Judy Moody and the bad luck charm

Gr 2-4-Judy's luck seems to change when her Grandma Lou gives her a "way-old penny from the 1970s" that has a four-leaf clover inside a horseshoe on one side. Judy keeps it in her pocket and suddenly can't stop winning. She beats the unbeatable prize claw at the diner, she wins the bowling challenge at Jessica Finch's birthday party, and she gets a lucky break with her spelling word. Judy decides that it must be her lucky penny and is determined to use that luck to win a trip to Washington, DC, where she will represent her class in the Great Third Grade Spelling Bee. When she accidentally drops the penny in the toilet bowl, Judy's luck appears to take a turn for the worse. She gets a "way-hard word" and loses her class spelling bee. But, as luck has it, Judy ends up going to Washington anyway-as a babysitter for Jessica Finch's pet pig. This audio version is read by veteran and award winning narrator, Barbara Rosenblat does an outstanding job of reading the latest book (Candlewick, 2012) in the series by Megan McDonald. She does an outstanding job of giving distinct and likeable voices to each character, making this audio version a great listening adventure.-Amy Joslyn, Fairport Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Judy Moody has an amazing run of good luck, perhaps due to the wonderful lucky coin she's started carrying. Imagine winning prize after prize from The Claw--a fishing-for-stuffed-animals arcade game. That's what happens to Judy with her new lucky penny. The good fortune doesn't stop there, however. She bowls a prizewinning game at a birthday party, and the tough word she's asked to spell in front of her third-grade class just happens to be posted on the bulletin board. Good luck can't last forever though; she drops her lucky penny in the toilet and then misspells the very first word during the class spelling bee. She's then asked to accompany classmate and bee winner Jessica to Washington, D.C., to babysit a pet piglet--that she accidentally almost loses. Character development is minimal but, Holy Baloney! McDonald's lively style still has lots of young-reader appeal, even after all these years and outings. Quirky black-and-white illustrations on almost every page accompany the large-font and good-humored text. Nothing truly compelling happens, but all of Judy's adventures are amusing and in sync with a third-grader's experience. The brisk pace and familiar situations are likely to keep young readers and listeners engaged. Another enjoyable outing with predictable Judy, just like a pleasant visit with an old friend. (Fiction. 6-9)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.