Reading is more important now than ever. Don’t let spring fever erase reading time! These imaginative reader series for elementary school kids ages 6 to 9 or 10 are short but very sweet — and affordable.
Wild Child: Forest’s First Home
Series by Tara Zann; Imprint/Macmillan; 138 pages and $5.99 each
When Olive meets Forest in Wild Child: Forest’s First Home, he was covered in a layer of dirt and his hair “appeared to have parts of an actual bird’s nest in it.”
He swings through trees and knows some words learned from campers. But he doesn’t know what an Xbox is and finds shaking hands very funny. Still, Olive’s father allows him to move in, as long as Olive teaches him proper behavior.
With lots of humor, an older brother who isn’t helping and school adjustments, Tara Zann’s Wild Child series, with Forest’s First Home and Forest’s First Day of School is exhilaratingly fun and intriguing. Illustrated to show lots of action, the tales are a great foray into chapter books.
Skunked! Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet
By Jacqueline Kelly; Henry Holt & Co.,104 pages; $15.99
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate was an adventurous journey back to the early 1900s that won a Newbery Honor. Its sequel, The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate, followed along in turn-of-the-century Texas with the rough-and-tumble life of Callie Vee. Those longer books spurned this spin-off series from Jacqueline Kelly, as Callie becomes even more interested in helping creatures.
In Counting Sheep, she helps fix a butterfly’s broken wing, and is there when Mother’s prize sheep needs to deliver her lamb and Dr. Pritzer is away. Her lovable Granddaddy is often nearby.
The first in its series, Skunked! Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet is funny and freshly old-fashioned. Counting Sheep is a homey read animal lovers ages 6 to 9 will enjoy.
Super Happy Party Bears
By Marcie Colleen; Imprint/MacMillan; 137 pages and $5.99 each
Hilarious, wacky and high-energy, this mod series, Super Happy Party Bears, is “a party.” The orange, blue, green and purple bears dance, have a slumber party, decorate doughnuts and enjoy their local honey shop in the Grumpy Woods with lots of other animals that are grumpier than the bears.
The tales, Gnawing Around, Knock Knock on Wood, Staying a Hive and Going Nuts, are all zesty fun with lots of word play and activity.
Staying a Hive is “super happy honey time!” and the crazy consequences of too much honey.
In Going Nuts, the squirrels, called the Twitchy Tails, eat up all the nuts that belonged to the Puffy Cheeks, the local chipmunks. A food fight ensues, which turns into a dance-off. Oh, and One-Tail Willy figures into the story, as well.
Creative, colorful and cool, Marcie Colleen’s series is an adventure!
Puppy Academy
By Gill Lewis; illustrated by Sarah Horne; Henry Holt; 115 pages and $16.99 each
Puppy Academy is where “plucky puppies learn to be working dogs.” 7- to 10-year-olds will love reading about Pip, Scout, Star and Murphy, who learn to become hearing dogs, guide dogs for the blind and dogs that help people with physical disabilities. After each exciting story, readers will meet real assistance dogs, and learn facts about them and author Gill Lewis and her Labrador, Sam, who was her faithful companion.
Book titles include Pip and the Paw of Friendship, Scout and the Sausage Thief, Star on Stormy Mountain and Murphy and the Great Surf Rescue.
An adorable shout-out to rescue puppies, Puppy Academy is wonderfully informative and inspirational.
Kidbits
Other well-written series include:
» Unicorn in New York by Rachel Hamilton, published by Scholastic, which tells of unicorn Louie and his quest for the stage.
» The Escapades of Clint McCool by Jane Kelley and Jessika von Innerebner stars an 8-year-old superhero with boundless energy and adventures.
» Enchanted Pony Academy, published by Scholastic and written by Lisa Ann Scott, includes four short chapter books about magical ponies.
» Pirates rule in The Jolley-Rogers series by Jonny Duddle, published by Templar/Candlewick.
— Lee Littlewood writes the Kids’ Home Library column for Creators. The San Diego wife and mom’s pure love of children’s literature helps her stay interested in words and pictures meant for tots to teens. Click here to contact her, or click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.