Early Elementary – Page 26 – Sneak Peek Books

Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride

Mr. Watson and Mrs. Watson adore their porcine wonder named Mercy. Every Saturday, Mercy and Mr. Watson go for a ride in Mr. Watson’s convertible. Every Saturday, Mr. Watson has to push Mercy out of the driver’s seat. Everyone knows that a pig can’t drive a convertible. But one Saturday, Mr. Watson and Mercy find a stowaway hiding in the car. While Mr. Watson is distracted, Mercy takes the opportunity to get behind the wheel.

Even though Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride has the same unique, loveable characters as the first book in the series, each book can be read as a standalone. Eugenia Lincoln still finds fault in taking a pig for a ride in an automobile, but Eugenia’s sister Baby surprises everyone by taking a chance to add a little “folly” to her day. Readers familiar with Mercy Watson and new readers will enjoy the hilarious adventure. The conclusion shows how a pig and buttered toast can bring people together.

The wholesome, silly story will have readers clamoring to read and reread Mercy’s adventures. The illustrations bring the human’s emotions to the forefront with comical, exaggerated facial expressions.

Readers who are transitioning to chapter books will appreciate the large font, easy vocabulary, and illustrations that appear on almost every page. With lots of dialogue and onomatopoeias, Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride would also make an excellent book to read aloud. Anyone who has ever watched Charlotte’s Web and wished to have their very own pig will enjoy the Mercy Watson Series.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Wings That Shine

Skydancer is entrusted with the school’s special medal. When she gets distracted, she drops the medal, and is afraid to tell anyone. While she is looking for the medal, she finds a sick dragon. Skydancer returns to the school and finds another dragon. The dragon doesn’t want to hurt anyone, but everyone is afraid of her.

When she stumbles upon a dragon at the edge of the Enchanted Pony Academy grounds, Skydancer is terrified. Skydancer is the only one who can talk to any animal with wings—a very useful Glitter Gift, and one she has always enjoyed. Can she be brave enough to use her Gift and convince the dragon to go away. . . before everything goes up in flames?

The story’s plot focus on both the lost medal and the dragon’s need for help. Despite the danger, Skydancer helps the dragon. Even though there is little suspense, younger readers will enjoy Skydancer’s adventure into the dragon’s home. Even though most of the pegaponies hide from the dragons, Skydancer is determined to help them. Both the dragons and Skydancer learn that their conflict could have been solved if everyone was able to communicate. Skydancer’s experiences highlights the importance of communication and honesty.

Wings That Shine has relatable conflicts. Readers will empathize with Skydancer, who is afraid to tell the headmistress that she has lost the medal. Even though Skydancer is afraid, she still tells the headmistress about the lost medal. However, instead of having any negative consequences, with magic the medal is returned to its proper place.

Wings That Shine will entertain those who have already transitioned to chapter books. Cute black and white illustrations help break up the text and appear every three to five pages. Although the vocabulary isn’t difficult, the text-heavy pages and long sentences may be overwhelming for beginning readers. With rhyming spells, magic Glitter Gifts, and pegaponies, Wings That Shine is sure to capture reader’s attention. Readers who enjoy animals and magic may also want to try The Baby Animal Rescue Fairies Series by Daisy Meadows or the Unicorn Princesses Series by Emily Bliss.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Each pegapony has a different Glitter Gift. The Glitter Gifts include being able to become invisible, being able to talk to winged animals, teleportation, and making flowers bloom. One pegapony can even shoot sparks out of his horn.
The pegaponies can cast magic spells. Spells work best if they rhyme. Stone tries to cast a spell to make fireworks come out of his horn. He says, “Turn my sparks into fireworks.” Only a few “pops fizzled from his horn.”
Magical Creatures fled when “careless spell casting had weakened the magic in the land.”
When the headmistress needs to give the whole school a message, “a shiny orb sailed into the air from his horn, and then it popped, releasing his message in a voice so loud, every pony across the campus could hear it.”
Skydancer finds a thirsty dragon. In order to give the dragon water, she cast a spell. Skydancer says, “Fill these buckets to the brink, so we can offer the dragon a drink.” The buckets fill with water and Skydancer takes the buckets to the dragon.
In order to help the dragons, the pegaponies use their magic to enchant seeds. Someone says a the spell, “May water from the sky start to fall, so these crops grow for one and all.”
In order to fill the dragon’s lake, Skydancer cast a spell. “With fresh, clean water fill this lake, so there’s always plenty for all to take.”
The school’s special medal is “enchanted to return to its home if it’s gone from this perch for more than 12 hours.” Later, Skydancer is given a medal that is also enchanted. If the medal is lost, it will find Skydancer.

Spiritual Content

None

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez

Every morning, Abuelo walks Sofia to school . . . until one day Abuelo hurts his ankle at a local landfill and he can no longer do so. Sofia misses her Abuelo and wonders what she can do about the dangerous Mount Trashmore. Then she gets an idea—the town can turn the slimy mess into a park! She brainstorms and plans and finally works up the courage to go to City Hall—only to be told by a clerk that she can’t build a park because she’s just a kid. Sofia is down but not out, and she sets out to prove what one kid can do.

The story focuses on Sofia’s desire to rid the town of a huge trash heap. However, it is unclear where all the garbage came from and in the end, the story doesn’t explain where all the trash went. The huge pile of trash consists of everyday items, egg cartons, spoiled food, disposable cups. Although the everyday items show how everyone contributes to the pile, most younger readers will miss this lesson.

At first, Sophia is overwhelmed and “her heart skipped a beat as she realized each one of her neighbors had said: “Let me know when it’s done!’ They all thought Sofia could build it alone.” However, Sofia doesn’t give up. Instead, she goes to city hall, where she is sent to six different offices, each with a ridiculous silly name like “The Department of Cheese” and the “Office of Monkeys”. Younger readers won’t understand the humor of dealing with a city’s bureaucracy, but they will enjoy seeing a duck, a monkey, and a man dressed as cheese in the offices. Even though Sophia eventually gets the help of her classmates and adults, most of the story focuses on the process of making a park.

Sophia’s determination allows her to go through the process of getting the park built, starting with a petition drive. Sophia leads a group of diverse people who hold signs asking people to sign the petition. The illustration shows Iggy Peck, Rosie Revere, and Ada Twist from Beaty’s previous books. Although their appearance is quick, readers will enjoy seeing the familiar characters. The petition illustration shows a child in a wheelchair as well as children of different races. Sophia is Latinx, drawn with medium brown skin, and her abuelo speaks one line in Spanish.

Written in rhyme, Sofia Valdez, Future Prez will entertain readers with funny events and detailed illustrations. However, the story lacks Sophia’s though process and the theme is not well developed. Nevertheless, the story would be a great conversation starter because readers will be inspired with Sophia’s can-do attitude, her leadership skills, and her desire to help others.

Even though Sofia Valdez, Future Prez is a picture book, it is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. The rhyming makes the story fun to read aloud. However, some pages are text-heavy and have up to 11 lines on a single page. Sofia Valdez, Future Prez’s will entertain readers as it teaches that one person can make a difference.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

The 26-Story Treehouse: Pirate Problem

Life is never boring in a 13-story treehouse, especially when you add 13 more stories! Andy and Terry have added a bumper car rink, a skate ramp with a crocodile-pit hazard, a mud-fighting arena, an antigravity chamber, an ice-skating pond with real ice-skating penguins, a mechanical bull named Kevin, an Automatic Tattoo Machine, an ice-cream parlor with seventy-eight flavors, and the Maze of Doom–a maze so complicated nobody has escaped. Fun seems endless in their new 26-story treehouse!

Distracted by their new, amazing stories, Andy and Terry do not notice their new book is due Friday until their publisher, Mr. Big Nose, threatens to fire them. While writing their book about how Andy, Terry, and Jill, their animal-friendly neighbor, met, Captain Woodenhead suddenly appears. Threatening to destroy the treehouse and enslave Andy, Terry, and Jill on his ship, the trio must outwit and outsmart the captain and his evil crew before time runs out. Can the boys save their treehouse and fight off the pirates all while writing their new book?

The Treehouse Series is an imaginative series for young readers who are reluctant to read. Griffiths and Denton created a silly story that will have young readers laughing from beginning to end. Along with their crazy slapstick scenarios, Griffiths and Denton teach readers about the importance of friendship. Andy, Terry, and Jill must work together throughout the book to solve their complex problems. Without each other, Andy, Terry, and Jill would never have been able to perform “open shark surgery,” fight off pirates or escape the Maze of Doom. Also, the funny black-and-white illustrations contribute to a positive reading experience and will help younger readers transfer their reading skills from picture books into full-fledged novels.

However, The 26-Story Treehouse may upset some readers. Before his entire crew dies in a terrible shipwreck, Captain Woodenhead’s head is bitten off by a giant sea monster. Later in the book, he is pictured being eaten alive by man-eating sharks.

The 26-Story Treehouse has very simple vocabulary and sentence structure, reading more like a comic book rather than an actual chapter book. In the end, The 26-Story Treehouse is an easy-to-read story that will teach the reader practical lessons about friendship while causing readers to giggle.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

During a sea battle, Captain Woodenhead fights the large, greedy fish nicknamed Gorgonzola. “The pirate captain drew his cutlass and tried to spear Gorgonzola from the deck of his ship, but as he leaned over the side, the fiendish Gorgonzola leaped right out of the water and bit the pirate’s head clean off his neck!” After fashioning a new wooden head for himself, Captain Woodenhead was swallowed whole. Inside Gorgonzola’s stomach, he found some dynamite and his old head, which was moldy and waterlogged. After putting his head back on his shoulders, “he did what any self-respecting pirate captain would have done. He collected up all the barrels of dynamite, tied them together, lit the fuse, and blasted that beast to pieces!” Gorgonzola, a large sea monster, is pictured blasted to pieces for two pages.
If Andy and Terry don’t open the treehouse and let Captain Woodenhead in, he threatens to blow up the treehouse. The Captain yells, “Men, prepare the canon.”
After tricking the captain’s crew, Andy, Terry, and Jill are chased by Captain Woodenhead with a cutlass and gun in his hand. This is a one-page event.
At the end of the book, Captain Woodenhead threatens to kill Andy, Terry, and Jill. Then, the captain falls into the man-eating shark tank and there’s “a wild frenzy of flashing fins and teeth, and then all is quiet.” The Captain is eaten alive. This is illustrated over two pages and does show him in the mouth of a shark, but there is no blood or gore involved.

Drugs and Alcohol

Jill uses “Dr. Numbskull’s Sleepy Shark Sleeping Potion” to sedate the man-eating sharks before their “open shark surgery.” During the surgery, the shark’s kidneys and intestines are shown along with some of the ridiculous things they have eaten.

Language

After getting lost in the Maze of Doom, one of the penguins blames it on his “stupid GPS!”
Andy thinks that using their man-eating shark tank as a washing machine was one of Terry’s dumbest ideas. “You know, Terry has done some dumb things in the past, but this has got to be the dumbest ever!”
When he struggles to put on his swimsuit before he enters the shark tank, Andy says, “Stupid tight wetsuit.”
Captain Woodenhead enslaves Andy and Terry and forces them to swab the poop deck. Terry exclaims, “Oh, gross, there’s poop on the poop deck.”

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

by Matthew Perkey

I Am Enough

This story is a gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another—from actor and activist Grace Byers and artist Keturah A. Bobo. Byers’s story uses an unnamed narrator, who appears in illustrations with dark skin and curly black hair. In the beginning of the book, the girl compares herself to things, such as the sun, time, rain, etc. For example, “Like the moon, I’m here to dream.”

Towards the end of the book, the story shifts to focus on other ways the narrator is different from other people. For example, “I know that we don’t look the same: our skin, our eyes, our hair, our frame.” The theme is clear: despite everyone’s differences, we should love and help each other. While writing the book, Byers hoped to “empower young girls against the effects of bullying.” Even though bullying is not mentioned, the story does show that girl’s differences make them special.

Each page is illustrated beautifully, using crayon accents and realistic pictures of young girls. The girls are diverse: there are girls of different ethnicities, one girl is in a wheelchair, and one girl is wearing a hijab. The diverse group of children reinforces the idea that girls should help each other despite their differences. Each page has 1 to 4 lines of text. Even though the story uses simple vocabulary, readers may need help understanding the deeper meaning of the story. I Am Enough would be an excellent book to read aloud and discuss with a child. The picture book uses both text and illustrations to encourage girls to embrace their uniqueness as well as be kind to each other.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue

Every night, Kitty’s mom goes on an exciting adventure. Kitty’s mom has superpowers—she can see in the dark and talk to cats! She uses her superpowers to help those in need. Kitty knows that she also has catlike superpowers, but she isn’t ready to go on adventures yet.

One night, a friendly black cat named Figaro comes to Kitty’s window. Figaro and all the other cats are frightened by a terrible noise that’s coming from the clock tower. Kitty’s mom has already left and only Kitty can help. Kitty doesn’t like the night’s shadows. She isn’t sure that she’s ready to help, but Figaro believes in Kitty and her superpowers. With Figaro’s help, Kitty steps out into the darkness for an exciting moonlight adventure.

Cat lovers and adventure fans will love the new series Kitty. On her first adventure, Kitty reluctantly helps Figaro. During the adventure, Figaro encourages Kitty with kind words. However, that doesn’t always ease Kitty’s fear. Several times in the adventure, her mother’s words come back to her: “You’re braver than you think.” When she remembers her mother’s encouraging words, she is able to face her challenges.

Anyone who has ever been afraid of trying something new will relate to Kitty. Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue shows Kitty overcoming her fear to help several cats who are also afraid of something. However, with Kitty and Figaro’s help, both cats are able to overcome their fears. The rescued cats also make new friends. The story has just the right amount of cuteness, adventure, and suspense for younger readers.

Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue tackles the subject of fear in a kid-friendly manner. The fast-paced plot will keep readers flipping the pages until the very end. Each page has illustrations ranging from cat prints to detailed illustrations of Kitty and her activities. The illustrations are black and white with a pop of orange. Although most of the vocabulary is easy, younger readers may need help with some of the words. Some of the vocabulary is more advanced, such as gracefully, venturing, mysterious, and lingered.

Another positive aspect is Kitty’s family relationships. Even though Kitty’s parents play a small role in the story, both are portrayed in a positive light. After Kitty’s adventure, she sits down and has a picnic breakfast with her family. During the meal, Kitty tells her family about her adventures. The story also shows how it is always easier to be brave when you have someone with you.

Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue is a fun story for those who are ready for chapter books. The bright pictures and large text will keep the reader’s attention. Kitty’s adventures show her sneaking out of the house, walking across buildings’ roofs, and climbing a tall tower. In the end, Kitty is able to make new friends and solve the mystery. Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue is a purr-fect story for young readers who love animals. Cat lovers will want to add the Purrmaids Series by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen to their reading list.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Kitty’s mom “could see in the dark, climb walls, and balance on rooftops. Her superpower senses meant she could always tell when trouble was near. Best of all, she could talk to cats and share their secrets!”
When Kitty went on her adventure, she “let go of the chimney and felt her super balance kick in.” Kitty also has super hearing, night vision, and she can talk to cats.

Spiritual Content

None

On Thin Ice

Lina’s excited about her class field trip to the aquarium. Lina has never ridden on a yellow school bus or gone to the aquarium before. When Lina finds out that her cousin will be visiting and going to school with her, Lina’s a little bit nervous. Because of his ice magic, Jack soon becomes the most popular kid in school. Lina is jealous of Jack’s ice magic skills and she is tired of him always showing off.

At the field trip, Lina and Jack see the penguins. Each one wants to prove that they can build the best ice sculpture. But soon their magic is out of control. Although the penguins love the ice slides and the mountains of snow, the other aquarium animals are in danger. Will the two cousin’s competition turn the aquarium animals into icicles? Will they ever learn to get along?

Readers will relate to Lina’s jealousy of her cousin’s ice magic skills. Lina and Jack get along fine when they are alone, but once Jack is around people he always shows off. In the end, both of them realize that jealousy can be dangerous. Eventually, Lina learns that Jack “thought that if everyone saw I was so good at winter magic, they’d ask me to come back and teach you again.” Even though their ice magic gets them into some cold situations, in the end, both Jack and Lina learn the importance of learning from each other.

Illustrated with cute black, white, and purple illustrations, On Thin Ice is perfect for any reader who dreams of being a princess. Even though Lina tries hard to be nice, she still makes mistakes. On Thin Ice is told in a diary format using simple vocabulary. The paragraphs contain three or fewer sentences and have a variety of graphic elements to break the text into small portions. The easy-to-read story has relatable conflicts and highlights the importance of communication.

The cute illustrations include pictures of all of the characters and Lina’s activities. The bright purple-and-black illustrations appear on almost every page, and they include illustrations of binder paper with a list that helps readers understand the plot. For example, Lina makes a list of “things I’d noticed earlier this week.” In addition to the illustration, Lina’s grandfather’s words are in big, bold text, which will help the reader distinguish the speaker.

Readers who like friendship, magic, and animals will enjoy On Thin Ice. The story teaches about animals. The end of the book explains how blubber works and gives directions for an experiment. Parents will like the encouraging characters and the positive life lessons the story teaches. Scenes of a perfect pink palace in the sky are mixed with a regular school and kind characters to create a story that will please both parents and younger readers.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Lina’s granddad is the North Wind and he created the jet streams. Both Lina and her cousin Jack are winterharts who can control snow and ice.
In Lina’s world, some people have different powers. “Skypainters make sunsets and rainbows. Sparkarachers create lightning and thunder. Stormsirrers make big storms, like hurricanes and tornadoes. Windtamers control the wind and the weather.”
When Lina was practicing her magic, she “stood up straight and tall. I let my breath out slowly and spread my fingers wide. The spray of the water froze in midair, making a sheet of ice that looked just like glass.”
Lina thinks back to when she was a baby. “The only memory I have of my cousin Jack is from a family reunion at Granddad’s castle when Jack froze my diaper.” Later Jack says, “you ran around the room screaming, ‘Butt cold! Butt cold!’”
Jack tries to help Lina control her power. Jack tells her “Focus your magic on just one snowflake, and allow your magic to flow out from there, building and building, crystal by crystal.”
While collecting bugs for a class project, Jack “was using his frost magic to stun the insects. That made them slow enough to catch in his jar. As soon as the insects warmed up, they were flying around again, totally fine.” When Lina tries ice magic on a spider, “all of a sudden a ball of snow formed above the spider and dumped right on top of him.” The spider is not injured.
Both Lina and Jack want to prove that they have better ice magic. While at the aquarium, they begin making ice sculptures for the penguins. Jack “waved his fingers at the glass, and formed a slide of his own with fancy curlicue decorations made out of spindly ice crystals.” Trying to make a better ice feature, Lina “made snow fall inside the exhibit. I used my powers to scoop the snow into a ramp that the penguins could use to launch themselves in the water.” The two make so many ice features that they endanger the other animals. An employee is able to turn up the thermostat so none of the animals are hurt.

Spiritual Content

None

Danny and the Dinosaur in the Big City

Danny’s class is going on a field trip to the big city, and the dinosaur is invited too! Towering skyscrapers! Rumbling subways! The city is a big and exciting place. Even though the city is big, the dinosaur may find fitting in to be a bit of a challenge.

Young readers will fall in love with Danny and his dinosaur as they explore New York. From watching a musical to exploring the Statue of Liberty, Danny and his dinosaur enjoy the sights and sounds of the famous city.

Syd Hoff created Danny and his prehistoric pal in 1958, but today’s readers will love the duo. Full-page pictures will introduce readers to city life and give readers an idea of how large a dinosaur would stand. The story’s simple plot and brightly colored pictures will encourage beginning readers to keep flipping pages until the very end.

Danny and the Dinosaur in the Big City contains sight words and will allow children to sound out words and sentences. The short sentences and simple plot are best suited for younger readers. Readers will smile when Danny’s dinosaur tries to join the theater’s dancers and when he swims to the Statue of Liberty. Readers will love the adorable dinosaur and his curious nature. Danny and the Dinosaur in the Big City will introduce readers to the joy of reading and may even spark their interest in New York City and the Statue of Liberty.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Nixie Makes Waves

Nixie is excited to join the Royal Mermaid Rescue Crew. She wants to use her natural creativity to keep the sea safe! And soon she will select her seapony partner! But Nixie is worried that she won’t find a good match.

Nixie isn’t happy when she is matched with Rip. Rip may be super-speedy, but he’s also a brainy pony who strictly follows all rules. Nixie doesn’t want to hurt Rip’s feelings, but she isn’t sure if she should go through with the Selection Ceremony. Once the ceremony is complete, Nixie and Rip will be partners forever.

When Nixie’s friends send her a distress call, she sneaks off without Rip. She knows that Rip would try to talk her out of helping her friends. But Rip decides to follow Nixie, and in the end, he is able to help rescue Nixie’s friends. Nixie and Rip finally learn to understand each other and appreciate their differences.

The mermaids and magical seaponies live in a sparkly world where princesses learn how to be part of the Royal Mermaid Rescue Crew. Like many young girls, the princesses love pretty dresses, jewelry, and each other. Nixie and Rip are not well-developed, but readers will relate to the two as they struggle to work as a team. They both want to help others, but they go about helping in vastly different ways.

Rip comes across as bossy because he loves to follow the rules. On the other hand, Nixie uses the “swishing a fix” method to creatively solve problems. When trying to solve a problem, Nixie knows she must breathe, focus, and solve. Both Rip and Nixie learn the importance of working together instead of working against each other.

Any young reader who has had to work in a group will understand Nixie’s conflict. In the end, Nixie is surprised to learn that Rip is her perfect partner. The two realize that both rules and creativity are needed when solving a problem. The story’s actions are illustrated with cute black-and-white pictures. The pictures help with world-building. Even though the mermaids look different on the cover—Nixie is light skin and has purple hair—in the illustrations, the mermaids look very similar.

During her adventures, Nixie finds the magical blue sea diamond that was part of the Trident of Protection. Even though a different part of the trident is found in each of the books, this part of the plot seems like an afterthought and does nothing to advance the plot.

Nixie Makes Waves will entertain those who have already transitioned to chapter books. Cute black-and-white illustrations help break up the text and appear every 3-5 pages. Although the vocabulary isn’t difficult, the text-heavy pages and long sentences may be overwhelming for beginning readers. Readers may want to read Scott’s Enchanted Pony Academy Series first because the stories explain the selection process and magical powers in more detail. Nixie Makes Waves will delight young readers as it teaches problem-solving techniques.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Each seapony has a different Sea Savvy, such as blowing a big protection bubble, blowing stun bubbles, or conjuring whirlpools. One seapony can change “color until she blended in with the background.” Another seapony can swim amazingly fast.
The school’s headmaster explained how “years ago, the powerful magic of our worlds was weakened by careless spells, both in the earth kingdoms and here below the sea. During this Age of Recklessness, a deep rift formed, splitting the eastern and western waters.” The storm swept away the Trident of Protection, which brought the community safety.
A seapony casts a spell to illuminate a rock. He says, “Let this rock glow, bright light please show.”

Spiritual Content

None

Jada Jones Dancing Queen

When the student council decides to host a dance as their next fundraiser, Jada feels nervous and queasy. She’s excited to give back, but she can’t dance! Still, she’s determined to help the cause and show she cares. She practices her moves, gets help from friends, and even does research at the library to prepare—but will it be enough to help her create change in her community?

Jada Jones Dancing Queen leaves the science behind and focuses on helping others. Jada Jones, the science-loving girl, is worried about what others will think of her less-than-perfect dance skills. Even though Jada’s friends and family try to teach Jada some dance moves, Jada worries about embarrassing herself. By the end of the story, Jada realizes her dance moves don’t need to be perfect. Like the previous books in the series, Jada Jones Dancing Queen has relatable characters, realistic conflicts, and reinforces real-life lessons.

When the student council begins encouraging others to show kindness, Jada witnesses several small acts that make a big difference. For example, students began complimenting others and one student helped a kindergartener tie his shoe. When the student council decides to raise money to purchase coats for kids in need, Jada makes it clear that everyone needs help at some point. Jada uses money that she had been saving for a rock tumbler to purchase a coat for the coat drive. The best aspects of the Jada Jones series is Jada’s positive behavior as well as the encouraging family interactions.

Jada’s struggle comes to life with black and white pictures that have a pop of purple. Jada Jones Dancing Queen is intended for readers who are transitioning to chapter books. The story has eight short chapters, easy vocabulary, and illustrations on almost every page. The story does have several pages with only text and some complicated sentence structure. Science-loving readers may also want to read Ellie, Engineer by Jackson Pearce and The Data Set series by Ada Hopper.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lin-Manuel Miranda was always surrounded by music—Spanish songs, Broadway show tunes, and hip-hop. Inspired by his favorite Disney movie, The Little Mermaid, Lin-Manuel would jump up on his desk and sing and dance. Soon Lin-Manuel was performing in school plays and even writing musicals.

However, Lin-Manuel often felt like he lived in two different worlds. His poor neighborhood was mostly Latino, while his school was mostly white. “As one of the only Latino kids in school, Lin-Manuel felt he had two choices. He could try to blend in, or he could try to stand out. He decided to stand out and made sure everyone knew he was proud of being Latino.”

Lin-Manuel went to college and continued to write musicals. With the help of his friends, Lin-Manuel produced an off-Broadway show. While on vacation, Lin-Manuel read a book about Hamilton, and he decided Hamilton was the perfect person to feature in a musical. Even though most of the people in Hamilton’s time were white, Lin-Manuel “thought it was important for the cast to look like America today, not the America of two hundred years ago.”

Lin-Manuel has always used his talent to show others that he is proud of his Latino heritage. Even today, he continues to share his culture with the world. Because of Lin-Manuel’s hard work and dedication, he made his dreams come true. His story can inspire readers to celebrate their heritage, work hard, and make their own dreams come true.

Lin-Manuel’s true story describes his life from early childhood to the present day. Many children will relate to Lin-Manuel’s love of music and Disney. Lin-Manuel’s story is told through both words and pictures. Each page has realistic illustrations that show Lin-Manuel’s life events. Even though Lin-Manuel Miranda is illustrated, the biography is intended for proficient readers. The story has challenging vocabulary words and complex sentence structure.

Lin-Manuel Miranda will inspire confident readers to work hard to make their dreams come true. The back of the book also has facts about Puerto Rico, Broadway, and even how to write your own play. The last page of the book has 10 multiple choice questions that check for reading comprehension. Lin-Manuel Miranda would be a good choice in both a home or classroom situation. Lin-Manuel Miranda will leave readers wanting to see the Broadway hit, Hamilton. The story may also ignite readers’ desire to learning more about American’s early history.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

The Bad Guys in Alien vs Bad Guys

The Bad Guys are stuck on the moon and an alien villain is trying to trap them! One by one, the Bad Guys vanish. An alien creature with tons of teeth and way too many butts is stealing them one by one. Snake is afraid he will be the next victim. Snake leaves his friends behind and blasts off in an escape pod. What will happen to The Bad Guys? Will this be the end of their story?

The sixth installment of The Bad Guys continues the story of the alien Marmalade who hopes to control the earth. The humor continues as The Bad Guys try to figure out how to defeat Marmalade and return to Earth. With non-stop action, a surprising plot twist, and an unexpected hero, readers will not be able to stop flipping the pages of The Bad Guys in Alien vs. Bad Guys. The story contains many comical events, and also uses humor that refers to butts.

Readers will relate to The Bad Guys, who argue with each other, but in the end always try to do what is right. The unique characters show bravery in the face of danger, even as they run from it. The Bad Guys Series will engage readers and help them build reading confidence. Each book begins with news reporter Tiffany Fluffit recapping the previous book’s events; however, readers will get maximum enjoyment if the books are read in order.

The Bad Guys in Alien vs. Bad Guys pulls readers into the text in various ways. The large text has nine or fewer sentences per page, and many of the words are huge and bold. In addition to the large text, black-and-white illustrations appear on every page. Some of the illustrations are full-page, while others appear in panels. The illustrations show the story’s actions as well as the characters’ facial expressions.

The Bad Guys in Alien vs. Bad Guys is a highly entertaining story that highlights the importance of helping your friends. Readers who enjoy the silly humor of The Bad Guys Series may also want to try the Fly Guy Series by Tedd Arnold. Both series focus on unexpected heroes in a comical way.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

In order to save his friends, Snake drives a robot and attacks the villain. The battle is illustrated over nine pages. At the end of the battle, Snake yells, “I just kicked your butts!”
Wolf and his friends run to the escape pod. The alien and his friends chase the group. Wolf and his friends slip in slippery drool, but are able to escape.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

The villain Marmalade is an alien and he has tentacles with butts at the end. The story has many references to the butts. For example, Piranha yells, “We have to go! It has too many butts! Too many butts!” Later Snake asks, “You really want to go looking for a creature with great, big, poopy butt hands?!”
The story has some name-calling, such as “Mr. Farty-Pants”, “rotten little diablo”, and “butt handed monster.”
Piranha yells at someone, “You are the most selfish, mean-hearted, son of a worm I’ve ever. . .”

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Mercy Watson to the Rescue

Mr. and Mrs. Watson have a pig named Mercy. Mercy loves when Mr. and Mrs. Watson snuggle her up in bed and sing her to sleep. One night, Mercy decides she doesn’t want to be alone, so she hops into Mr. and Mrs. Watson’s bed. Mercy likes being snuggled up between the two. But soon there is a boom and a crack. The Watson’s bed begins to fall through the floor. How will Mercy come to the Watsons’ rescue?

Silly and suspenseful, Mercy will have readers giggling to the very end. Younger readers will relate to Mercy, who just wants to snuggle up in bed next to Mr. and Mrs. Watson. When Mercy is woken up in the middle of the night, she just wants some warm buttered toast to fill her grumbling tummy. How could Mercy know that looking for toast would wake the Lincoln sisters, who would call the fire department, which sends two firefighters just in time to save Mr. and Mrs. Watson?

With large font, short sentences, and lots of references to buttery toast, Mercy’s adventures are the perfect read-aloud bedtime story. The easy vocabulary and the double-spaced lines of text will make the story accessible to readers who are transitioning to chapter books. Each page contains brightly colored illustrations that use exaggerated facial expressions to show the humans’ wide range of emotions. The frightened neighbor, her opinionated sister, and the helpful fireman all come to life with silly illustrations that readers will want to look at again and again. In the end, Mercy and her love of buttery toast bring everyone together in a happy conclusion. Mercy Watson Saves the Day is a fun story that will leave readers with a smile.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

When the bed begins to fall, Mr. Watson said, “What the –?”

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

The Secret Promise

These are no ordinary princesses—they’re Rescue Princesses! Princess Emily sometimes wishes that being a princess meant more than wearing fancy dresses and performing endless curtsies. She longs for a life-changing adventure – and she may just get one!

Someone is plotting to hurt the deer who live in the beautiful Mistberg Forest. Together with some new friends, Emily will have to use her smarts, her savvy, and even some newfound ninja skills to save them.

As the first book in The Rescue Princesses Series, The Secret Promise introduces four princesses who aren’t just stereotypical princesses. They like dresses and jewels, but they also like obstacle courses and learning ninja moves to help injured animals. The determined princesses aren’t afraid to tackle difficult situations. Even though the princesses know who the villain is, they still use their skills to gather evidence to take to the king. At the end of the story, the king praises the princesses because “they showed us how to be brave, inventive, and kind to other creatures.”

The Secret Promise will keep readers interested because the story has action, mystery, and daring princesses. Even though the vocabulary isn’t difficult, the story uses some complex sentence structures that are appropriate for strong readers. Cute black-and-white pictures appear every 2-7 pages. Many of the pictures are full-page and show the princesses in action. On the inside cover, the princesses are shown in full color and include characters of different ethnicities. However, in the black-and-white illustrations, the princesses look very similar to each other.

Throughout the story, several minor characters are introduced and the conclusion sets the stage for book two, The Wishing Pearl. Despite this, the books do not need to be read in order. The Secret Promise showcases adventurous princesses who use teamwork and show compassion for animals. Readers who enjoy animal stories may also want to add Rainbow Magic: The Pet Fairies Series by Daisy Meadows to their reading list.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

The princesses find a deer that is caught in a trap. “The trap’s clamped really tightly around its foot. . . Even if we manage to open it, the deer still won’t be able to walk.”

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Jaminta can give jewels power. She explains, “I found a way to make jewels work like gadgets. . . I can give them power or make them warm. Or I can make them light up just like this.”
Jaminta makes a jewel. “They’re diamonds that light up like magic when they’re close to metal.”
Jamita makes rings with jewels. “Now they are communication rings. So if you speak into yours, we’ll all hear you, no matter where we are and no matter how far away.”

Spiritual Content

When the princesses try to free a deer from a trap, Emily “kept a tight hold on the leg, praying that Jaminta could work magic with her screwdriver and get the trap undone.”

Revenge of the Dragon Lady

After killing a fierce dragon named Gorzil, Wiglaf returns to the academy and begins learning more about being a dragon slayer. But soon, a scout appears warning everyone about Seetha, Gorzil’s mother. Seetha wants to avenge her son’s death. Wiglaf isn’t ready to fight an angry dragon, so he searches for help and finds a librarian, a woman who thinks that “clothes make the man,” and finally a wizard who keeps making mistakes while casting spells.

In order to help Wiglaf, a wizard casts a courage spell that makes Wiglaf feel no fear. Wiglaf isn’t afraid to attack the “Mother of all Dragons” (or at least the mother of 3,684 of them). Will Wiglaf’s fearless attitude get him killed?

Revenge of the Dragon Lady brings more silly magic and dragon danger into Wiglaf’s life. The story adds in a fashion-forward woman that really believes the ridiculous new outfit is all Wiglaf needs to slay the dragon. The selfish headmaster also takes a larger role in the story, which is a fun addition to the story. Readers will want to read The New Kid at School first, because Revenge of the Dragon Lady has many of the same characters as the first book in the series.

Unlike many children’s books, the Dragon Slayers’ Academy doesn’t rely on bullying to create conflict. Instead, the children encourage Wiglaf and try to help him stay alive. The fast-paced story uses humor and suspense to keep readers engaged. Wiglaf is a kind-hearted boy who doesn’t want to use violence—even on a fire-breathing dragon. Instead of having sword fights and death, each dragon dies in an unrealistic, but comical way.

The story uses simple vocabulary and short paragraphs to tell a fast-paced story. Readers may need help with some of the more complex sentences and the medieval language. For example, Wiglaf’s friends tell him to “smite” the dragon, and Wiglaf tells someone to “unhand me.” Full-page black and white illustrations are scattered throughout the story. The detailed illustrations bring the characters to life with exaggerated facial expressions. A map of the academy and a DSA yearbook appear at the end of the book. Each yearbook page has a picture of a character as well as important information about him/her.

Adventure-seeking readers will enjoy Revenge of the Dragon Lady and cheer for Wiglaf as he proves that you don’t need to be mighty in order to be a hero. Readers who want more medieval fun should read the Roland Wright Series by Tony Davis.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

During a food fight in the cafeteria, Wiglaf throws an eel, and “at that very moment, the flesh-and-blood headmaster walked through the dining hall door. . . The eel stuck to Mordred’s forehead. Green eel juice dripped into his angry violet eyes.”
Wiglaf and his classmates discuss killing a dragon named Seetha. His friends tell Wiglaf to “Take up your sword. Smite the dragon on the noggin.”
The dragon, Seetha, makes fun of Wiglaf, and then, “she made a hacking sound in the back of her throat. Up came a blob of fire. She spit it at the straw dragon. WHOOSH! It burst into flames.” The headmaster tells Seetha, “Go ahead and have fun with the boy. But, please. Try not to set the school on fire.”
Wiglaf charges the dragon and “Seetha’s eyes widened with surprise. Then she blew a puff of red-hot dragon breath right at Wiglaf. The blast of smelly heat almost knocked Wiglaf off his feet. Sweat popped out on his brow. But still he ran toward the dragon. With one claw, Seetha knocked the sword out of Wiglaf’s hand. With the other, she struck him. He went rolling head over heels.”
Seetha “dangled Wiglaf further over the moat.” Wiglaf dropped his dagger, which falls on Seetha’s toe. Then Seetha “tossed Wiglaf away. He sailed through the air. With a thump, he landed on the ground. He bounced twice. Then he lay still.”
Wiglaf hides from Seetha, and when she tries to go get him, “Seetha teetered on the roof above him. . . Her wings flapped clumsily. Her tail lashed the air. She swayed dangerously back and forth. She lost her balance. Down she plunged. SPLASH. Seetha hit the moat.” Later Wiglaf explains that “Seetha died from her secret weakness! It was a bath that killed the beast.”

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

“Blazing King Ken’s britches!” is used as an exclamation.

Supernatural

The headmaster hears a fluttering noise and thinks it is a bird. He yelped, “A bird of evil omen has come to devour us all!” He realizes that the bird is actually his scout.
Wiglaf’s pigs can talk. A wizard “put a spell on her, [so] Daisy could speak Pig Latin.”
In order to make a wizard appear, “all Wiglaf had to do was say Zelnoc’s name backwards three times.” Wiglaf said the spell and “suddenly, a tiny bit of smoke appeared. It grew into a smoky, blue pillar. Out of the smoke stepped Zelnoc.”
Zelnoc accidentally says a spell that brings the entire wizard convention to a henhouse. He says “Romziz! Romziz! Romziz!” And then “Smoke filled the henhouse. Red smoke. Yellow smoke. Bright purple smoke. The hens sprang from their nest. . . But Wiglaf stood where he was. He watched in amazement as the smoke swirled into great columns. Out of each column stepped a wizard wearing a gown the color of smoke. Some two dozen wizards appeared in all.”
A wizard cast a bravery spell on Wiglaf. He chanted, “Spineless, gutless, weak-kneed brat, Chicken-hearted scaredy-cat, cringing coward, yellow-belly, liver-livered, heart of jelly. Change this boy who’s standing here, into He-Who-Knows-No-Fear!” Wiglaf then dashes off to kill a dragon.

Spiritual Content

None

Watch that Witch

Princess Pulverizer is desperate to finish her Quest of Kindness so she can finally go to Knight School. The problem is, she’s only halfway through her required number of good deeds. So when a witch offers to make her a knight right away—as long as Princess Pulverizer works for her—it’s a no-brainer. What could go wrong?

Princess Pulverizer is in a hurry to reach her goal. When the evil witch, Elle, offers to make her a knight immediately, Princess Pulverizer is convinced that causing a little mischief isn’t such a big deal. As the princess causes problems for others, the good witch tries to undo Princess Pulverizer’s pranks. Throughout the tale, the princess learns that “being a noble knight is not something you can become overnight. It takes time. And training. . . My father was right. I have a lot to learn.”

Readers will enjoy the story’s characters, which include twin witches, a faithful friend, Dribble the Dragon, and an impatient princess. Readers will relate to the princess’s desire to quickly reach her goal. Watch that Witch is perfect for readers who are ready for chapter books. The story contains easy vocabulary and short paragraphs. Princess Pulverizer has many funny puns, introduces some new vocabulary, and has a tongue twister. Black-and-white illustrations appear frequently and will help readers picture the events in the story. The illustrations show Princess Pulverizer’s facial expression and her vast emotions in a humorous way.

Watch that Witch has interesting characters, a relatable conflict, and plenty of humor to keep readers interested. Young readers will enjoy the interesting topic and parents will like the positive messages about friendship, working hard, and being nice. The story reinforces the idea that teamwork is important and that “when we work together, no one can stop us.” Watch that Witch will make a fun addition to any child’s reading list. Readers will be eager to pick up the next book in the series, The Dragon’s Tale. Readers interested in knights may also want to try the Roland Wright Series by Tony Davis.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

A little boy has a gingerbread cookie, but then a witch shows up and brings the cookie to life. “The child looked surprised as his gingerbread cookie dropped to the ground and began to dance on its own.” The cookie bites the boy’s leg, then “the gingerbread boy ran off down the road.”
During a jousting match, “something slammed Princess Pulverizer right in the chest. She felt herself falling and then everything went black.”

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Lucas left Knight School because some of the boys made fun of him and called him “lily-livered.”
Twice, the evil witch calls the princess a “fool.”

Supernatural

The princess has a sword of truth that quivers when someone is not telling the truth.
The story has two witches, one that is good and one that is evil. One witch “snapped her fingers and pulled a gingerbread cookie seemingly out of thin air.” She gives the cookie to a little boy, then “the woman in the blue gown waved her hand again and magically vanished.”
The princess has a magic mace that heals people’s wounds, “but the king also said that if we try to use the mace’s power on someone who is deceitful or evil, its magic will disappear.” When the princess waves the mace over Dribble’s blister, the blister dissolves.
The evil witch gives the princess a pin that puts her under a spell. While she wears the pin, the princess must do what the evil witch tells her to do.
The princess wears a ruby ring that “gave whoever wore it the ability to move without making a sound.”
When the princess begins to talk to the good witch, the princess “felt a piece of cloth fly into her mouth, blocking her words. She tried to pull the gag from her mouth, but already a white rope had magically tied her hands behind her back. Another rope was slithering its way around her legs, binding them so she couldn’t walk. . .a locked cage appeared magically around Princess Pulverizer. She was trapped!”
When the princess tries to escape, “she felt her feet lift off the ground. . .The wicked witch was waving her hands in the air. She was the reason the princess was flying in midair.”
The princess tricks the evil witch into looking into a magical reflecting pool. “Without thinking, she looked down into the water. A moment later, her fingers curled like a tiger’s claws. Her feet hardened like lead. And her skin turned gray as slate.” The evil witch turns into stone.
The princess is given a hand mirror as a gift. The mirror’s “magic is powerful. You can see the future reflected in the glass.”

Spiritual Content

None

The Bad Guys in Intergalactic Gas

The bad news? The world is ending. The good news? The Bad Guys are back to save it! But, they might have to “borrow” a rocket, there might be something nasty in one of the spacesuits, and Mr. Piranha might have eaten too many bean burritos. Surviving this mission may only be one small step for man, but it’s one giant leap for the Bad Guys.

Younger readers will giggle their way through The Bad Guys in Intergalactic Gas. Wolf and his friends head into space in order to track down the villain Marmalade. The Bad Guys are convinced that they can keep Earth safe, but readers will never expect how bean burritos and farts help save the day. The story contains many humorous events, but also uses body humor. For example, when Wolf finds Piranha in a spacesuit, Piranha is embarrassed to admit that “I needed somewhere to poop out my burritos and I decided to do it in the spacesuit.”

The Bad Guys in Intergalactic Gas pulls readers into the text in various ways. The large text has nine or fewer sentences per page, and many of the words are huge and bold. In addition to the large text, black-and-white illustrations appear on every page. Some of the illustrations are full-page, while others appear in panels. The illustrations add to the humor by showing the story’s actions as well as the characters’ facial expressions.

Even though The Bad Guys in Intergalactic Gas is not great literature, the story will engage readers and help them build reading confidence. Readers will enjoy the silly situations, plot twists, and unique characters, including the character Piranha, who sprinkles Spanish words into his dialogue. Each book begins with news reporter Tiffany Fluffit recapping the previous book’s events; however, readers will get maximum enjoyment if the books are read in order.

The Bad Guys Series will introduce the joy of reading to younger readers and have them clamoring for the next book in the series—The Bad Guys in Aliens vs. Bad Guys. Readers who enjoy the silly humor of The Bad Guys Series may also want to try the Inspector Flytrap Series by Tom Angleberger and Cece Bell. Both series use humor and an unexpected character to show children that reading can be fun.

Sexual Content

Snake yells at Wolf, “If we survive, your precious Agent Fox will give you a kiss.” Shark accuses Snake of being jealous. Snake says, “What?! You think I’m jealous that Agent Fox thinks this numbskull is ‘sweet’?”

Violence

Wolf and his friends steal a spaceship. When they get close to the moon, beams shoot the ship, “ZAP! ZAP!” The spaceship is “trapped in some kind of tractor beam” and gets pulled to the moon’s surface.
Legs, Snake, and Shark are tied to the wall after the ship is pulled to the moon’s surface.
The villain threatens Legs, saying, “Keep quiet, Legs, or I’ll pull off all your furry little digits and they’ll have to start calling you Body instead.”
Piranha’s farts touch the flames from a jetpack and cause an explosion. After the explosion, the “poisonous gas” causes the villain to faint.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Snake gets upset and begins yelling, “I get the feeling the international league of heroes is just a big load of . . .”
Characters call each other names, including idiot, monster, coward, poop burglar, and maniac.
Shark calls the villain an “evil lunatic.”
The villain turns into an alien that has tentacles “with a butt on the end of it.” There are several illustrations and references to the tentacles’ butts.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Jada Jones Sleepover Scientist

Jada is hosting her first sleepover and she has lots of cool scientific activities planned: kitchen chemistry, creating invisible ink, and even making slime! But when her friends get tired of the lessons and just want to hang out, can Jada figure out the formula for fun and save the sleepover?

Jada wants to combine her favorite things: science and her friends. She’s even more excited when her best friend who moved away shows up for the sleepover. But in her excitement to plan her perfect party, Jada forgets that not everyone loves the same thing. Soon all of the girls want to go home and Jada, with the help of her mother, learns to listen to other’s opinions.

Anyone who loves science will love Jada Jones Sleepover Scientist, which has kid-friendly science experiments as part of the story. Throughout the story, Jada’s family plays a positive role and Jada includes her brother, even when she doesn’t want to. When Jada’s brother accidentally makes a mess, Jada’s friends don’t throw a fit—instead, they pitch in and help clean up the mess. Like the previous books in the series, Jada Jones Sleepover Scientist has relatable characters, realistic conflicts, and reinforces real-life lessons.

Jada’s struggle comes to life with black and white pictures that have a pop of purple. Jada Jones Sleepover Scientist is intended for readers who are transitioning to chapter books. The story has seven short chapters, easy vocabulary, and illustrations on almost every page. The story does have several pages with only text and some complicated sentence structure. Overall, Jada Jones Sleepover Scientist is an entertaining story that has positive life lessons. Readers who enjoyed Katie Woo by Fran Manushkin or Sofia Martinez by Jacqueline Jules will also enjoy Jada Jones.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Dodging Dinosaurs

Get ready for Chase and Ava’s newest adventure! When they touch a dinosaur egg inside their magical suitcase, Chase and Ava jump back to prehistoric times. They’ll need to work to return the egg to its rightful nesting place before they become dinosaur dinner. How will they find the right nest to put the dinosaur egg in? Will they run into the bad guy, Randall, who keeps following them?

Siblings Chase and Ava jump back into the dinosaur age. As they search for the right nest to place the egg, the two befriend a baby dinosaur as well as run from giant stinging bugs. The story contains some interesting dinosaur facts and begins to answer the mystery of the suitcase. Even though the storyline is not completely believable, readers will enjoy the non-stop action, mystery, and dinosaur facts.

Dodging Dinosaurs is part of Scholastic’s Branches early chapter books, which have easy-to-read text and illustrations on every page. The story uses short descriptions and dialogue to keep the story moving at a fast pace. Black and white illustrations appear on every page and help break up the text into manageable sections. Dodging Dinosaurs introduces several characters that appeared in previous books, which requires the Time Jumpers series to be read in order.

In Dodging Dinosaurs, the villain Randall jumps in to save the kids. Randall tells the kids, “As of right now, I officially quit stealing things from history. The Collector isn’t going to like it.” Even though Dodging Dinosaurs solves one mystery, readers will be eager to discover who the Collector is and why he wants historical artifacts. Dodging Dinosaurs focuses on a positive sibling relationship and will entertain readers who are ready for chapter books.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Chase and Ava are time jumpers. When they go back in time, they meet another man from their time period. Chase tells the man, “You’re definitely a time jumper. You could open the suitcase, which regular people can’t. You traveled when you touched one of the objects inside. And you remember both timelines—the one where the brontosaurus was in the museum, and the one where it wasn’t. We’re pretty sure only time jumpers can do those things.”

Spiritual Content

None

Frost Friends Forever

Lina has never had a sleepover before. She’s excited that Claudia is coming up to the clouds for the first time. Lina always has fun at Claudia’s sleepovers, and Lina wants her sleepover to be extra special and fun. Lina has everything planned—snow cones, pizza, and staying up late.

When Lina’s Great-Aunt Eastia visits, everything that Lina has planned must be changed. Instead of pizza for dinner, they’re eating turnip soup. There also won’t be snow cones, snow fun, or staying up late. Instead, Great-Aunt Eastia wants Lina to act like a proper princess. Lina doesn’t want Great-Aunt Eastia to ruin her fun. How will Lina and Claudia have a snowingly perfect sleepover without following Lina’s plan?

Readers don’t have to be princesses to understand Lina’s conflict—Lina just wants to have a good time with her best friend. Even though Lina really loves her great-aunt, Lina doesn’t want to follow her advice. The magical princess has been banned from creating snow. In an attempt to have some snow fun, Lina and Claudia sneak onto Lina’s father’s airplane. Once the plane has landed, the girls head to a snow hill for some amazing sledding. When an unexpected blizzard arrives, the girls discover that they are lost.

Like a Disney princess, Lina is sweet, but not perfect. Lina tells her own story in a diary format, which allows readers to understand Lina’s conflicting emotions. In the end, Lina learns that she didn’t need exciting plans to have a fun sleepover with her best friend. Even though Lina doesn’t follow instructions, she still shows her great-aunt respect. Lina knows she can’t talk back to her aunt “because it would be rude.” Readers will understand Lina’s frustration and her mischievous side, but also see the dangers of sneaking away from her home.

Adorable blue-and-black illustrations appear on almost every page, showing Lina’s adventures. Some of the illustrations look like a piece of blue binder paper and have a list that helps reinforce the story’s ideas. For example, after Lina realizes that she and Claudia are lost in the snow, she makes a list of “Why I felt, really, really awful.” Readers will enjoy seeing Lina and Claudia’s fun sleepover, Lina’s house in the clouds, and her cute husky puppy.

Frost Friends Forever is not only a magical princess story, but also introduces the science of friction through an easy-to-understand explanation. The story also gives a practical example—Lina and her friend use ice friction to turn the ballroom floor into a sledding rink. The end of the book also explains how to make an ice lantern like the one Lina and Claudia made.

Readers will want to read about Lina’s adventures again and again as they learn important lessons about friendship and appreciating people’s differences. Readers do not have to be princesses to apply the story’s message to their life—being a princess is acting honorably as well as thinking about others, and keeping promises.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Lina is a Winterheart, “which means that I have magic powers over ice and snow.”
Most of Lina’s family members are Windtamers, which means “they can control the wind and weather.”
Lina and her family live on a magic cloud. “Otherwise we’d all be dropping out of the sky right now.”
When Lina and Claudia are lost, “Great-Aunt Eastia swooped through the clouds. She was using her Windtamer powers to warm the air and blow the blizzard away.”

Spiritual Content

None

Top Secret Smackdown

Ravens have been stolen from the Tower of London! Mac B.’s top-secret mission? Travel to Iceland and retrieve the ravens. . . or Britain is ruined!

In Iceland, Mac discovers secret submarines, hungry polar bears, mysterious blueprints, and his old archnemesis! Is the KGB man behind this birdnapping? Can Mac get the ravens to safety? It’s time for an epic, top-secret smackdown between these two secret agents!

The third installment of the Mac B. series continues the punny fun. Mac learns more about the United Kingdom’s history as well as the difference between dolphins and porpoises. Mac discovers how a simple story can become an important legend. The queen of England orders Mac to travel to Iceland and solve the mystery. Even though the majority of the story focuses on the mystery of the missing ravens, Mac’s difficulties with his mother’s boyfriend also plays a part in the story.

The queen’s outlandish behavior will make readers giggle. Readers will enjoy the conclusion because it ties all of the events together in a unique way. Top Secret Smackdown mixes humorous puns, a mysterious enemy, and wrestling to create a fun story that will entertain even the most reluctant readers. Short sentences and simple vocabulary will help readers build confidence. Large purple and orange illustrations appear on almost every page, which helps readers envision the story’s events.

Mac tells his own story with humor and puts a spotlight on the absurd. Younger readers will love the adventure, intrigue, and interesting characters. Although Top Secret Smackdown can be read as a stand-alone book, for maximum enjoyment the books should be read in order. Readers who enjoy silly, illustrated stories may also want to read Two Dogs in a Trench Coat Series by Julie Falatko.

Sexual Content

The story implies that Mac’s mother’s boyfriend stays the night when he thinks, “usually on Saturday mornings, my mom’s boyfriend, Craig, was camped out in front of the TV watching WrestleFest.”

Violence

When Mac goes to Iceland, he looks for clues, and “someone hit me on the head with something very heavy and knocked me out.” When he woke up, Mac was tied to a chair.
The president of Iceland is telling Mac a story. She acts out part of the story when “she punched me lightly on my arm. When I tried to block it, she punched me harder in the ribs.”
The KGB man ties Mac to a chair. Mac breaks out of the ropes and pretends he is a wrestler on WrestlingFest. Mac “jumped onto the KGB Man’s back. He shook me off. . . I jumped on his back again. The KGB man stood up and threw me to the floor. He tore off his shirt.” During the scuffle, Mac throws a chair, accidentally sparked TNT, and “something exploded. The camera zapped. Its wires fried. The submarine was filling with water.”
When Mac escapes the sinking submarine, “there was another blast. . .pieces of metal came flying and knocked my legs out from under me.” Mac falls into the river but is saved.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

The KGB man calls a group of people “fools.”

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

When Mac is afraid that he might drown, he thinks about Father Thames. “Some people say there is a river god named Father Thames who lives in the waters that run through London. They say he has lived there for a long, long time.” Mac thought he saw Father Thames, but then he realized it was a dolphin.

The New Kid at School

Wiglaf, the smallest boy in the family, gets pushed around by his brothers. Then a traveling minstrel tells Wiglaf he was born to be a hero. Wiglaf doesn’t think he will ever do anything heroic. When he reads the Dragon Slayer’s Academy ad posted on the village message tree, Wiglaf and his pet pig head to the academy. Even though Wiglaf can’t stand seeing any creature suffer—not even a fly—he’s convinced he can learn to slay a dragon. His first day at Dragon Slayer’s Academy will be a day he never forgets.

Twelve older brothers love to boss Wiglaf around. Much like Cinderella, Wiglaf must wash the dishes and do a never-ending list of chores. Wiglaf befriends the minstrel, who then teaches him how to read. Despite his small size, Wiglaf is convinced that he can be a hero. The kind, likable Wiglaf isn’t ashamed to be small, poor, or different than others. Instead, he uses his knowledge to defeat the dragon without using his sword, Surekill.

The New Kid at School mixes a little bit of silly magic, a talking pig, and a kind classmate to create a delightful story that makes readers giggle. Wiglaf’s adventure is told with humor while also highlighting the importance of work. This is shown when Wiglaf did not have any money to pay the academy’s tuition, so he offers to wash dishes. Another character empties eel traps in order to stay at the school. The conclusion has several surprises that will have readers eager to pick up the next book in the series, Revenge of the Dragon Lady.

The story uses simple vocabulary and short paragraphs to tell a fast-paced story. Readers may need help with some of the more complex sentences and the medieval language. For example, the dragon slayers are hoping to take the dragon’s “hoards” and Wiglaf is told to go “thitherwald.” Full-page black and white illustrations are scattered throughout the story. The detailed illustrations bring the characters to life with exaggerated facial expressions. A map of the academy and a DSA yearbook appear at the end of the book. Each yearbook page has a picture of a character as well as important information about him/her. Adventure-seeking readers will enjoy The New Kid at School and cheer for Wiglaf as he proves that you don’t need to be mighty in order to be a hero.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

A minstrel tells a story about Sir Gilford, who teased a dragon named Old Snart. “Well, Old Snart hated to be teased. He began whimpering and crying until he collapsed in a pool of tears. He hardly noticed when Sir Gilford sliced off his head.”
Wiglaf’s mother wants to hurry into town because she “doesn’t want to miss the hanging.”
Gorzil, a dragon, takes all of the town’s gold. Then, “he swears to burn Toenail to the ground unless a son and daughter of the village are outside his cave tomorrow. Tomorrow at dawn, in time for breakfast.” After a lottery, two children are sent to become Gorzil’s dinner.
Eric and Wiglaf go to Gorzil’s cave. Eric yells, “I am your worst nightmare!” Gorzil becomes angry and “sparks shot from his nose. They scorched the hem of Eric’s dress. Then Gorzil raised the tip of his tail over his head and whacked Eric’s sword out of his hand.”
After Wiglaf tells the dragon a series of really bad knock-knock jokes, “Gorzil’s chest heaved. His tail lashed one final time and was still. His tongue flopped out the side of his mouth and lay in a puddle of yellow drool. Then, with a thunderous poof, Gorzil’s body exploded into a cloud of dragon dust.”

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

The headmaster calls a boy a “ninny.” Later, someone calls Wiglaf a “ninny.”
Wiglaf’s brother tells a minstrel to “be gone, varlet!”
“Blazing King Ken’s britches!” is used as an exclamation.

Supernatural

A wizard cast a spell saying, “Oink-a-la, doink-a-la, fee fi fig! This pig shall be a talking pig!” Then the pig speaks in Pig Latin.
A wizard gives Wiglaf an enchanted sword called Surekill. When Wiglaf cries for help, the “sword leaped out of Wiglaf’s hand. It glowed red hot as it soared up, up into the air. . . They waited for it to reappear. But the sword had vanished.”

Spiritual Content

None

Sulwe

Sulwe wants to be like everyone else, but she is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe believes that because she is darker, she is not beautiful. To be beautiful, she needs to have lighter skin like her mother and sister.

One night, a star appears and takes Sulwe on a magical journey in the night sky. Sulwe is shown the story of two sisters, the Night and the Day. Even though the two were sisters, people didn’t treat them the same. “People gave Night names like ‘Scary’ and ‘Bad’ and ‘Ugly.” She felt hurt every time.” Upset by her treatment, Night left the earth. Because of Night’s absence, people realize they need Night. They learn “Brightness isn’t just for daylight. Light comes in all colors. And some light can only be seen in the dark.”

Night realizes that she does not need to change, she is beautiful just as she is. After hearing Day and Night’s story, Sulwe realizes that “she belongs out in the world! Dark and beautiful, bright and strong.” At the end of the book, the author explains how “it is important to feel good about yourself when you look in the mirror, but what is even more important is working on being beautiful inside. That means being kind to yourself and others. That is the beauty that truly shines through.”

Using language that young readers can understand, Sulwe shows the pain that colorism can cause. Even though the story focuses on colorism, anyone who has ever wanted to look different will understand Sulwe’s pain. Like everyone, Sulwe wants to fit in and make friends. However, she thinks that her problems would be solved if her skin was lighter. At one point, Sulwe tries to remove the darkness from her skin with an eraser. Sulwe’s sadness is shown in her words, her actions, and the illustrations.

The animation-styled illustrations are beautiful and moving. The illustrations show both Sulwe’s family and classmates and show the variations of their skin colors. Characters’ emotions are clearly shown through facial expressions and their actions. The book also has gorgeous images of light and dark that show the beauty in both.

Both Sulwe’s prose and illustrations are beautiful and show the importance of accepting yourself. This important message is one that every child needs to hear. Even though Sulwe is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. While many of the pages only have one sentence, readers will need assistance with the vocabulary. Sulwe would make an excellent addition to anyone’s library because the story shows that “you are beautiful because you choose to be.”

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

A star came into Sulwe’s bedroom. “Sulwe hoped onto the star and off they went.” The star shows Sulwe the beginning of time and the story of Night and Day.

Spiritual Content

Sulwe went to bed and “turned to God for a miracle.” She prays “Please make me as fair as the parents I’m from. I want to be beautiful, not just to pretend.”

Boo’s Dinosaur

When Boo brings home a dinosaur that only she can see, her brother Sammy doesn’t want to encourage her antics. Boo and her dinosaur are inseparable until Boo says goodbye to the dinosaur quite suddenly.

When Sammy sees how sad his sister is, he understands Boo’s need for her dinosaur more than he wants to admit. So much that he almost believes it . . . almost.

Boo’s Dinosaur focuses on Boo and her imaginary friend. The simple story portrays Boo’s family in a positive light, and Boo’s brother Sammy demonstrates patience. The cute story has a simple plot that is easy to understand. However, none of the characters or situations are memorable.

Beginning readers looking for early chapter books will find Boo’s Dinosaur a good bridge between picture books and chapter books. The story has eight or fewer sentences on each page. With six short chapters and easy-to-read vocabulary, beginning readers will be able to read the book independently. Black and white illustrations appear on every page, which breaks up the text as well as shows Boo with her dinosaur. The adorable illustrations bring Boo’s imagination to life and will help readers understand the plot.

Dinosaur-loving readers who are ready for more advanced chapter books and want more adventure should try The Dino Files Series by Stacy McAnulty and the Dino Rider Series by Will Dare.

Sexual Content