Robert and the Happy Endings

"Robert and the Happy Endings" brings Barbara Seuling's beloved character, who first appeared in 1999's "Oh No, It's Robert, " back for new adventures. This time, Robert navigates a series of disasters in his usual upbeat, if somewhat frazzled, style. First comes his new classmate, Taylor Jerome, who's hearing impaired. Why does her voice sound different when she speaks? Can he help her learn her lines for the class play? Meanwhile, Robert and best friend Paul go to the library to learn about pirates. When they finish, he discovers his bike has been stolen. Nothing keeps Robert down for long, and soon he's researching deafness on the Internet. True to the book's title, one of his classmates finds his bike, and Taylor gets a hearing aid . . . but Robert's still not sure if the play will be a success. More complications arise when Robert is paired with bossy Susanne Lee for a science experiment, though he soon finds himself excited by her determination to win -- an unlikely prospect when their experiment falls from the second floor window of the school! Barbara Seuling's delightfully fast-paced writing leads her readers through every twist and turn of Robert's tumultuous life, and Paul Brewer's whimsical artwork brings these funny, endearing characters to life.