Topic: Animals

What If You Had Animal Hair!?

If you could have any animal’s hair, whose would you choose? If you chose a polar bear’s double coat, you would never have to wear a hat when playing in the snow. If you had a reindeer’s hair, it would help you stay afloat in water. And if you had a porcupine’s hair, no bully would ever bother you again! The animal kingdom has lots of awesome types of hair, but yours is pretty great, too!

If you love animals and want to learn more about their hair, then you must read What If You Had Animal Hair!? The simple, entertaining format uses a two-page spread that features a photographic image of the animal and its hair on the left and an illustration of a child with that animal’s hair on the right. The large pictures of children with animal hair are so humorous they will cause giggles.

While What If You Had Animal Hair!? is intended for younger readers, it will appeal to older readers because of the interesting facts and fun illustrations. Each two-page spread has seven to eight complex sentences that beginning readers will need an adult to read aloud to them. Despite this, the story is a quick read that is informative as well as entertaining. Readers will not only learn about familiar animals such as a lion and a zebra but also less familiar animals such as a pangolin and a star-nosed mole.

Introduce a child to non-fiction text by reading What If You Had Animal Hair!? The fun format, silly photos, and engaging text will entertain as it teaches children about animal hair. For more fun facts, fly over to the library and grab a copy of 13 Ways to Eat a Fly by Sue Heavenrich.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Kat Wolfe Takes the Case

When a suspicious death coincides with the exciting discovery of the fossilized bones of a two-hundred-million-year old “dragon” dinosaur, Bluebell Bays’ one and only pet-sitting sleuth, Kat Wolfe, knows this is a case for her and her best friend, Harper Lamb, to dig into. But it’s going to take all of Kat’s focus, and she doesn’t have much to spare. 

For Kat is also fending off accusations that one of her pets is attacking local animals, dealing with a difficult and perhaps dangerous relative, and uncovering clues about a secret society. Can Kat and Harper juggle more than one high-stakes mystery and find a way to save Kat’s pet’s life before it’s too late?

In the second installment of the Wolfe and Lamb Mysteries, Kat’s curiosity and pet-sitting lead her into danger as she tries to solve several mysteries at once. When a famous Hollywood couple comes into town, Kat is soon entrusted to care for both their horse and their temperamental Pomeranian. Even though the couple claim to be in Bluebell Bay for rest and relaxation, their suspicious behavior leaves Kat wondering what the Hollywood duo is up to. Kat’s enthusiasm for solving mysteries is balanced with fun interactions with animals, her friend Harper, and the people from Bluebell Bay.

The discovery of the “dragon” dinosaur adds a unique twist and gives the reader insight into the use of endangered animals in medicine. From the first chapter, readers know that someone with a terminal illness is willing to kill in order to receive a traditional Chinese medicine that uses dragon teeth. While Harper helps her father excavate the “dragon” dinosaur bones, she is able to learn inside information that adds suspense.

Both Kat’s investigative skills and her pet sitting skills lead her into many difficult and sometimes humorous situations. While the first book in the series focused on many of Bluebell Bay’s residents, the second book focuses more on Kat and her relationship with her grandfather, the Dark Lord, who has many secrets. Readers will enjoy the evolving relationship between the two and will wonder what dangerous mission the Dark Lord is caught up in. This storyline also highlights the importance of not making character judgments based on a person’s physical appearance. 

Kat Wolfe Takes the Case has many positive aspects including a wide range of interesting characters, surprising twists, and a unique mystery. The fun animal encounters are an added bonus. However, for maximum enjoyment, the Wolfe and Lamb Mysteries Series should be read in order. Since the story revolves around dinosaur fossils, it may also spark the reader’s interest in another fossil hunter Barnum Brown or in the Ancient Animals Series by Sarah L. Thomson.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • A man with a tire iron breaks into Dr. Liu’s office. The man demands a medicine that contains dragon’s teeth. When Dr. Lui says he does not have any, the man uses a tire iron to destroy “a tray of glass jars, sending splinters flying.” If Dr. Liu doesn’t comply, his son will be killed.
  • When Kat brings an injured dog, Pax, into her bedroom, Kat’s Savannah cat is displeased. “After a nightmarish chase and wrestling match, he’d flown out the high window, leaving Kat and Pax bleeding and enough fur on the floor to stuff a mattress.”
  • When Kat is looking for Tiny, a Savannah cat, she goes into a barn and finds a “man was aiming a high-powered rifle at her. There was a silencer on it. . . he fired. The bullet passed so close to Kat’s cheek that she felt it scorch by like a mini comet.” The man fired a tranquilizer into a lynx so the animal could be relocated safely.
  • When a Pomeranian’s owner threatened Kat, the dog “flew at her mistress and bit her ankle.” The woman has a bloody ankle but is otherwise okay. 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • Kat sees a college student at a restaurant eating lobster and drinking champagne. 
  • Dragon’s teeth are used in traditional Chinese medicine, because some believe dragon’s bones and teeth “can be used as a sedative to treat insomnia, depression, fever, and liver disease, among other things.”

Language 

  • Damn and darn are both used once.
  • Kat says Ohmigod once.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • When Kat’s Savannah cat takes off into the night, Kat goes to look for her. Kat cannot find her, but “she’d prayed that Tiny would be curled up in the crook of her legs when she awoke.” 

Dolphin Song

Martine’s class is going on an exciting school trip—a voyage to watch the Sardine Run off the coast of South Africa. But the trip takes a dramatic turn when their ship runs into a fierce storm, and Martine and her classmates are thrown into shark-infested waters! Luckily, a pod of dolphins rescues and transports them to a deserted island, but now the children—and the dolphins—face a new and terrible danger. Will Martine be able to use her special gift with animals to save them?

While other students are looking forward to the class trip, Martine has been plagued with terrifying nightmares about being in the ocean and surrounded by sharks. Then Grace, a witch doctor, warns Martine about staying away from the ship’s gate, which increases Martine’s fear and confusion. Martine’s fear of the ocean is understandable, and it increases the story’s suspense. 

Despite the warnings, Martine’s greatest fears come true when she and several of her classmates are thrown into the raging ocean. The story takes an unexpected turn when Martine and some of her classmates are stranded on a deserted island and must fight for their survival. While much of the story revolves around survival, there is still plenty of animal action — a cage dive with sharks, an encounter with a man-o-war jellyfish, and a swim with dolphins. Through Martine’s experiences, readers will enjoy learning about various sea creatures as well as how sonar poses a threat to ocean life. 

Once the group of students lands on the island, they soon split into two groups, leaving Ben and Martine to join forces. During their time on the island, the kids only begin to work together out of necessity. However, they soon join forces to save the dolphins, and in the process, they learn the importance of giving someone a second chance. Along with this lesson, Dolphin Song weaves in many important life lessons including being able to fix your mistakes and the importance of standing up for what you believe.

Martine struggles with uncertainty, fear, and forgiveness, but her inner turmoil doesn’t slow the story’s action. However, readers will enjoy seeing Martine’s personal growth that leads her to more fully understand her best friend, Ben. In the end, Martine realizes “that was the thing about a friend. You could do things that weren’t really possible on your own. Friends made you brave. Friends made things fun.”

The Legend of the Animal Healer Series uses a unique approach that will give readers a new appreciation of sea life. The story educates readers about the importance of protecting all sea creatures. However, Dolphin Song does have several scenes that may upset sensitive readers. While Dolphin Song recaps the important information from the first book in the series, for maximum enjoyment, the books should be read in order. Animal-loving readers who want more action-packed animal adventures should also read the Wild Rescuers Series by Stacy Plays and the Survival Tails Series by Katrina Charman.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • Santa Carolina was known as Death Island, as it was a penal colony. “The jailers at Santa Carolina used to take prisoners to Death Island, a tiny shell sandbar, and tell them if they could swim the five miles or so back to the mainland—a stretch of water cursed by vicious crosscurrents and even more vicious sharks—they’d be freed. None of the prisoners ever survived.”
  • When the ship hits a terrible storm, everyone grabs a life jacket. One student, Claudius, “wrenched at Ben’s life jacket, trying to pull it off by brute force. Ben wriggled out of Claudius’s desperate grip and held up a hand in surrender.” Ben falls into the ocean without a life jacket, but he survives.
  • Martine is exploring a reef by a sunken ship when a manta ray pushes her toward the surface. “An instant later, there was a muffled, undersea explosion. . . the ray caught the full impact. Bits of cartilage, tissue, and manta ray skin rained down on the sea like lava.” Martine had a bloody gash on her arm, but the ray saved Martine’s life.
  • A group of bad men show up on the island and see Claudius. They think the boy might be a spy so they take him back to their hideout and tie him up. The skipper questions Claudius and “struck Claudius across the face. A palm print appeared on the boy’s cheek.” When the group finds out there is a reward for information about Claudius, they decide to treat him better.
  • A tourist, Norm, was cage diving with sharks when he fell into the water. A great white swims toward him, “like a torpedo sleek and deadly, shooting toward the stricken man. As it approached, its jaws stretched wide and its serrated teeth were plainly visible. In seconds, Norm would be missing an arm, his head, or even his torso.” Martine uses her gift to stop the shark.
  • An island, Santa Carolina, has a dark past that is discussed several times. Santa Carolina was “a notorious penal colony and Death Island, which was not an island but a shell bar, had seen many prisoners drowned after being abandoned by guards.”
  • Sonar can disorient and confuse dolphins and whales. The sound a sonar gives off “can carry up to a hundred miles and be as loud as a fighter jet takeoff. In some cases, it can cause whales to surface too quickly, leading to a fatal condition similar to the bends in human beings. They get gas bubbles in their organs. Their brains bleed. Dolphins’ lungs explode.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • One of the sailors drinks “a home-brewed concoction called palm wine.” 
  • A sailor tells Martine a story about a man who had a “skull-splitting headache.” A “witch doctor had started the treatment by putting a large pebble into his fire. . . blended herbs in a bowl made from a special wood and engraved with a cross, then added water. . . After making a series of tiny incisions in the man’s forehead, the witch doctor rubbed in a little of the herb point and sent him home. . .” After the story, the sailor says he uses aspirin for his headaches.
  • When Martine sees a sunken ship, she assumes the pirates had been drunk on rum.
  • A tribe of sailors would catch fish by crushing “the leaves of the lulla palm” which made the fish intoxicated. “When the fish were rolling drunk, the men would simply scoop them into a net.”
  • One of the student’s parents would leave him alone while they went to cocktail parties. 

Language 

  • There is some name calling among the kids including runt and loser.
  • Martine gets angry at Ben and says, “You are a wimp. You’re pathetic.” 
  • One of the kids tells Martine, “I thought you were a fruitcake.”
  • One of the kids says Ben is “a tree-hugging nutcase.”
  • Oh my God is used as an exclamation once.

Supernatural

  • Martine is able to heal animals with her touch. When she finds a beached dolphin, Martine touches the dolphin, and “the electric current zapped her. . . She kept her palms on the dolphin’s side . . . then her palms heated up to the point where they were almost sizzling . . .” After the dolphin is healed, Martin and a kite surfer put the dolphin back into the ocean and it swims away.
  • Martine goes to a secret cave where she sees paintings that show her future. When Martine sees a new painting, she thinks the paintings are “as if the forefathers were reaching out from beyond the grave.”
  • Claudius, one of the stranded school kids, gets stung by a man-o-war jellyfish. Martine tries to help him. She “laid her hands on him. Almost immediately her palms began to heat up. . . The energy went as far as Claudius’s skin and then stopped as if blocked by an impenetrable barrier.” Martine’s gift didn’t help.
  • While trying to use her gift to help Claudius, Martine has a vision. “The scene at the beach swam away and she saw smoke and Africans in animal masks and then, out of nowhere, a mental picture of Grace’s plant. . . came into her head.” Martine uses the plant to save Claudius.
  • Grace, a witch doctor, uses bones to tell the future. She believes that “everythin’ is already written” and that you cannot change fate’s path. 

Spiritual Content 

  • Ben is Buddhist and also half Zulu. He says, “Buddhism does allow the eating of meat; we’re just not supposed to cause pain. . . Buddhists believe that animals are equal to people.”

Unleashed

One month after the events of Jinxed, Lacey wakes up in a hospital room with no memory of how she got there. With Jinx missing and MONCHA, the company behind the pet robot, threatening her family, Lacey doesn’t know who to turn to for answers.

After Lacey gets expelled and her mother acts strangely from the latest update from MONCHA, Lacey and her friends must get to the bottom of a sinister plot at the heart of the company, one that would ruin the interactions between bakus (pet robots) and their owners. Lacey must use all her skills to stop the corporation from carrying out their plan. But how can she take on the biggest tech company in North America with just a level one baku? 

Without the resources from her school, Lacey relies on her ingenuity and smarts to modify her baku. However, she hadn’t prepared for the company to remove public access to any information about the customization of bakus. Lacey soon learns that MONCHA, now headed by a temporary CEO, wants absolute control over the look and function of all their products, including the beloved pet robots. 

Departing from the action-packed baku battles of the previous book, Unleashed delves into Lacey’s world, which is fascinating and distinctive. Everyone relies on their baku, and each baku can make its owner happy. From copying hairstyles of famous celebrities to competing in races alongside similarly modeled species, bakus give a positive spin on day-to-day life. Yet, Jinx is different than the other bakus. He can feel and perceive things, which allows him and Lacey to converse. Jinx’s standoffish behavior adds tension to their relationship while furthering the suspense. 

Unleashed builds upon the action of the previous novel. In place of the well-known baku battles of the previous book, Lacey’s encounters with MONCHA will keep the reader engaged. Though a few characters are predictable—the incompetent adults; the spoiled rich boy; the corrupt CEO of a tech company—the story never feels stale. On top of that, Lacey’s story gives the reader a realistic look into a world in which everyone is on a device 24/7. The story has a satisfying end, answering any lingering questions the previous book left unresolved. 

Through Lacey’s experiences, readers learn an important lesson about following your dreams. You don’t have to go on a predetermined, well-trodden path to achieve your goals. The message in Unleashed is clear: going a different way doesn’t mean you will fail to reach your destination. If you’d like to go on another adventure with a mechanical animal and an unlikely hero, check out Wizard for Hire by Obert Skye.

Sexual Content 

  • Lacey blushes when Tobias, her crush, touches the back of her arm. 

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • While hospitalized, Lacey receives some medication.  

Language   

  • One of Lacey’s classmates texts “OMG” on a group school messaging board.
  • Lacey says “Oh my god” twice.
  • Jinx exclaims “Holy bakus.”
  • One of Lacey’s friends calls Tobias’s brother a jerk

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?

Skunk opens the cookie jar to find that all his cookies are missing. He follows the cookie crumb trail and asks each of his animal friends – Mouse, Raven, Squirrel, Rabbit, Turtle, Raccoon, Snake, Beaver, and Frog – who took the cookie from the cookie jar? Along the way, readers will discover what each animal’s favorite snack is. 

Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar will delight young readers. As Skunk talks to each of his friends, they follow him and discover the surprising cookie thief. Using the colors of the desert, the picture book puts a spotlight on Skunk as he follows the clues — a cactus with teeth marks, paw prints, and cookie crumbs. 

Even though Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar is a simple story, young readers will want to read it again and again. Following Skunk as he looks for the cookie thief is a lot of fun, even if you’ve read the book before. The story’s cadence, repetition, and animal dialogue make this picture book perfect for reading aloud. Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar? is a cute story that reinforces the importance of sharing and can be paired with the picture book The Cookie Fiasco by Dan Santat.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

The Secret Rhino Society

Hudson is a hippopotamus. Fran is a worm. And Jean is a floating, living lightbulb. While these friends might not be the same in terms of size, species, or basic anatomy, they are united by a mutual love of rhinoceroses. After seeing a movie with a rhinoceros as the leading role, the three friends form a rhino fan club. During their meetings, they discuss what they each love about rhinos. They make paper horns and blissfully imagine what life could be like if they were rhinos. 

One day, the club receives a delivery from Ivy, a real-life rhinoceros! Ivy is not the rhinoceros from the movie. Instead of charging forward, she gets around in her delivery van. Instead of sharpening her horn in her free time, she likes to garden. While Ivy might not be the rhinoceros the three were expecting, her friendship will send the club in a completely new direction. 

With a charming sense of humor and cinematic, mixed-media art, The Secret Rhino Society is an all-around enjoyable read. Hudson, Fran, and Jean are likable leads, and their curiosity and passion are sure to endear younger readers to them. Through the introduction of Ivy, readers will learn the importance of individuality and the positive effect your unique talents can have on others.

The Secret Rhino Society is brought to life through incredible illustrations by Samantha Cotterill. Paper cutouts of characters and set pieces are placed in hand-drawn, studio-lit backgrounds, merging two-dimensional illustration with photography. This cinematic feeling is heightened by a great command of color. As the story progresses through each season, readers will be treated with autumn browns and yellows, spring greens, winter grays, and summers with multicolored flowers, each created with clear care by Cotterill. The book’s simple vocabulary and one-seven sentences per page make this an easy story for younger readers to navigate.

If you are looking for a sweet and heartfelt story that can be read and enjoyed in one sitting, The Secret Rhino Society is sure to satisfy your young reader. The book’s characters might encourage them to find their own special talents, and they may love the book so much that they start a Secret Rhino Society of their own! 

Sexual Content

  • None

 

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

The Taken

Isla and her family are foxes who have always lived in the Graylands, not too far from the furless. She and her brother, Pirie, being young cubs, are slowly learning to survive the many dangers that face them. Suddenly, Isla returns to her family’s home to discover the smell of fire and strange newcomers – and no trace of her family.

Alone and afraid, Isla plunges deep into the world of the furless to search for her family. While dodging danger at every turn, she meets Siffrin, another fox who knows magic and can shapeshift. More importantly, Siffrin is also looking for her brother, but Siffrin won’t explain why. Shrouded in mystery, Isla begins to learn about the world beyond that of the Graylands and seeks to find her brother before the foxes who caused the disappearance find him.

The Taken is the first in the Foxcraft Series and it is an action-packed start to the series. As this is a fantasy world with foxes and other supernatural forces, there are plenty of new terms for readers to take in while reading. For instance, the characters refer to humans as “the furless” and roads as “the deathway.” Fortunately, if readers are confused, there is a glossary of terms at the back and a map of the near the front of the book.

Isla, much like the reader, does not know anything about foxcraft or foxlore, much to Siffrin’s chagrin. The Taken sets up what will follow in the coming books, continuing the mysterious disappearance of Isla’s brother, Pirie. Importantly, it introduces the reader to Isla, whose self-confidence and compassion for others grow as the book progresses. Despite not knowing if her family is alive, she will do anything to get them back and she learns to confront foxes and any other creatures who get in her way. 

Isla, Siffrin, and Pirie are hunted by a dark magical force living in the aptly-named Darklands that can seemingly control foxes that it captures. Iserles is one of the authors from the Warriors Series, and there are similar amounts of fighting in both series. Fans of the Warriors Series will not find the violence upsetting, but some young readers may be upset by the descriptions. For instance, there is a scene in which Isla describes death in gruesome detail, saying, “From where we were perched, I couldn’t see the impact, and the rain distorted the cracking limbs. I was spared the mangle of her broken body.” However, those familiar with other Erin Hunter Series will feel at home in this world and will enjoy the high-octane plot. 

Foxcraft: The Taken is a solid start to this exciting series, which leaves plenty of unanswered questions to stir readers’ excitement for the second book, The Elders. Despite many new terms, it’s relatively easy to fall into the world and understand the various plot points. Isla’s resilience and love for her family drive this book and nicely sets up the character that will lead the rest of this series. Those ready for a fun adventure should absolutely read the Foxcraft Series. 

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • The dangers of cars and roads are always present. Isla’s grandmother says, “The death river claims more foxes than all other assassins.”
  • A dog attacks Isla, but at the last second, she manages to free herself from the trap she’s in. Isla “flailed and bucked, desperate to free my trapped foreleg. The creature’s great jaws gaped above me; I felt the dampness of his breath.”
  • Some human children throw rocks at Isla. “One of them grabbed a rock and flung it at me. It struck the stone ground by my hind paw, and I sprang back in confusion.”
  • A guard dog announces that she “killed a cat the other night.” 
  • Ilsa’s grandmother, Greatma, tells how foxes have historically been treated, especially by humans. She says, “Our kind has been hunted, tortured, attacked, and turned into pelts to warm the necks of the furless. They have shot us for fun and chased us as a game –  they do not even eat those they kill. By the death river or their casual cruelty; by gas, or dogs, or simple starvation. The land of the furless is full of deaths and each one whispers a fox’s name.”
  • Isla attacks Siffrin, a messenger of the Elders, because he’s been following her. She “bit him hard on his wiry tail. The dog yelped in surprise.”
  • Siffrin shapeshifts to fight the foxes that are hunting him and Isla. Isla “heard the scrape of their claws as they scrambled on stone, and I craned to see what was going on. With a snarl, Siffrin broke free, this time in the form of the mongrel dog. He vaulted into the air, at least at full brush-length, slamming down on the fox that was snapping at his paws. He sent her tumbling onto the deathway.” This fight scene lasts for several pages.
  • Isla learns how to catch a mouse. Isla pounces on it, and “with a bite and a jerk of [her] head, it was dead.”
  • A fot named Karka orders her cronies to capture Isla and Siffrin. Karka says, “Get them or I’ll tear out your filthy throats!”
  • One of Karka’s minions (known as The Taken) jumps across the buildings to chase Isla and Siffrin, but misses the building and lands on the street below. Isla describes, “From where we were perched, I couldn’t see the impact, and the rain distorted the cracking limbs. I was spared the mangle of her broken body.” The description lasts for a paragraph.
  • Siffrin reveals that he watched Karka kill Isla’s family. “When [Siffrin] arrived, it was almost over. Your ma and fa, they were already dead…Your greatma was courageous. She fought hard. [She] was already falling, was already wounded.” The description lasts for around a page and doesn’t describe the specifics of their deaths.
  • Animal control captures Isla and she is scheduled to be euthanized. She talks with another captured fox as they watch an animal be taken to another room by humans. The other fox says, “Another one taken to be killed.” This scene lasts for a chapter.
  • The wolf that Isla freed saves her life by attacking Karka and the Taken. “The great wolf opened his jaws. Karka stayed frozen, held in his thrall. He sprang upon her and threw her down, fastening his deadly fangs around her neck. With a brutal snap he shook her and then dropped her, letting her head roll on the graystone. She stared at him with her single gray eye. Would stare like that forever.” This scene lasts for a couple pages.

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • Isla has a confrontation with a wolf. Isla tells the wolf that she eats rats, and the wolf says to Isla, “A thing that eats rats has no right to exist!” He also calls her a “rat-munching coward.”
  • Light language is used often. Terms include: idiot and stupid.

Supernatural

  • The book details the story of Isla and Pirie, who are foxes who think and talk like humans, as do some other animals in the book. Isla meets a wolf who speaks the same language as her, and she’s surprised. Isla says, “He must have been a cub of Canista –  a creature like me – though I could hardly imagine how we might be related.” Canista is the name for the Fox deity from which they come from.
  • Isla has a vision of her brother being captured, being led into the world of the humans. Isla describes her vision, saying, “I was moving with difficulty, my flank throbbing with pain. Up ahead there was a row of tall furless dens. In the front of them was a huge stone yard with a lone furless standing at the center. Her skin was cool gray, her eyes stared blindly, and great wings unfolded from her back. I gazed at her in fear and wonder.” Siffrin explains that this is a rare kind of foxcraft called “gerra-sharm” that can happen between cubs of the same litter.
  • Isla meets a small dog who “cast no shadow.” As Isla learns, he is a “messenger of Jana, one of the Elder Foxes from the Wildlands.” When Isla asks why he is a dog, he says, “I am in wa’akkir. I have assumed a disguise.” It is explained later that wa’akkir is an ancient fox magic called foxcraft.
  • Siffrin, the magic fox messenger, explains foxlore to Isla. He explains how foxes, wolves, and dogs are “cubs of Canista” and that, “Only Fox had the courage to live without rules, without the hierarchies of others – to hunt and survive in freedom and peace. For while Wolf and Dog are so brutalized that they will gladly kill their own kind, Fox avoids conflict at all costs. She does not yearn to control others –  only to live by her own wits.” The history lesson lasts for several pages, as he explains the magical powers they possess, like imitating other animals (“karak”) and invisibility (“slimmering”). These magic powers are used by Siffrin throughout the book, and he teaches Isla to use them as well.
  • Siffrin uses his powers to heal Isla. Siffrin says, “With my touch, I sense you; with my eyes, I heal you. By Canista’s Lights, I share what I have; we are knit together and you are whole.” During this, Isla has a vision of Siffrin as a cub where he was “desperate and starving.” The scene lasts for a page.

Spiritual Content 

  • Siffrin heals Isla using his Maa. He describes to Isla that the Maa is the “essence of every fox,” or the spirit.

What If You Had Animal Teeth!?

If you could have any animal’s front teeth, whose would you choose?

What If You Had Animal Teeth?! takes children on a fun, informative, and imaginative journey as they explore what it would be like if their own front teeth were replaced by those of a different animal. Featuring a dozen animals, including a beaver, a great white shark, a narwhal, an elephant, a rattlesnake, and more, this book explores how different teeth are specially adapted for an animal’s survival. And at the end of the book, children will discover why their own teeth are just right for them. They’ll also get a friendly reminder to take good care of their teeth because they are the only teeth they’ll ever have.

If you love animals and want to learn more about their teeth, then you must read What If You Had Animal Teeth?! The simple, entertaining format uses a two-page spread that features a photographic image of the animal and its teeth on the left paired with an illustration of a child with that animal’s teeth on the right. The large pictures of children with animal teeth are so humorous they will cause giggles.

While What If You Had Animal Teeth?! is intended for younger readers, it will appeal to older readers because of the interesting facts and fun illustrations. Each two-page spread has seven to eight complex sentences that beginning readers will need an adult to read aloud to them. Despite this, the story is a quick read that is informative as well as entertaining. 

One of the best aspects of the book is the fun facts that appear for each animal. For example, readers will learn that hippo teeth were used for dentures and were even worn by President George Washington. What If You Had Animal Teeth?! is both entertaining and educational. While many children aren’t interested in learning about teeth, What If You Had Animal Teeth?! is such a fun book that kids will be eager to read it as well as other books in the series. 

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

The Tiger’s Nest

On an island nation in the Indian Ocean, the explorers venture through a vast underwater world and take part in a friendly robotics competition. But the tides of good fortune change quickly.

Suddenly, Team Cousteau jumps into action to rescue a faculty member from the brink of disaster. Meanwhile, the team follows Cruz’s mother’s clues to a magnificent tomb and center of spirituality that is precariously perched on the side of a cliff. There, Cruz is confronted by a familiar foe who is determined to stop him from completing his most important mission of all: retrieving the final pieces of his mother’s cipher. In this life-and-death showdown, Cruz witnesses the ultimate sacrifice and uncovers a hidden message that makes him question his own mortality.  

The Tiger’s Nest continues to teach readers about nature in a fun and exciting way. As the explorers head to their next destination, Morne Seychellois National Park in Seychelles, they learn about the dangers that sea turtles face and make a fake egg that can help protect sea turtles’ nests. The egg is based on real technology that conservationists use to protect hatchlings. Helping sea turtles is essential because “only about one in a thousand sea turtles survives to adulthood.” The explorers also travel to a coral reef where they learn about symbiotic relationships between algae and coral, as well as the reasons the coral is dying.  

The Tiger’s Nest has plenty of suspense, action, and adventure for science and technology-loving readers. Unfortunately, each book has a similar pattern where Cruz tries to protect his friends by ditching them. In this installment, Cruz’s actions lead to the death of a beloved teacher. Instead of exploring the unintended consequences of Cruz’s actions, he is absolved of any responsibility and underlying guilt. While Cruz claims he is concerned about others, his risky behavior puts others in danger. It has become apparent that his only concern is finding the cipher that his mother left behind. 

Readers will have to suspend their disbelief because many of the events are farfetched. Despite this, The Tiger’s Nest has positive aspects such as introducing readers to conservation efforts and technology. Readers will enjoy the illustrations which are a mix of photographs and drawings, giving the pictures a touch of realism. Plus, the book includes a section titled The Truth Behind the Fiction; these pages combine pictures and short blurbs on professions mentioned in the book. 

The Tiger’s Nest has a diverse cast of characters who are smart, capable, and willing to work as a team. However, they are not expected to be perfect and often make mistakes. The explorers’ friendship and adventures will keep readers engaged in the series despite its flaws. Readers eager for more books filled with action, adventure, and mystery can find all three in both the Charlie Thorn Series by Stuart Gibbs and the City Spies Series by James Ponti.  

Sexual Content  

  • Cruz tells a girl in his class that he’s not romantically interested in someone else. “Suddenly, her lips were touching his. He tasted coconut lip balm. Softness. Warmth. Cruz felt dizzy, but not like any dizzy he’d ever known. . . He was a jumbled mess of terror and joy.”

Violence  

  • While flying to Bjitam, the plane Cruz and his friends are on begins to jerk uncontrollably. “Suddenly, Condor rolled sharply to the left. Cruz’s shoulder smashed into the fuselage wall. He heard the overhead bins popping open. Out the window, Cruz saw the green and white snow-tipped trees coming up to meet them.” Eventually, the pilot is able to land safely, and no one is injured. The book implies that Nebula, a pharmaceutical company who doesn’t want Cruz to find the ciphers, tampered with the plane. The scene is described over two pages.  
  • After Cruz finds another piece of the cipher, Mr. Rook corners Cruz outside the monastery. Mr. Rook “was holding his arm straight out in front of him. A gun was pointed directly at Cruz.” When Cruz refuses to give him the cipher, “something whizzed past his nose. Cruz jumped back.” Mr. Rook threatens to kill Cruz. 
  • In order to save Cruz, one of the instructors, named Taryn, jumps in. “Mr. Rook and Taryn were locked in battle. . . As the two struggled, their thrashing kicked up a dust cloud.” Taryn pushes Mr. Rook over a cliff. Taryn slumps to the ground. “Blood was seeping through her shirt.” Taryn dies from her wound. The entire fight scene is described over four pages.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language    

  • One of the explorers, Sailor, uses “bloody” as a curse word several times. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • Cruz goes to a monastery, where he “said a quick prayer of thanks.” 

Ham-Ham-Hamsters

Did you know that some hamsters live in the wild? Did you know that hamsters carry food inside their cheeks? Their tiny feet scamper across cages and sprint on exercise wheels. Their little noses sniff the air and their whiskers twitch as they stuff their cheeks with food. As some of the most adorable members of the rodent family, hamsters make very popular pets. Especially in the classroom! In this non-fiction read, kids will learn all about how to care for these cute critters.

As part of the Penguin Young Readers Series, Ham-Ham-Hamsters is perfect for progressing readers who are ready for longer sentences that are still accompanied by pictures and context clues. Each page has one to four sentences and a large picture that will help readers understand a hamster’s habits. This nonfiction book is full of facts and photos that will engage young readers. 

Little readers who love animals will find lots of interesting facts about hamsters, including how to care for them, different types of hamsters, and how they live in the wild. Each page has a cute picture of a hamster that readers will adore. But beware: reading Ham-Ham-Hamsters will make readers want a hamster for a pet! If you’ve ever wondered what the classroom pet does when all the kids are gone for the day, read Pets on the Loose by Victoria Jamieson; it is sure to entertain and delight young readers.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Here Comes the Tooth Fairy Cat

When Cat loses a tooth, the Tooth Fairy delivers a wholly unwanted sidekick: a mouse. Together, Cat and Mouse are tasked with running a few Tooth Fairy-related errands—which poses a challenge, since Mouse is just as competitive, mischievous, and hilariously self-involved as Cat. The stakes rise and so does the deadpan humor, culminating in a satisfying surprise that will leave readers eager for yet another delightfully devious Cat adventure.

Little readers with a wiggly tooth will fall in love with Cat, who is disappointed when the Tooth Fairy leaves him a coin. Cat really wants to meet the Tooth Fairy, so he tries to trick her by placing a tooth of a comb under his pillow. However, Cat’s plan doesn’t turn out as he hoped.

The story is told by an unseen narrator. Instead of Cat explaining his thoughts, the narrator reveals Cat’s emotions through her words. At first, the unique narration style is a little odd, but readers will soon be so engaged in Cat’s conflict that the narrator falls into the background. Since Cat doesn’t talk, he uses signs to explain his ideas and Cat’s facial expressions make his feelings clear.

Here Comes the Tooth Fairy Cat uses a simple but effective format. Each two-page spread has a picture of Cat (and eventually Mouse too) on one side. The other side has one to three short, simple sentences in oversized text. A few pages also tell the story with no words at all. The simple format allows Cat’s emotions –devious, doubtful, and delighted – to shine, and his varying emotions are one of the best aspects of the story. 

Any child who’s curious about the Tooth Fairy will be delighted by Here Comes the Tooth Fairy Cat. The creative story highlights the importance of working together. The conclusion holds a suspenseful surprise that will leave readers giggling. While Here Comes the Tooth Fairy Cat is longer than most picture books, the fast-paced story will engage wiggly readers and have them wishing for a tooth to put under their pillow. Readers about to lose a tooth should grab a pillow, a blanket, and a copy of these books as well: Tooth Fairy’s Night by Candice Ransom and Bear’s Loose Tooth by Karma Wilson.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

The White Giraffe

The night Martine Allen turns eleven years old is the night her life changes completely. Martine’s parents are killed in a fire, so she must leave her home to live on an African wildlife reserve with a grandmother she never even knew she had. When Martine arrives, she hears tales of a mythical animal living there – a white giraffe. They say no one has ever seen the animal, but it does leave behind footprints. Her grandmother insists that the white giraffe is just a legend, but then, one stormy night, Martine looks out her bedroom window straight into the eyes of the tall, silvery animal. Could it be just Martine’s imagination, or is the white giraffe real? And if so, why is everyone keeping its existence a secret?

The White Giraffe is the perfect book for anyone who has ever dreamed of going on an African safari. After tragedy befalls Martine, she gets sent to Africa where she is overcome with a sense of wonder at the beauty of Africa’s wildlife. However, she is also frustrated because she knows the adults in her life are keeping secrets from her. St. John brings Martine’s story to life with a mix of joyous encounters with wildlife and the confusion of being surrounded by secretive adults. The blend of suspense, suspicion, and surprises will keep readers flipping the pages until the very end. 

Even though Martine isn’t necessarily a relatable character, she is interesting and likable. Like many, Martine struggles with loneliness and the desire to have friends; unfortunately, the kids in Martine’s class are bullies who harass classmates who are different. Plus, Martine’s struggle to understand her own power is made even more difficult because of her classmates’ taunting, and her grandmother’s strange silence. Despite these difficulties, Martine is willing to put her life in danger to care for injured animals. This, along with the strange prophecy about a white giraffe, highlights Martine’s love of animals. 

While the story’s pacing is fast with both action and adventure, The White Giraffe clearly shows the greedy nature of humans who poach and capture animals for material gain. In addition, the story gives a brief look at racism when Tendai, who works at the animal reserve, shares his personal experiences of police brutality. Because of this experience, Tendai realizes that “only a man can crush you inside, in your heart, for no reason other than the color of your skin.” Despite this, Tendai has forgiven his abusers because “sometimes the thing that hurts your enemies most is to see that you are not like them.”

The White Giraffe takes the reader into the African bush and leaves them with a sense of wonder. Readers will gain a new appreciation of the people who strive to save wildlife. The story also has important life lessons, including showing that no one is perfect. When Martine makes a mistake, she is not chastised, instead her friend says, “We all make mistakes, chile. That’s human. But not everybody had the courage to admit what they done and go out into the world to try to mend things.” Readers who love animals and would like more exciting stories about helping animals should add the Vet Volunteers Series by Laurie Halse Anderson and the Zoe’s Rescue Zoo Series by Amelia Cobb to their reading list.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • Martine learns that her grandfather, Henry, died but “the events surrounding it were still shrouded in mystery. The police theory was that Henry had stumbled upon a gang of poachers trying to steal a couple of giraffes or maybe kill them for trophies. . . There had been a struggle. When it was over, Henry had been fatally wounded.”
  • On a field trip, Martine’s classmates chase her, intending to cause her harm. However, she is able to hide and stay safe.
  • Tendai tells of a time when he was beaten because of his skin color. Tendai’s “back and broad chest were crisscrossed with fifty or sixty thick, raised scars. It was as if someone or something had tried to cut him into a million pieces.” 
  • After Martine sees Tendai’s scars, he tells her about a police officer who “tore my shirt. . . I’m sorry to say I punched him as hard as I could. After that, Tendai remembered very little. When he regained consciousness, he was in a prison hospital covered in welts.”
  • Martine and Tendai are watching a kudu when “a bullet ripped into the tree trunk above Tendai’s head, simultaneously spraying him with splinters and terrifying Martine. . . a second bullet hit the kudu in the throat. Blood spurted from his neck in a fountain and he dropped to the ground and lay still.” 
  • Martine’s classmates torment her by writing witch “all over her books, and on another occasion she opened her pencil case to find a hairy baboon spider—an African tarantula—lurking inside.”
  • One day, the kids at school surround Ben and start saying that “he’s a waste of space,” a “runt” and a “mongrel.” One boy says, “You’re like one of those sad-looking dogs you find down at the shelter.”
  • Someone captures the white giraffe, Jemmy. When Martine finds him on a cargo ship, “Jemmy was lying on the floor, his legs at odd angles. His white and silver coat was covered in cuts and matted blood.” 
  • When Martine and Jemmy get to the deck of the cargo ship, the poacher, Alex, yells “Raise the gangplank!” Jemmy “swept across the deck, striking Alex a glancing blow with his hoof as he went. Alex dropped like a stone.” Martine and Jemmy escape.

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • A woman teaches Martine how to use healing herbs. 
  • When Martine finds the giraffe on a cargo ship, she also sees two leopard cubs that “were clearly drugged.” Martine leaves them behind. 

Language 

  • Because Ben won’t talk to the other kids at school, they say he is “deaf, stupid or a nutcase.” One of the girls calls Ben “Bonkers Ben.”
  • Martine’s grandmother calls a woman a “crazy old magic woman.”

Supernatural

  • An African legend believes that “the child who can ride a white giraffe will have power over all the animals.” Martine learns that she is the child in the legend.
  • When Martine touches an injured, dying goose, her hands “heated up to the point that they were practically glowing. After a few seconds, the Egyptian goose jerked and its eyelids flickered. She loosened her palm. It shook out its wings and flew into the darkening sky.” Afterwards, Martine’s classmates think she’s a witch that used voodoo or black magic to heal the goose.
  • When a kudu is shot, Martine helps it. “Martine places her hot hands over the kudu’s dying heart and began pressing down every few seconds. Under her touch, the beat grew stronger and the kudu’s skin became warm.” A few minutes later, the kudu “gets on his feet . . . and bounded weakly away.” 
  • A woman named Grace uses bones to tell the future. Martine’s grandmother explains, “Africans with second sight throw bones the way Western fortune tellers use crystal balls and tarot cards.” The woman told Martine’s grandmother that “the bones had told her that a tragedy would bring [Martine] back to Sawubona. . . She said that if you came of your own accord, the gods might be appeased and the tragedy would be averted.” After the woman’s prediction, Martine’s parents were killed in a fire.
  • Grace takes out a pouch and dumps out “a collection of small bones, a portion of porcupine quill, a guinea fowl feather, and a couple of elephant hairs.” Then “a thin spiral of blue smoke rose from the objects on the floor. It flattened out and blurred images began to flash across it.” The vision helps Martine save the white giraffe.
  • When Jemmy is injured, Martine “put her hands on the white giraffe’s heart. Unbidden, technicolor memories of their time together came flooding into her mind. . . Martine was aware of her hands becoming hotter and hotter and a pure feeling, like love, flowing through her.” Jemmy recovers and they are able to escape.

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Kitty and the Treetop Chase

Girl by day. Cat by night. Ready for adventure! In the fourth book of this chapter book series, Kitty, a little girl with catlike superpowers, teams up with another superhero to save a bakery from certain disaster. 

When a new family moves into town, Kitty is excited to make another friend. But Ozzy, Kitty’s new neighbor, is quiet and seems to have nothing in common with Kitty. Then a member of Kitty’s cat crew tells Kitty about a dog causing a commotion in the bakery. Kitty decides to use her catlike superpowers to investigate, and it turns out that Ozzy has his own superpowers, too! Together, the pair sets off to track down the mischievous dog before he can cause even more damage.

With his owl superpowers, Ozzy adds an interesting and fun dynamic to Kitty and the Treetop Chase. At first, Kitty isn’t sure what to think about Ozzy, but when she’s called to solve a mystery, she welcomes Ozzy’s help. There are bumps in the road when Ozzy and Kitty don’t agree with each other, and both think that they’re right. But with the help of a friend, the two superheroes learn to work together to solve their mystery. Through their adventure, Kitty realizes “having superpowers was amazing fun, but it was going to be even better now that she had someone to share it with!”

In her quest to help animals, Kitty uses superpowers, her new friend Ozzy, and her cat crew to solve mysteries. Together, Kitty and Ozzy discover two dogs that look identical, but one of them has been naughty. Once the two superheroes discover the dogs’ plight, they jump in to help. Instead of being judgmental, Kitty listens to the naughty dog’s story and feels compassion for him. In the end, everyone gets a happily ever after.

Independent readers will fall in love with Kitty and her cat crew. Kitty is a likable and interesting protagonist who is curious, brave, and kind. The story is well-written with beautiful imagery, but readers will also appreciate the large illustrations that appear every one to three pages. Each illustration uses black, white, and orange which gives the pictures a magical quality. Since much of the action takes place at night, many of the illustrations have a black background which allows Kitty and her cat friends to pop off the pages. In addition, many of the pages include fun elements such as cat prints. However, Kitty’s willingness to help animals in need is the story’s real magic. 

While Kitty and the Treetop Chase is part of a series, the series does not need to be read in order because each story focuses on a new mystery. In addition, the beginning of the book gives a short introduction of Kitty and her cat crew. Independent readers who are ready for adventure will find Kitty and the Treetop Chase the perfect book for them. Since the story revolves around superheroes and animals, the fast-paced mystery will appeal to a wide range of readers. Readers who crave more superhero actions should also read the Princess in Black Series by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • None

Supernatural

  • Kitty has superpowers. “Kitty could see in the dark and hear noises from far away. She could also balance perfectly and perform amazing somersaults. Best of all, she could talk to animals!”
  • Kitty’s new friend Ozzy “is training to be a superhero, and his owl-like powers give him amazing eyesight and super hearing.” Ozzy can also talk to owls. 

Spiritual Content 

  • None

The Cookie Fiasco

Four friends. Three cookies. One problem.

Hippo, Croc, and the Squirrels are determined to have equal cookies for all! But how? There are only three cookies . . . and four of them! They need to act fast before a nervous Hippo breaks all the cookies into crumbs!

For a fun-filled afternoon, grab cookies, milk, and The Cookie Fiasco! Young readers will giggle their way through the book as they learn a little about math and friendship. When Hippo and his friends argue over who will get to eat the cookies, they debate ways to fairly divide them. Hippo is so nervous that he keeps breaking the cookies and soon, his friends know they need to “solve this problem fast! Our friendship depends on it!” 

The brightly colored animal friends pop off the page and the hilarious dialogue between the friends is wonderfully silly, as are the animal’s facial expressions. Each animal’s quote boxes are drawn in different colors that match the animal; this makes it easy to distinguish which animal is talking. Some pages tell the story with only pictures while other pages have up to four short, simple sentences. Adults should get their animal voices ready because The Cookie Fiasco! is the perfect book to read aloud. 

If you’re looking for a fun book that teaches the importance of sharing, then The Cookie Fiasco! is the book for you! The lovable characters, silly banter, and relatable conflict will make The Cookie Fiasco! a book that young readers will want to read again and again. However, this book is best served with cookies and milk! Too Many Carrots by Katy Hudson is another humorous book that highlights the importance of sharing that young readers will love. 

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Kat Wolfe Investigates

After a break-in at their London home, Kat Wolfe and her veterinarian mum decide it’s time to move to the country. Dr. Wolfe’s new job on England’s Jurassic Coast comes with a condition: They have to adopt Tiny, a huge Savannah cat who resists Kat’s best attempts at cat whispering.

Kat starts a pet-sitting agency to make pocket money, but then the owner of her first client, an Amazon parrot, vanishes from his gadget-filled mansion. Only one person shares Kat’s conviction that he’s the victim of foul play: Harper Lamb, an American girl laid up with two broken legs thanks to her racehorse.

Kat and Harper team up, but what starts out as mystery-solving fun turns deadly for the duo. When all clues point to a nearby army base, can they count on their unruly animal friends to save the day—and their lives?

Kat Wolfe Investigates is a highly entertaining story that has mystery, suspense, and many other positive aspects that make it perfect for any mystery-loving reader. Readers will fall in love with Kat, who tries to stay out of trouble but gets thrust into the middle of a deadly mystery. At first, Kat tries to do the right thing by taking her concerns to Sergeant Singh, the only policeman in town. However, the Sergeant doesn’t believe Kat. So, Kat and her friend, Harper, begin their own investigation. Even when the two realize that the investigation could be dangerous, they continue their quest to find answers and save Kat’s client.

Not only is Kat a loveable character, but she is also surrounded by a slew of interesting characters – both human and animal – of all ages. Harper is a computer whiz, Kat’s friend Edith is a retired librarian, and Kat’s mother is the town’s only veterinarian. There is also a talking parrot, a Savannah cat, and a racehorse. The animals and humans blend to make a heartwarming story of friendship that has surprising pockets of laugh-out-loud humor. In addition, Kat’s story shows that “you should never rush to judgment—particularly when it comes to people you don’t know.”

Kat Wolfe Investigates is an excellent story that has a large cast of characters and a complex plot that takes the reader on an adventure with several surprises. Middle-grade readers will find themselves admiring Kat’s determination, bravery, and kindness. However, the content may disturb younger readers since the story has a believable villain who is responsible for other people’s deaths and who tries to have Kat and Harper “exterminated.” In the end, Kat catches the culprit and the story concludes on a happy note. For more mystery fun that features a spunky heroin, check out the Friday Barnes Mystery Series by R.A. Spratt and The Curious Cat Spy Club Series by Linda Joy Singleton.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • While pet-sitting, Kat sees a man outside of the house. She thinks the man might be a burglar, so she hits a button to turn on the outside grill. “A towering inferno shot out from the barbeque on the deck. . . The soldier let out an agonized yell and reeled back, clutching his forehead.” Later, Kat finds out that the man’s “left eyebrow is now slightly shorter than the right, but otherwise he was unscathed.” 
  • Darren, an “exterminator” sneaks into Dr. Wolfe’s office. Her desk has so many files on it that all he sees are “her eyebrows.” The man doesn’t realize the eyebrows actually belong to a monkey. “The eyebrows made an excellent target. He aimed his revolver right at them. It was a starting pistol, not a real gun. . .” He threatens the doctor and then leaves. 
  • When the exterminator goes to leave, Eva, the monkey “flew at him and sank her teeth into his ear. Disorientated in the dark reception area, Darren swirled around in agony. Eva bit down harder. . .”
  • Darren breaks into Kat’s house. “As Darren padded across the tiles, starting pistol in hand, Tiny (Kat’s Savannah cat) ambushed him from the top of the kitchen cupboard, crash-landing on his back and sinking his claws and teeth into Darren’s neck.” Darren’s has several injuries, “a scratch had rendered one of his eyes useless. The other was swollen from the bite he’d incurred at the animal clinic.” 
  • While investigating Ramon, the owner of the parrot, Kat finds out that his squad was on a mission, “but someone leaked the plans and the Russians ambushed their unit. Mario was killed and the other five soldiers were killed.” Later, someone starts killing soldiers with an undetectable poison.
  • On a dark, rainy night Kat rides onto a military base. “A harsh beam swept the ground, bathing them in light. A warning shot cracked. A shrub exploded almost at their feet.” The shot scares the horse, who takes off running.
  • When Kat makes it to the gate at the base, a soldier stops her. The next thing Kat knew, “she was staring into the barrel of a rifle.” Kat is taken to the base and given a towel to dry off.
  • At the base, Kat discovers that the villain is the chef. The man captures Kat and threatens to kill her with a gun. Before the villain can kill her, Kat’s grandfather, the Dark Lord, “stepped from the shadows.” To save Kat, the Dark Lord throws his gun down. “The chef clamped an arm around her throat.” Kat reacts by pulling a martial art move. “A short, sharp tug on his chef’s jacket, a lunge, and a twist, and Chef Roley soared over the gymnasium. He crash-landed on the studio floor below and was out cold.” 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • Harper shows Kat a picture of a group of men in a photograph. The men were on a boat with “beers in hand.”
  • After a monkey bites Darren, he takes “two painkillers with a can of soda.”

Language 

  • Ohmigod is used twice.
  • Oh Lord is used as an exclamation once.
  • Harper tells Kat that someone is a jerk.
  • A man in the military tells a man, “Damn fine job you did.”
  • A soldier says, “My God.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Odder

Meet Odder, the Queen of Play:

Nobody has her moves.

She doesn’t just swim to the bottom,

She dive-bombs.

She doesn’t just somersault,

She triple-doughnuts.

She doesn’t just ride the waves,

She makes them.

Odder spends her days off the coast of central California, practicing her underwater acrobatics and spending time with a good friend. She’s a fearless daredevil, curious to a fault. But when Odder comes face-to-face with a hungry great white shark, her life takes a dramatic turn, one that will challenge everything she believes about herself—and the humans who hope to save her.

Humans love otters because they are adorably cute, but Odder weaves a story that gives the otters personality. Odder is an adventurous otter who readers will quickly fall in love with. Best friends Odder and Kairi are complete opposites. Cautious Kairi is always reminding Odder to be more careful, but Odder gets caught up in the excitement and often forgets.

One day, Odder is so focused on finding a tasty crab to eat that she goes too far out in the bay. A hungry shark sees the otters and takes a bite of Kairi. In order to save her friend, Odder attacks the shark. Later, humans find Odder and she’s taken to an aquarium to get medical attention. Odder is consumed with grief over the loss of her best friend. Later, she learns that Kairi survived the shark attack and she is also at the aquarium!

However, the shark attack has changed Odder, who is no longer fearless. When Odder is reunited with Kairi, she has just lost her pup and has become a surrogate mother. While Kairi has always been careful, she wants the pup to be returned to the ocean. At first, Odder thinks that keeping the pup safe is the most important job for a mother. But when Odder becomes a surrogate, she learns that “teaching and loving are different words for the same thing” and that “the world is not meant to be feared.” 

Odder is inspired by the true story of a Monterey Bay Aquarium program that pairs orphaned otter pups with surrogate mothers. Applegate uses beautiful free verse to bring Odder’s ocean world to life as well as to teach readers interesting facts about the ocean’s biodiversity and otters’ importance in keeping the ocean healthy. The survival of otters is important because they are a “keystone species. . . they are nature’s glue, holding habitats together.” Odder will give readers a deeper appreciation for the beloved otter and for the people who are helping save the species. 

From the start, Applegate weaves a beautiful story about friendship, love, and the gift of freedom. By the story’s end, readers will be able to view the world from an otter’s point of view and will have a new appreciation of ocean life. In addition, through Odder’s experiences, readers will be reminded that all wild animals should have the chance to live in their natural habitat. While Odder is an entertaining and easy-to-read story, it is a must-read because of its educational value.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • One day, Otter and Kairi get too close to the bay and a shark sees them. “Odder sees the terror in her friend’s eyes.” The two try to swim away, but Odder “hears a strangled cry, and turns to see the shark has nipped her friend’s tail, as the awful stench of blood blooms in the water.”
  • In order to save Kairi from the shark, Odder attacks the shark. “As [the shark] moves in for the kill, he’s met with sheer movement, flipping and twisting, an eruption of bubbles, the reek of fear.” Because of Odder, the shark can’t go after Kairi, and “so he veers and there she [Odder] is and his mouth is open wide and waiting and clamp snap gnash she is trapped in his jaws.” When the shark tastes Odder’s fur, he drops Odder.
  • After the shark lets Odder go, she swims to the shore. She has a “gaping wound on her belly” and is “drained of blood and hope.” Humans find her and take her to an aquarium to be cared for. 
  • Odder tells the story of the Fifty, when “humans were killing us for our fur.” The back of the book explains the story in more detail.

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language   

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

The Star Dunes

A major discovery forces the Explorer Academy into the limelight in The Star Dunes, but Cruz has much more on his mind than fifteen minutes of fame. A new face on board the ship makes Cruz’s worlds collide. On route to Africa, Team Cousteau is now down a major player, and Cruz can’t help but be preoccupied by the hole in his life. The discovery of his mom’s next clue leads him to the most exotic location yet – a vast desert. With no other information to lead the way, an unlikely ally helps Cruz pursue another piece of the puzzle. Then just as things seem like they might turn out alright, Dr. Fanchon Quills has a technological breakthrough that gives Cruz a glimpse into the past and reveals more about his future than he really may want to know. 

In this adventure, Cruz and several other explorers go to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest where they learn about how humans have put gorillas in danger. “Habitat loss, war, hunting, disease—they have reduced the entire population of mountain gorillas to two protected areas.” The mission also allows the students to learn about African elephants that are endangered because of. Through the explorers’ experiences, readers will learn about the animals’ loss of habitat and about conservation efforts.  

Cruz’s quest to follow his mother’s clues and find the formula for a lifesaving drug is admirable. However, his single-minded focus and risky behavior continually puts others in danger. In addition, readers may find it difficult to understand Cruz’s unwillingness to be honest about Nebula’s attempt to end his life. Even though Nebula kidnapped Cruz’s father and poisoned Cruz’s friend, Cruz still keeps secrets that could help keep himself and others safe. To make matters worse, none of the adults punish Cruz for repeatedly sneaking off to search for clues. Instead, the adults only focus on Cruz’s positive attributes despite his bad behavior. 

While The Star Dunes is action-packed and the mystery intensifies, this installment of Explorer Academy has many events that are difficult to believe. Nebula has shown that they are smart enough to infiltrate the Academy and repeatedly get access to Cruz’s room, which makes their inability to capture or kill him implausible. In addition, the Academy faculty continually choose Cruz for missions over the other explorers which is unbelievable, especially since Cruz continually breaks the rules.  

Despite The Star Dunes flaws, Cruz’s fast-paced adventure allows readers to experience other cultures as they learn about the importance of wildlife conservation. The well-written story includes illustrations that appear every two to twelve pages. Many of the illustrations are a mix of photographs and drawings, which gives the pictures a touch of realism. The story will appeal to many readers because it includes a diverse cast, interesting technology, and teaches about wildlife. The Star Dunes concludes with Cruz reading a cryptic letter from his mother that will have readers reaching for the next book in the series, The Tiger’s Nest. 

Sexual Content  

  • Before leaving for a mission, Bryndis goes to tell Cruz goodbye. “Cruz found himself looking into her eyes. . . He felt cool lips brush his cheek, and then she was scurrying back down the hall in her polar bear slippers.” 

Violence  

  • While following his mother’s clue, Cruz takes a self-driving car. While on a deserted road, another truck hits them. “They were accelerating, but so was the truck behind them. Cruz could only dig his fingernails into his seat and watch the speedometer rise. . . Suddenly, everything was a blur. Cruz saw white lights and red dust and Dugan’s face and white lights and red rocks and Dugan’s face. . .” After Cruz’s car crashes, the truck takes off. The scene is described over three pages. 
  • While in the desert, two men chase Cruz and Dugan. “Cruz felt a jerk. Someone had a hold of his pack. He tried to pull away but couldn’t. . . Suddenly, his feet were out from under him. He was on his stomach being dragged backward. Cruz was trying not to choke on sand. . .” Both Cruz and Dugan escape. 
  • While on a mission, Cruz and his team see poachers aiming at a pangolin and its pangopups. Cruz “could see the hunter bring the weapon to his shoulder. . . The hunter was lining up the animal in his scope. . .” Cruz orders his mechanical bee, Mell, to attack. Then “the hunters were running in circles, wildly swatting the air around them. . . Mell was still stinging, zipping this way and that to strike her targets. Cruz sprayed the hunters with his octopod. Both cried out, fell to their knees, and threw their hands over their eyes.” The poachers are arrested. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Someone put a deadly toxin in Cruz’s duffle bag, but it was “Bryndis [who] was exposed to the deadly toxin. The poison was absorbed through her skin.” Bryndis is given an antidote, but she is still extremely sick. 

Language    

  • Darn is used once. 
  • After a truck knocks them off the road, Dugan says, “Nothing like some idiot who thinks it’s funny to go around frightening people.”  

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Wild & Chance

When a girl wakes up trapped on a sinking ship with no memory of who she is, she has nothing but her instinct to survive. As she fights her way to freedom, she quickly discovers two incredible facts: she is a dog and she can understand human speech. Soon, she befriends a thirteen-year-old boy named Chance who gives her a name of her own: Wild. 

But Wild and Chance find themselves running for their lives, pursued by relentless Animal Control officers. Joined by a mysterious hacker girl named Junebug, the unlikely trio fight for survival while trying to solve the mystery of Wild’s extraordinary strength, super-intelligence, and high-tech collar.

Wild’s heart-pounding story will grab readers from the very first page when she almost dies in a yacht explosion. After surviving the ocean, a dog fighting ring, and Animal Control, Wild thinks her problems are over. When Chance befriends Wild, the two connect over the discovery that they are both looking for a home. However, the two are forced to flee as they realize that Maelstrom, a secret military organization, will stop at nothing to silence Wild forever.

Readers will instantly get wrapped up in Wild’s fight for survival. Wild’s unique perspective shows her struggle to fight against her breeding—she was genetically engineered to make humans love her and then kill them. Wild has no desire to hurt anyone, but she must constantly fight her instincts. Despite her past, Wild is determined to keep her new friends, Chance and Junebug, safe. However, Wild isn’t completely sure that Junebug can be trusted. Despite this, Wild is determined to keep her promise to Chance and reunite him with his mother.

Even though Wild is a dog, many readers will relate to her desire to understand her past and determine her own future. The fast-paced mystery is full of action-packed chases, several intense dog fights, and a dramatic conclusion that will leave readers in tears. Wild, Chance, and Junebug are complex characters who are thrown together by circumstance but connect through friendship. While Wild & Chance is a heart-stopping, entertaining book, readers who want to avoid violence should instead read the Wild Rescuers Series by Stacy Plays and the Survival Tails Series by Katrina Charman.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • Wild wakes up on a yacht that smells of gasoline. She sees a boat of soldiers off to the side. One soldier shoots a flare. “There’s a loud whoosh as the flare hits the yacht and the fuel ignites. The explosion comes less than a second later, a thunderclap that shakes the entire vessel and causes the deck to tilt at a steep angle.” Wild jumps into the ocean before the yacht sinks.
  • A man captures Wild and takes her to a dog fighting ring. Not wanting to fight, Wild tries to get off the platform. “I try to run between [the bystanders’] legs to get away, but they kick at me, boots connecting with my hindquarters.” 
  • Wild is forced to fight Thunder, a rottweiler. “The moment I turn, he leaps at me, mouth open wide as he springs for my neck. . . It seems there’s no way to escape this fight, but I no longer want to escape. I want this dog’s throat in my teeth.” Wild forces herself not to kill Thunder. Instead, she twists “to the side, flinging Thunder away from me, hearing him yelp as the big dog goes airborne across the pit. . . “. The dog fight is described over three pages before Wild finds a way to escape the fight.
  • Wild comes across a kid who is corned by a group of boys. “Without warning, the older kid punches him in the stomach, doubling him over. The boy tries to get away, but he’s trapped between a brick wall and the three kids hovering over him.” The older boy hits the kid again and Wild jumps in. Wild is “overwhelmed by a desire to protect the skinny boy. . . I bare my teeth and roar at full volume.” The bullies leave. The scene is described over two pages.
  • Chance hides Wild in his closet. The next morning, two men dressed as animal control appear offering money in exchange for the dog. In the exchange, the men reveal that they plan to kill Wild. When Wild runs, “both officers flick open their zappers and sparks fly. . . The small officer points his zapper in my direction, and an arc of electricity shoots out like a lightning bolt.” In order to escape, “I spin and kick him in the chest with my hind legs, hard enough to knock him backward into the small officer and send the two of them crashing to the ground.” Wild and Chance run. The scene is described over four pages.
  • In order to remove a GPS tracking device, Wild uses her teeth to bite it out. Wild bites “down, ignoring my disgust, and get a fang into my skin. I feel a sharp pain as my tooth pierces the flesh. . .” The dog removes the tracker and throws it out the window.
  • Chance, Wild, and Junebug get picked up by a police officer, who puts them in the back of his police car. The kids know they are in trouble when the police officer drives past the police station and begins heading to a remote location. On the way there, a truck intentionally runs into the police car. “The truck hits us at full speed. Metal grinds against metal and glass shatters. For a few seconds, the patrol car is airborne, and then it crashes down hard, rolling over on itself, flinging us violently from side to side.” The kids and Wild wake up with their wounds cleaned and no serious injuries.
  • In order to find out why Wild has special abilities, Wild and her friends go to see Dr. Pao, who lives in a fenced compound. While there, they hear an explosion. “Another explosion knocks us to the ground, and the rear wall of the compound shatters in front of me. . . A wall of electricity floods the compound, beams crisscrossing, smashing whatever they touch.” Dr. Pao shows the kids a way to escape.
  • As the kids try to escape the soldiers that are on the compound, “Junebug rears back and kicks him hard in the groin, cutting off his sentence and doubling him over with a grunt of pain.” Junebug runs, but Chance disappears. Wild finds Chance. “A Maelstrom soldier has an arm around Chance’s throat, holding him tight. He also has a fully charged zapper with sparks flying from the tip.” Wild free Chance and the two escape. The chase scene is described over eight pages.
  • Another specialized Maelstrom dog is sent to kill Wild. Wild describes, “The dog turns to Chance, his eyes red, drool flowing. He charges without warning . . . I howl and attack, my heart pumping, eyes blind with range. I crash into him from the side, catching him off guard, and my jaws close around his neck.” When Wild realizes that the dog will hurt the children, Wild twists “and throw[s] him high into the air, as hard and as far as I can.” The dog falls over a cliff and dies. The scene is described over four pages.
  • Wild has a flashback to before she was on the yacht. Wild was placed with a family so she could spy on the mother. Once Maelstrom had enough information, Wild was ordered to kill the family. Wild refused and instead, she “lunged at my handler, clamping down on his arm, stripping him of the zapper, and attacking him. His screams are the ones I’ve been hearing in my nightmares.”
  • General Rupani, a Maelstrom soldier, holds Chance captive in order to force Wild to kill a family. Instead of killing the family, Wild breaks into the Maelstrom command center. “The soldiers realize what’s going on and come at me, but I’m moving on instinct, arcing in the air and smashing as I go, a whirlwind of legs and body strikes, and take out the entire room in a matter of seconds.”
  • In order to save Chance and Wild from her father, Junebug takes a zapper “using it like a baseball bat and striking the general in the back of the head with a loud smack. General Rupani grunts and his eyes roll back into his head.” The escape scene is described over six pages.

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • A man finds Wild who is thirsty and hungry. In order to capture Wild, the man gives Wild “a little something. . .to relax you.” The drug makes Wild fall asleep.
  • When Wild wakes up, she’s in a warehouse with a bunch of rich people who are drinking cocktails.
  • Chance’s mom is in drug rehab. Chance tells Wild, “She isn’t a bad person, Wild. She’s an addict. The drugs make you do things you wouldn’t do if you were thinking straight.”

Language   

  • Bullcrap is used once.
  • Heck is used twice.
  • Damn and darn are both used once.
  • As Chance and Wild are running from Animal Control, they hear a helicopter. Chance shouts, “Animal Control doesn’t have friggin’ helicopters!”
  • Junebug says, “My dad can be a real jerk sometimes.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Uni and the Perfect Present

Uni is generous and wants to give Silkie a special present for his birthday. But Uni doesn’t have anything! So, Uni asks different animals what they think the perfect present is. Uni gives Silkie many gifts on their special day together, but there is one gift that turns out to be the most special of them all.

Anyone who has ever had to pick out a gift for someone will relate to Uni’s conflict. As Uni and Silkie spend the day together, Uni asks other animals what the perfect present is. Taking their advice, Uni gives Silkie an acorn, a shiny pebble, and a strong stick. But Uni doesn’t think any of the gifts are special. Then, Uni has an idea! She draws a picture of all the things they saw—a blue stream, golden trees, and purple flowers. Uni finally has the perfect present for Silkie!

Each page of Uni and the Perfect Present has a large illustration that focuses on nature. Readers will love all the forest animals Uni meets, as well as the brightly colored trees and flowers. Each page has one to three simple sentences that appear in oversized text. As a Level 2 book, Uni and the Perfect Present uses basic vocabulary words that are perfect for children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help. In addition, the simple plot is relatable and easy to understand.

Uni and the Perfect Present will entertain readers who are ready to read on their own. The cute illustrations, the likable protagonist, and the theme of friendship add up to an enjoyable story that shows that “Best friends [are] the most perfect present of all!” Readers who love unicorns can find more sparkly fun by reading the Unicorn Diaries Series by Rebecca Elliott.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Ride On

Victoria has always loved horses. But riding in competitions is high stakes, high stress, and shockingly expensive. And even though Victoria’s best friend Taylor loves competing, Victoria has lost her taste for it.

After a heartbreaking fight with Taylor, Victoria needs a new start—at a new stable. A place where she doesn’t have to worry about anything other than riding. No competition, no drama, no friends. Just horses.

Edgewood Stables seems ideal. There are plenty of horses to ride, and Victoria is perfectly happy giving the other riders the cold shoulder. But can she truly be happy with no friends?

While Ride On will specifically appeal to horse-loving readers, the graphic novel also has a universal theme of friendship which all readers will be drawn to. Victoria’s past is murky and, although it is slowly revealed, she never explains why she has rejected all her friends including her yearbook friends. Despite the fear of rejection, Victoria slowly warms up to Norrie, Hazel, and Sam; while they all share a love of horses, it’s their love of the sci-fi television series, Beyond the Galaxy, that brings them all together. This adds both an interesting twist and some humor to the story.

Many readers will relate to Victoria’s insecurities as well as her desire to have a well-rounded life that doesn’t completely revolve around horse competitions. In a world where competitive sports are the norm, Ride On reminds readers that they do not need to let one thing consume all their time. Instead, they can love horses, cosplay, and hanging out with friends. Along the way, the story explores the importance of friendship as well as getting over fears. These lessons are wrapped up in a good story with interesting, relatable characters who often struggle with being different. Seeing the characters grow and connect is heartwarming as well as entertaining. 

The graphic novel’s artwork uses vivid colors to bring the characters to life. One of the best aspects of the illustrations is the characters’ facial expressions and body language—both of these will help readers understand the characters’ emotions. The horse pictures are wonderful as well. Some pages tell the story only through pictures, while other pages have up to seven sentences per page. This, along with the easy vocabulary, make Ride On accessible to most readers. 

Ride On highlights everyone’s need for companionship and validation. The graphic novel is a character-driven story that doesn’t have a lot of exciting conflicts. However, the characters are interesting enough to keep readers hooked. The conclusion holds several surprises that show the true meaning of friendship. Similar to Ride On, the graphic novel series Eagle Rock by Hope Larson is another coming-of-age story that explores the need to find your passion.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language   

  • Crap is used once.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Princess Posey and the Next-Door Dog

After hearing about her classmate’s new puppy, Posey wants a dog of her own even though she’s a little bit scared of dogs. When a new neighbor moves in with a dog that has a very big bark, Posey tries not to be afraid. Will her special pink tutu give her the courage to befriend the next-door dog?  

Posey’s teacher assigns a writing assignment: “Write a story about your own dog or pet. . . Those of you who don’t have a pet can write about the pet you hope to own someday.” When the other students talk about their pets, Posey doesn’t want them to know she is afraid of dogs.  

When the next-door neighbor’s dog gets its paw stuck under a chain-link fence, Posey wants to help the dog, but she’s afraid. At first, she couldn’t help because “she was too afraid.” But then Posey thinks about her Gramps’ advice to look into a dog’s eyes. When Posey does this, she sees that the dog’s eyes are kind and sad. This gives her the courage to help the dog and to get over her fear. In the end, Posey writes about how she helped her neighbor’s dog.  

Princess Posey is a relatable first grader who learns how to overcome her fear of dogs. The chapter book has ten short chapters printed in oversized font. With easy vocabulary words and black and white illustrations on almost every page, the Princess Posey Series is perfect for beginning readers. Plus, the cute illustrations will help readers understand the story’s plot. 

Princess Posey and the Next-Door Dog will appeal to readers who love animals because Posey’s classmates tell their own pet stories. Parents will appreciate the positive adults who kindly discipline Posey when needed. However, the story’s plot jumps around and the chapter about Posey’s mean neighbor boys seems out of place. Despite this, young readers will relate to Posey’s fear and will cheer when she is able to put her fear aside and help a dog in need. For more fun, the book also includes directions on how to create a beaded necklace.  

Parents looking for more entertaining series that teach life lesson by using positive protagonists should check out the Jada Jones Series by Kelly Starling Lyons and the Purrmaids Series by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • One chapter shows the neighbor boys being mean to Posey. They invite her to play soccer and then have her stand in one place. Then, they laugh at her saying, “you were a great goalpost.” 
  • Posey is upset that her mom says she cannot get a pet until her brother “gets bigger.” Posey is mad so she “reached over and pulled his binkie out of his mouth.”  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language    

  • After two boys are mean to Posey, she calls them, “Big dummy heads!” 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Unicorn Wings

The unicorn in this story can heal wounds with his horn. He can make rainbows. But what he really wants is to fly! So he sets off on a quest—past birds and butterflies—to find wings of his own. Then the unicorn meets a winged horse. The winged horse has injured his wing. Unicorn knows just what to do—he uses his magical horn to heal the horse. And then the unicorn’s dream comes true—he gets his own wings.

Unicorn Wings is part of the Step into Reading Level Two series, which targets readers in preschool through first grade. Each page features one to three short sentences in large font, making it an easy read. A charming story for the unicorn lover—and emergent reader—in your life. Step Two Readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories for children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help. Rhyme or rhythmic text is paired with picture clues to help children decode the story. 

Young readers will enjoy the simple story. Plus, the full-page illustrations are magical. The pages have a fairytale feel to them with lots of rainbows, flowers, butterflies, and a beautiful unicorn who shimmers. The happy conclusion shows Unicorn flying into the sky on his beautiful new wings. Young readers who love unicorns should put more sparkle into their lives by reading the Unicorn Diaries Series by Rebecca Elliott and the Unicorn and Yeti Series by Heather Ayris Burnell. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language    

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • The unicorn’s horn is magic. “It could make rainbows. . . It could fix cuts and broken bones.” 
  • The unicorn meets a winged horse, but the horse’s wing is hurt. The unicorn “put his magic horn to the horse’s wing. The wing grew strong. It did not droop anymore.” 
  • The unicorn wishes he had wings like the horses. Then, suddenly he does have wings.  

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Great Bunk Bed Battle

Fox siblings Fritz and Franny – and their adorable dog, Fred — get up to different bedtime shenanigans across three short stories in this full-color early reader. An imaginative bedtime routine leads the trio through a castle, a volcano, and even the center of the Earth as they debate whose bunk is best. But at the end of it all, these foxes find a way to meet in the middle.  

Part of Scholastic’s early reader line, The Great Bunk Bed Battle will help children who are learning to read. Each page has one to two simple sentences that are easy to read. The large font appears in speech bubbles which makes it easy to tell who is speaking. Each page has brightly colored, full-page illustrations with cute details. For example, when Fritz pretends his bed is a submarine, his dog has a helmet and air tank so he can follow the submarine.   

The Great Bunk Bed Battle uses humor and a fun storyline to help young readers build reading confidence and fluency. Anyone who has ever had to share will relate to Fritz’s and Franny’s competitive nature. The two foxes show the importance of using your imagination and the surprise ending is adorably cute. Whether you’re looking for a quick bedtime story or a fun book that will engage young readers, The Great Bunk Bed Battle is sure to please. For more fun books that teach the importance of working through conflicts, check out the Unicorn and Yeti Series by Heather Ayris Burnell and Hello, Crabby! by Jonathan Fenske. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language    

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

Groundhug Day

Moose is having a Valentine’s Day party, and all his friends are so excited! Everyone except Groundhog, that is. If Groundhog sees his shadow outside, he’ll hide in his hole for six more weeks and miss the party!

Determined to help their friend join them, Moose, Squirrel, Bunny, and Porcupine put their heads together and come up with a plan. But will it be enough to get Groundhog out to play?

When Groundhog comes out of his den and sees his shadow, his animal friends discover that Groundhog is afraid of shadows. In order to get Groundhog to come out, the animals show him all the different ways shadows are “awesome.” The animals show Groundhog how to use shadows to draw silhouettes and create puppet shows. Watching shadows dance is fun too. Despite this, Groundhog goes back into his hole for six more weeks. And when he finally pops out of his den and is ready for a St. Patrick’s Day party, Groundhog discovers that Bunny is “holed up this time of year” because he’s painting Easter eggs.

Young readers will relate to Groundhog’s fear of shadows and love all the ways the animals use shadows for entertainment. The story comes to life with super cute illustrations that are drawn in natural colors. Readers will giggle as each animal plots a way to get Groundhog out of his hole, especially because each scheme is drawn on a chalkboard. Plus, Groundhog is super cute and his clothing resembles an English gentleman. When he finally comes out for spring, he’s dressed for a Saint Patrick’s Day party!

Even though Groundhug Day 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. Readers may need help reading some of the text-heavy pages that have up to seven sentences per page. However, the adorable illustrations and the conversations between the animals make Groundhug Day entertaining enough for younger readers to enjoy.

Groundhug Day is a sweet story that will warm readers’ hearts and remind them that shadows are not scary. If you’re looking for another fun Valentine’s Day book, check out Splat the Cat: Funny Valentine by Rob Scotton.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None
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