Reading Level: Early Elementary

Ghost Attack

When Alex and his cousin Sarah visit their grandparents, they don’t expect to find a ghost. Alex gets terrible red hives every time a mysterious ghost is near. Even though Alex screams every time the ghost appears, the ghost persists in showing up. Alex and Sarah decide to delve into Thistle’s Fall’s history to find out who the persistent ghost is and how they can help him.

Full of humor, Ghost Attack has a suspenseful plot that will keep readers interested. The easy-to-read story has many good aspects—a loving family, a lesson about making assumptions, and lively squirrels.  David Lubar weaves mystery and ghosts into a non-scary story that is fun to read. Readers will be eager to pick up the next book in the series—Monster Itch #2: Vampire Trouble.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Ghosts haunt Thistle’s Falls. “There were railroad brakeman ghosts, tragic romance ghosts, stranded pioneer ghosts, and pretty much every other kind of ghost you could imagine.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Vampire Trouble

Alex hopes to win the kickball home-run record. When a new playground monitor appears, Alex begins to sneeze—great, big sneezes that make it impossible to kick the ball. Alex realizes that he’s allergic to the new playground monitor. Alex and his cousin Sara set out to discover what type of monster the new monitor is and how they can make her go away.

Although Vampire Trouble is not as suspenseful or humorous as the first book in the series, there is still a lot to like about the story. The plot is interesting and revolves around kickball. In the end, Alex learns that sportsmanship is more important than winning. Another positive aspect of the story is how the cousins in Vampire Trouble work together to find a solution to Alex’s monster allergy problem. In order to uncover the truth about vampires, they think like scientists, and through their search, readers will learn that not everything that is on the internet is true.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • A boy hits Alex with a ball. “As I walked away, the ball smacked the back of my head with a loud POING!”
  • The vampire, who has rats that hang around her, threatens Alex and Sara.  She tells them, “They will chase you off. And then a picture burst into my mind. I could see the rats leaping towards me.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • A vampire is a playground monitor at Alex’s school. Rats hang around the vampire.
  • The vampire can communicate by talking into people’s minds. When she communicates with Alex, “The words drifted into my mind, echoing like it had been spoken in a tomb.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

The Haunted Howl

Cleo and Evan jump into a new book and discover that danger is lurking behind every corner. Evan has been bitten by a werewolf, and they must race to find a cure. If the full moon rises before they have found the cure, Evan will be stuck in the pages of a creepy ghost story forever.

Ghosts, werewolves, and an angry mob of townsfolk must be defeated if Cleo and Evan are to survive. Full of suspense and creepy monsters, The Haunted Howl will give readers a kid-friendly fright. Independent readers will not want to put the book down until they learn if the curse of the full moon can be broken. Black and white illustrations are scattered throughout the book and help bring the story to life. Although the book is a series, readers can understand and enjoy the plot without reading the previous books.

As Cleo and Evan journey to find a cure, they encounter ghosts. One of the ghosts is Cleo’s character’s mother. The idea that ghosts are real people who have been trapped by a curse may upset some readers. In the end, the ghosts are able to “move on.”

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • After Evan is bitten by a werewolf, a mob chases him with the intent to kill him. Evan and his friends are able to hide from the townsfolk.
  • Ghosts appear and try to prevent the kids from leaving the woods. “The kids were really scared, and soon found themselves back-to-back, surrounded by the frightening spirits. . . Dozens of skeletons hung from the branches.” The ghosts do not want the kids to pass because “if a single living soul makes it out of the cemetery, we will be trapped in these woods forever.” The kids convince the ghosts to let them go.
  • A monster disguises itself as a boy and tries to enchant Cleo so she will enter a body of water and drown. When the enchantment doesn’t work, the monster’s “pale face turned the color of seaweed and he bared a mouthful of needle sharp fangs. A slimy claw burst from the water and grabbed Cleo’s wrist.” The struggle lasts for several pages, and the kids are able to escape.
  • When Cleo is fighting against a monster, a character “launched another stone at them, this one much larger than the first. Cleo twisted out of the way, and the boulder only grazed her shoulder. . . (The sea creature) let out a terrible shriek as the boulder knocked it off of the Cliffside and into the pool below.”
  • Armor comes to life and attacks the kids. One suit of armor “leaped forward, swinging a spiked club wildly. . . Four more suits of armor marched from their places to block them (the kids).” The suits of armor are all destroyed.
  • When the kids are looking for an object, a librarian attacks them and shoots books “like arrows.” The librarian “waved her arm, and the ladder slid Cleo and Evan along the rails, slamming them into a wall.” The scuffle lasts several pages, but the librarian decides to help the kids in their quest.
  • Evan changes into a werewolf and fights Dr. Thorne, who was also turned into a werewolf. As they fight, “they wrestled to the ground, snarling and barking at each other like vicious dogs. They twisted, thrashed and clawed. Dr. Thorne was much larger, but Evan was quicker. Both were out for blood.” Evan’s friends come to the rescue.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • The library under the school has a magic portal that takes people into books. When a person travels into a book, they become a character in the book.
  • In order to make a potion to change werewolves back into people, one must use a Lycan Spoon. “The Lycan Spoon has special powers. It was crafted from the leg bone of the first werewolf.”
  • While the kids search for a plant, ghosts appear. One ghost says, “Every soul ever taken by a werewolf haunts these woods . . . If the head werewolf of the pack is destroyed, our souls will be released.”

Spiritual Content

  • When the ghosts are able to “move on,” a ghost tells someone, “There are worlds beyond this one. We (the ghosts) will each find our own path.”

 

Hero Dog!

There’s been a break-in on Orange Street, and 9-year-old reporter Hilde is determined to crack the case. As Hilde begins interviewing witnesses, she soon discovers a string of missing sweets. Cupcakes have disappeared. A pie has gone missing. Many believe that Mr. Macintosh’s dog, Zeus, is the culprit. With the help of her sister Izzy, can Hilde discover the thief’s true identity?

Hero Dog! is a fast-paced mystery designed for younger readers. The story begins with Hilde’s “reporter’s toolbox” that teaches new vocabulary. As she interviews her sources, Hilde shows the importance of being observant and models questioning skills. Illustrations from her reporter’s notebook repeat key details of the story as well as questions she needs to answer. The end of the book has questions and activities that will encourage readers to check for understanding. Readers will want to follow the clues and see if they can solve the mystery along with Hilde. Hilde Cracks the Case: Hero Dog! is an excellent story that has the added benefit of teaching younger readers skills they will use in their daily life.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

The Royal Island

In book seven of the Tales of Sasha, Wyatt, Kimani, and Sasha are in a race against time. They must make it to the island of royal flying horses where Sasha can meet the King and Queen. As they travel, they must figure out how to find the mysterious island. Then a powerful storm forces them to take shelter on a small island. They have lost their map and are not sure where they are. Will Sasha and her friends be able to find the island and meet the King and Queen?

Younger readers will want to read The Royal Island because the main characters are flying horses. The story’s vocabulary makes The Royal Island easy to read. However, the plot and characters are not well developed. When Sasha finally meets her biological parents, they have a short, unemotional conversation, and then her parents prepare to leave to perform their royal duties. If you are looking for a book with an engaging plot and educational value, you may want to leave The Royal Island on the shelf.

Sexual Content
• None

Drugs and Alcohol
• None

Language
• None

Supernatural
• None

Spiritual Content
• None

The Bard and the Beast

Playing with his dragon, having a toad race, and having a berry war with Clara—these are the things that are important to Prince Lucas. When Queen Tasha decides that Lucas will learn to play a musical instrument, he is reluctant to go to lessons. Even when a traveling bard comes to the castle, Lucas still isn’t convinced that music can be magical. When the two go for a walk, Lucas takes the bard to peek inside a cave, but instead of finding lizards, they find a ferocious monster.

Young readers will relate to Lucas for a variety of reasons—Lucus struggles to be on time, he angers his mother, and he doesn’t see the importance of learning to play an instrument. Suspense is added when Lucas keeps finding strange, green feathers. The bard brings additional action to the plot by telling exciting stories of how music has helped keep kingdoms safe.

Black and white illustrations appear on almost every page and help readers visualize the story. Easy-to-read vocabulary, dialogue, and simple sentence structure make The Bard and the Beast a perfect book for beginning readers. Although The Bard and the Beast is the ninth installment of a series, the previous books do not need to be read in order to enjoy the story.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • A bard tells the story of a king who went fishing. A huge snake swam along the boat, and the king “lifted his paddle and whacked the snake on the head.” When the snake went to attack, a bard used music to confuse the snake. “It shook its head wildly and then lowered itself into the water and disappeared.” Later that night, the snake came into the king’s sleeping chamber, ready to attack, but the bard again played music to save the king.
  • Will goes into a cave where a basilisk lives. If he looks into the basilisk’s eyes, it will kill him.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Third Grade Mermaid

Cora dreams of being like the Singing Sirens, the beautiful mermaids that are on the best swim team. But when she fails spelling, she is taken off of the team unless she can earn an A on the next spelling test. To make everything worse, if Cora can’t earn an A, her spot on the swim team will go to Vivian—a beautiful mermaid with shimmery skin. Cora wants to be on the team, but she is easily distracted. Can she learn to study her spelling words and keep her spot on the swim team?

Told in diary form with illustrations on every page, Third Grade Mermaid allows Cora’s struggles with spelling to come to life. The plot focuses on Cora’s struggle with spelling as well as Cora’s attempt to hide her new pet, a gigantic shrimp, from her parents. The plot jumps from topic to topic, which may be difficult for new readers.  As Cora writes in her diary, she crosses out misspelled words and puts the correct spelling in bold print.

Cora’s personality comes to life through the illustrations and her storytelling. However, Cora has several qualities that are not worth emulating. Cora tends to complain a lot, and she is overly focused on other mermaids’ beauty. She believes that “If you’re pretty enough, you just get handed EVERYTHING, including a whole school of fish that follow every flip and flop of your fancy fins.” When Cora hides her pet, her brother has an allergic reaction to shellfish. Cora lies about having a giant shrimp in the house. Later, she gets tired of having a giant shrimp follow her around and tries to ditch him.

Even when Cora’s mother spends “half the morning” arguing with the teacher so Cora can get back on the swim team, Cora is not thankful. Instead, Cora is upset that she had to stay in at recess and talk to the teacher and coach about how to get back on the team. Throughout the entire story, Cora does not study because she either gets distracted or falls asleep. Despite this, at the end of the story she does earn an A on her test, because “I used them to tell my own story. Better than that, I LIVED them.”

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • When Cora tells a shark that his jokes are not great, the shark gets angry and tries to eat her. Just when she is about to become “mermaid sushi” a giant shrimp saves her.
  • A group of beautiful sirens sing a song and attempt to crash the men’s ship. “But right as the boat was about to smash into the rocks,” the sailors see a giant shrimp and shoot a spear at him. “A metal spear whizzed past my ear! Then one nearly hit Vivian!” Everyone is able to swim away from the threat.
  • Vivian has a birthday party and puts her cake on top of an actual underwater volcano. The volcano explodes and “everyone started pushing and shoving to get out of there!” Cora’s necklace gets stuck on “the wet bar.” She is able to escape safely.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • There is a “wet bar” at a mermaid’s birthday party.

Language

  • Cora complains that her art teacher only gives the students “one piece of stinkin’ paper per class.”

Supernatural

  • Cora’s mother gives her a diary. “It’s enchanted. And because you willingly put pen to paper, from now on you’ll be compelled to write in it.” Later Cora discovers that her mother was just teasing and she wrote in the diary because she enjoyed it.

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Attack of the Kraken

Buzz Richards and his team receive an urgent call from Atlantis. Mayor Julius Blacksand dreams of expanding crystal technology, but the Kraken keeps attacking. When Buzz begins searching for answers, he meets Emily Airwalker. Soon, Buzz begins to think that the mayor’s story “smells a little fishy.”

As Buzz unravels the mystery of the Kraken, Alex and Gunthar explore the city and learn about Atlantis’s rules such as, “Never swim alone in a dark alley.” The adventures of Alex and Gunthar add interest and excitement to the story.

Reluctant readers will enjoy Attack of the Kraken because the story is full of comic style black-and-white illustrations. The plot is random, silly, and fun. If you are looking for an amusing book that will make readers giggle, Attack of the Kraken is a good choice.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • A shark chases Alex and Gunthar. When the shark tries to eat them, the Atlantians put a net over the shark because “eating visitors is not allowed.”
  • Later, the shark captures Alex and Gunthar; while he is looking in the book for “recipes for eating people”, the two escape. An orca appears and eats the shark, and then a whale eats the orca.
  • A giant crab grabs two characters in his pinchers. The crab lets them go when someone gives him a “drippy, disgusting fish head.” The crab declares that he “didn’t want to eat that furry white guy anyway!”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Atlantis has crystal technology that “powers their cities, grows their food, and produces everything they need. It can make anything disappear, including socks, homework, and human ships that stray into the so-called Bermuda Triangle.”
  • “There are many kinds of crystals, with many different powers. They inspire scientific discovery, art, music, food, love, and friendship. And the most important crystal of all, the Heart Stone, keeps the oceans alive and creates harmony around the world.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Chill of the Ice Dragon

A terrible Ice Giant has turned Mina’s kingdom and all the people in the castle to ice. She leaves the Far North Lands to find help. Mina arrives at the castle and asks Drake and his friends for help. Only a fire dragon can defeat the Ice Giant, but Rori and Vulcan are no longer at the castle. Will the Dragon Masters be able to find Rori and help defeat the Ice Giant?

The ninth book in the Dragon Masters series has the same black and white illustrations that help the readers visualize the characters and the action of the story. Easy vocabulary and simple sentence structure will allow beginning readers to enjoy the story. For those who have not read the previous books, Chill of the Ice Dragon may be confusing because of the many characters in the story. The end of the story is exciting and action-packed, but the beginning is choppy and doesn’t transition to different scenes smoothly.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Dragons fight. “Neru began to glow with energy. But before the purple dragon could attack, green beams of light shot from Worm’s eyes!  They’d zapped Neru, sending him jolting backward.”
  • A character uses a magic crystal to control a dragon.
  • Over several chapters, the dragon masters and their dragons fight Vasty, who has frozen the kingdom. “Green energy beams shot from Worm’s eyes, aimed at the crystal. But Frost was fast. He shot his icy breath at Worm.”
  • Vasty is defeated when Frost “shot his icy breath at the staff, knocking it out of Vasty’s hands. Hulda blasted magic from her fingertips. The giant staggered backward.” Eventually Vasty is shrunken and Frost creates “a swirling tunnel of ice” that sucks up the tiny giant.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • A character uses a “gazing ball” to show Mina the other dragon masters.
  • Each dragon has special powers. For example, when people touch Worm, he transports them to different places. Another dragon sprays poisonous mist.

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Wallace and Grace and the Lost Puppy

Wallace and Grace, best friends and partners in the Night Owl Detective Agency, stumble upon a lost puppy. In an effort to get the puppy home, Wallace and Grace must follow the clues to find out where the puppy lives. With the help of his new friends, the puppy learns about forest animals.

Younger readers will love reading the story of Wallace and Grace. Cute, charming pictures bring the forest alive. The story is engaging and teaches new vocabulary because Grace uses “very big words” and then explains what they mean. The story teaches problem-solving skills and has a lesson at the end: some things are more important than winning.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Inspector Flytrap

A Venus flytrap makes an unlikely detective in the first book of the Inspector Flytrap series. Inspector Flytrap solves big deal mysteries, with his assistant Nina the Goat. On his first case, Inspector Flytrap is called in to figure out what the strange blob is on Da Vinci’s flower painting.

Over the course of the story, Inspector Flytrap is called upon to discover “The Big Deal Mystery of the Stinky Cookies” and “The Big Deal Mystery of the Missing Rose.” As he investigates the clues, he has to keep Nina from eating them.

Inspector Flytrap is full of illustrations that bring the animal characters to life. The silly storyline and funny antics of Inspector Flytrap and his assistant will engage readers.

Sexual Content

  • When Nina the Goat meets another goat, she said, “William, you are the goat I have dreamed of all my life. Let me kiss you! Kissy-kissy smooch-smooch!”

Violence

  • Inspector Flytrap and Nina the Goat flee from an angry mob. They escape the mob when they crash into a restaurant. “We crashed into his kitchen. Pots and pans and goats and skateboards and linguini went everywhere.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Inspector Flytrap in The President’s Mane Is Missing

Welcome to Inspector Flytrap’s Detective Agency, home to the world-renowned solver of BIG DEAL mysteries. Inspector Flytrap, a Venus flytrap, works tirelessly with his assistant Nina the Goat, on unsolved cases. Inspector Flytrap is looking for a thrilling mystery to solve. When the President of the United States calls, Inspector Flytrap thinks he has found his mystery.

When the president of the United States Horse G. Horse unveils a huge statue of himself, a huge fly from outer space attacks the city. Detective Flytrap tries to solve the mystery as he assistant Nina eats everything in sight. This story is random and wacky with turkey reporters, talking plants, and a huge space alien fly. This story combines illustrations with humor to create a book for early-chapter readers.

Inspector Flytrap in The President’s Mane Is Missing contains bathroom humor. In the beginning of the book, people keep asking Inspector Flytrap about his bathroom habits. His assistant Nina gets to the top of Horse G. Horse’s statue through an elevator in the horse’s butt. In addition, Inspector Flytrap solves the mystery when he realizes the giant fly has been attracted to Earth because the fly expects the giant horse statue to create “giant poopee.”

 Sexual Content

  • Inspector Flytrap makes plans to have a date and his girlfriend says, “I want to do a lot of kissing tonight.”

Violence

  • A giant fly is destroying the city’s monuments and causing havoc. “Two of its massive legs—each as big as a telephone pole—reached down and grabbed the two taxicabs.”
  • A goat eats part of a statue and causes it to crash to the ground. “First it crushed the Capitol Building, then the art museum . . . and lastly, the White House. My statue was no more . . . and the nation’s capital was in ruin.”
  • A goat partly eats the statue of President Horse. “The enormous rear end of the giant horse fell backwards and crashed on top of the presidential limousine. It landed so hard that the ground shook like we were having an earthquake.”
  • A furious mob chases after Detective Flytrap. He races off on his skateboard and finds a place to hide.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Classes are Canceled

Orson Eerie has a devious plan that will allow him to spread his power throughout the town. Orson causes the walls of Eerie Elementary to crumble, the floors to split, and chaos to start in the gym. When Principal Winik announces that the school is going to be torn down, it’s up to Sam and his friends to find out how to stop Orson. With the help of the class hamster Squeakers, can the kids save the school and defeat Orson?

The seventh installment of the Eerie Elementary series has all of the appeal of the previous books. Classes Are Canceled isn’t as action-packed as the previous stories, however, it is just as entertaining.  The addition of Squeakers adds a humorous twist to the storyline.

The easy-to-follow plot is entertaining and appropriate for newly independent readers. Even so, Classes Are Canceled will be enjoyed by older readers as well. Readers who enjoy the Notebook of Doom series will want to jump into the world of Eerie Elementary. The characters use creative problem-solving skills and work as a team to complete their mission. The story ends with discussion questions that will add to the learning value of the book.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Orson Eerie is causing Eerie Elementary to crumble. Some students get trapped in the gym. “A huge chunk of ceiling crashed to the floor and blocked the exit. Everyone was trapped inside the crumbling, collapsing gymnasium. . . A basketball hoop toppled and smashed against the floorboards.” The students use dodge balls to protect themselves.
  • Orson Eerie attempts to control a wrecking ball and destroy the school. “The wrecking ball swung into the school and WHAM! An entire wall exploded.” The kids are able to stop him.
  • Orson tries to stop the kids from saving the school. “The massive wrecking ball smashed down! It was the loudest sound Sam had ever heard. Metal exploded. Electrical sparks shot out. The ball plunged through the truck.” No one is hurt.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • “Orson Eerie was a mad scientist. He was also the architect who designed Eerie Elementary almost one hundred years ago. Orson Eerie found a way to live forever—he became the school. Orson Eerie was the school, and the school was Orson Eerie! Eerie Elementary was a living, breathing thing that fed on students.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

School Freezes Over!

A terrible blizzard hits Eerie Elementary and traps all of the students inside. Icy wind howls through the halls, icicles drip from the ceiling, and living snow begins to pile up. Sam and his friends discover that mad scientist Orson Eerie has an evil plan to return in human form. Can Sam and his friends defeat Orson before he turns everyone into popsicles?

The next installment in the Eerie Elementary series, School Freezes Over! will continue to captivate readers because of its spooky, action-packed fun. Many of the pages end with cliffhangers that will make the reader want to continue reading. Black and white illustrations and onomatopoeia help create the story’s tone. The book contains simple sentence structures and an easy-to-follow plot. Like the other books in the series, School Freezes Over! is a fast-moving and fun book to read. Sam and his friends use problem-solving skills and science to defeat Orson Eerie and, in the process, show what true friendship looks like.

The easy-to-follow plot is entertaining and appropriate for newly independent readers. However, School Freezes Over! will be enjoyed by older readers as well. Those who enjoy the Notebook of Doom series will want to jump into the world of Eerie Elementary. Readers will learn about several science projects and may want to research how to perform them at home. The story ends with discussion questions that add to the learning value of the book.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Orson Eerie creates a storm. “The windows all flew open at once! The blizzard stormed into the hallway! Snow filled the air, and icy water splashed down.”
  • A hose tugs Antonio into the bathroom. “Antonio cried out. But his shrieks were cut short with the door slammed shut. . . . Sam knew that Eerie Elementary was a living, breathing monster. To stay alive it must eat.” Antonio was turning into a “Popsicle. An ice Popsicle to chomp on.”
  • Huge icicles begin to crash and almost hit Sam and Lucy.
  • The snow comes alive. “Horrifying snow arms grew from the piles. Long, frosty fingers reached for Sam. Sam skated faster, steering into the center of the hall. Antonio and Lucy swung wildly as the monstrous hands clawed at them.”
  • A tornado is in the school. “The tornado was spinning and swirling down the hall. Sam wanted to just let the icy storm pass. But he knew Orson Eerie fed on students. And he knew if Orson Eerie made it to the gym, he would feast on everyone!” The friends are able to stop the tornado.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • “Orson Eerie was a mad scientist. He was also the architect who designed Eerie Elementary almost one hundred years ago. Orson Eerie found a way to live forever—he became the school. Orson Eerie was the school, and the school was Orson Eerie! Eerie Elementary was a living, breathing thing that fed on students.”
  • Orson Eerie has devised a plan to bring himself back to life.

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

The Science Fair is Freaky!

Eerie Elementary is preparing for its first science fair in seven years. As Sam, Antonio, and Lucy try to figure out what experiment to perform, they stumble upon a strange book hidden in the library. The school comes alive and tries to snatch the book from the kids. During the science fair, the ground shakes, projects explode, and a giant volcano forms in the gym floor. How can the friends keep the book from a school that spews lava? Can they discover what secrets are hidden in the book?

Eerie Elementary is an action-packed and fun series to read. The Science Fair is Freaky! includes fun illustrations of the friends using problem-solving skills to figure out what is hidden in the strange book. The book contains simple sentence structures and an easy-to-follow plot. The abnormal occurrences in the book are exciting and contain onomatopoeias that enhance the storytelling. Although the school comes alive and tries to keep the book away from the kids, the story is spooky, but not scary.

The easy-to-follow plot is entertaining and appropriate for newly independent readers. However, The Science Fair is Freaky! will be enjoyed by older readers as well. Readers who enjoy the Notebook of Doom series will want to jump into the world of Eerie Elementary. Readers will learn about several science projects and may want to research how to perform them at home. The story ends with discussion questions that will add to the learning value of the book.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • When Sam and his friends find a strange book hidden in the library, the library attacks them. “Books leapt from the shelves! One slammed into Sam’s stomach, knocking him to the side. Another clonked Antonio in the shoulder. Lucky ducked just before an encyclopedia took her head off.”
  • Eerie Elementary makes the science fair projects go berserk. Then the floor turns into a volcano. “Lava bubbled from the volcano’s crater. The floorboards that formed the volcano were melting! Sam’s heart pounded.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • “Orson Eerie was a mad scientist. He was also the architect who designed Eerie Elementary almost one hundred years ago. Orson Eerie found a way to live forever—he became the school. Orson Eerie was the school, and the school was Orson Eerie! Eerie Elementary was a living, breathing thing that fed on students.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Rise of the Balloon Goons

When Alexander moves to a new town, he finds strange things around every corner. On his first day of school, he arrives to find the school abandoned. While at the abandoned school, Alex finds a strange notebook that has drawings of monsters. If that was not creepy enough, school is now being held in a hospital and Alexander’s classroom is in the morgue.

As Alexander wanders through his new town, he notices balloon goons popping up everywhere. No one except Rip believes that the balloon goons are monsters. Soon Rip and Alexander bands together. Can the two defeat the balloon goons, before the goons deflate everything in town?

Full of monsters and silly illustrations, Rise of the Balloon Goons is full of fun adventures. The plot of the book is full of mystery, suspense, and humor. The text is broken up with illustrations from both the storyline and pages from the mysterious monster book. This easy-to-read story will captivate even the most reluctant readers.

Sexual Content
• None

Violence
• Two balloon goons attacked Alexander. “Foomp! Alexander was clobbered on the head, from behind. It felt like he’d been socked by a boxing glove. He spun around just in time to be hit in the face . . . their long, wobbly arms swooped in and grabbed at his jacket.” Alex was able to escape without being hurt.
• When balloon goons attack Alexander and his friend. His friend hits one with a shoe. “The goon scrunched down like a spring and then vaulted toward Rip. Rip swung the pointy-toed show with both hands—SPLACCK!—making a tear in the goon’s silk belly. The monster collapsed as the air whooshed out of its wound.”
• Alexander’s friend is kidnapped by balloon goons and tied up to an inflatable post in the goon’s fortress. He is not injured.
• As Alexander and his friend are trying to escape from the goon’s fortress. They are attacked. Several of the goons are deflated. “Alexander was hit by his old shoe, and begun to fall . . . He slammed down onto the green balloon goon. The goon exploded, releasing a blast of air that knocked the rest of the goons to the floor.” The goons are defeated when Alexander’s dad pops their fortress.

Drugs and Alcohol
• None

Language
• None

Supernatural
• None

Spiritual Content
• None

Day of the Night Crawlers

Alexander knows there are monsters in Stermont. After all, he found a notebook filled with drawings and facts about them. When night crawlers begin crowding the sidewalk, Alexander knows they will turn into megaworms and grow taller than a bus when the sun rises. But Alexander’s friend, Rip, doesn’t believe the night crawlers are dangerous.

In a strange twist, Mr. Hoarsely, the secretary-gym teacher turns up missing and a strange woman in a fencing outfit takes his place. Alexander and Rip must now find out what happened to Mr. Hoarsely, in addition to finding a way to keep Stermont safe from megaworms.

The second installment of The Notebook of Doom is just as entertaining as the first. Besides silly monsters, Day of the Night Crawlers adds a new character, which causes some jealousy. Even though the monsters are dangerous, the story is never frightening. Younger readers will fall in love with the story’s characters and the illustrations.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • A tunnel fish tries to eat the three main characters. “Just then, a spiky fin burst from the dirt. A scaly beast bulldozed its way toward the kids, chomping everything in its path.” The kids are able to hide in a caboose before the monster eats anyone, but then the fish eats the caboose. The kids are able to figure out how to get out of the tunnel fish’s mouth.
  • The strange substitute teacher attacks the kids with her sword nose. “Rip let out a battle cry and charged at the fish-kabob . . . Rip crashed into his friends, and they fell off the caboose. They landed on a giant bumpy green tongue, surrounded by growling tunnel fish.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Battle of the Boss-Monster

The Super Secret Monster Patrol must fight in the ultimate battle against the boss-monster. Alexander, Rip, and Nikki need to find the boss monster, who has stolen the S.S.M.P.’s notebook. Unlike previous times, the S.S.M.P will have to battle an army of monsters. Will the S.S.M.P. be able to save Stermont from the boss-monster?

Young readers will love the next installment of The Notebook of Doom, Battle of the Boss Monster.  Filled with illustrations that are more silly than scary, children of all ages will have fun reading about the S.S.M.P’s battle. If readers have not read previous books from the series, some of the events in Battle of the Boss Monster will be confusing.  The Notebook of Doom Series will be more enjoyable if read in sequence.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • A rockodile attacks Rip and his friends. Rip transforms into a monster and slammed into the rockodile. “Cracks spread along the rockodiles’ body. Then the monster crumbled into pieces.”
  • A gloomp uses rubber cement to cement the S.S.M.P to the floor.
  • The boss-monster tries to eat Alexander, but a socktopus saves him. “The socktopus snapped its arms like whips. It immediately wrapped itself around the boss-monster.” The soctopus hits the beams in the ceiling and causes the beams to crash. “The beam fell like a tree, pinning the boss-monster to the ground.”
  • Many monsters join the boss-monster’s battle including a giant onion, a honkflower, and a skunky-monkey.”
  • When monsters attack the school, Ms. Vanderpants turns on a water fountain. Then, “Spiky cement balls dropped from the ceiling, crushing the monsters.” During the battle a balloon goon is popped.
  • Alexander throws the Notebook of Doom into the Rainbow sparkle glue. It turns into a “humongous monster . . . the pages grew larger, folding into horns and eyes and wings and claws.” The notebook eats the gloomp.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Rip calls his friends, “weenies.”

Supernatural

  • The boss-monster uses special rainbow sparkle glue that “shimmered, casting disco-ball sparkles around the room” to make new monsters. “Anything that hits the glue becomes a monster.”
  • Rip feeds ants candy that changes them. “As they ate it, the ants grew into huge, blue, puppy-sized bugs.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

March of the Vanderpants

The boss monster has stolen the S.S.M.P.’s monster notebook and Alexander must find a way to get it back. When Alexander sees the principal acting strange, he decides to follow the clues. Could Ms. Vanderpants be the boss monster? Can Alexander discover Ms. Vanderpants’s secret?

March of the Vanderpants focuses on the mystery of Ms. Vanderpants’s and Rip’s new monster abilities. Young readers will love the next installment of The Notebook of Doom: March of the Vanderpants. Because some of the plot revolves around issues that appeared in previous books, the twelfth book in the series will be enjoyed more if Sneeze of the Octo-Schnozz has been read. Children of all ages will have fun reading about the S.S.M.P’s battle, in this book that’s filled with illustrations that are more silly than scary,

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • A forkupine attacks the kids. “An explosion of sparks lit up the room. The machine-thing spun toward Alexander, Rip, and Nikki. Sparks flew from where its metal pointy parts scraped the stone floor.” The S.S.M.P. are able to distract the forkupine with spaghetti.
  • The S.S.M.P. and Ms. Vanderpants battle. During the fight, “Rip lowered his horns and charged at his principal. She whipped around, blocking Rip’s attack with her armored shell.” The battle is described over a chapter.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • One of Alexander’s friends calls him a “weenie.”

Supernatural

  • Ms. Vanderpants turns into a nar-madillo, “part narwhal, part armadillo.” She “balled her hands, arched her back, and, with a growl, burst through her gray suit. She had a leathery shell on her back, a long tail, and scaly feet with sharp claws.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

How to Tame a Triceratops

Josh dreams of being just like Terrordactyl Bill, the great dino rider who protects the Lost Plains from fearsome dinosaurs and criminals. Josh’s life isn’t as exciting as his dreams. Instead of bucking brontosauruses, Josh works on his family’s iguanodon ranch. His dino Plodder is a tired dinosaur who moves too slowly.

When Josh hears that Terrordactyl Bill is going to present the award at the annual settlement race, Josh is determined to win the race and meet his hero. Then a sneaky man tricks Josh into trading for an untamed triceratops. Is there any way Josh can tame the triceratops and win the race?

The first installment of the Dino Riders series brings a world with dinosaurs to life with just the right amount of imagery for younger readers. The black and white illustrations help the reader visualize the characters and the action of the story. Josh’s doodles also add to the interest of the story. The action-packed story is fast-paced and downright fun to read.

Readers will be able to relate to Josh’s inability to concentrate in school, his desire to prove his worth as a dino rider, and his conflict with his parents. Although the bully is a bit stereotypical and the conclusion is predictable, that doesn’t take away from the book’s enjoyment. The story does contain body humor, which some parents may not like. Many of the story’s aspects are farfetched, such as when people ride dinosaurs to town to do their shopping and when a dinosaur kicks Josh in the stomach, but he is uninjured. Anyone who enjoys adventure and dinosaurs will find How to Tame a Triceratops fun to read.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • An iguanodon is “about to smash into Josh’s front porch” and had to be stopped. Josh saves the house, but the iguanodon “kicked up its hind legs and launched Josh of its back like a cannonball . . . he hurtled through the air. With a soggy schlopp, he landed headfirst in a pile of dino dung.”
  • A pterodactyl attacks a barn that has baby iguanodons in it. Josh’s dino “Plodder reared up in fright, throwing Josh off his back. Josh hit the ground hard, knocking the wind from him.” Another dinosaur chases the pterodactyl.  “Charge reared up onto his hind legs, stabbing at the sky with his horns. . . The pterodactyl gave an angry squawk, then flew straight up into the clouds.”
  • During a race, another rider has his dino “deliberately sending Clubber’s huge spiky tail smashing into Charger.” Josh and Charger smash into a T. rex’s skeleton and are trapped.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Several times in the story, someone calls Sam a “loser.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Happy Go Lucky

Happy Go Lucky lives with his mom at Shoemaker Stables. When Happy is sent to live at Big Apple Barn, his life changes. He must get used to new people, new horses, and a new job as a school pony. With the help of Roscoe, a mouse who repeats the advice of a cat, Happy learns that new things can lead to a happy ending.

Because Happy must learn how to act in a new situation, and how to make new friends, younger readers will be able to relate to the events in Happy Go Lucky. Happy struggles with how to act in his new home. He also learns that he cannot always trust the advice of others, because even when someone isn’t trying to give “bad advice” ponies often want different things.

The book has captivating illustrations and ends with facts about horse terminology. Happy Go Lucky would be a great book for early readers.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Happy’s Big Plan

Happy’s story continues in the second book of the Big Apple Barn Series. Happy is learning what it means to be a school pony. As different people begin riding Happy, he learns that he is going to have to pay close attention to what his rider wants. Learning to listen is hard, but with the help of the other horses and Roscoe, the barn mouse, Lucky is figuring out how to fit into his new home.

Diane’s daughter Ivy wants to ride Happy, but Diane isn’t sure if Ivy is ready to ride such an inexperienced pony. With the help of Roscos, Happy devises a plan to show Diane that he has a special bond with Ivy. Prudence the barn cat makes her appearance in the story and is a fun addition.

With a simple plot, Happy’s Big Plan is easy to read and will capture the attention of horse fans. Black and white illustrations help break up the text and keep readers engaged. The text is easy to read, with short sentences and dialogue that give the horses personality. Happy’s Big Plan will be enjoyed by beginning readers who are fans of animals.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Eva Sees a Ghost

After Eva Wingdale’s teacher tells the class a spooky story, Eva sees a ghost flying through the air. When Eva tells her friend, no one believes her. Eva and her class go on a ghost hunt, but the ghost does not appear. Can this determined little owl prove that there is a ghost in Teutopolis?

Eva uses problem-solving skills as she tries to prove the ghost is real. Through Eva’s story, younger readers will be reminded of the difference between what is imaginary and what is real.  Eva Sees a Ghost is a fun ghost story written specifically for newly independent readers. Bright and colorful pictures illustrate every page. The ghost in the story is shown as just a white blur (and turns out to be a snowy owl). The text is easy to read and has a simple plot.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Eva’s Treetop Festival

Eva Wingdale loves her new dairy. By writing in her diary, she tells of her desire to start the first Owelmentary Bloomtastic Festival. Eva wants to organize everything in the spring festival including a fashion show, a talent show, an art show, and a bake-off. However, she soon discovers that she does not have enough time to do everything and must ask for help. With the help of her classmates, the Owelmentary Bloomtastic Festival turns into a hoot of a good time.

Eva’s Treetop Festival is the first book in the Owl Dairies series and is specifically aimed at newly independent readers. Bright and colorful pictures illustrate every page and bring Eva’s world to life. The text is easy to read and has a simple plot.

Younger readers will be able to empathize with Eva as she struggles with her fear of speaking in front of the class, her inability to do everything herself, and her dislike of a “mean” classmate. Eve’s dislike of Sue is clear when she writes that Sue is “always sticking her bat into my business. And she is SO mean. Her name should be Meany MeMearnerson.” In the end, Sue ends up helping make the festival a success.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

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