In Zibby Payne & the Party Problem, Alison Bell’s latest Zibby Payne story, the tomboy is in party-planning mode. Recently, parties put on by her fellow grade six students have tended to be on the exclusive side: only certain girls are given prizes or are invited to sleep over. With her intuitive sense of justice and democracy, Zibby concludes that her snobby classmates are “suppressing [the class’s] right to fair and equal parties.” Determined to create the best and most inclusive party ever, Zibby invites 34 friends, including-gasp!-boys. A broken karaoke machine, a possibly dreadful dance called the Funky Donkey, and fish sticks: all threaten the party she so badly wants to be cool, but Zibby’s good nature and humour once again triumph. mRb