Tag Archives: Fiction

Elem. – Sasquatch and Squirrel

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Monroe, Chris. Sasquatch and Squirrel. Carolrhoda Books, 2023. 978-1-728-40466-0. $18.99. Grades K-2. 

Strawberry the Sasquatch lives a solitary existence in the forest. No other sasquatches live nearby and humans are afraid of her, so Strawberry spends her time doing typical sasquatch activities–hiking, swimming, pranking loggers, and making collages. One day, she has a chance encounter with Nutty, a friendly squirrel and the pair decide to hang out together. This leads to a day of adventures, including climbing (Sasquatch falls–a lot), a logger prank (the pair have a close call with an angry logger), and snack sneaking (they are almost caught in a Squatch Watcher trap!). It was a rough day–maybe the pair don’t have enough in common to be friends. But, the next day, as they recover from their injuries from the prior day’s adventures, the two relax in a field and watch the clouds go by and discuss making a collage later. All they needed was to find some common ground and activities that suited both their personalities, and their friendship has been cemented.

THOUGHTS: This humorous friendship tale is sure to be a hit with readers. Many (though not all) of the illustrations are divided into panels, giving the title a hybrid picture book/graphic novel feeling. Recommended.

Picture Book

Elem. – Addie and the Amazing Acrobats

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Cagan, Shauna. Addie and the Amazing Acrobats. Hippo Park, 2023. 978-1-662-64046-9. $18.99. Unpaged. Grades PreK-2. 

 Addie and her best friends Ben and Jude live under a red bridge with other neighborhood bats. The three are best known for their amazing flying acrobatic feats. They love to flip, swoosh, and cartwheel through the night sky. While they are all talented, the star of their show is clearly Addie. In fact, the animals of the neighborhood soon give their act a name– “Addie and the Amazing Acrobats.” When they are invited to join the Big Bat Circus, the three are ecstatic! But, it turns out the circus is only interested in having Addie join their company. So Addie grabs her bag, leaves the bridge, and is soon performing as an acrobat under the big top. As time passes, however, Addie finds that no matter how popular she is with the circus crowds, there’s something missing–her two best friends. Back at the bridge, Ben and Jude are finding that their act isn’t quite the same without Addie. When the circus is due to travel by her home, Addie is worried. Will Ben and Jude still want to be her friends?

THOUGHTS: This delightful picture book would make an ideal read aloud and could also be paired with a non-fiction text on bats. Readers will enjoy the acrobatic bat tricks as well as the interplay between the narrator and the protagonist. The digital illustrations convey the personality of the bats as well as the excitement of the aerials. An enjoyable story about the bonds of friendship.

Picture Book

Elem. – The Dreams We Made

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Bentley, Lisa. The Dreams We Made. Simon & Schuster, 2023. 978-1-665-91765-0. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PK-3.

At the center of The Dreams we Made is a little girl with a big imagination. Each night, her father helps her bring her ideas to life using found items. Each day, she holds tight to her daddy, wishing he didn’t need to go back to work. When he encourages her to keep dreaming while he is away, she does. Her dreams grow, and the little girl and her father begin their biggest project yet. One the eve of completing the project, Mommy delivers the sad news that her father has died and cannot complete their project. Together, the girl and her Mom find a way to continue dreaming and, over time, they put the pieces back together and begin feeling closer to Daddy once more.

THOUGHTS: The Dreams We Made is a beautifully illustrated and balanced picture book that combines imagination, love, and loss to create a story that successfully balances all three–accomplishing the unique feat of a story incorporating loss with the potential of broad appeal to picture book readers. The girl’s projects focus on her dreams of space exploration, and Lisa Bentley’s illustrations are dominated by this space theme, inviting children into an engaging world of creativity and imagination. Bentley’s depiction of the mother sharing the loss of the father with her child is gentle and loving, and the child’s expression of this loss (denial, loss of interest in her creations, and destructive anger) will feel real to both child and adult readers. Bentley does not rush her characters through grief, but rather gives her characters time to heal, first in imagination, then through their actions. This beautiful, wise book is highly recommended for all readers in the general library and also for guidance collections.

Picture Book 

Elem. – Make Way for Butterfly

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Burach, Ross. Make Way for Butterfly. Scholastic, 2023. 978-1-338-75263-2. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-3.

Make Way for Butterfly begins when Bee buzzes past Butterfly, who is relaxing on a flower. Curious, Butterfly asks Bee what they are doing, and launches into an explanation of pollination from Bee. The more Butterfly learns, the more desperate they become to be just like Bee. When Butterfly learns how Bee’s sticky hairs help with pollen collection, they break out the glue. When Butterfly learns about Bee’s pollen baskets, they attempt to create baskets of their own… and then comes the jet pack, and fuzz, and stingers, and stripes. In the end, Butterfly learns that, even without speed, fuzz, stingers, stripes, pollen baskets, and sticky hairs, their unique way of pollinating is very important to the ecosystem as well.    

THOUGHTS: Make Way for Butterfly combines bright illustrations, scientific fact, and humor to tell a tale that will engage young readers and encourage multiple readings… and might just hook the adults that read to them, too. The science in the story is sound, and the message about being yourself evolves throughout the book without being heavy-handed. This a book young readers will love and seek on library shelves. Highly recommended.

Picture Book

Elem. – Rain

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Rylant, Cynthia. Rain. Illustrated by Lisa Congdon. Beach Lane Books, 2023. 978-1-442-46509-1. Unpaged. Grades PreK-1. $18.99.

Rylant extols the beauty and benefits of rain in this colorful picture book. Instead of looking at rain as a dreary unexciting weather event, the author describes how rain is perceived by a variety of characters, who eagerly anticipate the rainfall. The cats love rain, but only from inside, while one dog loves the feel of raindrops on his nose. Mother Duck and her ducklings are in their element during the shower, while children play outside wearing their raincoats and multi-colored boots. After the precipitation stops, the animals and children go back outside to a world that is now sunny and refreshed. The rain has filled up the creeks, birdbaths, and even the dogs’ water bowls and now the flowers and garden vegetables will continue to grow “all because of rain.” The digital full bleed drawings by Congdon are vibrant and striking. The illustrator toys with perspective, since the children are pictured only from the knees down, which allows the reader to focus on the puddles. Instead of wishing for the rain to go away, children will learn to welcome a rainy day and see it in a different light.

THOUGHTS: Rylant’s latest work in simple text puts a positive spin on rainy weather and its benefits. This picture book is a good choice for rainy day storytimes for preschoolers and primary students. 

Picture Book

Elem. – A Little Ferry Tale

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Otis, Chad. A Little Ferry Tale. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2022. 978-1-534-48769-7. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-1.

Hey look, Little Toot, there’s a newcomer on the dock and her name is Little Ferry. Ferry is a small boat with big aspirations, and her job is to carry passengers from the mainland to the island and back again. She looks at other vessels in the harbor and observes people admiring the sailboat’s gracefulness, the tugboat’s fearlessness, and the speedboat’s power. Ferry never receives such accolades and feels insignificant compared with the other watercraft, wishing she could trade places with them. She decides to follow in their wake by going fast, facing large boats, and being carefree, but Ferry finds she has trouble doing that. As the little boat sadly returns to the pier with her passengers, Tugboat raises an alarm of fire on the island. All of the boats in the harbor know that animals live there and rush to rescue them. Speedboat and Tugboat frighten the animals as they approach the shore, and Sailboat gets hung up on the rocks. Only Little Ferry, after summoning up her courage, is able to bring all of them on board and transport them safely to the dock. The small boat realizes that her patience and carefulness are qualities that also have value. The message here is to be true to yourself. The author-illustrator has created digital illustrations that bring out each boat’s personality. The drawings of the characters with their large eyes and expressive mouths will draw in young readers.

THOUGHTS: This charming picture book will be a hit with children, who will want to read it again and again. It is a good example of personification. Pair this marine newcomer with the classic Little Toot for a nautical themed story time. Recommended.

Picture Book           Denise Medwick, Retired, PSLA Member

Elem. – Sprinkles and Swirls

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Schaefer, Lola M. Sprinkles and Swirls. Little Simon, 2022. $17.99 ea. Unpaged. Grades PreK-1. 

A Cool Day at the Pool. 978-1-665-90332-5.
Oh, What a Show! 978-1-665-91795-7.

Adventurous best friends (and cupcakes) Sprinkles and Swirls have returned in two new graphic novels. In A Cool Day at the Pool, the pair enjoy a fun day out at the pool, where they enjoy swimming, floating in inner tubes and going down the water slide. After swimming, they relax on the beach towels in the sun, but their sweetness soon attracts some ants! They take a break and travel to the nearby Spray-Ground to enjoy the water there before returning to the pool to wrap up the day on the diving board. In Oh, What  a Show!, Swirls wants to sign up for the talent show, but Sprinkles protests she has no talent. Sprinkles tries out some of the talent the other participants are planning to do–gymnastics, juggling, and biking, but she is unable to master any of them. The pair decide to help the ants in building the talent show stage, but an accident with a hammer leaves Sprinkles bleeding (and the sight of blood makes Swirls a little woozy). Despite Swirls’ encouragement, Sprinkles just can’t seem to discover her talent, and she gets increasingly upset. Swirls needs some help in practicing for her dance routine, so Sprinkles agrees to help out…and she discovers her talent–dancing! They decide to team up and enter the contest, where they are a big hit!

THOUGHTS: This enjoyable series is a great way to introduce young readers to the concept of graphic novels. In fact, the book starts with a few panels in which Sprinkles and Swirls explain to readers how to read the graphic novel format. The panels and text are large and use simple text, ideal for young readers. Both books emphasize the importance of friendship, being a supportive friend, and working as a team. A worthwhile purchase for schools serving younger elementary students looking to add to their graphic novel collections.

Graphic Novel            Elizabeth Henry, Lampeter-Strasburg SD

Elem. – The Not-So-Tiny Tales of Simon Seahorse (Series Fiction)

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Reef, Cora. The Not-So-Tiny Tales of Simon Seahorse. Little Simon, 2021. $17.99 ea. 118 p. Grades K-3. 

Simon Says. 978-1-665-90368-4.
I Spy…a Shark! 978-1-665-90371-4.
Don’t Pop the Bubble Ball! 978-1-665-90374-5.

This new chapter book series for elementary readers features ocean dwelling protagonist Simon Seahorse. Simon lives with his family (Dad, Mom, and 11 brothers and sisters) near the ocean town of Coral Grove. When not attending Coral Grove Elementary, he enjoys hanging out with his best friend Olive Octopus, telling stories and going on adventures. In Simon Says, Simon takes one of his treasured possessions, a lucky pearl, with him to school for “sea and tell.” Naturally, being a storyteller, he enjoys embellishing the story of his pearl a bit when it’s his turn. After he arrives home from school, he realizes that the pearl has gone missing! Together with his friend Olive, and some help from Mr. Green, the turtle trolley, he goes on a journey to Shipwreck Station (aka the ocean’s lost and found) in the hopes of locating his pearl. In I Spy…a Shark!, Simon and his friends are afraid of sharks (they’re worried about being eaten). So, when Simon and Olive spy a shark while working on a school project in Coral Jungle, they are understandably frightened. But Zelda the shark doesn’t want to eat them; she is there to pick a bouquet of coral for her mother’s birthday. Simon and Olive help her choose the best coral for her bouquet and in return she invites them to Shark Point to attend her mother’s birthday party. As a result, they have another amazing story to tell their classmates. The text in each volume is accompanied by digital B&W illustrations on each page.

THOUGHTS: This early chapter series is sure to be popular with readers. Though Simon is a seahorse, many of the situations he finds himself in will be relatable to elementary students. After all, who hasn’t panicked when they think they have lost a treasured possession? Or realized that the preconceived ideas they had about someone were incorrect? 

Early Chapter Book          Elizabeth Henry, Lampeter-Strasburg SD

Elem. – Farm Crimes! The Moo-sterious Disappearance of Cow

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Dumais, Sandra. Farm Crimes! The Moo-sterious Disappearance of Cow. Owlkids, 2021. 978-1-771-47442-9. Unpaged. $18.95. Grades 1-3. 

It’s just an average day on the farm until the animals realize that Cow is missing in this delightful graphic novel. Based on limited evidence, the barnyard concludes that she has been kidnapped. There’s only one thing to do–summon neighborhood detective, the goat Inspector Billiam Van Hoof. Upon his arrival at the scene, Inspector Van Hoof begins to question the animals and search for clues. When he discovers flattened crops in the shape of a circle and witnesses who saw Cow in a shiny outfit the day before, Inspector Van Hoof decides that Cow was kidnapped by aliens! The rest of the barnyard is not so convinced–many have other theories of what may have transpired. When Cow eventually reappears, the real truth about her disappearance is revealed (spoiler alert: aliens were not involved). Observant readers will enjoy the comic illustrations, which are filled with various jokes and fun details. While this title is the second book in the Farm Crimes! series, it can be read as a standalone. 

THOUGHTS: Sure, Inspector Van Hoof may not be the the world’s best detective (despite the fact that he advertises himself as the “world’s #1 goat detective”), but the reader won’t care. They’ll be too busy laughing out loud as Van Hoof gets distracted while on his way to the barnyard and then once on the case, jumps to some pretty wild conclusions. This title will be a popular addition to elementary graphic novel collections.

Graphic Novel          Elizabeth Henry, Lampeter-Strasburg SD

Elem. – Word Travelers and the Taj Mahal Mystery

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Haldar, Raj. Word Travelers and the Taj Mahal Mystery. Sourcebooks, 2021. 978-1-728-22205-9. 128 p. $5.99. Grades 1-3. 

Best friends Eddie and Molly-Jean (MJ) enjoy spending their Saturdays together playing games, watching movies, and having sleepovers. One day, a discussion about the meaning of the word “pajamas’’ leads the pair to discover an old book on word origins compiled by Eddie’s great-grandfather, a famous etymologist. When they open the book (which they nickname the Awesome Enchanted Book) to the entry on “pajama” they are magically transported to India, the country where the word originated. There they meet Dev, who is searching for an ancient family treasure in order to rebuild the local school, which was destroyed in a recent typhoon. Eddie and MJ team up with Dev to find the treasure. But they have competition–Mr. Raffles, the villain of the story, is also on the hunt for the riches! Working together, they decipher clues (with the help of the Awesome Enchanted Book, of course), race across the city, explore hidden passageways, and try to outsmart Mr. Raffles–but will they locate the treasure? Readers will learn about Indian culture as well as many words originating in the country. Bold words in the text can be found in a words origins glossary. The first volume in a projected series, readers will look forward to Eddie and MJ’s next adventure.

THOUGHTS: While readers may be drawn in by the mystery/adventure elements of the plot, they also will enjoy learning about the field of etymology and the origins and history of many words we use in everyday life. This series would be an ideal suggestion for fans of The Magic Treehouse books. Recommended.

Mystery          Elizabeth Henry, Lampeter-Strasburg SD