LOVED this book!!!!! This author is so wonderful! Can't wait to read more from her!! I think this book will appeal to kids 1st - 3rd grade!

This is my first exposure to this character and this series. I thoroughly enjoyed tagging along with the characters Beatrice and Lenny during their spy missions and adventures. I will most definitely be adding this to my list of read aloud books in my third grade classroom.

Incognito, the second book in the series immediately picks up from Book 1. It is the second week of third grade, and Beatrice and her best friend Lenny have officially yet secretly launched Operation Upside.  They are ready to give the first UPSIDE award of the week to classmate Wes Carver who thoughtfully holds the door open for everyone daily.  Then Beatrice gets the idea that the first award should go to her no shenanigans teacher, Mrs. Tamarak.  Receiving an UPSIDE would put a guaranteed smile on Mrs. Tamarack's face right?  After secretly slipping the award into the stack of ungraded homework, Beatrice shares her good news with a very shocked Lenny.  Lenny informs Beatrice that Mrs. Tamarack will not consider a most strict award to be a compliment. She is right, for Mrs. Tamarack is not amused.  This mishap calls for Beatrice to go incognito for a while so that the identity of Operation Upside remains a secret.  But if you know Beatrice,  being inconspicuous is not one of her strengths.
After reading and loving the first Beatrice novel, I did not think it was possible to love her even more, but I so do!  With Operation Upside, Beatrice's mission is to spread happiness and who can argue with that?  Beatrice and Lenny also demonstrate inclusiveness encouraging Chloe to see how Wes' animal knowledge can benefit the veterinary club and befriending and recruiting new student Sam Diaz for Operation Upside.  And of course, Shelley Johannes' whimsical black felt tipped pen drawings of Beatrice and her friends make the book even more fun to read!

Last year, my students and I found a friend in a character named Beatrice Zinker. Each of my students could connect with her in one way: either with her optimism, her creativity, or her loyalty to her friends. We read the first Beatrice Zinker as our back-to-school read aloud, and it set a tone of curiosity, discovery, and kindness in our classroom. My students brought up connections to Beatrice all year long, and they kept asking me when Book #2 would be released.

My students are going to be so excited to read Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker: Incognito. Author Shelley Johannes has done an amazing job in her follow-up to Book #1; the second book in the series is even more engaging than the first. Book #2 picks up where Book #1 left off, with Beatrice in her first week of third grade. Through a secret mission, Beatrice and her best friend Lenny are working to shine a spotlight on those whose kindness goes unnoticed. They make “Upside Awards” to recognize people who make a difference in their school community, and plan to give them out without revealing their own identities. It wouldn’t be a Beatrice story, however, if there weren’t a few hiccups along the way. Beatrice finds herself learning lots of lessons as she looks to find the upsides of each situation.

Beatrice learns so many powerful lessons that will resonate with young readers: from the power of inclusion to the power of being yourself. Beatrice’s friends (both old and new) are all lovable themselves, while Beatrice’s family provides some comedic relief. The plot makes this book a page-turner, and the setting of an elementary school is extremely well-crafted. All the magic of the storytelling makes Incognito a heartprint book for young readers. If you teach 2nd grade to 5th grade, this book belongs on your shelves. 📚

Johannes has a solid plot structure established in this series. Readers can expect social standards that Beatrice doesn't match and the misunderstandings that result. Like her predecessors (Ramona, Junie B Jones, Clementine) Beatrice is well meaning. While I found some elements of the central plot a bit of a stretch, I appreciate that Beatrice feels no need to conform to her peers and their interests.

Beatrice Zinker Upside Down Thinker: Incognito is the second book about Beatrice by Shelley Johannes. I do recommend reading the series in order to understand some of friendships and particularities of the main characters.

Beatrice Zinker's top-secret plan, Operation Upside, is finally in full swing! And she's REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT! But when Beatrice impulsively awards her teacher, Mrs. Tamarack, an UPSIDE of her own-with the words Most Strict lettered in gold-the team has to put the entire mission on hold to avoid suspicion. Lying low isn't exactly Beatrice's strong suit and her classmate Wes desperately needs to be recognized. When Wes's certificate falls into the wrong hands, Beatrice and her best friend, Lenny, must find a way once again, to save Operation Upside-and themselves-from big trouble.

Incognito is a fast fun read. I like that Beatrice is a sweet girl that is struggling to be herself even when the world seems to disagree. Being true to her ideals and helping others is not always easy, and her impulsive nature tends to get Beatrice into trouble. I like that she makes mistakes, and sometimes takes time to own her mistakes. This made her more real to me, and more relatable for readers of all ages. However, at the heart of it Beatrice is trying to do the right thing, trying to be a good friend, and trying to make others feel good about themselves for their differences and I found that to be admirable. The read is fun, and as I have a daughter who is very much an individual, but not an upside down thinker, I liked seeing the world through a different set of eyes to help me understand more of what it is like being in school when you do not fit in. Not that I ever fit in, but my elementary school days are long ago and I have blocked most of them from memory. I think parents and teachers can get just as much from reading this series as the students that will love it.

Incognito is a delightful follow up to the first book in the series. I was a little disappointed by how dependent it was on the set up in the first book, and think that publishing a boxed set or bound collection when the series is complete would be awesome. For those that read the first book, and plan on continue I think this is a great read about building each other up and finding a way to be kind is wonderful.

A great sequel! Fun, lively, and full of interest for beginning chapter book readers.. Bought a copy for my school library.

I was unable to read this before it's publication date. Thank you for the opportunity to receive an advance reader copy of this title. Based on review of others, I will definitely recommend to my middle grade readers.

Such a brilliant voice--I loved the first book, and the second is awesome too. Perfect for your young MG reader, a better Junie B.

Recommended.

My daughter loved this new book in the Beatrice Zinker series. Beatrice is such a fun character that kids of all ages can relate to. She can't wait for the next book.

I read the first book in the series to my son at the beginning of this year and we loved it! We were really excited to read the second book and had a lot of fun with it again. It is longer than the first book, and much longer than most books I read aloud with my 5 year old, so it took us awhile to get through it, but even my two year old liked sitting down to read with us. The frequent and entertaining illustrations were very helpful!

I thought this was a great follow-up book. It picked up where the first left off while adding some new elements and further development. Some aspects were still above my 5 year old’s understanding (and will be perfect for a bit older kids!), but there were enough undercover operations to keep him interested.

Once again, I was totally invested in the story and was not reading the book only for my kids’ sake. I loved the ‘incognito’ theme that was spread throughout the story as it was both fun as well as having a deeper importance. I thought the book was a great balance of clever and meaningful as it delved into understanding other’s feelings and motivations. There were so many great elements of friendship, empathy, and observation. This book was an encouragement to notice people around you and how they might be feeling and I think that is such a great message for kids! I highly recommend this series!

This second book is just as engaging as the first. I really like Beatrice and her funny stories, particularly for younger advanced readers.

I love to read children's books with strong female characters, so this series joins my other favorites for younger students. They will love Beatrice and learn from her (both the successes and the failures). Please write many more books for this series!

I absolutely adore Beatrice Zinker! Shelley Johannes has created a character that is charming, sympathetic, kind, creative, and unstoppable! Her second adventure, Incognito, is so very heartwarming and clever. I love Beatrice’s never-give-up attitude, even when she makes big mistakes. The different personalities are portrayed with respect and affection, and Johannes’ writing is so clever and brilliant. This book is perfect for children (and teachers) who want a smart, well-written, funny book that is just the right length for 2nd-4th graders. I laughed, cried, and hugged this book, so it will definitely be a hit in my classroom.

I absolutely LOVE Beatrice Zinker! She is my favorite left-handed, upside down thinker. This book lived up to the first on and is a great series that will hook young readers. Bravo Zulu!

Yes, yes, and yes! Book 2 of the Beatrice Zinker series is even better than the first. Props to Johannes for continuing on her theme of positivity in such a engaging, creative and funny manner (Most Strict?!) in this book, Beatrice sets out to give awards to those unrecognized and inadvertently puts it in the hands of another student (the shy, quiet, and dark type). Add this to your collection ASAP and read it out loud to your kids. It’s refreshingly positive without being overdone.

Beatrice Zinker is totally invested in Operation Upside and Lenny is once again helping her. They are determined to make their friend Wes feel appreciated. Beatrice's neighbor Sam mysteriously thwarts their plans. How will they get Sam to join their team? Will Wes ever get his certificate? Bravo Zulu, Shelley Johannes!

An upside down thank you to Disney-Hyperion and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this new novel by Shelley Johannes.

Like a lot of people, I think I liked book 2 of this series even better than book 1! There are so many great things about this one - kindness, creativity, friendship, diversity, and dealing with misunderstandings. This book picks up right where book 1 left off, with Beatrice and her friend Lenny doing Operation Upside - a plan to give anonymous awards to people who do good things and are not always recognized. Of course, a couple of hiccups happen along the way, but it would be Beatrice Zinker if they didn't. As with book 1, this book features great illustrations along with the text to keep transitional readers fully engaged. Super fun for 1st-4th grade.

Thank you to NetGalley for receiving a copy of the e-book to be reviewed. All opinions are my own.
I am a 4th grade teacher and my students LOVED when I read the 1st installment of the series to them. The book inspired quite a bit of interesting conversations and I truly enjoy 'teachable moments'. This 2nd installment with Beatrice Zinker did NOT disappoint!! I love it and truthfully, it is just as good, if not better than the 1st book and I can't wait to read both books with my students this upcoming year!! I love how Beatrice's mind works, she is such a wonderfully unique character and I feel many students/children can relate to her!! Beatrice doesn't always stop and think about how her actions will be perceived by others, however, Beatrice does stay true to herself and in the end all things work out. This story had me curious, laughing, and I even cried a few 'happy tears' with the friendships. This series is a must have for teachers and parents. My 14 year old son even wants to read this book (he loved the 1st installment) and can't wait until this book is available for him to purchase!! Shelley Johannes is truly a gifted writer and I really hope to read more books about Beatrice's adventures. Bravo Zulu, you hit this one out of the ballpark!!

Beatrice is an original and sometimes that leads to problems in school. But she’s trying hard to do the right think, while still being herself. She’s trying hard to understand the rules of friendship. But most of all, she’s trying to make her school a better place. I love Beatrice’s passion to make her classroom a better place and the initiative she takes to make good things happen. Another winner!