The Great Candy Caper by JoJo Siwa

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Nickolodeon;s JoJo Siwa is invited to sing at the opening of a new candy-themed park, SugarPalooza, and takes her two friends, Grace and Kyra for a special tour before the show. The park’s owner’s daughter, Avery, and her friend, Jada, join the tour. Something’s not quite right, but JoJo can’t figure it out. Actually, there’s a lot that isn’t right, including a big mess of chocolate as the chocolate pumps malfunction. Candy is everywhere, rides are breaking down and Grace is missing! JoJo and Kyra spring into action to fix both calamities. The chocolate malfunction is fixed, thanks to help from Jada and their tour guide, Maddy. And, they locate Grace, who has a history with Avery (not a nice girl). But, Grace saves Avery despite their bad relationship, and Avery apologizes. The show must go on and, after a cleanup, the park opens and JoJo performs for the adoring crowds. Everything is sweet in this Candy Caper.

This graphic novel is full of color and a simple story line (girl drama that is fixed in the end). The font is fairly small. The illustrations are set in one to five panes per page. Fans of JoJo Siwa will enjoy this book and a wider audience might like the adventurous romp through SugarPalooza.

The Mystery Monster by Amy Marie Stadelmann

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Paige is a self-professed “Fact Collector” and she uses that skill in her new neighborhood. She writes facts, such as there are 73 windows on her streets, in her trusty notebook. She also writes some cool facts that she hears or reads, like “A wombat’s poop is cube-shaped”. One day, her new friend, Penn, states that there is a monster in their neighborhood and Paige is determined to discover if that is a fact. She needs to collect evidence to prove or disprove Penn’s claim. This leads the pair on a fact-finding mission that eventually disproves Penn’s statement. But, wait…Penn looks at the evidence and comes to another conclusion – the monster is real! Well, the real conclusion is that two people can look at the same evidence and come to different conclusions. It looks like more evidence is needed!

This book is billed as a graphic novel chapter book and has single and double paneled pages, as well as pages from Paige’s notebook. The nine chapters are short and easy to read. This mystery is a nice introduction to the genre and has some great facts as a bonus!

Strange Nature: The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss by Gregory Mone

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I need to state right here, right now: BUY THIS BOOK!! Insect books for kids are wonderful and can often lead to further exploration. This book can turn anyone into a budding entomologist (and the book explains what that is).

Each two page spread includes a full page photo of an insect with added details and explanations. The second page for each insect includes size, habitat, facts and a sometimes humorous paragraph to bring it more inline with the intellect of a typical 10 year old. The back of the book includes a glossary and a link to the photographer’s website for more incredible insect photos and information.

Photographer Levon Biss went from a backyard foray with his son to an amazing photo exhibit of 37 insects from the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. He called this work “Microsculpture”. Each insect was photographed thousands of times using special equipment and those pictures were combined to make these amazing photographic masterpieces. These photos were originally exhibited as ten foot tall art pieces and now, are in a book that is accessible to young entomologists. This book will not be on the shelf very long – it’s that good! Highly Recommended

Living Ghosts & Mischievous Monsters by Dan Sasuweh Jones

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This is a collection of 32 scary stories, collected and shared by Dan Sasuweh Jones, Ponca Nation. Each story is one to six pages in length with illustrations by Weshoyot Alvitre, Tongva. Stories are prefaced by their origin information (tribe, extra details) and are shared with the permission of those entities. Some stories are mildly creepy and others are downright shiver-inducing. They are a mixture of generations-old stories handed down to more contemporary experiences as told by individuals Mr. Jones has interviewed while traveling across the country in his research.

Readers who are fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark will enjoy this book, as will students of Native American culture. This is a great introduction to the horror genre and will not stay on the shelves very long.

The author’s introduction provides his insight as well as detailing his respectful omission of stories that are not to be shared outside particular tribes. Other sources and further reading are helpful for those looking for more information. Highly recommended.

The Forest Fairy Pony by Sarah Kilbride

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Princess Evie is worried. She starts a new school soon and wonders if she’ll make friends. Luckily, she has a stable full of magic ponies to take her mind off that worry. She saddles up Willow and heads down the magical tunnel of trees to an enchanted forest, where she meets her friend, Holly, the fairy. Holly is preparing for a new group of fairies, who will be taking her class. As Evie helps Holly prepare for the student fairies and takes part in the magical class with her fairy partner, she realizes that her new school will be a source of new friendships and adventures. She returns home in a better frame of mind for her first day at her new school.

Short chapters and numerous illustrations make this short book a nice transition book for young readers. The elements of magic, ponies and princesses will entice readers and they will learn something at the end with pony and phoenix facts as well as a short discussion piece to share thoughts and knowledge. Part of the Princess Evie series – recommended.

Elvis and the World As It Stands by Lisa Frenkel Riddiough

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This is the story of a kitten, his new animal family and the humans that adopted him. Elvis and his sister, Etta, have always been together. But, at a July 4th adoption event, Elvis is adopted by Georgina and her mother. Georgina seems sad and that is because her parents have recently divorced and things are so different now. So, Georgina immerses herself in her LEGOS, building famous structures that have some meaning to her family. She does so with the help of Mo, the hamster, under the watchful eye of Laverne, the goldfish, and Clementine, a grumpy adult cat.

Elvis wants to be happy. But, more than anything, he wants to see Etta. He tries to communicate with the humans and it doesn’t work. Ever-helpful Mo tells him that he can communicate, just in a different way. After a few nearly disastrous escapes in an attempt to return to the shelter to find her, he discovers on a visit to Georgina’s dad’s apartment that the shelter is across the street. Clementine opens up about her time there and her kittens that were adopted before her. Together, they attempt to start a LEGO shelter to help explain to Georgina and she understands their actions, taking them to the shelter the next day. Elvis finds out that Etta was adopted by a wonderful family that loves her and Clementine finds one of her kittens, who is added to the family right then and there.

While Elvis is not reunited with Etta, he knows she’s happy and he allows himself to begin to enjoy his life with his family. At the same time, Georgina and her parents start to find some peace with their new family life in separate homes. Along the way, 9/11 is gently discussed after Georgina builds the Twin Towers in homage to her parents’ visit so many years before.

Told from the perspective of a young kitten, Elvis and the World As It Stands is an animal story and so much more. It is a story of healing for families torn apart and things we don’t understand. Illustrations and occasional text messages help move the story along nicely. An author’s note at the end gives a little more information about 9/11 and details the author’s motivation for writing the story. Recommended

Princess Unlimited by Jacob Sager Weinstein

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In a major swerve away from your typical “princess” stories, Princess Susan is the heroine of the day. This young princess has very caring parents, who spend all the royal gold on sparkles and frilly dresses for her. Unfortunately, that means that their knights are woefully unprepared to fight the dragon that comes to town and destroys everything. All they have are hedgehogs, mops and other inadequate armaments. Princess Susan takes on a job as a scullery maid in the castle to earn gold for swords and stuff. But, there’s no gold to pay her, just lemons. So, she and her new friend, Eleanor (a real scullery maid), start a lemonade business. They get lots of gold, only to have the king and queen buy MORE frilly dresses and sparkles. Ever the problem-solver, Princess Susan takes Eleanor to take on the dragon themselves with some sparkles and a contract. All ends well, with the dragon joining their new business, providing dragon breath heat to a few thousand customers. Her parents are so thrilled that they get her some business cards.

Princess Susan is a spunky, bright royal, who doesn’t have a problem rolling up her frilly sleeves and getting to work. Her sidekicks, Eleanor and Max (her faithful pup) do a great job of keeping up with her and end up with their own business cards (so does the dragon). It’s nice to see a princess story where the princess saves the day. And, it’s even nicer to see her parents encourage her ingenuity and business acumen.

The story flows nicely and the accompanying illustrations are vibrant and move the story along. This book is a wonderful addition to school libraries, where young readers clamor for the newest “princess” books. It might just make them think outside the box just like Princess Susan did!

Kat Hats by Daniel Pinkwater

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Kat Hats Incorporated is a special training facility where special cats learn to be “living hats” for specific purposes. These cats are rented out to mountain climbers, Arctic explorers and other extreme adventurers. It is owned by Matt Kats, his wife, Glamorella, and their children, Pocketmouse and Lambkin.

Their most prized cat is Thermal Herman 67/8ths, who is the warmest cat ever known (a good thing, since over 90% of the the body’s heat is lost through the head). In this story, it’s a good thing he wasn’t on an expedition, because he was sent on an emergency mission – to find and help Thirdbeard’s mother, Chickarina (the witch), who walked off licking a fruitsicle. He was worried that she might get a brain freeze. So, Thermal Herman 67/8ths hurried up the mountain, encountered his own adventures on the way and saved Chickarina in the knick of time by pretending to be a witch’s hat. She put him on and warmed up enough to save herself!

This very silly story is engaging, helped along by the outrageously colorful illustrations. Young readers will need to spend extra time on each page, because there is so much going on. Kat Hats is a goofy book and is sure to make kids wonder why the notion of Cat Hats hasn’t been invented yet.

The Swallows’ Flight, by Hilary McKay

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The Swallows' Flight by [Hilary McKay]

This book follows four ordinary children, Eric, Hans, Kate and Ruby (& one dog) as they grow up and find their lives intertwined in the years leading up to and during World War II. Eric and Hans come from Berlin, so the reader sees what life was like leading up to the war in Germany. Kate and Ruby are from Britain. All struggle through pretty normal bits of childhood set in a time of approaching conflict. I loved the book once it got going, though I found it a bit slow and confusing to keep track of the various characters at the beginning of the book. Once the book caught its stride and various characters met each other, it was not a problem, and the action pulled the reader along. Seeing family life from the two countries will help readers understand that war is made of regular people – not all evil or good Just ordinary folks caught in extraordinary times. The book has one of those satisfying endings that lets the reader know what happened to characters years after the main conflict is over. At least I always like to know that! The author also gives some background information at the end of the book of some historical facts about the world the children have inhabited. There is also a family tree at the end, indicating some of the characters may have been in another book by this author, The Skylark’s War.  (Perhaps keeping track of all Kate’s family members would have been easier if I’d read this earlier book.) Definitely one to include for students interested in historical fiction about WWII, especially because it includes a look at both sides of the war.

10 Spooky Pumpkins by Gris Grimly

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A little red haired girl steps out of her house on Halloween, dressed as a cute little clown and walks into a story that begins with “10 Spooky Pumpkins”. She saunters through the pages of the story as the countdown ensues through nine black cats, eight screeching bats and so on. The story ends when the moon scares them all off and the girl goes safely home to bed.

Reminiscent of “Five Little Pumpkins” and “Five Little Monkeys” in cadence and rhyme, the story is somewhat more eerie with its darkly humorous illustrations. Yet, the cute little clown breezes through each two page spread, adding a bit of lightness.

The author adds an artist’s note at the end of the book with information and background. Black and white drawings surround the note, giving readers another look at the spooky characters within the story. This is a nice addition to fall books. Recommended.

Before We Stood Tall: From Small Seed to Mighty Tree by Jessica Kulekjian

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The story of a deciduous tree’s life in reverse, beginning with the giant tree in the “kingdom of trees” is a unique change from typical nonfiction life cycle books. Told from the tree’s perspective and working backwards, the spare text explores each step of the tree’s life. Accompanying illustrations are from a variety of perspectives – looking up, down and even underground.

Young readers will enjoy this ‘counterclockwise’ life cycle book. There are just a sentence or two on each page. So, there is no chance of getting bogged down in facts. There is a fairly technical author’s note that goes much more in depth. This is better shared with an adult, who can explain some of the more difficult concepts. A resource list of books, videos and websites are also included for further exploration. Recommended.

The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson

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This story follows a brother and sister, who become bored one stormy summer day and start to argue. Their grandmother offers advice “Lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and believe in a thing.” They come to realize that their imaginations can take them anywhere as they imagine themselves flying over their city, which is full of color. They relive this experience many times over through the fall and winter and they realize that they can use their imaginations in a wonderful way.

Grandmother “had learned to fly from the people who came before. They were aunts and uncles and cousins who were brought here on huge ships,their wrists and ankles cuffed in iron.” She reminds them “But, nobody can ever cuff your beautiful and brilliant mind.” 

They move to a new neighborhood and remember their grandmother’s advice when they feel lonely. They aren’t alone for long as they share with their new friends, who ‘One by one they too learned to fly.”

This is a poetic piece that reminds all of us to close our eyes and use our imaginations. There are so many possibilities and the challenges can be overcome. We have that power to look to a brighter future.

Text is accessible and accompanying illustrations are bold, bright and engaging. The author’s afterward gives credit to Virginia Hamilton’s “The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales” for her inspiration. The Main characters are Black and supporting characters are diverse. This is the second book by the author/illustrator duo of Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael Lopez (“The Day You Begin”) and it is just as richly created. Highly recommended.

A is for Oboe : The Orchestra’s Alphabet by Lera Auerbach and Marilyn Nelson

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“A is for Oboe: The Orchestra’s Alphabet” is a poetic journey through music and instruments. Each letter is on a page or two page spread with at least one musical word. Many are recognizable, such as drum and clarinet. Others are less obvious, like meter and motif. We are introduced to the notion that musical instruments can be a ‘he’ or ‘she’ or even somewhat gender-bending (glockenspiel) because to musicians the instruments are ‘beings’ with character and mood.

Illustrations are vibrant and full of detail, with a great diversity in orchestra members. Text flows and is rich in tone and meaning. This book, while not necessarily a quick read for a student, will be a wonderful read aloud for music teachers as an introduction to the orchestra and all its members/instruments. Recommended

Thunder and Cluck. Friends do not eat friends by Jill Esbaum

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Thunder and Cluck are an unlikely pair of friends. Of course, they don’t start out as friends, as told in this easy-to-read graphic novel. Big, toothy dino Thunder comes upon small, birdlike dinosaur Cluck and prepares to eat him. But, Cluck doesn’t do what he is supposed to do – run! A discussion ensues, with Cluck attempting to strike up a friendship and Thunder giving all kinds of excuses about how this can’t happen. Suddenly, another large, toothy dinosaur sidles up to eat Cluck and Thunder protects his “little buddy” (his words). He finally acquiesces to a friendship experiment, muttering something about hanging out with Cluck will be …interesting.

This beginning graphic novel is a perfect starting point for new readers. The book’s introduction explains how to read a graphic novel, describing panels and word versus thought bubbles. Each page has one to three panels on it and the colors are bright and bold. The main characters are cartoon dinosaurs – can it get any better? Buy this one for your youngest readers. They will be hooked! Highly recommended.

Animorphs, the Graphic Novel: The Visitor

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Based on the novel by K.A. Applegate & Michael Grant, adapted by Chris Grine

This is the second volume in the new graphic novel adaptation of Katherine Applegate & Michael Grant’s popular series Animorphs, adapted by Chris Grine. Having never read the original series, I did read the first graphic novel to get the gist of the big problem, namely the alien ability of the 5 main characters, Jake, Marco, Cassie, Tobias, and Rachel, to now turn into animals. Their new abilities will help them fight the Yeerks, an alien race trying to take over Earth while our planet waits for the good aliens, the Andalites, to come join the fight. In the second volume, Rachel agrees to go undercover in a cat form to discover what they can from their assistant principal, Mr. Chapman, who has become a host to the main Yeerk. Illustrations are bright and bold. The transformation scenes are clever as we see part human and part animal morphing. Text bubbles are different when characters are talking vs when they are using mind reading, adding a visual element to inner dialogue. If the first book in the series is popular, students will definitely enjoy the second. And, if like me, you never experienced the original series, I think the animal element and the high action will appeal to new audiences. Some scenes might be visually scary for younger audiences, though I think this will be fine for upper elementary and middle school level readers.

No se permiten elefantes by Lisa Mantchev

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A small boy and his tiny pet elephant are turned away from the Pet Club. There’s even a sign that specifically states “Strictly No Elephants” (No se permiten elefantes). They walk away sadly, only to come upon a dejected girl and her pet skunk, who were also turned away (“He doesn’t stink” she says). Together they form an inclusive Pet Club at a tree house and make it official with a sign that says “All Are Welcome”. And, others come with their unusual pets, like a bat, giraffe, armadillo and tiny narwhal.

Text is simple and illustrations are warmly detailed using block print, Photoshop and colored pencils. Observant readers will notice that the boy, girl and their pets are colorful, while everything else in the background is teal and black on one double page spread. They might also notice a few unusual pets peeking out windows as they walk by on their way to start their new club.

This is a message of inclusion and caring friendship. Characters and pets are diverse. The boy and his elephant have a special bond as noted when the boy helps the tentative elephant over cracks – “I always go back and help him over. That’s what friends do: lift each other over the cracks.” “Siempre regreso y lo ayudo. Eso es lo que hacen los amigos: apoyarse en medio de las grientas.”

This is a lovely book with a wonderful message. It may lead to some great discussions about what friendship looks like for children and what it means to be included. Highly recommended.

Ten Fat Sausages by Michelle Robinson

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“Ten fat sausages, sizzling in the pan…” begins a fresh take on a familiar nursery rhyme, with every other sausage refusing to go “bang” or “pop” and attempting escape instead. Most are not successful, due to a cat, fan, blender and so forth. But, at the end, two escape – not unscathed.

While the notion of a redo of a nursery rhyme is fun, this particular rendition is rather dark and somewhat unpalatable, so to speak. Illustrations of whirring blenders full of pulverized sausage and sliced or bitten sausages are just…yucky. The accompanying text explains each sausage’s end to the general rhyme of “Ten little monkeys”, but falls short on occasion in its faithfulness to the original rhyming sequence.

There are other “food” picture books out there that might be more fun. Or, buy this one and wait for the reactions when you read it aloud. That might be fun, too.

Zia Erases the World, by Bree Barton

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Zia Angelis loves words and stories, especially her mother’s funny little “lightning bugs”, stories that make her feel better.  Zia also makes up words like “grizzy” (Greek + frizzy), “weirsh” (weird + wish), or “Shadoom” (a room full of shadows).  It’s the Shadoom that causes Zia so much trouble in this story as she tries to solve the problem of it opening up inside of her by using a magical eraser in her Yiahyia’s special dictionary, the C.Scuro Dictionary, to get rid of the words that she thinks are causing the problem. Erase the word with a special eraser and the actual thing in the world also disappears. The book includes many pages that mimic actual dictionary pages – something readers today may be less familiar with. I liked that some of the definitions were real & many seemed to be written just for Zia. While the story seems magical in some ways, it really tackles some serious, important issues like depression, anxiety, dementia, poverty, and finding one’s own power to speak up. And while it is never easy to face the darker sides of life, Zia learns that without the dark, the light is not possible. I think this book will speak to students, many of whom struggle to speak about what scares them inside. The book includes an author’s note at the back with some resources for students struggling with depression and mental health.

I love you Fred by Mick Inkpen

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Fred has learned so much in obedience class, things like “sit”, “stay” and “fetch”. But, there is one word that he can’t figure out…”Fred”. What does this mean? How can he do it if he doesn’t understand it? Perhaps the dog in the mirror or in the water knows? Oh, no! He falls in! Luckily, his person saves him and whispers the word “Fred” again and again. A light bulb goes on inside Fred’s head. It’s his name! And, boy, is he excited!

Told in short, accessible sentences, this story is told from Fred’s point of view. He is a pug-like dog, drawn with some pretty spiffy sweatbands on his legs. Expressive illustrations add to the story, which will resonate with young dog owners. A solid purchase, given the popularity of silly dog picture books. Recommended.

The Three Little Yogis and the Wolf Who Lost His Breath by Susan Verde

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Poor Wolf! Sometimes, he gets really angry and the only way he knows how to calm down is to huff and puff. Unfortunately, he often blows things down in the process and other animals become afraid of him, which makes him feel sad when he should feel some relief from his anger.

One day, he loses his huff and puff. So, he looks for help and comes upon a piggy yogi posing outside her straw house. She tried to help him through yoga. But, he becomes frustrated and they move on together to the second yogi’s wood house. That yogi suggests cooling breaths and it works for a moment, until the wolf remembers he had lost his huff and puff. Together, they head over to the third yogi’s brick house (yep, brick) and there the wolf learns the way to calmness.

This book, with its recognizable story line, is a nice introduction to yoga and the benefits of breathing to calm oneself. Text is simple and illustrations are clean and colorful. An author’s note at the end explains the yoga positions and breathing addressed in the story. Use this story to introduce other ways for students to calm their anger and frustration. It is also a great addition to a fractured fairy tale unit – the whole class can practice breathing and yoga! Recommended

The Little Owl & the Big Tree : A Christmas Story by Jonah Winter

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This is the story of Rockefeller, the famous little owl, whose story entranced a nation in November, 2020. Each year, a tree is chosen and cut for placement at the Rockefeller Center in New York City. Sometimes, it is trucked from many miles away. In this case, the tree had an inhabitant, a tiny saw-whet owl. This small creature came down with the tree when it was cut and traveled on a truck to New York City. It wasn’t until the tree was being prepared for placement that the owl was discovered by a kind man, whose wife drove Rockefeller to a wildlife rehabilitation center. The owl was given food, water and shelter until she could be released back into the wild. Television and radio stations, newspapers and online news programs followed the story of this tiny owl and people everywhere cheered when it was reported that she was back in nature where she belonged.

This is a lovely, simply written account of Rockefeller’s story. The accompanying illustrations are soft and cozy, with a lot of purples, greens and blues. An author’s note at the end of the story give details about the event as well. This is a sweet addition to holiday story collections. Teachers could add online news segments that followed Rockefeller’s story as well as information about that the saw-whet owl species. Highly recommended.

Cactus and Flower : a book about life cycles by Sarah Williamson

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Cactus and Flower are best friends. They watch the sky as it changes color throughout the day. They visit with their desert animal friends and they watch the stars. These are “Butterfly Days”. One day, one of Flower’s petals drops and then another and another, until…flower is gone. Cactus is so sad. Even the beautiful butterflies can’t cheer him up. But, sadness eventually changes to sweet memories of his friend, Flower. One day, a little green bud appears on Cactus and it turned into a new Flower. “Butterfly Days” are back.

This is a simple, sweet rendition of the life cycle. While the botany might not be totally accurate, the desert animals are there and the basic story line works. Illustrations are bright and simple. Endpapers add interest with clouds in the front and their constellation counterparts in the back. This would be a nice introduction to plant life cycles.

Stage Door to Terror by Robert Quackenbush

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Miss Mallard is in Paris visiting her nephew, Inspector Willard Widgeon. They decide to go to the theater performance of Claudine, granddaughter of family friend (and retired performer) Lily Pilet. In her day, Lily was a famous dancer, who was even rumored to be courted by royalty and showered with jewels. They are especially excited to see Claudine’s recreation of Lily’s famous “Rain of Light” dance. Claudine enters the stage and is swept up and ducknapped! Fortunately, Miss Mallard and Willard quickly discover her tied up in the attic of the theater. Unfortunately, they also discover that her dressing room has been ransacked by the ducknappers.

Upon further discussion, Claudine tells them that her grandmother sent her her bejeweled costume for the show. This costume is studded with real gems. Lily has some later misgivings and sends her a reproduction of the costumer and asks Claudine to hide the real one. Claudine has a claim ticket for the suitcase with the costume, which is at the railroad station. The problem? The ticket is torn and only Claudine’s assistant, Marie, knows the station name. A rush through all the major Paris landmarks ensues and they find Marie in a cafe. They “hatch” a plan to catch the thieves with a fake suitcase and claim ticket before retrieving the real bejeweled costume and their plan works. The thieves/ducknappers are apprehended and the valuable costume is back with Claudine.

This book is intended for those students that are ready to move on from picture books to early chapter books. The font is large and there are numerous half page illustrations. There is also a glossary and question page in the back of the book. The only sticking point of this story is the unfamiliar setting (Notre Dame, Montmartre, Eiffel Tower, etc.) of Paris. Young readers might become bogged down a bit, instead of just enjoying the story. Otherwise, this is nice stepping stone to chapter books.

The Best Friend Plan (The Adventures of Allie & Amy) by Stephanie Calmenson and Joanna Cole

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Allie and Amy are best friends and live in neighboring buildings. They are ready for summer with a list of “Things To Do This Summer”. Unfortunately, they find out that they will be separated for much of the summer when Allie gets a spot at Camp Merry Moose. They spring into action, first tying their legs together (think three-legged race style), which doesn’t work out well. They then resort to accomplishing as much on their list as possible before Allie leaves. Pesky classmate (and eventual friend) Marvin seems to be in many of the same places they are and manages to get in the way most of the time. But, they do their best to work through the list. But, wait! There is good news ahead, because Amy gets to go to camp as well! The next morning, the girls couldn’t be happier as they settle into their bus seats for the ride to camp. And, who else is on the bus? Marvin! Summer camp will be so much fun!

Large font and numerous half page illustrations make this a fine book for early chapter book readers. While the story isn’t very elaborate or thought-provoking, it does what it intends to do – provide a book for those ready to move on from picture books. A word list and questions are in the back, providing some extra help for young readers. Characters are diverse – Allie and her family are Black and Marvin appears to be Hispanic (last name is Lopez). Buy this book for your collection if you are in need of those ‘bridge’ books.

Guest : a changeling tale by Mary Downing Hahn

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Thomas is a beautiful baby and his sister, Mollie, makes a mistake one day and tells him that. People are never supposed to tell the children how wonderful they are, because the Kinde Folk (a group of evil fairies) will carry off the child and replace it with a horribly ugly and ill-behaved one of their offspring.

This is exactly what happens to baby Thomas and the family is left with a biting, screaming changeling that Mollie calls “Guest”. This being throws the family into an upheaval as it wears Mollie’s mother down and drives her father away. Granny Hedgepath advises to keep the child safe and happy, so that the Kinde Folke will possibly (although highly unlikely) return Thomas. Mollie and her mother are near the breaking point, when Mollie decides to travel with Guest to the Darklands and hopes for a trade to bring her brother home.

Her journey is dangerous and may end in death. But, Mollie is determined to reclaim her brother, return Guest and make things right again for her family. Along the way, she meets some that may help and others that will try to kill her and keep her brother. The ending is a twisting and turning series of events that will surprise the reader almost as much as Mollie herself.

This is not a typical ghost story by Mary Downing Hahn. It is based on Irish myths and appears to be set in a village in the middle ages. Therefore, there is magic, both evil and good. An afterward explains the background of the story and might lead to further exploration. The fantasy elements work well and the story moves along. The scary parts are just scary enough and the reader’s imagination will paint some wonderfully dark pictures as the story progresses.

Recommended for libraries looking for more scary stories that have a bit of fairy dust (not the good kind!). Students will become invested in the journey and eventual, somewhat surprising, ending.