding. In a perfectly executed set piece, she (like the reader) is enjoying the frilly opulence...until she wakes up. Then she arrives at the cabin where, to her initial horror, her hippie uncle is getting unfancily married. O'Connor and Glasser maintain their brand's solid batting average with the help of a well-played small-is-beautiful message.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. This collection includes two picture books (Halloween...Or Bust! and Our Thanksgiving Banquet) and four easy readers (Fancy Day in Room 1-A, Splendid Speller, Apples Galore!, and The 100th Day of School). Nancy's definitions of "fancy" words appear in the texts and in glossaries. The frilly art is an appropriate accompaniment for Nancy's frothy narration.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 1-3 Fancy Nancy series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. When Nancy acquires an old desk with lots of drawers and cubbyholes, she discovers a secret compartment with a key. Who hid it there and what important thing does it unlock? To find the answers, Nancy and her best friend Bree must look beyond the obvious and find an earlier owner of the desk. Spot illustrations add interest to Nancy's latest amusing chapter-book caper.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser & Ted Enik. Nancy is participating in her class's "swap-and-shop," an opportunity to pick up "the tutu of [her] dreams." Meanwhile, her mom sees an opportunity to thin out Nancy's closet-bursting tutu collection. This is another solid Fancy Nancy offering--no easy feat, given the vocabulary and word limits imposed by beginning-reader books. The tutus couldn't be in better hands with curlicue-ist Glasser. Glos.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 1-3 Fancy Nancy series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. It's almost Valentine's Day, and Nancy and her best friend Bree decide Bree's babysitter, Annie, should fall in love with Nancy's guitar teacher, Andy. They write "secret admirer" notes from Andy to Annie and arrange for them to meet on Valentine's afternoon. Nancy's usual over-the-top enthusiasm drives this humorous story. The black-and-white line drawings match the text's energy.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 1-3 Fancy Nancy series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. When Nancy makes a few correct predictions, she decides she's a fortuneteller. For a quarter a pop, she answers questions at recess; Nancy predicts Clara, a notoriously bad speller, will fail her spelling test. How can Nancy undo her upsetting prophecy? This charming chapter book features engaging, sympathetic characters and is accompanied by Glasser's always-appealing curlicue-heavy line drawings.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. Nancy is devastated when her younger sister gives her doll, Marabelle, a "tattoo" with permanent marker. To lift Nancy's spirits, her mom takes her and Marabelle to the "History Doll Gala," where the tattoo comes in handy. This entry in the Fancy Nancy franchise is strong: the plotting is nimble, and beneath the glitter and curlicues are glimpses of realistic girls.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. This collection includes one picture book (Fancy Nancy and the Late, Late, LATE Night) and five easy readers (Pajama Day, Fancy Nancy Sees Stars, Fancy Nancy and the Delectable Cupcakes, The Show Must Go On, and The Dazzling Book Report). Nancy's definitions of "fancy" words appear in the texts and in glossaries. The frilly art is an appropriate accompaniment for Nancy's frothy narration.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 1-3 Fancy Nancy series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. Fancy Nancy and her friend Bree love Nancy Drew and decide to become detectives with snazzy trench coats and a rhinestone-studded magnifying glass. When their teacher's unusual marble disappears from the display table, the girls are just the sleuths for the job. Nancy's chapter book incarnation is as spirited, amusing, and enjoyable as her picture-book persona.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser & Ted Enik. Nancy schemes to get a lost-tooth necklace from the school nurse, cuts her own hair for class picture day, and gets her class to have a fancy dress-up day. Too-Loose Tooth is the most entertaining of the three, though it's less about Nancy's fashion-consciousness and posh personality. Nine "fancy words" per book feels somewhat excessive for the short texts. Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Fancy Nancy: Fancy Day in Room 1-A, Fancy Nancy: Hair Dos and Dont's, and Fancy Nancy and the Too-Loose Tooth.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(4) K-3 Fancy Nancy series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. Fancy Nancy and her friend Bree are disappointed when they are not cast as mermaids in the class ballet. When Bree replaces an injured mermaid, Nancy is jealous, but a talk with Mom puts things right. The story is somewhat heavy-handed, but Nancy's many fans won't mind. The detailed colorful illustrations are appropriately fancy.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman