REVIEW: Pup and Dragon: How to Catch an Elf by Alice Walstead and Paul Gill

Summary


Dragon has never heard of Santa, and last year he hibernated through Christmas. But he’s all in on helping his best friend, Pup, catch a Christmas Elf.

Review


I am always on the hunt for some good early chapter books to recommend to parents and kids for those who are starting to read on their own. This is the first book in a new series, and it’s in a graphic novel format that I think kids will like.

This story is cute! The illustrations are fun and colorful. The scenarios are silly and zany. I think kids will enjoy these two friends and their wacky adventures in their quest to catch a Christmas elf.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: Wednesday and Woof: Catastrophe by Sherri Winston

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book releases on May 24, 2022.]

Summary


Walia and her service dog, Woof, together make up the detective team of Wednesday (Walia’s lucky day) and Woof. Walia’s neighbor, Mrs. Winters, is getting ready to go on vacation, but her cat, Autumn, has gone missing. Walia saw some older boys acting sneaky. Maybe they took Autumn for her diamond collar!

But in order to work her case, Walia is going to have to dodge a bully – and convince her dad that her sleuthing won’t aggravate her juvenile arthritis.

Review


This is a fun early chapter book mystery and series launch. Walia and Woof are a great team. There’s a nice balance between the story, Walia’s notes about being a detective, and information on her JA. I think kids are going to enjoy this new sleuthing team while also learning about JA, service dogs, and being a detective.

A second book in the series, Wednesday and Woof: New Pup on the Block, also releases next week. Book 3, Wednesday and Woof: The Runaway Robot, releases in November.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: The Hunger Heroes: Missed Meal Mayhem by Jarrett Lerner

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Edelweiss and Aladdin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary


The Hunger Heroes are taco ingredients with the smarts, the compassion, and the skills to save the day when kids need a snack.

Today, the Heroes – Mr. Toots the bean, Chip Ninja, Tammy the tomato, and Leonard the cheese – receive an alert that Jason missed breakfast. And he has a big math test before lunch. He needs a snack!

Review


Delightful!!

I don’t always have a lot of luck with chapter books. I love middle grade because you can really dig into stories and characters since you have a lot of pages to work with. But chapter books sometimes fall flat for me because I want something “more.”

That is NOT the case here. This is the perfect sort of chapter book for me. The illustrations are so fun to explore. The heroes are a riot! And the story does the work to make sure the adult – one of the roadblocks to Jason getting a snack – is sympathetic and an eventual ally.

This is now at the top of my recommendation list for chapter book readers as well as young middle grade readers. I think graphic novel fans will love this as will kids who love funny books. I hope we’ll be seeing a LOT of adventures for the Hunger Heroes in the future.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ – I loved it! Would re-read.

 

The release date for this delightful book has been pushed back into November. Pre-order this one; you won’t want to miss it!

REVIEW: The Great Escape by Alan Katz

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary


It was a normal Monday, and Milton remembered it was his job to feed the class pet. Noah the ferret was a pretty low key animal, except he liked to get out of his cage. Like when Milton forgot to latch it on this otherwise normal Monday.

But when Noah escaped, it stopped being a normal day. Mrs. Baltman, the teacher, pretended to be sick. And when the sub arrived, it was Milton’s mom. And to make things even stranger, Milton discovers his mom is some sort of agent tasked with catching Noah the ferret before he can carry out his evil plot for world domination.

Review


This is book 1 in the Society of Substitutes series, part of the Harper Chapters line of early chapter books. Book 2, The Zoo of Switcheroo, is also out now. This is an illustrated story (the pictures are great!) with some chapter end notes and some questions at the end of the book. I had envisioned this being a cross between the Super Turbo and Lunch Lady series, but I was disappointed. The premise is good, but it didn’t live up to its potential.

At first, the issues were small things that could have been (might have been?) tightened up with just a couple additions. For example, twice in the book the kids, second graders, are sent outside for recess early in the day. Milton mentions several times how unusual it is to go outside before they had really done any school work. But neither time does the book mention who is supervising the kids outside while the teacher is in the building. This could have been passed off to a sleepy custodian or aide or someone who wouldn’t ask questions – or even someone who takes the kids with a wink like they know exactly what is going on.

Another example is the helmet Milton’s mom wears to get her instructions for the case. Why would a full helmet have a speaker that an outsider, like Milton, could hear rather than be a full, soundproof headset? If we need the sub to get the mission briefing and need Milton to overhear it, have it come through a smart watch or a tablet. Later, Milton seems to know names for the weapons being thrown around. I know it makes the story easier to tell if the writer doesn’t have to keep explaining them. But, again, it’s a little detail that could be tightened up with a few sentences – maybe Milton names them himself in his glee at watching this secret mission unfold in front of him. That could be funny.

My biggest issue, though, was with the big reveal in the middle of the book. Milton is overhearing this mission briefing. The reader could have “listened” along and also gotten Milton’s inner monologue about what he is hearing, his disbelief, his questions about his mom’s involvement. Instead, Milton summarizes what he hears and the action moves forward. It felt like a missed opportunity to draw the reader into the action of the story, to revel in the reveal with Milton, and then chase down the action from there. It was more “telling” than “showing.” And as the reader, it really tripped up my momentum with the story.

Some kids will not catch any of these things and will enjoy this series launch. Others will catch them and not care. But it would be easier for me to recommend this one if these pieces were tightened up.

Rating: ♥♥½*

*♥♥½ = Mostly solid to solid; okay overall, but there are some issues

 

REVIEW: Izzy in the Doghouse by Caroline Adderson

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary


Izzy is a spunky girl with tons of spirit, gumption, and crazy ideas. Zoe is her best friend – most of the time. But when Izzy’s ideas get them sent to the principal, Zoe storms off with another friend, leaving Izzy all alone.

But a new puppy might be just the thing to help Izzy in the lonely times when her mom is travelling or when she’s in the doghouse with Zoe. Plus, what’s better at a play date than a puppy?

Review


This was darling! Izzy is a hoot and completely believable for her age. Her quirks are endearing instead of annoying. And she shows great resilience when she and Zoe hit a friendship snag.

The puppy part of the story is a lot of fun. I especially liked how many times Izzy fell in “love at first sight.” The puppy doesn’t magically fix things with Zoe. Time does that on its own. But Rollo does make for a fun playmate when the friends reconnect.

There’s a great adoption thread to this that’s naturally woven into the story. I found it very sweet!

If you are looking for a great early chapter book for your new reader or for your classroom, be sure to check out Izzy!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: Beauty and the Beast by Jessica Gunderson

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Picture Window Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary


Beauty is the youngest of three girls. She loves books and music and flowers and has a sweet disposition, unlike her selfish oldest sister Gritty and the vain middle daughter, Petty. The family has had a run of bad luck. They had to sell their possessions, get rid of their servants, and move into a small cottage.

When Beauty’s father takes a rose at a mysterious castle on his travels, the Beast who lives there says he can leave if Beauty comes and stays instead.

Beauty gets to know the Beast, and likes him. But when her father becomes sick, she leaves and the Beast is lonely and sad.

Review


The art in this is lovely! I enjoyed the familiar basics of the story and the diversity of the cast. Beauty’s sisters have a Cinderella’s step-sisters feel to them. Other than being catty, though, the story doesn’t do much with them, which was disappointing.

The art really made this enjoyable. I was pleased with some of the “extras” in the book as well – a guide to reading graphic novels, writing prompts, discussion questions and a craft. I wish the story had been more full and engaging to go with these terrific extras. The story was mild with no real conflict explored. There was space devoted to Beauty’s family, but they never became a factor in the larger story. Then that left fewer pages to explore the story with the Beast.

Rating: ♥♥♥

REVIEW: Party Problems by C. L. Reid

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Picture Window Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary


This is the first book in the Emma Every Day series. Emma is 8 years old and lives with her mom, dad and older brother. Emma is Deaf. She uses a cochlear implant to help her hear as well as using American Sign Language to communicate to others.

In this book, Emma is getting ready to go to her best friend Izzie’s birthday party. But she’s feeling nervous.

Review


This is a cute early chapter book that includes a finger spelling guide, some finger-spelled words in the text of the story, a glossary and signs in the back matter, as well as ideas of things to write about and things to talk about. These extra features are some of my favorite parts of the book.

This is the first of four books. In the other three Emma goes on a field trip, heads to the apple orchard, and learns to dance.

This has a simple and sweet story with a low level of conflict and a fun layout. I enjoyed Emma’s honesty about anxiety – worrying about her dress, if she will know anyone at the party, and if the party will be too noisy for her to hear and communicate with others. Everything works out pretty easily in the end.

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Bark Park by Brandi Dougherty

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review


Scout and her friends at the Bark Park enjoy three adventures as she solves mysteries for her friends in this series kick off for chapter book readers.

First, Scout solves the mystery of who popped her friend Maggie’s ball. Second, Scout figures out why Rocky has to wear the Cone of Shame. Finally, she helps Gus find his missing bone.

The mysteries are low stakes but feature Scout’s problem solving skills. The main dogs in Scout’s circle have distinct personalities. The periodic illustrations help readers keep track of which dog is which.

The back matter provides context or background information for each of the three mysteries.

Animal lovers and mystery lovers will get a kick out of Scout and her friends!

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Frankie Sparks and the Class Pet by Megan Frazer Blakemore

Summary


Frankie’s 3rd grade class is getting a class pet. They are going to set some parameters for the pet, and then students will research their options, and make a presentation to the class. Then the class will vote on what pet they should choose.

Frankie’s aunt is a rodentologist, and Frankie loves to visit the animals in her aunt’s lab. So she decides the class should get a rat.

Frankie is so convinced her idea is the right one, though, she wants to skip the classroom process and just present her research right away. She also assumes her best friend, Maya, will vote with her for a class rat. But when Maya confesses that she doesn’t like the idea of a rat and she wants to research betta fish instead, it causes a fracture in their friendship.

Review


After an afternoon of reading a variety of only-okay early chapter books, I discovered Frankie. What an absolute treat!

Frankie is a complex character. She’s quite bright, although she does struggle some with reading and writing at times. Her enthusiasm for rodents is fun; this is a great age for kids to go all in on a topic or passion. She is an inventor with her own space and supplies for her creations. She can be moody and pouting when she doesn’t get her way. And her parents challenge those moods in really healthy ways. I loved all of this!

The friendship fracture is mild compared to what you might find in a middle grade novel, which is perfect for lower elementary readers. Frankie’s feelings are hurt because Maya doesn’t do what Frankie wants. Frankie tries to manipulate Maya and gets called out for it. Maya’s response is withdrawal rather than confrontation or nastiness. And Frankie figures out how to apologize with actions, not just words, as she prioritizes her best friend over her own desires about the class pet.

The class pet project process in the classroom is well developed. Frankie tries to push against the structure to get her own way, but her teacher kindly holds the boundaries. Frankie is never shamed for her behavior, but she is held to a reasonable standard and coached to help her fix her own problems.

I loved everything about this! Don’t miss this one. Great for home and classroom use. Would be a great readaloud!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Squirreled Away by Mike Nawrocki

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Tyndale Kids in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary


Michael and Justin are on an adventure in the Middle East during the summer before 5th grade. Michael’s dad is there for an archaeological dig. While exploring in a cave on the day before their return home, Michael sees something weird on a high ledge. Before he can examine it closer, it’s time to head back for dinner.

Even though Michael’s dad has told the boys they should never be in caves without an expert guide, Michael can’t stop thinking about the cave. He knows he will regret it if they leave tomorrow and he never finds out what was on that ledge. Ignoring Justin’s advice and his dad’s warning, Michael goes back to the cave.

On the plus side, Michael finds what he was curious about – two petrified squirrels. On the down side, though, he gets lost, has to be rescued, and gets in trouble.

Now Michael has to figure out how to get his squirrel discovery through airport security and what he’ll do with the squirrels when he gets home.

Review


This is the first book in the Dead Sea Squirrels series by Mike Nawrocki, one of the creators of Veggie Tales.

This is a fun transitional chapter book with a Christian message about obeying your parents. The message fits nicely into the story and never feels heavy handed.

I can see why the publisher released the first two books of this series at the same time. While this book introduces Michael, his family, Justin and the squirrels, the action doesn’t really kick in with the squirrels in this book. This book really sets up what will happen in the rest of the series. A review copy of book 2, Boy Meets Squirrels, was not available. You can see the cover of book 2 here.

Michael seems like a typical protagonist for these sorts of books – curious, sincere and impulsive. You know he’s going to screw up. Things will fall apart spectacularly at some point. And you trust that he will learn a lesson in the end.

This is a fun start to the series. I’d definitely suggest getting both book 1 and 2 at the same time or your reader will be very frustrated in the end. Two more titles will release later this year.

Rating: ♥♥♥½