June 2, 2026 by Scholastic Press
Suds Morton and his best friend Joey are excited to enter fifth grade, but don't like the school moniker of "fifth grade monkeys", based on an odd rhyme that the previous books in the series (Third Grade Angels, Fourth Grade Rats) embraces. Instead, they decide that they will be the "top dogs" or, as Suds' mother says, the "top puppies". Suds' younger sister, Amy, whom he calls Zippernose, is a fourth grader, and is making his life difficult, perhaps because of how casually mean he is to her. Suds spends the days leading up to the start of school obsessing about how he can be cool, declaring that he will now only eat meat at lunch, and even asking his father for pointers. Once he finally gets to school, he enjoys his teacher, Mr. Miles, but pushes the envelope when it comes to the school rules. He has an altercation with a younger student over a tater tot, runs a foul of his mother by not coming home on time, and takes all the Halloween candy from a bowl at a house marked "take one", and is caught in a surprising way. He has a long time crush on Judy, and while he starts to talk to her, the two have a falling out. There are some good parts to the year, such as when a first grade teacher has a medical emergency and the fifth grade students come to the rescue.
Strengths: This is very anecdotal, and might be popular with readers who are committed to WIMPY KID books. There are a lot of illustrations (including one with a speech bubble stating "poot" coming from Suds' bottom) that will appeal to readers as well. Suds' parents are both alive and involved in his life, and take appropriate measures when Suds misbehaves. While the other books in this series came out quite a while ago (1991 and 2012), I know that Spinelli's work is popular, and elementary schools might want to take a look at this new addition.
Weaknesses: This lacks a plot, and has a lot of unpleasant behavior that seems very dated.
What I really think: There are definite JUNIE B. JONES (1992) vibes to this book, and I wonder if it was perhaps written 30 years ago but was pushed aside while Spinelli wrote other books. While this has more appeal than his experimental Hokey Pokey, it is a bit young for middle school readers, so I will pass on purchase.
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