BELLA BAXTER AND THE ITCHY DISASTER

Life is busy for Bella Baxter at the Sea Inn, where the guests come first. That means Bella straightens the newspapers, stacks the dishes, wipes the tables, strips the sheets off the beds and prepares for each guest. Bella loves to meet with Trudy, the local librarian and handywoman, and research the best way to make the new guests welcome. And now, Dr. Frederick Fauna, the famous botanist, is arriving from England. Bella is on the case. Trudy is usually happy to help with research, but she is busy with a little project of her own: She is the proud mother of 25 baby chicks. In between caring for the chicks and learning about native plants, Bella happily prepares Dr. Fauna’s room for arrival, filling it with flowers and even sprinkling beautiful leaves onto his bedspread. But something is wrong. A little itchiness on her arms and legs is easy to ignore in all the preparations, but soon the itchiness grows and Bella and Trudy discover the truth about those lovely three-leaved plants she has spread all over the guest bed. Jolly ink illustrations, generous white space and font and humorous, but predictable story line make this a fine choice for new chapter-book readers. (Fiction. 6-9)