Editorial Review

Readers join Jess and Jaylen as they experience common urban childhood situations. The titles feature characters of both genders and various races while not falling into the pitfall of making that element the main focus. Both the characters and situations are believable and relevant to readers. Jaylen’s fascination with video games and Jess’s interest in sports are woven into the stories. Situations include cheating, sports injury, bullies, dealing with fear, being honest, and becoming addicted to video games. Of particular interest is Brains vs. Brawn in which the characters discover that they can have different interests and still be friends. Each title ends with a short series of questions meant to further thought or encourage a creative writing exercise. This is a surprisingly satisfying series.