Thursday, February 3, 2011

Book Review- Recent Scholastic Releases

By Norman Bridwell
Published by Cartwheel Books/Scholastic
Released in 1985, 1992 and released in the Be Big, Be Kind edition January 2011
Source-Scholastic
5 stars- A Fabulous Read

When Clifford's family takes a summer vacation without him, he finds a way to join them in the mountains.

We are huge Clifford fans in our home. I remember first falling in love with this fantastic big red dog when I was in second, and I absolutely love that Scholastic continues to introduce young readers to Clifford.

Clifford isn't one to be left behind, and when Emily Elizabeth and her family head out for a weekend camping trip, Clifford is heartbroken. He quickly finds himself making his way to Emily Elizabeth. Along the way Clifford ends up helping people who need it, including Emily. This is a delightful read and one my kids enjoyed just as much as I did.


By Jeanne Betancourt
Illustrated by Kellee Riley
Published by Scholastic Inc.
Released on January 1st, 2011
Ages 6 & up
Source- Scholastic
4 stars- It's A Great Read

Penny is visiting her grandparents out in the country for the summer. They have a surprise for her--a pony named Pepper! Along with their new friends, Tom and Tina, Penny and Pepper solve mysteries in the neighborhood, and rescue a frightened kitten! -Quoted from Goodreads

This is such a fun story to read, with a great message and great illustrations. Penny is a city girl and is spending the summer with her grandparents in the country. Not much a country girl, Penny makes fast friends and realizes there's a lot to love about being in the country. She learns to appreciate beautiful horse her grandparents got, along with the new kitten he finds.

Though my children are a bit younger, my daughter absolutely loved this story. This is a great story for horse lovers and young readers.


By Jean Marzollo
Photographs by Walter Wick
Published by Cartwheel books/Scholastic
Released on January 1st, 2011
Source- Schlastic
Ages- Level 1 Reader
3 stars- It's A Good Read

I SPY something new for Spring!

Young I SPY readers will want to start the Spring with I SPY AN EGG IN A NEST. New easy-to-read text by Jean Marzollo is paired with Walter Wick's amazing photographs from previous I SPY books to create a fun-filled Spring search-and-find. Also includes I SPY activity pages (quoted from Goodreads).

This is a fun read and a book that both toddlers and early readers will enjoy. It's simple wording make it a great fit for K & 1st grader readers and the pictures are great for younger kids not yet reading. I liked that at the end there's matching words and pages the encourage kids to think about what they're looking at and matching the pictures with the letters. I think this book is fitting for both a classroom setting and at home.

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~