Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little -- Peggy Gifford

Everywhere Moxy Maxwell went that summer, Stuart Little tagged along.  The book was at to the pool, on the porch, in her room.  It traveled in her backpack and the car and spent countless hours in Moxy's lap.  But: 

It was also true that Moxy's mother had found Stuart Little on the porch under the broken leg of the wicker coffee table more than once.

Though the book was her constant companion, Moxy hadn't quite gotten around to reading it.  Not that she didn't like to read:

She loved books so much that sometimes she would stay up all night and read.  It's just that Moxy liked to read what she wanted to read and not what someone told her to read.

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little is the story of Moxy Maxwell, Stuart Little, and the last day of summer vacation -- the day before the first day of fourth grade.  The day before the quiz on Stuart Little.

CUTE.  I was so happy that the book lived up to the cover. 

Short chapters -- sometimes, as in the case of Chapter Seven, shorter than the chapter headings:

     Chapter Seven
In Which Moxy's Mother
         Says No

"No."

and the inclusion of photos* taken by Moxy's twin brother Mark (who did his required reading on the first day of summer) make this a good pick for the young reluctant reader set, and it's easy to imagine Moxy herself being embraced by fans of Junie B., Judy Moody and Lauren Child. 

*Actually taken by photographer Valorie Fisher, who totally should have had front-cover credit.