Twittering Away

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Mrs.N

I just got back from a lovely week long vacation where I did not read one single book intended for children or teens.  It was incredibly restful and a lot of fun.  I have Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust nearly ready for you all, Owly, Vol. 1: The Way Home & The Bittersweet Summer on my bedside table and Smile and Drama on the bookshelf. Needless to say, I am very excited.

In the mean time, I wanted to mention that although I signed up for a Twitter account this summer and urged everyone to follow me then, I actually have managed to be active on that account over the past month.  Sure, I tweet links to my posts here, which you probably already know about, but I also retweet links to interesting articles that I think you might like and engage in some discussions about who should be deciding what “appropriate content” is, and whether there is such a thing as a boy book or a girl book, and lots of other great stuff.  So if you’re not following me over there yet, go ahead and do it now!

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Big Nate and Friends

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Mrs.N

Big Nate and Friends by Lincoln Peirce

Big Nate is the first book I’ve read this month that really does read as a comic rather than a graphic novel.  It doesn’t have linear cohesive plot; it’s a series of short sketches, none really much longer than a page or two.  A few episodes recur throughout the book such as a snowball fight, the annoying girl Gina, summer vacation, but other than that, don’t expect a story.  While this short burst style may appeal to readers who can’t sustain attention, it also does them no favors in terms of building reading skills related to perseverance or increasing stamina.  The lack of continuity will also be very confusing to some readers who will struggle to keep up with the constant scene and story changes.

I sense I’m going to have some gender issues with the book when two pages in, a pair of girls walk away from a lunch table because the boys burped.  The next page tells us that girls NEVER visit comic stores, which is patently untrue, but if all comic books were like this one, would make a lot of sense.  Girls appear rarely throughout, and are generally treated with disrespect, especially the teacher who is referred to as a “the man” and supposedly has a mustache.  She is later called “fatso” and is the subject of a liposuction joke.  Essentially they are one-dimensional caricatures who bear little resemblance to real world girls and women.

In this Big Nate book girls exist not for themselves, but merely as a punchline.  The argument that this is the worldview of actual sixth grade boys (Nate’s real life counterparts I expect) just doesn’t work for me.  Firstly, I firmly believe that most boys have some girls or women, whether it be mothers, sisters, coaches, teachers or even (gasp!) friends whom they love and respect.  Secondly, books that choose to use female characters in the way that Big Nate does do not only reinforce the stereotype that boys have no interest in anything a girl would have to say, and place no value upon females, but also lend that perspective weight.  I strongly encourage parents, librarians and booksellers to read a Big Nate book and consider Peirce’s rendering of women and girls before suggesting it or book talking it to potential readers.  There are so many other great books (including the Lunch Lady series I just reviewed) that will entertain and capture the attention of the same readers without degrading an entire gender.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – A boy ogles a comic book of Red Sonja.  We don’t see her though. Nate is given a wedgie; the illustration shows his underwear and his butt crack. Two girls like a boy. Nate dreams that a girl thinks he’s wonderful. Nate says playing the trombone doesn’t help him get girls. He refers to girls as “babes”. Boys take off their shirts to impress the girls. The girls are not impressed.  Nate asks girls out over the intercom.  He is composing a love song to a girl.  Nate paints a picture called “Battle of the Bloodsucking Biker Babes”.  An observer comments on the bikinis of the girls in that picture. Nate talks about how guys rate girls and wonder if girls rate boys in return.  Nate is shown reading a Cosmo and comments that an article says “Women are attracted to ‘bad boys’!” There’s a reference to watching a birth movie in health class.  One character makes a reference to a “male enhancement supplement”.
Profanity – “Dang”, “stupid”, a character is called a “wuss boy” for wanting to be honest, “wussy-boys”, “jerky”, “screw up”, “butthead”, “fatso”, “idiot”, “what the…”, “jerk” ,
Death, Violence and Gore – We see Nate’s dad treating some of Nate’s cuts. Characters are in the face by snowballs. Nate hits someone in the head with a book. Nate has a skateboarding accident. Nate is strangled by a friend. The boys play an arcade shooting game.  A book is crammed in his mouth.  His mouth is taped shut.  Nate is punched in the face.  There are many incidents of people smacking each other (sometimes with objects).
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.

 

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Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Mrs.N

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

I think at one point or another every kid has wondered about the school lunch ladies. What do they do when they’re not dishing up cardboard textured pizza or drippy sloppy joes?

Korosoczka certainly has a more exciting answer to that question than most would imagine.  His lunch ladies lead a secret life that seems to be equal measures Batman and Bond.  Our Lunch Lady heroine seems to manage the main crime fighting, while her coworker seems to have a touch of Q (Bond’s quartermaster, inventor of all cool gadgetry) and Alfred (Batman’s butler/keeper) about her. What’s not to like?

This is the first installment of the series and so far, I’m a huge fan.  There’s not a single weak female character so far, they’re all strong and clever.  There’s violence, sure, but it’s definitely more cartoonish in nature rather than scary.  The book opens with a group of students speculation about the lunch lady’s private life.  They are distracted from their wonderings when a new substitute appears. Lunch Lady strongly suspects there’s something fishy about the sub and follows him to find out, while the students happen to pick the same day to investigate her! She ends up in a killer cyborg showdown that ends up revealing her secrets to the kids and they of course, help her save the day.

Great for: I would hand this to any kid who likes My Weird School, Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Louis Sachar’s Wayside School books. It has a bit of the same school centered chaos and cleverness of Wayside School. I prefer it almost infinitely to the other two series though, in part because I prefer the way it depicts girls. (Click here for some of my complaints about girls in the My Weird School series).

Age Recommendation: I think this would be great for Grades 2-6.  Advanced second graders should be able to read it and the content has nothing that should really worry parents.  The interest level should go up pretty high as well, making it a fun pick for older students who might not be reading on grade level.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – The music teacher is said to be “flirting”.
Profanity – Food words like donuts and cauliflower are used instead of profanity.
Death, Violence and Gore – A man is drawn holding a gun on the very first page. Someone hits him repeatedly to get him to drop his weapon.  A car loses control and crashes, ejecting two passengers.  There are a few threats between students as well as a narrow avoidance of a fight. There is a battle between the Lunch Lady and the cyborgs.  Chicken nuggets are bombs and fish sticks become nunchucks. Children are captured and briefly threatened by cyborgs.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.

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Roller Girl

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Mrs.N

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

This book is wildly, painfully cool.  It has the power to make you feel excited and giddy and like strapping on roller skates and getting to it.  Evidently, this is not an uncommon reaction, even among those who can’t skate, because Astrid, our heroine, watches one roller derby match and is hooked.  She tries to persuade her best friend Nicole to join her at a skate camp over the summer, but Nicole is into ballet and boys.  As the summer unfolds, the girls find the rift between is not one that can be easily mended.

Roller Girl is not just an exuberant tale of skating and  determination, strength and athleticism, although it is all of those things. In fact, one of my very favorite things is just how bad Astrid is at skating.  This is a book where someone wants to pick up a skill and has to work insanely hard at it.  That’s just not something you see often, but it is how real life works. But maybe more importantly, it’s also a book that chronicles the very real and very difficult part of growing up when friendships shift and change.  I adore that so much of what I read these days isn’t wrapped up with a pretty bow and an easy return to the status quo.  Books like Roller Girl which tell the bittersweet truth about growing up are a much healthier reflection of true life, one that will keep readers company as they go through their own struggles.

Full Disclosure: I was a teenager in the 90s so in my world, Astrid and Zoe should be the cool ones, the in crowd, while boy-crazy ballet dancers Rachel and Nicole would be the too precious, too girly, not edgy enough to be in ones.  The true wonder of Roller Girl is that in the end, readers should come away with the idea that all interests have validity, so long as you are true to yourself.

Age Recommendation: Grade 3 and up.  It would have to be a strong third grade reader and usually the friendship struggles that are at the forefront of Roller Girl haven’t quite manifested yet, but even third graders would be wild for the coolness of roller derby.  With young readers, I’d want to discuss some of the girl-stuff you see reflected in the book, like Nicole’s mother telling her that she should start watching her weight, and how Astrid is constantly slammed for not being girly enough.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – A girl hopes to sit next to cute boys.  A girl is in love with Hugh Jackman (this is a movie star crush).  Girls kiss how to get a boy to kiss you.
Profanity – “jerks”, “morons”, “turd buckets”, “ass turd”, “shut up”, “screwed up”,  “stupid”,
Death, Violence and Gore – It’s Roller Derby.  People get knocked down.  Astrid skins her knuckles.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Someone accuses Astrid of doing drugs. She does not do drugs.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.

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Binky the Space Cat

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Mrs.N

Binky the Space Cat (A Binky Adventure) by Ashley Spires

Binky the Space Cat is a perfect for readers making the transition to chapter books, whatever their age! Lots of beginning readers become used to using pictures to help them figure out what is going on in a story.  Reading a book that is pure unrelieved text can make for a tough transition.  Graphic novels (selected at the right reading level, of course) are a great step.  There are still lots of pictures giving readers valuable clues about the story, but they don’t have the same stigma of a Step into Reading book and they seem more grown up than picture books.  Plus, everyone knows that graphic novels are cool!

Binky is a normal house cat who just happens to have a fascination with outer space.  He’s determined that his humans need protecting from aliens (who have invaded their own and who the humans refer to as “bugs”) and has dreams of becoming a space cat.  When his Space Cat certification arrives in the mail, Binky both plans for the future and reflects on all the reasons he became a space cat.

While Binky isn’t entirely free of potty humor (there’s a litter box mention or two and a few farts), it generally relies on more sophisticated humor.  Often the humor is in the human reader knowing better than Binky.  Spires manages to work in tons of onomatopoeia which is a fun touch.  The story is told mainly through captions because Binky, being a cat, doesn’t talk.

Age Recommendation:  Grades 1-3. Binky’s actually great for a wide range of readers.  Even Kindergarteners or younger children who are advanced readers will enjoy his wild cat antics, while readers up to fourth grade who may struggle with reading will enjoy the comics and humor.  The typical advanced first grader through beginning third grader will find this book to be just right.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – None.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – A cat is shown with a limp mouse in its mouth.  Hissing and scratching are mentioned as punishments. Binky is showing fighting an “alien”.  Binky imagines himself bound and gagged by aliens.  Binky imagines his humans tied up by aliens.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.

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El Deafo

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Mrs.N

El Deafo by Cece Bell

I used to teach a unit on memoirs and autobiographies to third graders and while I had some pretty great books for my reading groups, none of them could have touched the excellence that is El Deafo.  Not only would I have joyfully shared this with my students, but they would have adored it fully in return.

People always talk about how graphic novels are the perfect way to get non-readers excited about books.  And certainly, El Deafo’s adorable illustrations will draw readers in.  But it’s also noteworthy, because it’s the kind of book that will draw in readers that just don’t think they’re into graphic novels. Many readers (all right, some of whom are stodgy old fogeys like myself) just don’t consider themselves readers of graphic novels, which means they are missing a whole genre worth of potential goodness and a whole art form, honestly.  But El Deafo is the kind of book that has the power to draw anyone in.  This means that not only will many middle grades readers find themselves with a new section of the library to peruse, but it means that hopefully, some of the old guard gatekeepers of books will start appreciating, acknowledging, recognizing and recommending graphic novels to readers.

Cece Bell starts her story when she becomes ill with meningitis, which was the source of her hearing loss.  We follow her story, her experiences with her hearing loss and friendships over the years.  Some of her tales of friendship woe are the type of universal struggles that kids face everyday, while some are more unique to her disability, but all of them feature humor, honesty and awesome imagination.  We talk all the time about books providing a mirror for kids; that all readers should have the opportunity to see themselves in books and this fills a much needed void.  Books with diverse characters also offer all readers an opportunity to connect to people that are unlike those they might know.  When readers connect with characters, they become real and preconceived ideas of things being “other” or “strange” are altered or removed.

Age Recommendation: Grades 3+.  I think the general book and plot would probably be best suited for 4-8th grades, but I know plenty of third graders who would have loved it and had no difficulty with the plot and content.  I would have liked a note somewhere in the book about the differences between the devices that are currently available and in use for people with hearing loss or deafness and those that Cece used growing up.  It’s a question I’m sure many kids will have, whether or not they voice it.  Adults may anticipate this and want to share information about new technology.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – We see a rabbit in her underwear.  She watches soap operas where people confess their love and mention that they would like to have a baby with someone.  At a slumber party, girls mention another girl was kissing a boy.  Girls talk about “liking” a boy.  A lot of the end of the book revolves around a crush she has. She imagines a date with him and kissing him.
Profanity – “Hell”, “heck”,
Death, Violence and Gore – A “friend” has her dog bite Cece.  She kicks her mother.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Mothers smoke and drink.  Her older sister sneaks a cigarette.
Frightening or Intense Things – Cece has meningitis at age 4.  She is shown in a hospital bed and there are illustrations of her being stuck by needles.

 

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Out From Boneville

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Mrs.N

BONE #1: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith

My prior knowledge of the Bone series is this:  The school librarian at my K-4 elementary school had a sign hanging by her desk saying that students who wished to take out the Bone books needed parental permission.  It was the only series or book that came with this caveat.  Not Harry Potter, not Jackie and Me with its repetitive use of the N-word, just Bone.

The very first book in the series does not set off any alarm bells for me in regards to content. In fact the main thing I’ve noticed in regards to age appropriateness is that a lot of the book is just going to go way over the heads of  younger kids.  For example, Fone and Phoney have a conversation about how Phoney built an orphanage over a hazardous waste landfill.  Phoney believes this is two community services rolled into one, plus it’s the ultimate tax shelter.  I just can’t see any of that making any sense to an elementary school student much less striking a comic note. The one thing that did strike me in terms of content was that in a graphic novel anything scary that happens is very visual.  Readers can’t just skim over descriptions of scary looking creatures and battle scenes, because they are right in front of their eyes.  For the appropriate age group, it shouldn’t matter much, but younger children may have quite specific fears that stem from the images.

Out of Boneville is the first book in a series and it shows.  Fone Bone and his two cousins have been thrown out of Boneville.  After wandering around a vast desert, they find their way (quite separately) to a lovely valley.  Fone has some nasty run-ins with scary creatures but appears to be under the protection of a dragon.  The book ends right in the middle of the story, with the cousins reunited, but danger and evil ready to strike. Readers will find themselves wondering what is going on and many will want to move on to the next book.  I’d love to hear from people that finished the whole saga.  Did you like it?   Was there character development?  Do all the books feel interconnected or did you feel they could be enjoyed without the greater context of the series?

Good stuff: The illustrations are cute (on the downside, this may be what is drawing an inappropriately young audience).  I didn’t have any trouble following the plot and I did kind of want to know what was happening next.

What didn’t work for me: I didn’t love that Thorn is drawn as a sexy woman complete with clothing that frequently reveals her body.  Some of this is just my reaction to the frequent undressing/sexualization of women by the comic book world.  It’s unclear she needs to be in skirts slit all the way up the thigh in order to be an interesting and crush worthy character. There’s also a fair amount of dialect, with th’ standing in for the and lots of words ending in n’ instead of ing. I think that might be slightly difficult for some readers, but it shouldn’t be a huge deal.

Age Recommendation: I would say this is appropriate for Grades 5 and up.  I don’t know what happens in the rest of the series that made my school’s librarian require parental permission for check-out, but I trust her. The fact that this episode feels so much like part of a series will spur many readers to continue and as I’ve said before, I’m not sure exactly how scary or sexual the series becomes. I also felt that while younger readers might enjoy the book on a basic adventure level, that more mature readers would have a better understanding of the characters that would lead to better enjoyment of the book.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – A human female is shown undressing to order to bathe.  She shows mainly thigh.  Bone is shown with a hearts over his head.  There is handholding.  One bone asks another if he has a “thing” going on with a woman.  The woman removes all of her clothes to bathe.  We are not shown her body, but rather her clothing by the side of the pool.  Bone goes in the water with her.  At one point her gown slips down and her cleavage is visible, as are her thighs.
Profanity – “shut up”, “God,” “holy cow”, “oh my God”,  “dork”, “darn”, “stupid”,
Death, Violence and Gore – A character threatens to kill another character. The townspeople plan on stoning someone.  Some creatures want to kill another and eat it for supper.  They are pretty scary looking creatures.  They are shown eating from small bones.  They repeatedly try to eat various creatures in the book.  Gran’ma threatens to tear someone apart.  There’s talk about a slaughterhouse/petting zoo. An evil being in a black cloak calls for Fone to be killed and is raising an army.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – A character is shown smoking a cigar.  Two characters head to a place that brews good drinks. Phoney orders a beer.
Frightening or Intense Things –  The rat things have surrounded the farmhouse.  One person stays behind to flight while the others try to run for safety.  They are pursued. While it is not said outright, it is implied that death pays a visit to Phoney and warns him that he has come for him.

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Graphic Novels and Comic Books

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Mrs.N

When it comes to graphic novels and comic books I am solidly out of my depth.  I didn’t read them growing up and they weren’t part of any of my Children’s Literature or Literacy Instruction coursework.  When I started teaching, they weren’t in my classroom or in the classrooms of my peers.  But slowly I started noticing them around.  And now the available selection covers a wide variety of genres, moods and artistic styles.

Back during our Reader’s Choice request period, Rachel asked for some ideas for graphic novels, particularly for advanced young readers.  Since I’m not sure the exact age of her child, I’ll be covering a wide variety of ages, but with a focus more towards elementary and middle grades.  Lucky for me, there are some sensational new books out (El Deafo, Roller Girl, Hidden) and lots of new-to-me ones that I’m looking forward to as well!

 

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Autism Fiction for Kids and Teens!

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Mrs.N

Today is Autism Day and this month is Autism Awareness Month.  I’ve read and reviewed quite a few books with autistic characters over the years so for a comprehensive list of books I’ve reviewed that feature characters with ASD, click here.  I also want to strongly recommend that anyone who wants to learn more about the depiction of autism and ASD in books check out Disability in Kidlit.  Below I compiled a list of books featuring characters with ASD.  The books I listed were ones that drew me in, captured my interest and attention and seemed to hold some truths in them.  But I am not a person with ASD, nor is anyone in my family.  I am former teacher who has worked with and taught students who have ASD.  These books aren’t about real people, they are about characters, creations of an author’s mind, and may contain parts that do not ring true for those with a closer experience of ASD than my own.  Also remember that in real life, people with ASD are as varied as people without ASD.  That is to say, infinitely.  Therefore, no depiction of a person with ASD in a book should be taken as a representation of what all or most people with ASD are like.

Also, you may want to check out my first Autism Awareness Month post before you dive in.  It has lots of great links and resources that are worth looking at.

Recommended Middle Grades Chapter Books:

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

In this book, Moose’s family is uprooted to live on Alcatraz so that his sister Natalie is can attend a special school.  Moose often must balance his wants and needs with those of his sister.  He often must act as her caretaker, a position common to many siblings of autistic children.

 

Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko

The sequel to Al Capone Does My Shirts the focus of this book shifts away from Moose’s relationship with Natalie, despite her being a big part of his life.  This focuses more on his relationships with friends.

 

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

When Ted’s cousin Salim disappears, everyone is distraught.  But Ted and his sister Kat refuse to sit by, especially since they think the police aren’t doing enough to find him.  They’re certain that Ted’s brain can solve the puzzle. This is an excellent book with a very positive portrayal of a character with ASD.

 

Rules by Cynthia Lord

A Newbery Honor selection and the recipient of the Schneider Family Book Award, this is book has a sparkling and well-deserved pedigree.  It gives an excellent perspective on what it might like to have a sibling with autism.

 

Recommended for Tweens and Teens:


Mockingbird by Katherine Eskine

This tells the heartbreaking story of how Caitlyn survives the loss of her brother due to a school shooting.  Eskine allows you to see the world through Caitlyn’s eyes and the result is moving.  Go read it.  It is amazing.  This is exactly what people are talking about when they say that books can help you see the world from the perspective of others. Eskine is thoroughly successful.

Mindblind by Jennifer Roy

Nathaniel must navigate high school and the pitfalls of a high school social life, but with Asperger’s Syndrome, it’s just a bit harder for him.  Roy does an excellent job showing the many facets of Nathaniel’s personality, and showing readers that being on the spectrum is not a person’s only characteristic.

If you saw my earlier list…

You’ll see it included The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon.  I’ve chosen to remove it from my recommended list based on this review posted by Disability in Kidlit.  It is always important to me to be able re-evaluate my impressions especially when given information from a reputable and informative source.

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Level M Books!

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Mrs.N

My earlier panic over not having any good Level M books to recommend to you has subsided. For ten years one of my strengths as an educator was matching readers with books they could read and enjoy, so I’m going to trust my intuition and not worry too much if I don’t have the level verified by some type of official leveling source.  And when I look at it that way,  as it turns out, I have a lot of books to tell you about that a Level M reader might enjoy.  Some are highly recommended, some are a bit disappointing, plenty are diverse, many are funny, in short there’s really a good mix.  So take a look below.  For the amazon link, should you wish to purchase the book, click on the image of the book. For my prior write-up including all possibly questionable content, click on the title of the book.

Highly recommended plus some personal favorites :
Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream by Jenny Han

I’ve seen this listed as Level L but believe me, it’s got so much going for it your Level M reader won’t complain for one minute.  Han’s great writing, filled with figurative language, brings this young Korean girl and her dream of being Miss Apple Pie to life.

 

Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker by Megan McDonald

Stink is the younger brother of the famous Judy Moody.  In my experience, Judy Moody books skewed a bit harder than M, and also a bit harder than Stink.  I wasn’t expecting to like Stink as much as I did.  It was funny, had idioms galore and almost none of the gross out humor that I try to avoid.  I’ve heard that the Stink series varies quite a bit in terms of reading level, so if your reader feels overwhelmed by one of them, seek out another.

Molly’s Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen

Frequently taught in schools, Molly’s Pilgrim shows the difficulties Molly faces in her new town.  In the end, her mother’s love and creativity end up showing her classmates a value lesson above their country.  This is a high quality book featuring a Jewish heroine.

 

26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie DePaola

This actually a Level N, and I believe that, because I taught it for years.  But if your M reader wants a bit of a stretch, it’s a great choice.  The first two books  in the series detail Tomie’s life (this and Here We All Are) at ages 5-6 and are at times, hilariously funny.  They’d be an especially good fit for younger readers who are reading well above grade level.

My Father’s Dragon trilogy by Ruth Stiles Gannett

For students with a yen for a fantastical adventure, this trilogy will suit nicely. It has humor and an adorable dragon, how can you lose? I’ve seen it listed as Level M or N, so assume it’s on the slightly harder side of the spectrum.

 

Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look

Ruby Lu is listed as a Level N by most services, but I think it would be manageable to a Level M reader.  Sure, the cover shows her in the middle of a pretty standard magic trick, but the one you really want to hear about is when she steals her parents’ car to drive herself and her brother to Chinese school.  Now that’s a magic trick.

 

The Snow Day from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler

Funny, boasting tons of illustrations and a nice smattering of figurative writing, it’s just the thing to lure reluctant readers.  I think the series would appeal to readers of My Weird School or even Captain Underpants.



Jenny and the Cat Club by Esther Averill

I can’t find a reading level on Jenny, but I’m pretty sure she’d work out just fine for Level M readers.  These have been a big hit with animal loving readers.

 

 

I can’t find reading levels online for them, but I strongly suspect Level M readers who love magic would enjoy books by Ruth Chew.  Many of them are being reissued now, so they shouldn’t be as hard to find as they once were.  The two pictured above (plus a few others) are reviewed on this blog.

 

Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel by Nikki Grimes

Dyamonde Daniel is a quick study.  It doesn’t take her long at all to realize that there’s someone at the school who is way lonelier than she is.  It’s a nice picture of a boy/girl friendship.  Plus, you get to introduce your child to Nikki Grimes!

 

The Happy Little Family by Rebecca Caudill

There’s no way to find a reading level on anything as old-fashioned as the Happy Little Family, but it is the perfect transition series for parents who love books that bring on the sweetness and nostalgia.  Much easier than Little House or Betsy-Tacy or All-of-a-Kind family (and admittedly, more saccharine too), Rebecca Caudill’s Happy Little Family books are as wholesome as they come.

Ivy & Bean by Annie Barrows

Ivy & Bean is well loved by children and with good reason.  This team of friends gets up to all sorts of mischief.

 

 

All About Ellie by Callie Barkley

I was honestly surprised at how much I liked this book.  I expected it to be sort of your typical random series treacle, but the friendship issues that Ellie had with her friends rang really true and I think it would be a great choice for many readers.

 

Recommended:

Hey L’il D #1 It’s All in the Name by Bob Lanier and Heather Goodyear

I’m actually a pretty big fan of the Hey L’il D series.  There’s a lot of interest in them from sports loving kids and they work very will with struggling readers since they are not babyish in the least.

 

Hey L’il D #2 Take the Court by Bob Lanier and Heather Goodyear While I’ve only reviewed the first two, there are 4 books in the set.

 

 

 

Mr. Bear Gets Alarmed (After Happily Ever After) by Tony Bradman

A thoroughly modern take on what happens after Goldilocks leaves the three bears.  Provides some variation of genre for readers at this level.

 

 

Jigsaw Jones #4 The Case of the Spooky Sleepover by James Preller

 

If your child is the kind that becomes attached to and devours series books, this is a great choice.  The series is all mysteries, a great genre for excitement.

 

Freddie Ramos Takes Off by Jacqueline Jules

This is the first book in the Zapato Power series, in which Freddie Ramos receives some extraordinary sneakers and performs feats of everyday heroics.

 

 

Magic Treehouse #1 – Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne

Okay, so the whole point of this month was to provide Level M choices that are not Magic Tree House, since they are so well-known, well read and well-loved.  BUT.  They are well-known and well-loved for a reason.  Much of the series provides a fun look at historical times, this first one is one of the weaker offerings, but lots of purists like to begin at the beginning.
Magic Treehouse #2 – The Knight at Dawn by Mary Pope Osborne

The second in the series picks up where the first left off.  In all honesty though, readers can pick up any books they like in any order, it shouldn’t affect their reading of this series.

 

 

The Case of the April Fools’ Frogs by Nancy Star

Another safe but sweet mystery series that readers may enjoy.

 

 

 


All-Star Fever is part of Matt Christopher’s

Peach Street Mudder’s series which is a Level M (although on the easier side, for readers familiar with baseball). The Dog that Called the Pitch is a bit easier at a Level L, and is also part of a series, this one, featuring a dog who uses ESP to help him be successful at sports.  While these two series of Matt Christopher’s will be great for Level M readers, don’t trust sites that tell you the main bulk of his work is that this level.  Most of his sports writing is actually much harder, something I learned from years of discussing the books with readers.

 

It’s the right reading level, even if it’s nothing to write home about…

Fiona the Flute Fairy by Daisy Meadows

Scholastic has the reading levels of this series all over the map. This one was definitely on the M side of things.  I can’t say I have any personal interest in the series, but they are always popular with students.

 

Happy Go Lucky by Kristin Earhart  – A simple story for horse lovers. This will fall on the easier side of the spectrum and don’t expect any earth shattering plot points, but for an animal lover looking for a safe pick, this will do.

 


Stanley, Flat Again by Jeff Brown

There are quite a few Stanley books available.  There was nothing particularly special about this one.

 

 

June B. Jones and The Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Park

I can’t say as I’m a Junie B. fan at all but many kids are.

 

 

 

Dan Gutman’s My Weird School series is listed by Scholastic as a Level O, but I’ve always seen them as an L, and the first four of the series are definitely something a Level M reader would breeze right through. I can’t say as I endorse them as they feature a deep abiding hatred of school and almost no positive female characters.

 

 

Pirate School #1 The Curse of Snake Island by Brian James

Ahoy matey! This is just the thing for your little pirate!

 

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