The Recess Genius 1: Open for Business

Introducing the playground problem solver who uses quick thinking, practicality, tenacity, love of reading, and a little creative perspective to help her schoolmates out of their stickiest jams; From the author of Help Wanted: Must Love Books and the illustrator of Hello World!

Regina Grey’s never had much of a knack for anything, apart from disappearing into her books. She muddles her math, splutters her spelling, and gets jumbled up in gym.

Until the day she off-handedly solves a classmate’s brother troubles. Soon, rumor spreads across the playground of the pint-sized crisis manager who makes her office at the top of the jungle gym. She can solve any problem. Itchy cast? Here's a stick to get to the spot. Gum stuck in your hair? Snip, snip solved. It’s like she’s a genius—a recess genius.

But all that problem solving for other kids doesn’t leave much time for escaping in her books. Can the Recess Genius use her magical power to solve her own dilemma?

Janet Sumner Johnson is the author of Help Wanted: Must Love Books, which was the winner of the 2021 CLEL BELL Read Award and was nominated for the Colorado Book Award, as well as middle grade novel, The Last Great Adventures of the PB&J Society. She bakes a mean cinnamon twist and eats way more cookies than are good for her, which explains her running habit. Though her full-time occupation as evil tyrant/benevolent dictator (aka Mom) takes most of her time, she sneaks in writing at night when her inner funny bone is fully unleashed. She lives in Utah with her husband and three kids.
 

Stacy Ebert is the illustrator of Hello World! by Kelly Corrigan and How to Build a Story . . . or, the Big What If by Frances O’Roark. Stacy’s background is in communication art and design and elementary education. She lives in Minnesota, creating on the prairie with her husband, three sons, tinkering with words and drawing funny