No bus, no fuss

Gr 1--3--A group of friends samples a variety of transportation options to avoid bullies on the school bus. Lincoln Loud and his friends ride the school bus each day, but a run-in with bullying eighth graders at the back of the bus inspires the group to find an easier way to get to school safely. Carpooling, the ferry, and even a biplane don't fit the bill, and the friends finally decide to face their bullies together. The text is accompanied by brightly colored illustrations from the animated TV series "The Loud House," which will be an instant draw to fans of the show. There is abundant humor, particularly among the various carpool options with eccentric family members. The vocabulary is a solid combination of recognizable and challenging words for this reading level; for instance: "When Lincoln sat down, three eighth graders appeared." The traditional plot is not particularly engaging, and some character references will make more sense to readers who also watch the series, such as one character's parents pursuing a potential alien in the form of an injured dog, which doesn't really translate to a storybook format. VERDICT A solid if not groundbreaking early reader title with plenty of slapstick humor.--Casey O'Leary