Reading: THE AMAZING LIFE OF AZALEAH LANE - Nikki Shannon Smith (writer), Mari Lobo (illustrator)

When Washington D.C. third-grader Azaleah Lane takes a field trip with her class to the National Zoo, the little girl has such a great time, later she readily jumps at the chance to make a diorama of one of the endangered species her class saw, for extra credit at school. Setting her entire weekend aside to craft her project so she can knock the socks off her teacher and principal, Azaleah's plans hit a snag when her little sister's favorite stuffed animal, comes up missing. As an older sister with a talent for solving mysteries - with her parents busy at their prospective careers, and Azaleah's own older sister too busy rehearsing for her leading role in the school musical - Azaleah has no choice but to investigate, determined to solve the mystery and still finish her diorama ... all by Monday! This first-in-a-series chapter book by the bestselling #OwnVoices writer Nikki Shannon Smith captures well the frustrations of being a middle child - putting up with your younger sibling while rolling your eyes at the antics of your older, supposedly more mature sister. Though I found Azaleah and her family a bit too picture-perfect on the page, it didn't detract from my enjoying the book, which features bright, colorful illustrations and even a good mystery that should keep young readers guessing.  4/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.