Genre: Chapter Book

Pedro for President

Pedro is running for class president against Katie Woo. He has to write a speech about what he would do as president. But Pedro is stuck! He can’t even write one word. Will anyone vote for Pedro?

In Pedro for President, Pedro and Katie Woo show that they can still be friends even though only one of them can win. As Pedro goes through his day, he helps others and encourages them. Even though the ending is a bit predictable—Pedro wins—younger readers will still enjoy the story which is written with simple vocabulary that beginning readers will be able to master. Although Pedro for President is part of a series with many of the same characters, it does not need to be read in order.

Full-color illustrations appear on every page, showing Pedro and his diverse classmates. Short chapters that only have four or fewer sentences make the story accessible to independent readers. The end of the book contains a glossary, questions, writing prompts as well as two pages of jokes. Pedro for President wins the vote—it’s an engaging story for young readers! Readers who enjoy the Pedro series should also try the Katie Woo series because it has many of the same characters and is written in the same format.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

 

 

Katie the Kitten Fairy

The pet fairies and their special pets help all animals find safe homes. But Jack Frost has stolen the special pets, who were able to escape to the human world. When Rachel and Kirsty go to the park, they see a dog chasing a kitten. When they go to help the kitten, it changes into a tiger and then back into a kitten. Rachel and Kirsty know they must help the kitten get back to the fairy world, but Jack Frost’s goblins appear; they want the kitten for themselves. Can Rachel and Kirsty find the purr-fect solution to their problem?

Younger readers will enjoy Katie the Kitten Fairy because it combines fairies, animals, and goblins. The easy-to-read story has cute black-and-white illustrations on every page. The goblins add non-scary suspense, and readers will enjoy guessing what the goblins will do next. The story highlights the importance of being a good pet owner. For example, when James finds a kitten in the park, his dad won’t allow him to keep it until they call the animal shelter to make sure it doesn’t belong to someone else.

Katie the Kitten Fairy has likable characters who are kind to others. The story has easy vocabulary and short sentences, which make it perfect for readers transitioning to chapter books. Even though the story and characters are not well developed, younger readers will want to read every book in the series because the stories are so much fun. Younger readers will be able to read Katie the Kitten Fairy without assistance, and the stories will help them not only build confidence, but a joy for reading as well. There are seven books in the Pet Fairies series as well as the Sports Fairies series, the Fairy Tale Fairies series, and Special Editions.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Goblins try to capture the kitten. “With angry cries, two of the goblins dropped their butterfly nets and dove toward the girls. They stretched their gnarled green hands out to grab the kitten.” Rachel and Kirsty use fairy dust to escape.
  • The fairy queen tells Rachel and Kirsty that Jack Frost stole the fairies’ pets and, “He took them to his ice castle, and then sent out a ransom note.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • A fairy’s kitten pet is in the human world. When a dog chases it, the kitten changes form. “A sudden flash of light flickered through the air. A cloud of amber-colored sparkles swirled around the kitten. Seconds later, the kitten had vanished—and an enormous striped tiger had appeared in its place!”
  • The kitten uses magic to knock a man’s plate on the ground. The kitten then eats the food.
  • The kitten uses magic, so Rachel and Kirsty can understand it. “Sparkles streamed out of its mouth and swirled around in the air! The kitten meowed again, but this time the girls could hear words in its meows.”
  • Rachel and Kirsty use fairy dust to go to the fairy world.

Spiritual Content

  • None

A Good Team

Yeti is good at bouncing a ball on his head, but Unicorn cannot bounce a ball on her head. Unicorn is good at running races, but Yeti can’t run fast. Even though Unicorn and Yeti aren’t good at the same things, they can still have fun together. They play ring toss, run a race, and go ice skating.

Designed for children who are learning to read, A Good Team contains easy-to-read text. When each character talks, their words appear in different colored quote boxes. Each page has a full page of illustrations, and contains three or fewer sentences. Beginning readers should be able to read the text alone, and will enjoy flipping through the story multiple times to look at the colorful, silly pictures.

A Good Team is the second installment in the series but can be read as a stand-alone story. Although the story does not have a plot, the characters enjoy a special friendship. As they play games, Unicorn and Yeti encourage each other to try new things, and they demonstrate positive communication skills. A Good Team is not as funny as the first book in the series, but readers will still enjoy the sweet story. A Good Team will build confidence, fluency, and a love of reading.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Unicorn uses magic to make ice skates and hot coco appear.

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

The Spooky Sleepover

Katie Woo is having a sleepover. She and her friends are going to eat yummy food, play dress-up, and tell spooky stories. After telling spooky stories, Katie Woo worries that there is a monster under her bed. She has a scary dream, and when she wakes up, her lucky kimono is missing. Did a monster steal it? Is there a ghost in the house? What happened to Katie Woo’s lucky kimono?

Younger readers will relate to Katie Woo and her sleepover fears. Even though Katie Woo and her friends have fun, Katie still worries about monsters. Independent readers will enjoy the easy-to-understand plot and the bright colorful illustrations that appear on every page. Each page contains four or fewer sentences, with simple vocabulary. Although Katie’s Spooky Sleepover is part of a series with many of the same characters, it does not need to be read in order.

At the end of the story, readers will find a glossary, questions, and writing prompts. Younger readers can continue the fun with the pancake recipe at the end of the book. Readers will enjoy Katie Woo’s sleepover adventure and improve their reading skills along the way. Readers who enjoy the Katie Woo series should also try the Pedro series because it has many of the same characters and is written in the same format.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Prince Fly Guy

Buzz has a hard homework assignment. He has to write a fairy tale. With Fly Guy’s help, Buzz brainstorms story ideas. Fly Guy puts himself into Buzz’s story suggestions—an ugly troll, a smelly pig herder. Fly Guy decides he wants to be a handsome prince. Prince Fly Guy flies to a dark castle, fends off a giant, and rescues a beautiful princess.

The fiftieth installment of the Fly Guy series does not have to be read in order because the plot does not build on previous books. Like the previous books, the story uses slapstick comedy and humorous full-colored illustrations. Much of the humor comes from the illustrations that show Fly Guy as different fairy tale characters. At the end of the story, Prince Fly Guy lives happily ever after.

Prince Fly Guy introduces the process of brainstorming ideas for a story. Throughout the story, Buzz and Fly Guy discuss different story possibilities. For every story possibility, Fly Guy imagines himself as the character going through the scenario. Readers will giggle at the illustrations that show Fly Guy as a fairy tale character who runs from a giant, kisses a frog, and eats cold porridge. Although the story is not unique, younger readers will still enjoy the story, and the conclusion is sure to please.

Designed for younger readers, each page contains large illustrations that use exaggerated facial features to help readers read the character’s emotions. The story will give emerging readers confidence as they move from picture books to chapter books. Prince Fly Guy has three chapters, and most pages have only one sentence. The story’s short sentences, simple vocabulary, and pattern of wording make Prince Fly Guy a good choice for younger readers.

Prince Fly Guy uses the same format as the others stories in the series. Although the story does not have a lesson, the story shows how fun the creative process of writing can be. Prince Fly Guy is an entertaining story that may just lead readers to pick up a pen and try to write their own fairy tale.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • When a giant swats Prince Fly Guy and the princess, “The princess threw her crown. It hit the giant on the nose. The giant fell down.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Ride, Fly Guy, Ride

When Buzz and his dad decide to go for a ride, Fly Guy happily goes with them. Fly Guy’s adventure begins when the wind blows him out of the car’s window. Fly Guy blows into a passing truck and lands in the driver’s mouth. The man spits out Fly Guy, who continues on a wacky adventure. Fly Guy even ends up on a circus train, where he meets a sleepy and surprised elephant. Will Fly Guy b lost forever, or will he make it back to Buzz?

Ride, Fly Guy Ride will pull readers into the silly story, which focuses on transportation. Giggles will erupt because of the slapstick comedy and the humorous full-colored illustrations. Much of the humor comes from the illustrations that show Buzz and his father trying to save Fly Guy. Fly Guy ends up in some silly situations including landing in a man’s mouth and falling onto an elephant’s nose. At the end of the story, Fly Guy survives unscathed, which will delight readers.

Designed for younger readers, each page contains large illustrations that use exaggerated facial features to help readers read the characters’ emotions. The story will give emerging readers confidence as they move from picture books to chapter books. Ride, Fly Guy Ride has three chapters, and most pages have only one sentence. The story’s short sentences, simple vocabulary, and pattern of wording make Ride, Fly Guy Ride a good choice for younger readers.

Even though Ride, Fly Guy Ride is part of a series, the stories do not have to be read in order because the plot does not build on previous books. Ride, Fly Guy Ride is a fun story that beginning readers can read alone; it is also is a quick read for those looking for a story to read aloud.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Shoo, Fly Guy!

Fly Guy comes home to discover that Buzz has gone on a picnic without him. Sad and hungry, Fly Guy goes in search of his favorite food. Buzz only wants a bite to eat, but the others don’t want to share their meal. Fly Guy goes in search of his favorite food. Readers will want to know what oozy, lumpy, smelly, and brown food Fly Guy loves.

Shoo, Fly Guy introduces readers to descriptive writing, as Fly Guy goes from one food to the next. Readers will giggle as others shoo Fly Guy away from their food. Fly Guy licks a hamburger, chomps on a dog’s bone, and even tastes some roadkill. The comical, exaggerated facial features help readers read the character’s emotions. Although the story focuses on Fly Guy’s adventure, the story also shows Buzz taking care of Fly Guy. The non-violent suspense and happy ending make Shoo, Fly Guy a good choice for younger readers.

Designed for younger readers, each page contains large full-color illustrations and introduces chapter books in an easy-to-read format. The story will give emerging readers confidence as they move from picture books to chapter books. Shoo, Fly Guy has three chapters, and most pages have only one sentence. The story’s short sentences, simple vocabulary, and pattern of wording make Shoo, Fly Guy Ride a good choice for younger readers.

Even though Shoo, Fly Guy is part of a series, the stories do not have to be read in order because the plot does not build on previous books. Shoo, Fly Guy Ride is a fun story that beginning readers can read alone; it is also a quick read for those looking for a story to read aloud. Even the most reluctant reader will enjoy Shoo, Fly Guy and want to read more of his adventures.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

The Mystery Valentine

Zeke doesn’t understand the Earth tradition of Valentine’s Day. Harris tries to explain why people give candy and cards on Valentine’s Day, but Zeke is still confused. When Zeke gets an anonymous valentine, Harris wants to help him discover who sent it. In order to decide who gave Zeke the valentine, he decides to give some of the girls in his class a gift. He gives gifts that the girls on his home planet would love, but the girls on Earth don’t like the same things. How can Zeke find his secret admirer? Will he come up with a gift that an Earth girl will like?

Earth children will giggle as Zeke tries to find the perfect valentine gift. Even though Zeke wants to show his appreciation, he doesn’t understand what Earth girls like. The story has many silly situations such as when Zeke presents a bucket of worms to a girl, who isn’t happy about the “gross” gift. The fun black and white illustrations show the characters’ reactions to Zeke’s gifts as well as his confused facial expressions.

The sixth installment of The Alien Next Door series takes a humorous look at the traditions of Valentine’s Day. Readers can enjoy the story even if they have not read any other books in the series. Although the story focuses on Zeke, Harris makes an appearance and helps Zeke understand the differences between how humans see things, like mice, in comparison to how Zeke sees things. Readers will learn the importance of thinking about other people’s perspectives.

The Mystery Valentine has the same format as other books in the series—easy vocabulary, short sentences, and dialogue. Readers who are transitioning to chapter books will enjoy the illustrations and the easy-to-read format. The Mystery Valentine is a silly story that will leave readers wanting a chocolate bar and wanting to read more about Zeke’s adventures on Earth.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Baseball Blues

Baseball season brings excitement to Zeke, Harris, and Roxy. They are all on the same team and are looking forward to playing together. Zeke doesn’t know how to play baseball. After watching baseball on T.V., Zeke learns that he can use his alien powers to hit and pitch better than anyone else on the team. Harris thinks Zeke is cheating. He wants Zeke to play without using his powers, but Zeke doesn’t see what’s wrong with using his special abilities. Will the baseball season be the end of Zeke’s and Harris’s friendship?

Readers do not need to be a fan of baseball in order to enjoy Baseball Blues. Although the story focuses on baseball, it also touches on themes of friendship and doing what is right. Even though Zeke doesn’t know anything about baseball, he is one of the best players on the team. Harris thinks Zeke should improve his skills through practice instead of using his powers. When Zeke uses his powers to redirect the baseball, Harris tells him, “It’s a shortcut and it’s cheating. It’s not fair to the other players. You need to improve your skills through practice.” In the end, Zeke learns that playing fairly is more important than winning the game.

The story also models how to be a good friend. When Harris is upset with Zeke, he talks to him and explains why he is upset. Harris also worries “more about his friendship with Zeke than about Zeke using his powers.” To make matters more difficult for Harris, he can’t tell Roxy why is he upset with Zeke’s impressive baseball skills because he “promised to keep Zeke’s secret, even if it costs me his friendship.”

The fifth installment of The Alien Next Door series takes on a more serious tone as it teaches the importance of honesty. However, the readers will still enjoy the fast-paced story and the black and white illustrations that appear on every page. The pictures highlight Harris’s emotions as he tries to work through his problem with Zeke. Like the previous books in the series, the story uses large font, simple vocabulary, and short chapters which are perfect for students who are transitioning to chapter books. Baseball Blues will be a hit with younger readers.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • Roxy tells Zeke that some professional baseball players cheated by using steroids. She explains, “It’s something the league banned that makes players unfairly strong, no matter how hard the other players exercise and practice.”

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Zeke is an alien who can change shape. Zeke explains, “People from Tragas have the ability to change our appearance. We can make ourselves look like the inhabitants of whatever planet we’re currently on.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

It’s Not a Dinosaur!

A sneaky person takes a picture of Peanut, a baby dinosaur, and posts it on the internet. Now, there’s no way to keep Peanut a secret! Frank, Frank’s father, and Sara decide that they must take Peanut on a camping trip until the dinosaur’s new home is fenced. They pack up and head into the forest. While there, Frank’s dad wants to search for the Northosaurus he saw as a boy. The Northo isn’t a dinosaur, it’s a prehistoric reptile, but is he dangerous? The only way to find out is to find the Northo.

The third installment of The Dino Files is more suspenseful than the last. Not only does the group have to keep Peanut’s whereabouts a secret, they must also discover if the Northosaurus actually lives in the river. The story shows the fascination and fear that people might feel if dinosaurs were living. Although there is no violence, an angry group of people wants to capture the Northo because they think he’s dangerous. In the end, the Northo is left to enjoy his habitat. The interaction between Peanut and the Northo is a sweet addition to the story.

Readers who are new to chapter books will enjoy It’s Not a Dinosaur, with its easy vocabulary, short sentences, and black and white illustrations. The illustrations appear every 2 to 7 pages, which helps break up the text. This story also contains a glossary of dinosaur-related vocabulary at the back of the book.

Readers will enjoy the story’s suspense and will like learning about Peanut and the Northosaurus. For readers who dream of being a paleontologist, The Dino Files have dinosaur facts scattered throughout the series. It’s Not a Dinosaur! has a simple, suspenseful storyline that will help readers get ready for longer dinosaur stories such as the Dino Riders Series.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Trick or Cheat?

Harris is excited about sharing the traditions of Halloween with Zeke. Zeke discovers that he can use his true form for his “costume.” Zeke wants Harris to have an amazing costume, so Zeke uses his powers to create a costume for Harris. Now Roxy feels left out because she and Harris always make their costumes together.

When Halloween finally arrives, Roxy is still upset with Harris. To make matters worse, another student is jealous of Zeke’s costume and tries to ruin it. Can Harris and Roxy keep Zeke’s costume from being destroyed? Who will win the Halloween costume contest?

Harris is the only human that knows that Zeke is an alien. When Zeke goes to school as his true self, others wonder about his “costume.” Will Zeke be able to keep his identity a secret? Readers will keep turning the pages to discover the answer. The story doesn’t just revolve around Zeke’s “costume,” but also focuses on Roxy’s hurt feelings. Even though Roxy is upset with her friends, she still helps them. Readers will learn that friends can be upset with each other and not want to talk to each other; this doesn’t mean that the friendship is over.

Readers will be drawn to the book because of the cute cover and the black and white illustrations that appear on every page. The fun illustrations will help readers recognize the characters’ emotions. The story will keep the reader engaged with its fast-paced plot, large font, simple vocabulary, and short chapters. Although Trick or Cheat? is the fourth installment of the series, the story can be enjoyed without reading the previous books. The humorous story is perfect for students who are transitioning to chapter books.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • A student puts a bag of flour over a door. The student was trying to destroy Zeke’s costume, but instead, “it fell right on top of Mr. Mulvaney. A cloud of white exploded right on the gym teacher’s head, and Zeke looked over to see him covered in flour.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Zeke is an alien who can change shape. Zeke explains, “People from Tragas have the ability to change our appearance. We can make ourselves look like the inhabitants of whatever planet we’re currently on.”
  • Zeke used his power to “redirect” a bag of flour.

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Showtime!

The King and Queen have asked Sasha to plan the Summer Solstice celebration. The celebration will bring the horses of Verdant Valley and Crystal Cove together. But Sasha has never planned a big party before. Even though she has a list to help her plan, there is a lot to be done before the party. Will Sasha be able to plan the perfect party?

Most of the conflict revolves around Sasha, who chooses her sister, Poppy, to perform in a special dance, which makes another horse angry. As Poppy prepares to dance, it becomes clear that someone is trying to sabotage her. The saboteur destroys Poppy’s property and gives Poppy food to make her sick. When the sabotage is discovered, the horse said, “I was wrong to try to stop her from being able to perform so I could get what I wanted.” Although the sabotage is revealed, the horse doesn’t receive any consequences for the bad behavior.

Younger readers will enjoy reading about flying horses and will be able to relate to the conflict between friends. Cute black and white pictures appear on every page. The simple sentence structure and vocabulary make Showtime an easy-to-read chapter book. If your little reader enjoys horse books, The Unicorn Princesses would also make a good choice.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • A horse stands on “his huge magic flying leaf” so he can go on to Mystic Mountain with the flying horses.
  • Horses who live in Crystal Cove eat food with magic in it.

Spiritual Content

  • None

Too Big to Hide

Frank and Sam spend the summers with their grandparents, who own the Dinosaur Education Center of Wyoming. They must keep Peanut, a baby dinosaur, hidden. This is made more difficult when Frank and Sam’s grandparents find a new fossil, prompting a family of scientists to show up. The scientists want to make a documentary about the new fossil. How can Frank and Sam hide Peanut from the scientists?

Readers who are new to chapter books will enjoy Too Big to Hide, with its easy vocabulary, short sentences, and black and white illustrations. The illustrations appear every 2 to 4 pages, which helps break up the text. Even though the text doesn’t indicate race, the illustrations depict the visiting scientists as African-American, adding diversity to the story.

This book teaches some new vocabulary words and also contains a glossary of dinosaur-related vocabulary at the back of the book. Readers will enjoy watching Peanut get into mischief and will like Frank’s positive interactions with his family, his dinosaur, and his cat. For readers who dream of being a paleontologist, The Dino Files has dinosaur facts scattered throughout the story. Younger readers will be able to follow the simple, suspenseful storyline and will want to read the third book in the series, It’s Not a Dinosaur.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

A Mysterious Egg

Frank spends his summer at his grandparents’ house in Wyoming. His grandma is a famous paleontologist. When Frank gets a sunburn, his grandma decides he needs to stay inside with his cousin, Samantha. He’s disappointed that he can’t help, but when his grandma finds a fossil of a dinosaur egg, Frank has to keep Samantha from breaking it open. As he’s watching over the egg, an amazing thing happens—a dinosaur hatches. How can Frank and Samantha keep their dinosaur a secret?

Dinosaur enthusiasts will enjoy A Mysterious Egg as it teaches about dinosaurs and the importance of keeping a scientific notebook. Taking care of a baby dinosaur takes a lot of work, and Frank uses his knowledge to create a healthy meal plan for the baby. The easy-to-read story has a simple plot that revolves around hiding the dinosaur. Frank and Samantha are afraid that if anyone finds out about the baby, the dino will be taken away from them. In the end, the adults in the story work together to do what is best for the dino.

A Mysterious Egg will engage younger readers not only because it’s about dinosaurs, but also because of the fast-paced plot and humorous scenes. Many readers will be able to relate to Frank, who is often annoyed with his cousin and doesn’t understand all of his grandmother’s rules. The story portrays a caring family, who shares a passion for dinosaurs and science (except for Samantha who would rather be famous).

Readers who are new to chapter books will enjoy A Mysterious Egg, because of its easy vocabulary, short sentences, and black and white illustrations. The illustrations appear every 2 to 4 pages, which helps break up the text. This story also contains a glossary of dinosaur-related vocabulary at the back of the book. The Dino Files have dinosaur facts scattered throughout the series. A Mysterious Egg has a simple, suspenseful storyline that will encourage readers to pick up the next book in the series, Too Big to Hide.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Samantha calls Frank a weenie.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Stage Fright

Ed and his friends accidentally enter a writing contest. They do their best to create a wacky play that no one will like. Their wacky play is chosen to be performed on the night of a blue moon. Ed tries to keep his strangeness under control, but it’s difficult to watch every word he speaks. Can Ed keep the strangeness under control? Will the blue moon make even stranger events happen?

The fourth installment of the Loonivers Series keeps all of the same lovable characters from the previous books. Ed really wants to keep the strangeness at bay, so he is careful with every word he says. This conflict adds fun and suspense as Ed visualizes what would happen if he said the wrong thing. For example, he imagines saying “I laughed my head off.” He then imagines his head floating off his body.

Ed’s adventure teaches readers the meaning of idioms in a delightful way. The idioms often come to life in interesting ways with illustrations showing what the literal meaning of the idiom would look like. The black and white illustrations on every page will cause smiles and giggles. Besides teaching the meaning of idioms, the story also teaches the importance of thinking before you speak.

Easy-to-read text and fun illustrations make Stage Fright a good choice for beginning readers. The plot does not revolve around the previous books in the series. However, the story does make a few references to previous books. Stage Fright will delight younger readers with the outrageous events, the silly illustrations, and the reoccurring characters. If you’re looking for a silly series that teaches as well as entertains, Stage Fright will be an excellent addition to your child’s library.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Ed finds a magic coin called the Silver Center. The coin “gave me the power to make strange things happen.”
  • Ed says, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” Then his “watchband had unbuckled itself. The ends started flapping like little leather bat wings,” and his watch flies away.
  • When Ed says a hamburger looks like a flying saucer, “it started to spin. Then it floated up until it was about a foot above her plate.”
  • Ed’s head turns into a horse’s head.
  • Because it is the night of a blue moon, strange things happen, including freezing people. Ed and his friends are pulled into the air. Ed and his friends, “were at least twenty feet off the ground. I wondered whether we’d get dragged all the way to the moon.” Ed comes up with an idiom that brings them back to Earth.

Spiritual Content

  • None

Attack at the Arena

Mr. Whittaker finds a mysterious letter inside the Imagination Station. The letter leads Patrick and Beth to fifth-century Rome on a quest to find a special cup that belongs to a monk. The cousins jump back in time and end up at the Roman Colosseum.

Before long, Beth and Patrick are separated. Patrick meets Telemachus, a monk, who believes fighting is wrong. Telemachus wants the emperor to end the gladiator battles. Telemachus guides Patrick as he looks for his cousin.

Meanwhile, Beth is mistaken as a slave and is sent to serve in the emperor’s palace. As the Emperor’s servant, Beth must attend Emperor Honorius’s gladiator battle. Patrick also attends as a monk’s apprentice but is captured and sent to fight in the arena. Will Patrick be able to survive?

History is incorporated into the story through Telemachus, Emperor Honorius, and the arena fighting. The story describes the horrors of the arena fighting in child-friendly terms and leaves out graphic violence. After reading the story, many may want to know more about ancient Rome.

Attack at the Arena has a fast-paced, action-packed plot with a strong message of faith. Since lessons in faith are delivered through the monk Telemachus, the lessons do not come across as preachy. Instead, readers will see how Telemachus lives his faith. Through Telemachus’s actions, the reader will learn that, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for a friend.”

Readers who enjoy The Magic Tree House will want to add Attack at the Arena to their reading list. Both series have likable characters, mystery, and time travel. However, Attack at the Arena teaches how God can change people. This book is the second installment of The Imagination Station Series; as each book builds on the previous story, readers should read Voyage with the Vikings first. The interesting plot will keep readers turning the page until the very last page.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • When Patrick and Beth go back in time, they land in an arena with a tiger. The tiger “crouched down like a cat searching for a mouse. Its eyes burned bright. It ran straight toward Patrick.” Someone uses a whip to scare the tiger away.
  • A soldier sees Beth and “picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.” He takes her to the palace to work as a slave.
  • A soldier thinks Patrick is trying to help Beth escape. The soldiers “grabbed his arms. They roughly pulled him back.” One of the soldiers “pulled out a shiny sword. . . He pointed the sword at Patrick.”
  • A man hears soldiers coming to capture him. When the monk tells the man to hide, the man instead “pulled the knife out of his belt. He pointed it at Telemachus (the monk).” The man steals a chalice and then flees.
  • A soldier thinks Patrick is trying to help Beth escape again. He “picked him up and threw him into a wood cart. . . Patrick fell onto the bottom of the cart. His face was in the mud and straw.” Patrick is taken to the arena.
  • At the arena, “Slaves fought the wild creatures. The men screamed and ran when the animals attacked.”
  • Patrick and other prisoners are forced to fight in the arena. At the emperor’s signal, “prisoners began to fight each other. Each man battled for his life. An old prisoner quickly knocked Patrick’s knife out of his hand.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Mr. Whittaker has an Imagination Station that allows Beth and Patrick to travel back in time. When they get into the Imagination Station, “the machine jerked forward. Patrick felt as if he were on the subway. . . The machine whirled. Suddenly, everything went black.”
  • Mr. Whittaker also has a ring that “you can only see it when my hand is in the machine.”

Spiritual Content

  • The monk tells a soldier, “All children belong to God.”
  • The monk tells Patrick, “God may let you find your friend later.”
  • The monk tells Patrick that he is in Rome because “God told me to come here.” The monk didn’t know why God wanted him in Rome, but “it is for me to obey and go.” Later, the monk goes to the arena for the same reason. The monk says that God told him to go, “in my prayers this morning.”
  • The monk tells Patrick, “there are no what ifs? with God. When He speaks, we’re to listen and obey.”
  • The emperor, Honorius, says he is Christian and that “by law the emperor must be a Christian.”
  • The monk tells the people watching the fighting, “In the name of Jesus who shed His blood for us. . . don’t take pleasure in the bloodshed! Stop—in the name of Christ—stop!”

 

Dinosaur Disaster

Ed and his friends are excited to see the robotic dinosaurs at Dinosaur Discovery. After going to see the dinosaurs, a real-life dinosaur follows Ed home. Ed’s sister, Libby, wants to keep the dinosaur as a pet. Ed needs to figure out how to use his powers for strangeness to send the dinosaur home. With the help of his friends, can they come up with a plan or will the dinosaur cause a disaster?

The same lovable characters from the first two Looniverse books appear in Dinosaur Disaster. A dinosaur that acts like a dog is the main conflict of the book. Readers will enjoy the playful dinosaur and Ed’s silly antics. The story doesn’t teach any dino facts or have as many of the fun play on words as the previous books.

Ed’s little sister, Libby, takes a starring role in the book. The brother-sister relationship is portrayed in a positive light, and Ed treats his sister with care. Ed’s mother briefly appears in the story and trying to keep the dinosaur in the backyard a secret helps create suspense.

Dinosaur Disaster will appeal to those who like dinosaurs and outrageous, silly events. The large black-and-white illustrations bring the story to life and show the range of emotions that the characters feel. The easy-to-read text and fun illustrations make the story a good choice for younger readers. Readers do not need to read the previous books to enjoy the third installment of the Looniverse Series.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Ed saw a robotic T-rex “chomping Derwin’s butt.
  • Ed falls in a pile of dinosaur poop. “Bluebird had left me a present. A big, stinky one.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Ed has a coin that allows him to do strange things. “Mouse could do strange things I suggested, like lifting himself up in the air, even if they seemed impossible. And Derwin could make sayings come true. My power as the Stranger worked on both of them, but in different ways.”
  • Ed sends the dinosaur back to where it came from. “The air around her (the dinosaur) shimmered. Then it changed. All around her, like a movie was being shown, I could see a world of giant plants. A huge insect flew past. A warm gust of air washed over my face.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

Third Grade Mermaid and the Narwhals

Cora wrote a story about narwhals and reads it in class. Vivian Shimmermore makes fun of Cora’s story, saying that narwhals are fake. To prove Vivian wrong, Cora and her friends travel across the open ocean to find a pod of narwhals before they migrate. Cora wants to show Vivian that narwhals are not just mythical creatures but really exist. Will Cora and her friends be able to find the narwhals before they migrate?

Third Grade Mermaid and the Narwhals has many elements that will appeal to younger readers. Readers will enjoy meeting Cora’s friends—a sea cucumber and a shrimp. Delightful cartoon illustrations appear on every page; this allows the reader to visualize the sea creatures and the characters’ emotions. Some of the conversations appears in speech bubbles, which helps break up the text into smaller parts.

As Cora travels to see the narwhals, she learns the importance of stepping out of her comfort zone. Through Cora’s interaction with Vivian, Cora was encouraged to go find the narwhals—a feat that Cora did not think she could accomplish. Cora clearly doesn’t like Vivian Shimmermore; however, when Vivian is afraid of the dark, Cora helps her overcome her fear. The story also teaches the importance of friends helping each other.

The story is told from Cora’s point of view, which allows her personality to shine. Nevertheless, Cora has several qualities that are not worth emulating. When her teacher asks Cora to enter a writing contest, Cora only agrees to participate so she can “put Vivian in her place for once.” Cora’s interactions with others, even her friends, are at times slightly mean and snippy. When Cora asks for permission to go find the narwhals, she nags her mother. “The ‘Yes Game’ went on for some time before Mother actually said yes for real. But the point is she did.”

The book also has several negative aspects. Even though Cora looks like a third-grader, the other two girls from her class look more like teenagers. The plot also doesn’t enforce the importance of hard work. When it is time for Cora to write her story, she falls asleep and decides to turn in her diary entry. Even though Cora did not have time to write her story, she still receives first place.

With short sentences, dialogue, and definitions of difficult words, Third Grade Mermaid and the Narwhals is an engaging, easy-to-read book. The plot revolves around Cora’s trip to see the narwhals; however, at the beginning of the story, the plot jumps around which may make it confusing for beginning readers. The story ends with facts about narwhals and narwhal vocabulary. Younger readers will enjoy Cora’s adventure, the illustrations, and the sea life, but hopefully readers will not imitate Cora’s negative personality traits.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Ellie Steps Up to the Plate

Ellie loves being on the stage, and she knows she is good at it. During physical education, Ellie tries baseball for the first time. She is surprised that she can hit the ball almost every time. Ellie decides to join the school team, but during her first game, she makes several mistakes. Baseball is not as easy as Ellie thought. Should Ellie stay on the team or put her mitt down forever?

Many readers will relate to Ellie’s frustration with trying something new. Through Ellie’s struggle, readers will learn the importance of practice and perseverance. Even though Ellie makes several errors during the game, her teammates encourage her to stay on the team.

Ellie Step Up to the Plate focuses on Ellie’s desire to earn a solo spot for her musical group, and her attempt to play baseball. Although the story also includes a baby deer; that part of the story was disjointed and did not flow well with the rest of the book. However, younger readers will still be able to understand the easy-to-read story and will appreciate the adorable artwork that appears on almost every page. Large type, short sentences, and plenty of dialogue will help newly independent readers stay engaged.

Readers will be able to relate to Ellie’s struggle to learn a new skill. Several of the events are connected to each other, which helps readers understand the importance of not giving up. Young girls will also benefit from seeing the varied woman characters in the story. The school coach, the veterinarian, and the principal are all women. Despite being part of a series, Ellie Steps Up to the Plate can be read as a stand-alone book.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Dragons in a Bag

Jaxon’s mom leaves the nine-year-old with Ma, so she can look after him. While there, Jax is intrigued by a moving package. Ma reveals that she is a witch, and she has the duty to deliver three baby dragons to a parallel realm where magic still exists. Jax joins Ma on her journey, but when the transporter takes them to the Mesozoic era, Ma quickly sends Jax and the dragons back to Brooklyn. Jax is determined to keep the dragons safe until he can find Ma. Will Jax be able to protect the dragons and find Ma in another dimension?

Dragon in a Bag contains a cast of diverse characters, including an invisible man, a witch, a squirrel, and Jax’s friend from school. Black-and-white illustrations are scattered throughout the book and help the reader visualize the characters. When Jax is sent back to Brooklyn, he is forced to ask for help from adults who are strangers. Even though the adults in the story make some life decisions that others do not agree with, the adults’ decisions are not criticized or shown in a negative light.

The children in the story are able to share their knowledge about different subjects, and Jax clearly loves geography. The story teaches about animal imprinting and information about the Mesozoic era. Jax briefly enters the Mesozoic era; however, Jax’s visit is so short that the reader will be disappointed with the lack of dinosaur action.

Much of the story focuses on the interpersonal relationships between the adults; they all have different views of magic and what should be done with the dragons. This allows the reader to see different people’s perspectives and shows how people can have different views without being wrong. Even though the dragons are a main part of the plot, they stay in Ma’s purse for the majority of the story. Readers who pick up the story with the hopes of seeing some dragon action will be disappointed. In the end, Dragons in a Bag is an interesting story, but younger readers will struggle to stay engaged because the story lacks action.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • A squirrel comes into the house and Ma hits it with a cane. The squirrel “jumps out of the way just in time, and Ma’s cane crashes the metal breadbox instead.”
  • When a dinosaur attacks Ma, she “grabbed hold of that funny flap and swung around onto its back. Of course, that was after I’d zapped it a couple of times with my cane . . . then I used a mild enchantment to make it more manageable.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • Ma serves Jax a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and then asks, “You need a beer to wash that down. Why don’t you grab a bottle from the fridge?” Later Jax realizes she was talking about root beer.

Language

  • Ma tells Jax, “go sit your butt down on that sofa and read your darn book.”

Supernatural

  • Ma is a witch, who has three dragons she is supposed to take to another dimension where magic exists. She tells Jax, “Parallel realms exist in different dimensions. Time travel is like whizzing down a slide. Crossing dimensions is more like skipping double Dutch.”
  • A transporter reads a person’s intentions and sends them to a different time period or dimension. Ma and Jax travel to the time of dinosaurs and then to a dimension where there are supercontinents.
  • One of the characters can breathe fire.

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Lullaby Lake

Tag, Skyla, and Blaze go to Lullaby Lake to search for the next piece of the magical Ember Stone. When they get to the lake, they find magical fairies protecting the Ember Stone. The fairies won’t let anyone near the stone. Thorn and his spies are near. How will the friends get the next piece of the stone? Will they be able to defeat Thorn’s dark magic?

The evil vulture Thorn makes an exciting appearance in the fourth book of The Last Firehawk series. Lullaby Lake adds mystery when Tag and his friends keep falling asleep and forgetting their goal. With the help of a sleepy sloth and a bit of good luck, the three befriend a nixie, who happens to be the princess. Although the story has less adventure than the first books in the series, the fairy world adds new characters, magic, and an argument with a protective fairy king.

The repetitious nature of the series may lead some readers to become bored with the series. Lullaby Lake ends with the three friends needing to find another piece of the Ember Stone. Similar to The Whispering Oak, the protector of the Ember Stone does not want to give the stone to Tag and his friends. The similarities between the plots leave the story lacking much-needed suspense.

The fourth book in the series continues to use onomatopoeias, which are scattered throughout the story and make the reading fun. Short sentence structure, dialogue, and simple vocabulary make the series easy to read. Black-and-white illustrations appear on every page and help bring the story to life.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Thorn tries to take the Ember Stone from Tag. “Quick as a flash, Thorn took another swipe at Tag’s sack. His sharp claws ripped it open . . . Skyla shot acorns from the shore while Tag and Blaze chased after the vulture by air.”
  • Tiger bats capture a nixie. Tag and his friends rescue her. “Bonk! She hit the tiger bat holding the nixie, and the tiny fairy fell to the ground. . . Blaze threw small flames at the tiger bats. They squawked and took to the sky.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Water fairies protect the Ember Stone. When they are in danger, they sing a lullaby that puts animals to sleep. The fairy uses magical bubbles to take Blaze, Tag, and Skyla to the fairies’ underwater kingdom.
  • Thorn is an evil vulture that uses black magic called the Shadow; he hopes to destroy Perodia.
  • Firehawks “were magical birds who protected the Ember stone—a stone that holds magic within.”
  • When a piece of the Ember Stone is placed on a map, “the map glowed, brighter and brighter. . . When Tag looked again, a small shining dot appeared on the map.” The magical map guides the friends to the next location to which they must travel.

Spiritual Content

  • None

Amy on Park Patrol

When Amy volunteers to help pick up trash at the park, she learns that new stores will be built on some of the park’s land. She’s worried about all of the insects and animals who make that park their home. Can Amy and her friends help save the park and the creatures who live in it?

Amy on Park Patrol teaches the importance of caring for the environment. Amy shows she cares about the environment by picking up trash, planting pollinator-friendly plants, and teaching about nature. Amy and her friends make a petition to save the neighborhood park. The petition process is difficult. Some want to save the park, while others are looking forward to having new stores. Even though Amy and her friends have difficulty gaining signatures, they do not give up on their plan.

Amy on Park Patrol’s main goal is to teach about the process of pollination as well as the importance of pollinators. The story focuses on insects and birds, which might disappoint some readers. However, younger readers will enjoy the adorable artwork that appears on almost every page. Large type, short sentences, and plenty of dialogue will help newly independent readers stay engaged.

Despite being part of a series, Amy on Park Patrol can be read as a stand-alone book. Amy on Park Patrol will engage younger readers while allowing them to see that children can make a difference in our world. After reading about the importance of pollinators, readers may want to plant some flowers of their own.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Rosie Revere and The Raucous Riveters

Rosie Revere loves engineering. When Rosie’s Aunt Rose and her friends—a group of women who built airplanes during World War II—ask her to complete an important project, Rosie is excited to help. One of the Riveters has broken both her wrists and can’t participate in the Art-A-Go contest. Rosie and her friends use all of their knowledge to invent a tool to help her paint. Building a paintapolooza comes with setbacks. When Rosie begins to lose hope, her friends step in to help. Will Rosie and her friends be able to finish the paintapolooza in time for the big event?

Readers will initially be drawn to Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters because of the cheerful illustrations but will continue reading because of Rosie’s personality. Rosie is a strong character who uses problem solving to create her inventions. Rosie’s struggle is realistic; she doesn’t find the solution to her problem without failure. When Rosie feels “frustrated and frazzled,” she uses smart strategies to refocus. For example, Rosie’s great imagination causes her to focus on what-ifs, and “when that happened, Rosie had to remind herself to stop and think differently.”

Rosie’s illustration notebook, which contains lists and alliterations, will engage readers transitioning to chapter books. Rosie and her friends use imagination and teamwork to help someone in need. The story portrays the older generation in a positive light, and through her interactions with the Riveters, Rosie learns the importance of strong friendships. The story’s positive message is clear: “The only true failure can come if you quit.”

After the story concludes, additional text is included: a poem about a valve, information on valves, and historical information about the Riveters. The book ends with a “think about this” section that guides readers to apply the story to their life.

Instead of focusing on a simple plot, the book delves into too many characters and too many subplots. For instance, Rosie misinterprets one character’s behavior, but later discovers that the person was allergic to sunlight. Although there is historical information about the Blue River Riveters, the facts do more to complicate the story. For beginning readers interested in engineering, readers may want to begin with the Ellie, Engineer series before moving to The Questioneers series.

Sexual Content
• None

Violence
• None

Drugs and Alcohol
• None

Language
• None

Supernatural
• None

Spiritual Content
• None

The Whispering Oak

In order to find the third piece of the magical Ember Stone, Tag, Skyla, and Blaze will have to cross the tornado-filled Shifting Sands. The Ember Stone can be found close to the Whispering Oak, but the way is dangerous and Thor’s spies are everywhere. Can the three friends save Perodia? Will Thorn’s spies beat them to Whispering Oak and find the Ember stone first?

The third book in The Last Firehawk series follows the same format as the first two books. The three friends travel to a new location, encounter Thorn’s spies, and meet new friends that help them find the next piece of the Ember Stone. New characters—talking bees and grumpy bears—add a new element to the story that brings interest. The three friends continue to use teamwork and must use logic to convince the bees to give them the Ember Stone.

The Whispering Oak will introduce newly independent readers to the adventure genre. The Whispering Oak should be read after the first two books in the series. Onomatopoeias make reading fun as well as add to the threatening mood. Short sentence structure, dialogue, and simple vocabulary make The Whispering Oak easy to read. Black-and-white illustrations appear on every page, which helps bring the story to life.

The book begins with an introduction to help readers understand the conflict. A two-page map of Perodia gives a visual of the geography and location of important landmarks. The last page of the book contains four questions and an activity, which will reinforce important comprehension skills.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Crag beetles try to stop the friends from getting through a tunnel. “The beetles climbed on top of each other—one by one, until there were no longer hundreds of beetles but one gigantic, mega beetle!” Tag charged the beetles “Knocking some beetles to the ground. . . “Tag continued using his dagger to break up the giant beetle, while Skyla attacked it with her paws and Blaze attacked it with her beak.” The friends are able to escape.
  • Tiger bats attack the friends. “They attacked again and again. Tag felt his wing getting weaker as he tried to hold off the bats.” Blaze is able to chase the bats away.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Thorn is an evil vulture that uses black magic called the Shadow; he hopes to destroy Perodia.
  • Firehawks “were magical birds who protected the Ember Stone—a stone that holds magic within.”
  • When a piece of the Ember Stone is placed on a map, “the map glowed, brighter and brighter. . . When Tag looked again, a small shining dot appeared on the map.” The magical map guides the friends to the next location to which they must travel.

Spiritual Content

  • None
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