Gr 1–2— These early chapter books begin and end in the time-out chair. In Friends , Roscoe's first-grade class is getting ready for open house. It's supposed to involve a performance of singing bumblebees followed by dessert. However, add one hyper, trouble-finding boy (Roscoe) with a tube of Super-Mega-Gonzo Glue and too many bright ideas and you've got a recipe for disaster. In Sweater , Roscoe trades an itchy sweater that his grandmother made him for his neighbor's dog so he can enter the animal in a pet show. The protagonist always means well and the adults can usually see a big heart behind his antics—after they've calmed down a bit. Both stories are fun reads with simple and amusing cartoon illustrations. Good choices for children transitioning from beginning readers to chapter books.—Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA