Robert and the Back-to-School Special (Robert Books)

Robert's return to third grade isn't as auspicious as he had hoped. When his classmates start laughing at him, he decides it's because of his curly hair, which has grown long over the summer. He convinces his friend Paul to give him a haircut, with disastrous results. Then he begs his brother Charlie to repair the damage, which makes things worse. It doesn't help when Robert decides to wear a baseball cap to school; that just creates new problems! Ever hopeful that things will somehow turn out right, Robert invites all of his friends to a Halloween party, boasting that his father has some great scary tricks. Sure enough, the other kids have a wonderful time being scared, but since Robert knows all of his father's tricks — or thinks he does — how can he have the fun of being scared, too? In this fourth book in the best-selling series, Paul Brewer's witty illustrations and Barbara Seuling's sensitive text put their less-than-perfect little hero to the test, in the process capturing the uncertainties and unexpected joys of growing up.