Gr 3--6--Everyone's favorite middle school underachiever is back. Nate and his friends tackle classic middle school situations such as class pet duty, a relationship breakup, Secret Santa gifts, and a surprise birthday party for a teacher. Though this is the 24th entry in the series, new readers will easily pick up on character dynamics as they navigate the dialogue-focused, primarily four-panel comic strips. A broad supporting cast of friends, family, and teachers interject reason and logic throughout, balancing out Nate's thoughtless but humorous antics. Most characters, including Nate, are white, though there are characters of color, including Nate's friend Teddy, who is Black. VERDICT Purchase where "Big Nate" is popular and where fun, middle grade comic collections are needed.