THE YETI FILES: MEET THE BIGFEET by Kevin Sherry

Blizz the Yeti and his Bigfeet family are having a family reunion. Blizz is determined to find his missing cousin, Brian, and keep his family from the prying eyes of a cryptozoologist who wants to the world to know about the Bigfeet.

A fun, silly book that will be part of our fall Scholastic Book Fair. There's lots to see in the illustrations, which makes this great for young readers ready to try out chapter books. There are talking animal and mythical creatures like a North Pole Elf and a unicorn. Plenty of "kid humor" like bathroom behavior, etc. I think this is sure to be a hit with my students!

4 out of 5 stars
AR Reading level of 2.9

LEROY NINKER SADDLES UP by Kate DiCamillo

Leroy Ninker, reformed thief from the Mercy Watson series, is a cowboy in need of a horse - and he finds Maybelline through a newspaper ad. She may be old and missing some teeth, but Leroy loves her. There are three rules to life with Maybelline, though, and there will be trouble if Leroy forgets them.

Cute story that will appeal to fans of the Mercy Watson series as well as readers who are ready for illustrated transitional chapter books. My students who have been begging for more Mercy Watson stories will be pleased to get this in our library.

3 out of 5 stars
AR Reading level of 3.7

* I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher for free in the hope that I would review it honestly on my blog. Regardless, I only review books I enjoyed. I don’t believe in passing on negative reviews. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

RISE OF THE EARTH DRAGON by Tracey West

Drake is taken from his family home to be a dragon master. But his dragon can't do what the others do. Bo's dragon is Shu who can spew water. Ana's dragon is Kepie who emits light. Rori's dragon, Vulcan, is huge, strong and spits fire. Drake's dragon, Worm, looks like a snake and doesn't fly or anything.  But Drake may be more powerful than any other dragon master and Worm has secret of his own, too.

I enjoyed this addition to the Branches line of colorful, illustrated transitional chapter books for developing readers. I believe my students will enjoy this one - a great dragon story for readers not quite ready for the Wings of Fire series. Essentially, this is a pet story, and it's a great one. Book 2 releases in November 2014 and Book 3 releases in February 2015.

4 out of 5 stars

   

* I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher for free in the hope that I would review it honestly on my blog. Regardless, I only review books I enjoyed. I don’t believe in passing on negative reviews. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

MONKEY ME AND THE GOLDEN MONKEY by Timothy Roland

Clyde eats a banana that was part of a science experiment. Now, any time he gets excited, he turns into a monkey. This power could come in handy to get Clyde out of trouble sometimes - and maybe to even solve a mysterious theft!

I am a fan of the Branches line of transitional chapter books from Scholastic and this seems to be one of the new series in that line. It has more text and fewer pictures than some of the other books, like Boris and Missy. Everything is in black and white in this story, too. So this will appeal to kids ready to tackle fun chapter books.

3 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 2.4

Other books in the series:
      
       AR: 2.2                               Release in June

JUDY MOODY AND FRIENDS by Megan McDonald

  

Megan McDonald introduces a new transitional chapter book series starring Judy Moody and her friends. The first book focuses on Jessica Finch, her love of pigs, and a misunderstanding between Jessica and Judy (AR reading level of 2.5). The second book focuses on Rocky Zang, a magic show, and his not-so-fabulous assistant, Judy Moody (AR reading level of 2.7). The stories are fun and address the ups and downs that can come in friendships. I am excited to introduce these to my younger students who are ready to stretch their reading skills but aren't quite ready for the length of a full chapter book. Students who enjoy the Mercy Watson series and the Branches line of transitional chapter books might enjoy these. Two more books in the series will release in September. Pictures of those covers are posted below.

4 out of 5 stars

  

LOTUS LANE SERIES by Kyla May

       

Cute series for elementary age students in a diary format. Includes black and white drawings. Stories focus on this group of girls as they become friends, enjoy sleepovers and movies, deal with school projects and family issues, etc.

Books are written at a third to fourth grade reading level (according to the Accelerated Reader system) and are appropriate for kids as young as first grade all the way up to young tweens. I've been really pleased with this Branches line from Scholastic. It has appropriate content for my younger readers but the books are written at a level that allows them to grow as readers.

4 out of 5 stars for the series

THE MYSTERY OF THE GOLD COIN by Harper Paris (Greetings from Somewhere series)

Ethan and Ella's mom has taken a job as a travel writer, so their family is packing up their house to live "on the road." Ethan and Ella aren't convinced this will be the adventure their parents think it will be. Before they even finish packing, though, Ethan loses his farewell gift from his beloved grandfather. The twins take one last trip around town to solve The Mystery of the Gold Coin.

This is the first book in this new series that feels like a good fit for kids just starting to enjoy chapter books. The premise means the author can take the kids to all sorts of different settings for each story, which can keep the interest up. Likable characters with realistic reluctance about their new life. I can already picture some students who might enjoy this series! Pictures of other books in the series are posted below. Books one and two are out now, book three comes out in May, and book 4 will release in August.

3 out of 5 stars
No AR level at this time

      

MOLDYLOCKS AND THE THREE BEARDS by Noah Z. Jones

Princess (a girl who is not a princess and who doesn't like pink or anything princess-y) falls through a portal in her fridge and lands in the Land of Fake-Believe. There she meets a girl named Moldylocks, and they go to the house of the Three Beards in search of food. What Princess finds is just a shade off from what someone familiar with the Goldilocks story might expect - and that is exactly the point of this new series in the Branches line of transitional chapter books. When I told my students about the story, the ones who are into princess-y stories weren't quite sure what to do with this one. Other kids really got a kick out of a girl named Princess who liked mud puddles and monster trucks, and they thought the "three beards" was hilarious. I think this has appeal for both groups of readers.

3 out of 5 stars
No AR reading level at this time.

Book 2, Little Read Quackinghood releases in August 2014

ELLRAY JAKES THE DRAGON SLAYER by Sally Warner

When EllRay sees his little sister getting picked on at school, EllRay wants to share his wisdom and experience as the older brother and protector. But Alfie doesn't want his advice - she just wants the girls at school to be nice to her, and she'll do anything those girls want if they'll just be her friend. How can EllRay protect Alfie if she won't follow his suggestions?

This is the first book I have read in this series (this is book #4), and I think EllRay is darling. The bullying theme in this story is timely. Jake tries to handle things himself - his parents seem aware of what's going on with Alfie, but they are trying to give her space to work things out on her own if she can. You may question EllRay's methods when he tries to help, but his heart is in the right place. I think this would be a great book to read as a family or in a classroom and then talk about what EllRay does, what Alfie does, what the parents do, and what your kids think they might do in a similar situation. This is one of those "transitional chapter books" that I love because it is written at a higher reading level, but the content is appropriate for younger kids who are ready for chapter books.

4 out of 5 stars
AR Reading level of 4.5

Here are some of the other books in this series:
        

NANCY CLANCY SEES THE FUTURE by Jane O'Connor

Nancy is convinced she can tell the future - she knew Daddy was bringing home pizza, and she knew it was Grandma when the phone rang! She's so certain that she starts answering questions for the other kids at school. But Bree doesn't like Nancy's new "talent" and it is affecting their friendship. And some of Nancy's predictions aren't coming true. What happened to her special gift?

This reminded me of a Judy Moody book I read last year. It's a sweet story about kids who are learning the difference between predicting the future and intuition and hunches. Magical thinking is part of childhood - a fun part - and it's easy to let some good guessing convince a child that she can predict the future. Nancy learns a lesson as her predictions cause a lot of trouble for her and for her friends. Fans of this series will enjoy this new story in Fancy Nancy's foray into chapter books.

3 out of 5 stars
No AR reading level at this time

Here are pictures of the first two books in this series. Book four, The Secret of the Silver Key will release next spring.

  

MAGIC BONE SERIES by Nancy Krulik

   

Sparky the puppy finds himself in trouble all the time - he doesn't mean to knock things over or make his two-leg, Josh, mad by digging up the yard. Then Sparky finds a magic bone - one that takes him first to London and then to Hawaii for some adventures.

These books could not be any cuter! Fun, fun, fun. Another great transitional chapter book series. Sparky has an endearing "voice" that is very puppy-like (innocent, eager) and funny. This is like the Palace Puppies series in that the dog tells the story, but Sparky's voice feels more manic and puppy-like. Just darling! My students will LOVE these books. More, please!!

4 out of 5 stars
AR reading levels of 2.6 and 2.5 respectively

Book three comes out next week and book four will release in March 2014.

RESCUE PRINCESSES and NOTEBOOK OF DOOM

     

These are two new transitional chapter book series being promoted by Scholastic.

At a special event to introduce young princesses and princes to the area kings and queens, Princess Emily and her new friends uncover a plot to capture animals in the royal forest in The Secret Promise. The "Rescue Princesses" are born as the girls swear to help animals whenever they are in danger. This simple story will have great appeal to readers who enjoy princess or animal stories - and I have plenty of students who love BOTH who will think this is outstanding! With an AR reading level of 4.5, this will be perfect for my first and second graders who are reading way above grade level but who aren't ready for middle grade books. (3 out of 5 stars)

In Rise of the Balloon Goons, Alexander and his dad have moved to a new town. At the old school building, Alexander finds a notebook that describes odd monsters like the "playing mantis" and the "rhinoceraptor." And if that wasn't creepy enough, Alexander is convinced there are balloon creatures following him and causing trouble. The only guy who believes Alexander is a bully named Rip. When the balloon goons take Rip to their fortress, Alexander follows them, hoping to save Rip and the town. This is another simple story that will appeal to young readers ready to try chapter books.  The "monster" aspect is fairly mild, but parents should be sure their kiddos are ready to read about these quirky monsters without having nightmares. (3 out of 5 stars. AR reading level of 3.3)

Both of these series are growing - you can see some of the other titles below:

                  
      

PALACE PUPPIES SERIES by Laura Dower

   

Sunny and Rex are royal puppies. Sunny is the slightly older and a smidge more disciplined golden doodle while Rex is the rash, impulsive beagle. In book one, Princess Annie and Prince James are trying to plan a birthday party for the cranky and destructive Jackson, the puppies want to help. In the second story, the puppies go to the beach for the first time and Rex gets lost. Annie and James are frantic. Can Sunny track down her puppy friend?

Cute early chapter books for readers ready to start moving away from picture books (although, I think there's always time for a picture book - for any reader!).

3.5 out of 5 stars
No AR reading level yet.

There are two more books available or coming soon in the series: