Early Elementary – Page 27 – Sneak Peek Books

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

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Drugs and Alcohol

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Violence

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Supernatural

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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

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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

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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

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Drugs and Alcohol

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Supernatural

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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

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Drugs and Alcohol

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Supernatural

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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

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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

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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

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Spiritual Content

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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

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Violence

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Drugs and Alcohol

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Language

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

Supernatural

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Spiritual Content

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

The Sorcerer’s Shadow

In the twelfth book from The Kingdom of Wrenly series, Prince Lucas and Clara go on an adventure in the forest realm of Trellis! All is not right in the forest realm of Trellis. Birds have left their nests, and bears have abandoned their dens, as mysterious magic threatens the natural order of the deep, dark woods. Together with a band of knights, Prince Lucas and Clara set out on an adventure that pits them against a dreaded sorcerer’s shadow. There’s only one problem: How can a shadow be defeated?

Unlike typical royalty, Prince Lucas interacts with everyone regardless of their station. When the prince and Clara see a kid named Petros being bullied, they jump in and help the boy. Even when others avoid Petros, the prince and Clara stick by his side and treat him kindly. The theme of the story is clear: “You must watch how you behave. No hurtful words or calling names. No hateful playground bully games.”

The Sorcerer’s Shadow has a darker, more frightening tone than previous books in the series. Because others have bullied Petros, his anger and hatred has transformed into a shadow beast that can turn people into wooden statues. When Petro gets angry, the beast grows and mimics Petro’s feelings. For example, when Petros cries, it begins to rain. Lucas and Clara help Petros realize that he has a gift—the gift of goodness, forgiveness, understanding, and love.

Readers will be able to relate to Petro who is upset when others treat him badly. The positive message in The Sorcerer’s Shadow is complicated because readers will need to understand the cause and effect of the events. Even though the message might not be clear, every reader will understand that words can be hurtful.

The story’s illustrations are beautifully drawn in black and white and appear on almost every page, which will help readers visualize the story. One of the characters is a lady knight, and although she does not have a large role in the story, she is portrayed in a positive light and appears in several of the illustrations. Easy-to-read vocabulary, dialogue, and simple sentence structure make The Sorcerer’s Shadow a perfect book for beginning readers. Although The Sorcerer’s Shadow is the twelfth installment of a series, the previous books do not need to be read in order to enjoy the story.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

When Prince Lucas and Clara enter a town, “they heard a ruckus up ahead. The two kids had tripped another boy, who tumbled into a fruit cart, knocking it over. Strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries speckled the road.” Prince Lucas and Clara help the boy clean up the mess.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

When Petros goes to the playground, someone yells, “Get out of here, you clumsy oaf, before you break the whole playground.”

Supernatural

No one knows why, but a “dark, ghostly cloud swirled from inside the great oak lift. The vapor formed into a showdown that roared an eerie warning.” The voice tells the town people that “the knights who tried to do some good have now been turned to bark and wood.”
The prince learns that Petros has magical powers that he cannot control. Petros didn’t know he had magical powers “until other kids began to make fun of me. The more upset I got, the more bad things would happen. . .When I get angry, the evil side of my powers begin to grow. Now my evil side has grown into a powerful, menacing shadow.”
Prince Lucas and Clara try to help Petro focus on his good powers. “Then the shadow reached dark tendrils out that touched Lucas and Clara. Instantly the two of them were rooted in place. Lucas looked down. Their feet had turned to wood.”
Lucas learned that he needed to “tame the evil magic with positive feelings!”

Spiritual Content

None

Fast-Forward to the Future

Chase and Ava have already traveled to the past twice. When they touch a glowing cube in their magic suitcase, they don’t go to the past. They end up in the future! Even though they recognize where they are, almost everything is different. In the future, they find awesome flying cars and tons of robots. But it doesn’t take long for the villain Randall to find them. Chase and Ava are on the run. They know they need to put the cube back quickly, but can they complete their mission in time? Will Randall steal the cube?

Chase and Ava travel to the future and see a wonderful world where robots have taken the place of human laborers. As Chase and Ava explore, they pass a sign that can recognize people and records their good deeds. The robots record people’s likes and dislikes and help fulfill their desire. When Chase and Ava discover that they can spend someone else’s money, Chase says, “There must have been a mistake back there. We can’t just spend other people’s money.” The two decide that it is okay to spend the money because it actually belongs to the future Chase. The black and white pictures that appear on every page will help readers visualize the imaginative world.

Fast-Forward to the Future portrays an interesting world. The addition of a prototype robot that can talk adds interest. Although Randal makes a brief appearance, most of the plot revolves around exploring the future as well as wondering what will happen if Chase meets his future self. When Chase meets his future self, the younger Chase doesn’t get any answers to the mysteries of the suitcase or Randall.

Fast-Forward to the Future shows an imaginative future where robots and humans are friends. Readers will enjoy seeing a world where ice cream appears on demand, clothes grow to the perfect size, and the restaurant robots remember Chase’s favorite meal. Fast-Forward to the Future is part of the 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. The black and white illustrations appear on every page and help break up the text into manageable sections. Fast-Forward to the Future has several characters that appear in book one, which requires the Time Jumpers series to be read in order.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

When Randall appears and tries to take a robot prototype, “Ava stomps on Randall’s foot! Randall howls and clutches his foot.” Chase and Ava are able to run away from him.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

When Chase and Ava touch an object out of an old suitcase, they begin to spin. This time, the siblings notice, “There’s something different about it this time. The images swirling around them are of strange places and objects.” This time, the two travel to the future.

Spiritual Content

None

The False Fairy

In the eleventh fantastic adventure of The Kingdom of Wrenly series, a spell makes all but one fairy disappear. A mysterious spell has hypnotized the fairies on the island of Primlox, and now it is up to Prince Lucas and Clara to save the fairyland. Along with the last remaining fairy named Falsk, will the two friends find the missing fairies? Or is Falsk, who is famous for telling wild stories, leading Lucas and Clara into a trap?

The False Fairy uses adventure, friendship, and a little bit of magic to form an entertaining story that teaches a positive lesson. Like many people, Falsk likes to play jokes on others and tell stories. However, Falsk has told so many untrue stories and played so many pranks on others that no one trusts her anymore. When the fairies are in trouble, Falsk journeys to Wrenly to get help. Even though the Falsk is known as the False Fairy, the prince listens to her plight and helps her free her fairy friends.

The Kingdom of Wrenly series has a lot of positive aspects. Besides having a pet dragon, the prince is curious, helpful, and truly cares for other people. Even though he is royalty, the prince’s best friend Clara is the daughter of a baker. The adventurous friends work together to help Falsk find her friends. In the end, Falsk learns the danger of telling untrue stories and promises. “From now on, I will never play another trick. And I’ll be truthful, honorable, and kind.”

The story’s illustrations are beautifully drawn in black and white and appear on almost every page. The illustrations help readers visualize the characters and events in the story. Easy-to-read vocabulary, dialogue, and simple sentence structure make The False Fairy a perfect book for beginning readers. Although The False Fairy is the eleventh installment of a series, the previous books do not need to be read in order to enjoy the story.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

The wizard Grom goes in search of items for his potions. He wants to make, “potions for bad-dragon-breath and stain removal, cough serums, and tracking spells.”
Grom’s tracking potion needs, “1 body part for creature to be tracked (hair, fingernail, scale, dander, or shell), 1 cup orange blossom honey, ½ turnip, 1 handful of gooseberries, 1 swoosh of snail slime.”
Grom mixes the tracking potion ingredients and then says, “Pursue-mora! Pursue-mora! Hot on the trail of an unknown beat. Track it down in a high-speed chase. Then make known it’s hidden face.” After the spell is cast, “sparkling light and glitter swirled from the locket. It ripped out of the cabin and up into the sea air.”
Grom cast a “strong protection spell on the children and Ruskin.”

Language

None

Supernatural

When fairies hear a song, they go into a trance. When Rainbow Frost hears the son, “a dreamy expression fell over Rainbow Frost’s face. Her body began to float upward. Falsk watched in horror as Rainbow Frost and the fairies of Primlox seemed to be pulled away by a dark, misty cloud moving across the sky.”
When looking for the source of the song, Falsk finds out that “the strange song was coming from a dark, misty cloud moving across the sky.”
As the group follows the dark cloud, “they studied the sea and sky for more clues. Soon their imaginations began to play tricks on them. Each waved seemed to swell with monster faces, and the clouds took on beastly shapes.”

Spiritual Content

None

Snow Place Like Home

Lina lives in the clouds and is a Windtamer, learning to control the wind and the weather. Lina loves her family and living in the sky, but she really wants to go to a regular school with her best friend, Claudia. Lina has promised her parents that she can keep her magical powers a secret from the other students.

Lina tries her hardest to keep her magical abilities under control, but every time she has a surge of emotions, she turns things to ice. Lina didn’t mean to make the boy’s bathroom into a skating rink. She didn’t mean to freeze the water fountain. But, even with the help of her granddad, Lina keeps making things cold! How can she learn to control her power? If she can’t learn to control her power, will she be banned from going to regular school?

Lina is a friendly, magical princess who struggles with controlling her emotions. Lina doesn’t mean to cause “magical disasters,” but she keeps making mistakes. Her granddad is convinced that Lina just needs to practice her magic more, but Lina has more to worry about than just pleasing her granddad. Lina and Claudia are working on a school science project, and Lina is afraid that her magic might lead to another disaster. Younger readers will enjoy characters who are diverse, friendly, and adventurous.

Snow Place Like Home 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 as well as shows positive family interactions. No one expects Lina to be a perfect princess, and when she makes mistakes, both her best friend and her parents forgive her.

The cute illustrations include pictures of all of the characters, a husky puppy, and Lina’s activities. The bright pink-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 her parents a list of why they should let her go to “Groundling school.” 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 science will enjoy Snow Place Like Home. Lina makes a quick reference about solids and liquids, and gives a recipe for “goop.” The end of the book explains why the “goop” behaves as it does. 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 mother and grandfather are Windtamers, who “have the power to control the wind and weather. Whenever she wants to go somewhere, she just waves her hand and calls up a gust of wind. The wind holds her up and carries her where she tells it to go.”
Lina’s home is a cloud palace that can “float anywhere in the sky Mom tells it to go.”
While playing tag, Lina gets upset and accidentally uses her power to stop a boy. When the boy stops, Lina “realized that Dylan’s fancy, fast sneakers were frozen to the ground in solid blocks of ice.” Lina also has several other “teensy tiny slipups,” including: “froze the water fountain, frosted over the windows in the cafeteria, and turning the boys’ bathroom into an ice-skating rink.”
Lina discovers that she is a Winterheart and can control snow and ice.
In Lina’s world, there are different types of magic: making storms, creating lightning and thunder, and making sunsets and rainbows.

Spiritual Content

None

Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants

Ada Twist loves questions. One morning, she learns that hot coffee smells stronger than cold coffee. In a quest to find out why, she heads to the backyard to experiment with smells. Ada takes her brother’s shoes to use in her experiment. She doesn’t understand why her brother Arthur gest so cranky when he discovers his shoes are part of her experiment. As Ada is working on her theories, Uncle Ned flies by.

Uncle Ned got carried away in his helium pants. In order to help Uncle Ned, Ada must first answer a lot of questions. With help from fellow Questioneers Iggy Peck and Rosie Revere, her brother Arthur, and some new friends, Ada Twist is ready to save the day!

Ada loves to discover the answer to the myriad of questions that she has. She collects data, keeps a notebook, and brainstorms solutions with her friends. Ada uses all five senses to “gather data.” Even though the story explains science in kid-friendly terms, the number of topics might overwhelm some readers. The story explores smells, air currents, how weather vanes work, buoyance forces, and types of birds. In addition, the story explains what air is, what gases are, and what smells are.

Ada’s scientific notebook contains purple and brown illustrations that help readers understand her science experiments. In addition to Ada’s notebook, the author also includes pictures of the characters. Readers will giggle as Uncle Ned’s helium pants take him on a crazy journey. The illustrations in The Questioneers series are similar to the author’s picture books.

The text contains short, simple sentences with plenty of dialogue and onomatopoeias. Although the majority of the text is easy to read, some of the vocabulary is difficult, such as perilous, hazardous, buoyancy, overwhelmed, and reeking. Unlike the first book in the series, Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants tries too hard to incorporate science lessons. The plot is at times confusing because it jumps from topic to topic while including many of the characters from the previous books.

Readers who are just transitioning to chapter books will have difficulty with the advanced vocabulary and the confusing plot. However, readers interested in science will be completely engaged in the story. Even though Ada’s excitement takes over, her family is patient and encouraging. The story often points out the importance of asking permission before using someone else’s belongings. The end of the book has information about becoming a citizen scientist, a list of information about birds, and a poem about gas. Readers who enjoy The Questioneers series will also want to read the Ellie, Engineer series. Science lovers who aren’t ready for The Questioneers series may want to try The Data Set.

Sexual Content