Seasons – Page 3 – Sneak Peek Books

Max & Mo Make a Snowman

Max and Mo, two hamsters, live in a comfortable cage in a classroom. They love watching the boys and girls. Now that it’s wintertime, the children head outside to play in the snow and make a snowman. The hamsters want to enjoy the snow, but it’s too cold. Instead, Max and Mo decide to stay in the warm, cozy classroom. How can they keep snuggly warm and make a snowman too?

Max’s and Mo’s classroom comes to life through both text and illustrations. The two hamsters are adorably cute and creative too. Instead of going outside in the cold, the hamsters jump into the Odds and Ends bin and find art supplies. As they watch the children, they begin to make their very own paper snowman. The story ends with directions so little readers can also make their very own snowman.

With repeating words and 1-3 simple sentences per page, Max & Mo Make a Snowman is perfect for beginning readers. Anyone who wants to get into the winter spirit will enjoy seeing Max and Mo build their own snowman. The two cute hamsters use creative problem solving to make a great snowman. Readers who enjoyed Max & Mo Make a Snowman may also like the Pets on the Loose series by Victoria Jamieson; however, young readers would need parents to read the graphic novel to them.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Winter Dance

Snow is coming, and it’s time to get ready! The squirrel gathers nuts, the geese soar south, and the snowshoe hare puts on its new white coat. But what should the fox do? Each animal advises the fox and says its own plan is best, but the fox thinks otherwise. However, it’s not until he meets a golden-eyed friend that he finds the perfect way to celebrate the snowfall.

Beautifully illustrated, Winter Dance combines poetry, dialogue, and onomatopoeias into a fun story that is perfect for reading aloud. Even though Winter Dance is a picture book, it intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. The story shows how various animals—bats, bears, caterpillars, squirrels, and more—prepare for winter. Without sounding like a text book, the story explores the different animal habits. As the fox talks to the animals, he learns that each animal must discover what works best for them.

The story’s illustrations beautifully convey the calm and peaceful start of winter. As the fox tries to answer, “What should I do?” the winter landscape comes alive. Endearing illustrations end with the fox finding a friend who he can enjoy a winter dance with. Winter Dance celebrates the winter season and will delight younger readers. Each page has five or fewer short sentences, making the story a quick read and an excellent bedtime story.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

A Loud Winter’s Nap

Tortoise is set in his ways. He doesn’t like winter. He’s been planning his long winter nap, and now he’s ready to find a peaceful place to snuggle up. Tortoise has his pillow, his teddy bear, and his ear plugs. But what will tortoise do when the robins create a ruckus with their winter singing class?

Readers will giggle as Tortoise tries successfully to find a peaceful sleeping spot. But every time he snuggles down to sleep, a different forest animal wakes him up – from the playful squirrel who invites him to a snowball fight to the beaver who chops down the tree he’s sleeping in. Tortoise just doesn’t understand winter fun. All he knows is that “tortoises just don’t like winter!”

A Loud Winter’s Nap is a beautifully illustrated picture book that explores the joy of winter. Rabbit noisily creates an ice sculpture. Squirrel starts a snowball fight with the sleeping tortoise. Colorful illustrations add little details that will delight readers. Each animal is adorably cute and has expressive facial expressions. Readers will enjoy finding Tortoise’s teddy bear in each picture.

The text includes onomatopoeia words and repetition that will capture young readers’ attention. With four or fewer sentences per page, A Loud Winter’s Nap would be a fun story to read aloud. Readers will want to grab a blanket, a teddy bear, and curl up with this fun book. A Loud Winter’s Nap will become many children’s favorite winter book.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Red Fox Running

Red Fox runs on and on through the snow in search of food for his family. Then, he makes the long trek back to his den where his mate and cubs are waiting. The lyrical poem focuses on a winter day and on Red Fox’s search for food. As he searches, he notices many different animals. Unlike many children’s books, Red Fox Running doesn’t shy away from the hunger that animals face in the winter. Red Fox is described as starving and desperate to find food.

The beautiful poem is accompanied by large, full-color illustrations. Although many of the illustrations show Red Fox in a winter landscape, there are other wildlife shown such as duck, geese, and a rabbit. The ending of the story shows Red Fox carrying a dead animal in his mouth. Even though Red Fox’s dinner is not recognizable, the illustration might upset some children.

Even though Red Fox Running is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child rather than for a child to read it for the first time independently. Each page of the poem has 8-9 short lines. Many of the pages have no words, but they use the illustrations to bring the winter landscape and the forest animals to life instead. Even though the illustrations are stunning and the poem uses a concerned tone, younger readers who are not ready to be introduced to animals hunting for pray will want to leave Red Fox Running on the shelf.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

Red Fox finds his pray. “Dragging it behind you / Along the ground. / Your paws are raw and bleeding / Your body’s sore and spent.” Red Fox takes the food to his “mate and cubs, / Eat your fill and then / All curled up together.”

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Wonderfall

This informative picture book follows a single tree through the fall season, from the end of summer to winter’s first snowfall. Each page has blended words created to celebrate the wonder of fall. This book lets the reader see a neighborhood from the tree’s point of view.

Each page has fall-colored pictures that look like they are made out of construction paper. Readers will follow the tree and see the changing of leaves, the animals, and the events of the season. Each page starts with a blended word, such as plentifall, and then has a short poem. Each short poem uses sound words such as tat, boom, and boo to show excitement.

Even though Wonderfall Moms 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. The poetry, onomatopoeias, and descriptions make the story fun to read aloud. Since there is little text on each page, the story is a quick read, making it an excellent bedtime story.

Younger readers will enjoy the cute pictures and the simple poems. The ending of the book has information about trees and animals that appear in the book. Wonderfall uses short, simple poems that will get people in the mood for the joys of fall—Halloween, throwing leaves, and watching animals.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

A Long Way from Home

It’s bedtime in the burrow, and as usual, Noah is squished and squashed by sleepy rabbits. So out into the night he goes. Outside Noah meets his friend Albatross, who flies him to the land of the North Star, where sky and snow go on forever. When Noah falls from Albatross’s back, he’s not worried.

At first Noah loves being the only rabbit as he explores the snowy world. There’s no one to squish or squash him. But when Noah snuggles up in an icy nest, he missing the cozy nest full of snuggly siblings. Noah wants to go home, but without wings how will he make it home? Will ever find Albatross?

The beautiful illustrations begin by showing Noah’s cramped bunny den. Noah is being squeezed by his favorite sister, Ella. But Noah doesn’t want to be held like a teddy bear. As the story progresses, the animals’ expressions convey emotions. Noah visits a beautiful winter wonderland filled with blues and whites. The fanciful illustrations are lovely and young readers will want to look at them again and again.

Even though A Long Way Home is a picture book, the story intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. Each page has 2-6 lines of text and some of the sentences are complex. However, the easy-to-read story’s topic makes A Long Way Home a good bedtime story.

Children will relate to Noah’s story. Even though adults will find A Long Way Home predictable, younger readers will love Noah’s adventure in the snow and understand the theme. Noah learns to appreciate his family despite being squished and squashed. Parents can use Noah’s story to discuss different habitats, Noah’s personal growth, as well as the importance of appreciating what you have. A Long Way Home uses a winter landscape to create a warm story that highlights the joy of family.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Pumpkin Heads

Every autumn all through high school, Josiah and Deja have worked together at the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world. (Not many people know that the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world is in Omaha, Nebraska, but it definitely is.) They say goodbye every Halloween, and they’re reunited every September first.

But this Halloween is different—Josiah and Deja are finally seniors, and this is their last season at the pumpkin patch. Their last shift together. Their last good-bye.

Josiah’s ready to spend the whole night feeling melancholy about it. Deja isn’t ready to let him. She’s got a plan: What if—instead of moping and the usual slinging lima beans down at the Succotash Hut—they went out with a bang? They could see all the sights! Taste all the snacks! And Josiah could finally talk to that cute girl he’s been mooning over for three years…

What if their last shift was an adventure?

For three years, Josiah has had a crush on Marcy, a girl he only sees when they work at the pumpkin patch. On the last night of work, Deja talks Josiah into skipping their shift so Josiah can find Marcy and finally talk to her. Reluctantly, Josiah goes along with Deja’s plan. Readers will fall in love with the two characters as they explore the pumpkin patch looking for Marcy. Josiah is shy, sweet, and afraid of rejection, while Deja is confident, outgoing, and completely determined to have Josiah meet the girl of his dreams.

Pumpkin Heads brings all the joys of fall to life—the food, the corn maze, the pumpkins, and the friends. Throughout it all, Deja and Josiah discuss the idea of fate versus free will. The two friends reminisce about their years working at the pumpkin patch and worry about what the future will bring. As the two race against time trying to find Marcy, the story includes some wonderful patches of humor. For example, when Josiah worries about leaving the succotash booth, Deja says, “For God’s sake, Josie—true love trumps lima beans!”

Pumpkin Heads will encourage readers to be bold and live without regrets. Although the plot is a bit predictable, the main characters are truly unique. In the end, Josiah realizes that people cannot be judged by their looks. The only way to truly know someone is to talk to them. The graphic novel is illustrated in the orange and brown hues of fall, and each page has 1-8 sentences of text. The story is a quick read that will leave readers with a smile.

Sexual Content

Deja runs into an ex-girlfriend and an ex-boyfriend.
Deja and Josiah see a couple kissing in the corn maze.
Deja asks Josiah, “Are you about to kiss me?” Josiah freaks out. After a short conversation, they kiss.

Violence

A goat runs around smashing pumpkins and trying to ram people.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

“Oh God” is used as an exclamation once.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

When Josiah and Deja show up at the succotash booth, a worker says, “Thank the Lord!”
Deja sees a girl crying, so she gives the girl a snack. Deja asks, “Why doesn’t God want me to have snacks?”

Dragon’s Halloween

Dragon waits too long to go to the pumpkin patch. When he gets there, he finds six small pumpkins. When Alligator and Fox see Dragon carving his pumpkins, they laugh. Fox says, “Those pumpkins are too small to be scary.” Even though the pumpkins are small, Dragon is able to make a scary jack-o-lantern.

After carving pumpkins, Dragon has a hard time deciding what costume to wear to a costume party. He finally dresses as a mummy, but on the way to the party, rain ruins Dragon’s costume. His friends laugh at his silly costume. But then a pumpkin falls on Dragon’s head and all of his friends are so scared they jump into Hippo’s arms. When Dragon removes the pumpkin, everyone feels better. Everyone except the one animal that Hippo sat on.

In the final story, Dragon is frightened by strange sounds in the night. When Dragons yells, an angry squirrel tells him, “That’s no monster. That’s your stomach! Now go home and get something to eat before you wake up the whole forest!” So Dragon goes home and bakes a feast of pumpkin-flavored foods. And then he “ate and ate and ate.”

Readers won’t be able to get enough of Dragon, the loveable blue dragon. Dragon’s Halloween has three silly, short stories that will entertain readers. Each page has 1-4 easy-to-read sentences and large illustrations. Each Halloween story has a simple plot. The book is intended for children who are learning to read. With simple text, humor, and full-color illustration on every page, Dragon’s Halloween will help readers build confidence and fluency. As Dragon gets into the Halloween spirit, readers will laugh as he discovers both the fun and the scary parts of Halloween.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Marley and the Runaway Pumpkin

Marley’s family has spent the summer taking care of their pumpkin. They hope their pumpkin wins a blue ribbon at the county fair. But when Marely’s family rolls the pumpkin into the truck, Marley breaks his leash and jumps on the pumpkin. The pumpkin runs down the street. The pumpkin crashes into garbage cans, takes a ride on a scooter, and almost runs over the mailman. The pumpkin finally crashes and smashes into a tree.

Marley’s family is disappointed that the pumpkin can no longer be entered into the contest. But Mommy has an idea! “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And when life gives you smashed pumpkins, make pie.” The family enters the pumpkin pie into a contest and wins first place. Cassie says, “It was a blue-ribbon pumpkin after all.”

Marley doesn’t mean to cause mischief, but his curiosity causes trouble. Throughout the story, Marley’s family uses creative solutions to solve their problems. When Marley smashes their pumpkin, the family comes up with another plan. While the conclusion is unrealistic, the happy ending implies that Marley has been forgiven and that his family still loves him.

Young readers will relate to Marley, who accidentally gets into trouble. The plot comes alive through large, brightly colored illustrations that appear on every page. Each page has 43 or fewer words. The story uses longer sentences and has some challenging words that readers may need help with. Even though Marley is featured in over 20 books, the books do not need to be read in order.

Marley and the Runaway Pumpkin is a fun fall story that teaches the importance of thinking creatively. If you’re ready for colorful leaves falling and the smell of pumpkin pie, Marley and the Runaway Pumpkin will help readers get into the mood to enjoy fall’s delights.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

A Summer Spell

Lisa didn’t want to spend the summer in the country with her aunt. With no friends and no TV, Lisa thinks she will be lonely and bored. When Lisa finds an orange kitten in her aunt’s barn, she’s surprised when the kitten talks to her! The kitten, named Flame, is really a lion prince in disguise. Prince Flame is hiding from his uncle, who wants to kill him. Lisa promises to help Prince Flame stay safe.

But Prince Flame isn’t Lisa’s only friend. While riding her bike, Lisa meets John, a boy about her age. Someone has accused John’s father of poaching. Late one night, Lisa and John sneak out in the middle of the night to try to find the real poachers and get evidence that proves John’s father is innocent. With Prince Flame’s magical help, Lisa is able to help John.

A Summer Spell has several fun scenes that will make readers wish they had their own magical cat. Prince Flame not only helps Lisa with the dishes, but he also makes her invisible. Even though the story revolves around Prince Flame’s magic, the story has some darker events. Not only are bad men poaching, but the men frame John’s father, who is put in jail. The story hints that John’s father is targeted because he is a gypsy. Not only that, but Lisa sneaks out of the house in the middle of the night to go find the poachers, even though she knows that they have guns. Without Prince Flame’s help, Lisa and John would most likely be dead.

Lisa is a relatable character who wants to help her friends. However, at first she is disrespectful to her aunt. And even after she promises not to go anywhere without permission, she sneaks away several times. Despite this, readers will enjoy the plot’s action and Flame’s magic. Black and white drawings appear every three to seven pages. Even though A Summer Spell has some negative aspects, the story will engage readers and have them reaching for the next book in the series, Classroom Chaos. Cat lovers should also put the Purrmaids Series by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen on their must-read list.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

While riding a bike, Lisa runs into a pony. “Lisa’s bike screeched along the road into the pony. The brakes locked up and she was launched into the air.” With a little magic, “she landed softly onto what felt like a very soft pillow.”
When Lisa’s friends is in danger, Prince Flame turns her into a lion so she can rescue them. As a lion, Lisa “rushed up behind the first man and slammed into the back of his legs. In a swift movement, Lisa changed directions and launched herself at another man. . . She tripped up the third man, who fell over in a jumble of arms and legs.”
While looking for evidence, Flame turns Lisa into a lion. Lisa, “caught the smell of death. Two deer lay in the back of the van.”

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

Prince Flame’s uncle wants to kill him and take the throne for himself, so Prince Flame needs to hide. “A flash of bright white light crossed the sky. A shower of silver sparkles fell upon a young white lion. Before the lion had a chance to blink, it was magically changed into a tiny, fluffy, orange kitten.”
Prince Flame helps Lisa with the dishes. “Flame leaped up into the air like a silver fireball and landed on the draining board. Sparks crackled from the tips of his ears. He waved his front paws, and plates, spoons, forks, knives, and pans all dunked themselves in the suds.” With a little magic, the dishes wash, dry and put themselves away.
When Lisa forgets to buy groceries, Flame “meowed and twitched his whiskers. Lisa saw that huge silver sparks were popping in the air around him. The familiar warmth pricked down her spine.” When Lisa goes outside, “the bike’s basket was crammed with food.” Later Flame says he magically got the food from the grocery store. In order to pay for the purchases, Lisa puts money in an envelope with a note explaining what happened.
Several times, Prince Flame uses magic to make Lisa invisible.

Spiritual Content

None

We Are the Gardeners

In We Are the Gardeners, Joanna, and the kids chronicle the adventures of starting their own family garden. From their failed endeavors, obstacles to overcome (bunnies that eat everything!), and all the knowledge they’ve gained along the way, the Gaines family shares how they learned to grow a happy, successful garden. As it turns out, trying something new isn’t always easy, but the hardest work often yields the greatest reward. There are always new lessons to be learned in the garden!

Told through both text and words, We Are the Gardeners shows the steps to becoming a successful gardener. The full-page illustrations burst with all the colors of the garden, from the bright red of tomatoes to all the greens of the plants. The illustrations are beautiful and show the joys of gardening—digging in the dirt, picking seeds, and taking time to splash in the sprinkler. Readers will enjoy seeing children helping by watering plants, weeding, and eating the fruits of their labor.

The cheerful story doesn’t only focus on all of the positive aspects of gardening. Instead, the story also shows the failures, including a dying plant and animals feasting. However, the failures are shown as learning experiences. When a plant dies, the text reads, “Some people tell themselves they are no good at something after one small failure. But no chance were we going to give up that easy.”

Readers will learn where to put a garden, the importance of pollinators, how to identify beneficial and harmful bugs, and more. However, We Are the Gardeners also teaches important life lessons, such as using books to learn, making a plan, and “every setback and failure teaches us something.”

Even though We Are the Gardeners is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for a child to read it for the first time independently. Most pages contain 1 to 3 complex sentences and some difficult vocabulary. However, We Are the Gardeners would make a perfect springtime story to read to younger children. We Are the Gardeners will inspire readers to find the perfect place to put a potted plant or make a garden of their own.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Cabin Fever

Most people love the holiday season, but it makes Greg a nervous wreck. Greg believes that if he makes a mistake in the first eleven months of the year, it’s not a big deal, but if he does something wrong during the holiday season, then he’s in trouble with Santa and won’t get any presents. With Thanksgiving gone and Christmas fast approaching, Greg becomes obsessed with playing Net Kritterz online – a game where he takes constant care of his internet pet Chihuahua. Greg needs money in order to feed and clothe his virtual pet, but after his mom says money is tight, Greg has to create new ways to earn cash quickly.

After Greg’s request to his local church for a ‘donation’ and his snow shoveling business fall through, Greg and his best friend, Rowley, decide to hold their own Holiday Bazaar where they will sell concession snacks, offer holiday games, and make gifts like their school’s own Bazaar. However, after Vice Principal Roy stops them from handing out advertisements at school, the young duo decides to advertise their Bazaar by hanging signs on the outside school wall. But while taping them up, rain begins to pour and the paint on the signs runs, staining the bricks a neon green. With the police hot on their tails, Rowley and Greg flee the scene of the crime.

After the local newspaper carries a story about the vandalism and Vice-Principal Roy demands that the guilty parties come forward the next day, Rowley submits an anonymous note indicating that he and Greg are responsible for the vandalism. Refusing to identify Rowley as his partner in crime, Roy forces Greg to clean the outside bricks alone for hours. When Greg gets home, he learns the police have paid his house a visit and left a note saying that they would be back later. That night, a huge snowstorm traps Greg and his family inside their house. Greg now has to wait out the snowstorm while stressing about the police as his family’s food rations and electricity run out. Will Greg survive the snowstorm and get the chance to clear his name or will he be sent to jail like he fears?

Cabin Fever’s plot revolves around everything that happens in Greg’s life and is told from his 12-year-old perspective. The story contains a lot of bathroom and childish humor and at times the humor and illustrations can be crude and inappropriate for really young readers. At one point in the story, Greg clears a neighbor’s driveway of snow using a sprinkler and feels annoyed when his neighbor slips on the resulting ice. In another part, Greg tries to steal from the collection tray at church in order to pay for his Net Kritterz. Many illustrations also depict a butt, someone using a toilet, or Greg in his underwear.

Despite the book’s bathroom humor, Cabin Fever has positive lessons for young readers. Jeff Kinney has a natural talent for using humor to mask important messages. In this book, Kinney uses Greg and his humor to address gratefulness. When Greg is on the verge of losing everything – electricity, food, shelter, video games – while snowed in, he realizes how grateful he is for his family, friends, and home. Also, the consistently funny black-and-white comic illustrations will help younger readers transfer their reading skills from picture books into full-fledged novels, helping even the most reluctant of readers start reading. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever is a fun, easy-to-read story that will entertain readers and teach them to be grateful for their families and friends.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

One of Bryce Anderson’s cronies shoots Greg with a BB gun.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Bathroom and immature humor are used consistently. Words like stupid, jerk, and poop are used frequently.
After Greg went to the bathroom, somebody asks, “Did you poop?”
Every time someone gets hurt on a piece of playground equipment, the teachers remove it for safety issues. Eventually, the only thing left is the balance beam and Greg thought it would never leave, “but believe it or not, some idiot wasn’t looking where he was going the other day, so now that’s gone, too.”
Greg thinks Rowley’s skipping “looks stupid.”
When Greg was in elementary school, his teacher, Mr. Harkin, accidentally walked in on him while he was using the bathroom. Greg says he “felt like a jerk” after he told his mom about it.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

It’s Christmastime in the novel; Jesus and God are mentioned.
The family goes to church three times and to folk mass one time. Greg says, “Our family usually goes to church at 9:00 a.m., but today we went to the folk service at 11:00.” Greg and his family even go to church on Christmas morning.
Greg feels bad for people who have their birthday right around the holidays because it gets lumped together with Christmas and they get cheated out of a gift. Greg guesses it’s been happening for thousands of years and an illustration shows God handing a gift to Jesus saying, “This gift counts for Christmas AND your birthday, Jesus!”

by Matthew Perkey