This new early chapter book series follows Clyde, a boy who turns into a monkey whenever he gets excited. In these entries, Clyde helps the police catch a museum thief (Golden Monkey) and cracks a pet-napping case (Pet Show). The humorous books' strengths lie in the appealing, high-energy subject matter and the frequent comic-strip vignettes in crisp black and white. [Review covers these titles: Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey and Monkey Me and the Pet Show.] (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 1-3-In these first two books of the series, Clyde and his sister, Claudia, use Clyde's newfound monkey identity to save the day. In Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey, Clyde and his class visit a science museum on a field trip. Clyde eats a banana that Dr. Wally has altered with gamma rays. The banana gives Clyde the power to turn into a monkey when he gets excited, as he often does. When Clyde gets his toy Golden Monkey coin mixed up with the museum guard's coin, he learns that the real Golden Monkey has been stolen from the museum. Clyde and Claudia help catch the burglar. In Monkey Me and the Pet Show, Clyde (in monkey form) enters the local pet show. When burglars steal all of the pets, Clyde and Claudia set the pets free and help the police capture the thieves. This series combines realistic fiction and science fiction in comic-style storytelling with traditional blocks of text. Filled with short chapters, these books will help young readers build confidence and reading stamina. This series also fills a niche for newly independent readers with advanced skills.-Lindsay Persohn, University of South Florida, Tampa (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.