The little one and I went to story time at a different library from the one we usually visit. And while he was happily playing I spotted their amazing Young Reader section. They had about four bookshelves devoted to books all of which seemed to be between a Level L and a Level O. So basically, a section perfect for readers who were just tackling chapter books.
Featured on top were quite a few of these After Happily Ever After books. They’re all published by Capstone and seem to range (according to Capstone) from a Level L to a Level O surprisingly with not one of them listed at an M. Always unable to resist a bear, I grabbed this one. It’s marked as a Level L, which does make sense given the number of illustrations, but I think it would hold the interest of a Level M reader.
In this book, the bear family (particularly Mr. Bear) is a bit shaken up in the aftermath of Goldilocks’s home invasion. He’s having trouble sleeping and his worrying is all consuming. Trying to regain a sense of safety he turns to an alarm system. While it initially feels reassuring to Mr. Bear, he soon finds many alarm-related things to worry about as well! Who might find the code? When it goes off, is it a false alarm or real? Poor Mr. Bear. Luckily, Mrs. Bear manages to help him through his troubles.
This was a fun twist on the Goldilocks tale and very modern in sensibility. I think readers will find it enjoyable and humorous. The end comes with a few questions for the reader and writing prompts should teachers wish to use them.
Age Recommendation: Grades K- 3. This is on a second grade reading level, but I believe it would be very much well received by very young advanced readers up through third grade.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – None.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – None.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.
