Literacy Center Book Reviews

These reviews are for books that are available through public libraries. We have read these books and recommend you check them out. The reviews come from Goodreads.com.

Read to me books

Title:  I Don’t Want to Be a Frog

Author:  Dev Petty

First-time author Petty’s dialogue between a frog father and his son makes its point about accepting one’s nature with a big grin….The story might create similar gratitude in the minds of readers—or it might just make them giggle.

 

Title:  The Pirate Jamboree

Author:  Mark Teague

Join Blackbeard Johnson, Eyepatch Sue, Cap’n Gunderboom, Peg Leg Jones, and more as they set their sails for a rousing pirate adventure! They arrive on their pirate ships, plunder treasure, topple a table, and fire cannons during the pirate jamboree.

The pirate adventures come to a close when the S.S. CLEAN YOUR ROOM arrives and playtime is over, but ahoy — tomorrow will bring another day, another tale, another pirate jamboree!

 

Title:  It’s Only Stanley

Author:  Jon Agee

Mysterious noises keep waking up the Wimbledon family. “That’s very odd,” says Mr. Wimbledon each time, but when he returns from checking on the sounds, he’s always reassuring: “It’s only Stanley; he’s fixing the oil tank.” “It’s only Stanley; he’s clearing the bathtub drain.”

But what Stanley the dog is actually doing while his oblivious family goes back to bed is deliciously absurd: he’s turning the house into a rocket ship to zoom himself and his family to another planet for an alien encounter. This is a perfect rhyming read-aloud for fans of irreverent tales like Click Clack Moo and I Want My Hat Back.

 

Title:  The Bear and the Piano

Author:  David Litchfield

One day, a young bear stumbles upon something he has never seen before in the forest. As time passes, he teaches himself how to play the strange instrument, and eventually the beautiful sounds are heard by a father and son who are picnicking in the woods. The bear goes with them on an incredible journey to New York, where his piano playing makes him a huge star. He has fame, fortune and all the music in the world, but he misses the friends and family he has left behind. A moving tale of exploration and belonging from an exciting debut author-illustrator.

 

Read with me books

Title:  And I Mean It, Stanley

Author:  Crosby Bonsall

A little girl builds a “truly great thing” out of junk. Her friend Stanley is nowhere to be found. But who is Stanley anyway? What a mystery! Until the great thing is almost complete, that is. Then, it’s playtime, and there’s just no stopping Stanley.

 

Title:  Tumbleweed Stew

Author:  Crosby Bonsall

Jack Rabbit says it’s a great day to make tumbleweed stew, but who wants to eat that? With a bit of ingenuity, Jack soon has everyone from Armadillo to Vulture adding something to his delectable stew.

 

Title:  Young Cam Jansen and the New Girl Mystery

Author:  David Adler

There’s a new girl in school! Her name is Jenny and she is making fast friends with Cam and Eric. They’re happy to help her find her way around, but when it’s time for gym class, Jenny disappears. Where did she go? Is she lost? Did she go back to her old school? Young readers won’t be able to resist looking for clues in the story to help Cam and Eric find their new classmate. Follow along as Cam says “Click!” and the search for Jenny begins

Read by myself books

Title:  Missy’s Super Duper Royal Deluxe Class Pets

Author:  Susan Nees

Missy’s second adventure is just as fun-filled as the first one!

This series is part of Scholastic’s early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!

 

Title:  Daisy and the Spring Dance

Author:  Marci Peschke

When Daisy became student council president, she asked Principal Johnson to let the fourth grade hold a spring dance and he said yes, but now she needs help planning the dance.

 

Title:  Sixth Grade Secrets

Author:  Louis Sachar

When Laura Sibbie starts a secret club at school, makes the other members them give her something totally embarrassing as “insurance,” to make sure they don’t tell anyone else about the club. She promises to keep the insurance secret, unless someone blabs. Gabriel, who never tells on anybody, would be a perfect member of Pig City. He wants to join, too. But when Laura asks him, something goes terribly wrong. Now there are two secret clubs in Mr. Doyle’s class, and guess who’s the head of the new one-Gabriel! Each club is determined to topple the other, and nobody’s secrets are safe.