“Kids who have outgrown the Junie B. Jones series will enjoy Penelope’s equally comical narrative style.” —BCCB In the third book in this hilarious, endearing series, all Penelope Crumb wants is to be someone's "Favorite." She’d thought she was her Grandpa Felix’s Favorite, and her mom’s Favorite, and her friend Patsy Cline’s Favorite, but she’s starting to realize that maybe she’s not. And it’s all The Bad Luck’s fault. So since Penelope's a superb artist, she comes up with a plan—she's going to be the boss of the mural her school is making at the Portwaller’s Blessed Home for the Aged, which will make her into everyone’s Favorite.  And maybe it’ll frighten The Bad Luck away. But things don't quite go as planned there either. And when an old woman named Nila promises to help Penelope find her luck so everyone will like her again, things get even worse! In the end, Penelope finds out that friendships aren't about luck—and that it doesn't matter if you're anyone's Favorite when there are tons of people who love you. In a book that’s equal parts humor and heart, it’s clear to see why young readers will count Penelope as one of their Favorites. Praise for PENELOPE CRUMB * “ Penelope Crumb  . . . channels the quirkiness of Ramona Quimby and the detective skills of Cam Jansen . . . Penelope will delight children and parents alike.”— Shelf Awareness , starred review   “Penelope is an intrepid heroine with a unique and frequently amusing narrative voice . . . kids who have outgrown the Junie B. Jones series will enjoy Penelope’s equally comical narrative style.”— The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books   “Readers will root for and relate to this fresh-voiced young heroine who joins the likes of Ramona, Judy Moody and Clementine.”— Kirkus Reviews   Gr 3-5–In the third book in this charming series, fourth-grader Penelope Crumb has enjoyed thinking she is the Favorite of Grandpa Felix, her mom, and best friend Patsy Cline, but maybe she's caught “the Bad Luck… it's a lot like catching the stomach flu.” Grandpa has asked her brother Terrence “Terrible” to help with a photography shoot, her mom says that moms don't have Favorites, and Patsy has been spending time with Vera Bogg. When Penelope has the chance to be in charge of a Mother Goose mural her class is painting for a home for the aged, she jumps at the opportunity, thinking it will make her everyone's Favorite. But the project doesn't go according to plan, and when she befriends an old woman at the home who promises to help find her luck, things take a turn for the worse. Penelope and her classmates must learn to work together to finish the project before the unveiling party, and she learns that being the Favorite is less important than being loved. Black-and-white line drawings help bring out Penelope Crumb's quirky and endearing personality. Fans of Clementine and Ramona Quimby will feel right at home with her.–Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga Public Library System, OHα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Fourth-grader Penelope still can’t control herself all the time, mainly because other people (her teacher, her former best friend, et al.) and life itself don’t seem to be under her firm control. In the third installment of Stout’s Penelope Crumb series, Penelope wrestles with good luck, bad luck, and her need to be someone’s “All-Time Favorite.” Halfway through the book, she has managed to alienate nearly everyone she knows (including, of course, the teen brother she says has been replaced by an alien), but Stout skillfully shows how people recover from misunderstandings, disagreements, and even a run of bad luck. Docampo’s illustrations provide a sweet counterpoint to Penelope’s amusingly prickly personality. Grades 3-5. --Abby Nolan Praise for PENELOPE CRUMB * “ Penelope Crumb  . . . channels the quirkiness of Ramona Quimby and the detective skills of Cam Jansen . . . Penelope will delight children and parents alike.”— Shelf Awareness , starred review   “Penelope is an intrepid heroine with a unique and frequently amusing narrative voice . . . kids who have outgrown the Junie B. Jones series will enjoy Penelope’s equally comical narrative style.”— The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books   “Readers will root for and relate to this fresh-voiced young heroine who joins the likes of Ramona, Judy Moody and Clementine.”— Kirkus Reviews Shawn K. Stout has held many jobs, including ice cream scooper, dog treat baker, magazine editor, waitress and, of course, author. She received her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Shawn now lives with her husband, her daughter Opal and her two dogs named Munch and Laverne in Frederick, Maryland, where she once won a ribbon for her Peach Pie at the Great Fredrick Fair. www.shawnkstout.com Chapter 1Sometimes I worry about getting the Bad Luck. I don’t know how you catch the Bad Luck