written by Matt Cibula illustrated by Brian Strassburg

You begged. You pleaded. You sent bribes. (oh, by the way, thank you.) Now your prayers have been answered. From the creators of The Contrary Kid comes the long-awaited sequel, and its start does not disappoint. Taquandra Fu rides the Soul Train to school, snacks on hay and olives (what?), and hangs out with a squid. She tries hard to just be herself, even if everyone always asks her: "What's Up With You, Taquandra Fu?" The book is filled with silly and ingenious rhymes and illustrations, and it features a glow-in-the-dark cover and a secret code!

Full-color illustrations; jacketed, smyth-sewn, reinforced hardcover with a glow-in-the-dark jacket 32 pp., Grades preK and up, Includes teacher's guide,
ISBN 1-55933-212-3

hardcover book ... 2123BK ... $16.95

• This zany story in rhyme by the author of the popular Contrary Kid has some underlying truths, examining as it does conformity versus nonconformity, identity, and self esteem . . . Should appeal to a child's sense of the absurd. - School Library Journal