Stella and Marigold: Past and Presents by Annie Barrows

Today's read is the third in a chapter book series for those readers, who are sure of their words but need a little more practice before heading on into lower middle grade novels. I haven't read the first two in the series, and I'm doubting that will be an issue, but we'll see. This comes from the same author/illustrator as the much loved Ivy & Bean series, and this new series is garnering great reviews and attention as well. It circles around a pair of sisters and their daily adventures...which I'm betting aren't exactly boring or ordinary. But let's find out!

PAST AND PRESENTS

Stella & Marigold, Book 3

by Annie Barrows

Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Chronicle Books

Chapter Book

124 pages

ages 6 to 9

COMING OCTOBER 6th!!!

The next adventure in the fun and funny early chapter book series about two small sisters with very big imaginations―from the beloved creators of the New York Times bestselling Ivy + Bean, Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall.

There is the whole world, and in it, there’s a city, and in that city, there’s a house, and in that house lives a pair of sisters named Stella and Marigold. But the house is very old, so they are not the only children who have ever lived in it. One surprising day, they discover that there was another girl, maybe named Ziamara, who not only lived in their house, but wrote on the wall and left secret presents for Stella and Marigold. Inspired by this hero from the past, Stella and Marigold make great plans for the future.

With lots of adventure, a dynamic relationship, and colorful pictures, this series is perfect for emerging readers. This unlikely duo will have readers LOL-ing!

And more buzz...

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED: Stella & Marigold, a USA Today and National Indie bestseller, shined with critics, receiving four starred reviews! Kirkus Reviews raved, “All the heart. None of the pablum. Sisterhood at its finest and freshest.”

STRONG RELATIONSHIP: This series positively depicts the ups and downs of sisterhood and will also resonate with any fan of general friendship duos.
WONDERFUL GIFT: Sophie Blackall's full-color illustrations are both gorgeous and hilarious, making this book a gift joyfully given and very happily received.

Perfect for:
Independent readers age 6-9
Parents, teachers, and librarians seeking entertaining elementary school chapter books
Gift-givers looking for an early readers series for kids who enjoy stories full of humor and heart
Readers who love such bestselling book series as Ivy + Bean, Junie B. Jones, Beezus and Ramona, Dory Fantasmagory, and Princess in Black

GOODREADS    /    PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Sibling goodness mixes with spunky personalities to create one enjoyable adventure after the other.

Stella and Marigold discover a sketch and writing on the wall behind the couch. Since they didn't do that...that isn't allowed..., they begin to fantasize about the creator. With a little imagination, they decide it's a girl from Colorado who can fly. And that sets off all sorts of ideas for the rest of the book.

This is the third book in the series but can easily be picked up as a stand alone. It consists of ten chapters, or rather, ten short adventures, which are around ten pages or so each. Stella and Marigold are up to all sorts of things as their fantasy leads them from one idea to the next. Everything stays founded in a realistic setting and appropriate for their ages. But these two are always up to something. From bears to portals in time, they let their imaginations take flight. The result is always wholesome, and the pair's energy and joy for life is addicting.

There's tons of sibling goodness in these pages as the two always work together and offer support. Even the relationships with other students and people around them carry a positive atmosphere. The adventures feed from the sisters' imaginations and are ones that are similar to things many readers have done themselves. For example, building a tent in the living room or burying things for people to discover in the future. It's a familiar, warming fun the entire way through. 

Each story has just the right length for a story-time read or as a bedtime read. These also work especially well for beginning readers, who are sure of their words, to pick up on their own. The font and spacing make for easy reading. The illustrations add to the personality and fun, but also work nicely to help beginning readers follow the scenes. 

It's a lovely set of adventures and I'm looking forward to seeing what these sisters will be up to next.

And here they are...

Annie Barrows is the New York Times bestselling author of many books for both children and adults, including the beloved Ivy + Bean series, which can also be seen on Netflix; The Best of Iggy series; the young adult novel Nothing; and the adult bestselling novel The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. She lives in Northern California.

Sophie Blackall is an award-winning illustrator whose books are beloved around the world. Her previous books include If You Come to Earth, Ruby's Wish, and the Ivy + Bean series, as well as Hello Lighthouse and Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear, both of which were awarded the Caldecott Medal. She lives in New York.

The Incredible Other Side by Andrew J Ross

I saw this book and, now, need to know what is on the other side of that wall, especially with the winter vs. spring/summer contrast. And dinosaurs? This must be quite the special wall! 

So, let's grab our own ropes and see what this books let us find on the other side.

THE INCREDIBLE OTHER SIDE

by Andrew J. Ross

Frances Lincoln Children's Books

Picture Book

50 pages

ages 4 to 8

COMING OCTOBER 6th!!!

From author-illustrator and storyboard artist Andrew J. Ross, whose credits including K-Pop Demon Hunters, this is an excellently paced, superbly funny story, promoting creative problem-solving and the power of imagination—featuring a clever novelty cut-out hole, to finally reveal the secret of the wall! 

What’s behind the mysterious wall? Join the characters who are trying to find out, in this mischievous picture book—perfect for Jon Klassen fans!

There’s something INCREDIBLE, just behind the wall . . . But how do you get past it? This group of kids is DETERMINED to find out! 

The kid with the green hat tries to dig under the wall—but the shovel breaks!
The kid with the yellow hat tries to climb over the wall—but the rope snaps!
The kids with the red and purple hats try a ladder—but it falls apart!

At last, the smallest kid steps up. “If you can’t go under the wall,” she says, “and you can’t go over, you have to go through.” “Ridiculous!” the others scoff, and away they stomp together. But maybe you do need to think a little differently . . . if you want to reach the INCREDIBLE OTHER SIDE. 

GOODREADS     /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Expectations run high in this clever tale about what might be behind a wall and how to reach the other side.

A young child stands at a huge wall watching as other children try their best to get to the other side. First, there's a shovel. Then, comes a rope. Everyone seems determined and prepared to find a way across, but nobody is willing to listen to the young child who watches them.

This is one of those picture books, which takes a slightly different twist and opens up to some food for thought. And it does it without feeling preachy or boring. Instead, the tale grabs and awakens curiosity. The children are sure that their way of getting across is unbeatable. After all, the shovel is amazingly sturdy, and the ladder is very tall. Each time the determination radiates from the page, and it begins to expose a stubbornness with a hint of arrogance, too. So, the reader can't help but sympathize with the young child who is watching. It's a clever play, which opens up to the wonder of imagination to create a lovely read. 

The illustrations carry a rougher style, which works very well with the cold setting. Only the children's eye-areas are visible as the are tightly bundled up due to the cold. They also carry a bulky, no-nonsense attitude as they march to try each attempt. Until they fall. Then, their faces are exposed. The young child who watches, however, might be bundled, but her face is more visible to give her a slightly softer appeal. Each scene shows the situation clearly and lets the emotions come across nicely.

The text is playfully and carefully placed to create a fun read-aloud. It has a repetitive flair, which makes it easy for listeners to sink into and adds a little foreshadowing to what might happen with each new attempt. It's kept short and clear, making it great for even more reluctant listeners. 

There's a huge surprise at the end, which flips everything on its head and leaves with a sense of wonder and possibilities. I see this as being one of those reads, which is picked up time and again, and will remain with listeners long after the story time is done.

And here he is...

Andrew J. Ross is a Canadian illustrator and designer. He has over a decade’s experience in animation, collaborating with studios including Paramount, Sony, Illumination and DreamWorks, among others, and has worked as a storyboard artist on projects including K-Pop Demon Hunters, Penguins of Madagascar, and movies in the Kung Fu Panda and Ice Age franchises. Ross shares his work and creative process under the name Tiny Fortress on social media and operates from Toronto.

You Vs. The Poison Plot by Josh Hicks

Since we started on the mystery path yesterday, I decided to continue on! Today's read is in 'Choose Your Own Adventure' style. So, I'm curious how it does because I was a huge fan of these as a kid.

Get ready to make some decision and collect those clues!

YOU VS THE POISON PLOT

A Choose Your Path Mystery

by Josh Hicks

Candlewick

Middle Grade Mystery

224 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING OCTOBER 13th!!!

Can YOU solve the biggest crime of the century (or at least of the after-school talent show)? With multiple choose-your-own paths, suspects to investigate, and endings to uncover, this fresh and funny whodunit—the first in an interactive series—puts readers in control.

When Mr. Rosso, the drama teacher, is found unconscious before the big school talent show, the theories for what happened are plentiful—and it’s up to the reader to solve the mystery. Through an exciting, page-hopping format, readers themselves decide how the story progresses. Should they question Levi, the popular kid with the voice of an angel? Investigate the crime scene with Allie, the sharp-eyed school newspaper photographer? Dig up dirt on Ms. Lynch, the nervous teaching assistant? Following the clues however they choose, readers might get caught in a wild goose chase or sleuth their way to the clever solution—in any case, the witty storylines paired with lively cartoon art make this an unforgettable DIY romp.

GOODREADS     /      PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Each turn of the page might disclose new information as the reader does their best to get to the bottom of this mystery.

Mr. Russo, the drama teacher, falls unconscious right before the annual talent contest, and that while several contests are with him. As the school's journalist, there's no way you can let this huge story slide...but to be a great article in the school's paper, first you need to figure out what happened. With the paper's photographer at your side, the two of you try your best to figure out what is going on, but the more clues you discover, the foggier this mystery grows.

The choose-your-own tale style adds a nice layer to the mystery fun, especially since this one takes place in a school setting...something readers can easily sink into. There are quite a few suspects, and the search for clues leads to surprising locations. The clues take some thought to thread together because the answer isn't obvious even as the reader (main character) takes notes. Some decisions lead to unhelpful moments, while others uncover something big, and it's not always clear which choice heads where. So, this book keeps the reader in the pages.

Instead of leading the reader through a direct line of pages (depending on choices), the author sometimes uses central points to branch off and return to. For example, when Mr. Russo is discovered with various suspects present, each suspect leads to a different page-chain before returning back so readers can choose someone else or carry on. So, the adventure is never overly short. Also, if a wrong choice is made that would, normally, mean the end of that chosen tale direction, a 're-do' possibility is usually offered to reverse that wrong decision and continue with the tale. This gives the entire thing a buffered feel. 

This mystery fits the mid and lower end of the age group nicely and works well for even sensitive readers, since there isn't a murder and nothing grows dark. The plot is rather straightforward without giving much on the deeper, side-plots end outside of some lighter, possible motives from the suspects. There is a bit more dialogue than I've often seen in this type of book, which gives the reader some personality traits. So, while the reader is addressed with 'you' and makes the decisions, there is a main character-ish vibe about it, too. 

It's an entertaining read, which doesn't deliver the clues in a way to make the solution obvious, and there's a lighter atmosphere to keep everything from even thinking about nodding toward a dark direction. It also practices those reading skills, since it's not overly quick or short. The illustrations add to the mystery and help with the delivery of the clues. Summed up, it's an entertaining read.

And here he is...

Josh Hicks is a writer and illustrator based in Cardiff, Wales. He is the creator of the graphic novels Glorious Wrestling Alliance: Ultimate Championship Edition; Hotelitor: Luxury-Class Defense and Hospitality Unit; and Minecraft: Out of Order. When he’s not making books, Josh Hicks writes and directs for animation.

Shaila Holmes Fairy Detective by Lori Keating

Happy Monday! I'm starting out the week with a mystery...fantasy...fantasy-mystery? I found the cover endearing with the mix of fairy gentleness and Sherlock Holmes readiness. I'd never even dreamed these two worlds would meet, but now, I'm sure that it will work out wonderfully. Fairies can be up to so many things, and a mystery always adds intriguing spice. 

This read is for those readers, who are sure of their words but need more practice before heading into full-fledged middle grade novels. I'm hoping that means entertaining illustrations, wide spacing, and imaginative characters and clues. So, let's put on our sleuth caps and see what this fairy is up to.

SHAILA HOLMES FAIRY DETECTIVE

by Lori Keating

Illustrated by Kyria McKie

Literary Leaf Press

Children's Mystery

122 pages

ages 6 to 10

Hi there, Junior Detective!

I'm Detective Shaila Holmes, and I need your help.

My hummingbird sidekick, Itsy, and I have five mysteries to solve, and we can't do it alone.

There's a black widow spider whose red hourglass marking has mysteriously vanished, a missing pie at the Redwood Harvest Festival, and a few more puzzling cases to tackle.

Each mystery comes with tricky clues, curious critters, and just the right sprinkle of fairy dust!

Grab your magnifying glass and your sharpest fairy senses! These mysteries may be small, but they're full of big surprises!

Together, we'll follow the clues, crack the cases, and keep Englewood Forest safe.

Solve the mystery, spread the fairy dust!

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON     /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

In a lively forest, mysteries pop up and keep this adorable detective extremely busy.

Detective Shaila Holmes is a fairy and has just opened her own detective office with her hummingbird assistant, Itsy. She's placed a vibrant sign outside and hopes that someone will stop by and give her a good mystery to solve. It doesn't take long before she gets her very first case, a black widow spider whose red hourglass has disappeared. But this is only the first of five cases, each one very different from the last.

Those readers, who are very sure of their words and about to head on into the lower side of middle grade novels, will slide right into this read. The vocabulary builds word skills while the descriptions and plots are a little more complex (just slightly) than chapter books for practicing readers. I'd even recommend this for the hesitant lower end of the middle grade age group. I especially appreciate that the tale never seems overly simplified, but rather, opens up to a vibrant, animal community packed with personality. The characters are fun to meet and each one is different than the last.

There are five mysteries, each one its own separate tale....although they do mention characters from the other tales, at times. These mysteries take Shaila Holmes on very different adventures, and each time, it involves a new group of animals. From spiders to wolves, Shaila never knows who's going to knock at her door. Each ending also is a surprise to make it hard for readers to guess what is really going on. Sometimes, there is a villian. Other times, something else is at play. The clues are well laid, and Shaila keeps a notebook to mark each important thing she notices. There's also some humor to keep things light, but then, these mysteries are wholesome and very age appropriate. 

Each mystery holds a few chapters. These are only a few pages, making sure that none of the mysteries grow overly long. The illustrations bring Shaila Holmes and the other characters to life and add to the atmosphere. The entire set-up keeps each tale from growing too long, making this a lovely collection for even slightly reluctant readers.

As extra goodness, the author has worked in some animal facts. The species of each client Shaila helps is highlighted at the end of each tale with a few facts about that animal. This is sure to delight animal fans. The author also directs readers at the very end of the read to other books, where they can learn more about each of the animals. 

And here she is...

Lori Keating is an award-winning author known for her ability to create captivating stories for children of all ages and genres. When she isn’t busy writing or illustrating, she enjoys spending quality time with her amazing husband and daughter at the beach, boating, or cruising in their car with the music blasting and the sunroof open. Often, you’ll find her cozied up on the couch with a great book, fully absorbed in a world of adventure. For updates on Lori’s upcoming books, you can visit her website at www.lorikeating.com.

Our Favorite Day of the Week by Ashley Franklin

With school well underway, this seemed like a great read to add to the mix. At first, I wondered which day of the week these children would mark as their favorite. When I showed the book cover to my husband, he laughed and meant it surely wasn't a Monday. After a slightly closer look, though, I noticed that each one has something different in their hands...which might point to show-and-tell day? Do they still do that in school? Honestly, that was also one of my favorite days, and one of the most stressful, too. While it was fun to have the change-up and see the various things the others brought, that also meant I had to wrack my brains to figure out what I wanted to present. And what to say about it. So hard!

Anyway, the only way to find out which day is truly the favorite in these pages is to read them and find out. So, let's do that!

(After reading note: I was very wrong about the show-and-tell guess. So, do you have any idea what this one will be about...and yes, I have a tendency to not always read the blurbs before I read these. I'm a title and cover girl, through and through.)

 

OUR FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK

by Ashley Franklin

Illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell

Salaam Reads

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

COMING SEPTEMBER 29th!!!

Musa and his friends return to share their favorite days of the week and why each one is special to them in this sweet and heartwarming picture book sequel to Our Favorite Day of the Year.

Musa is excited to see his classmates at the start of the week, but when he sees Zohra looking sad and asks her why, he discovers Zohra is missing her favorite day of the week! She loves Tuesday, when her neighborhood sanitation workers come around. Musa’s other classmates have favorite days

Zadie’s favorite day is Thursday, when her grandma picks her up from school.
Mo’s favorite day is Friday, when he and his family have Shabbat dinner.
Moíses’s favorite day is Sunday, when he gets to play fútbol with his cousins.

In this charming story of friendship and celebrating differences, young readers can discover how entering discussions with an open mind and sharing parts of yourself bring friends together. And a note about the origins of the days of the week at the end of the book will delight children as they identify their favorite day!

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Every day can shine, and while everyone has a favorite day of the week, the reasons for it are often very different.

Musa is off to school in the morning and excited to meet Zora, who walks with him. Today, she isn't exactly happy, and he wonders what is wrong. She tells him about her favorite day of the week and how she'll miss her Tuesday-morning-wave to the garbage men because she and her parents are traveling for a few days. Musa tells her about his favorite day of the week, too. Then, they meet Zadie, and she continues the fun. As they meet more kids in their class on the way to school, they learn about everyone's favorite day and the reasons behind it.

These pages build in several layers of messaging, while taking a familiar scene of children on the way to school. First, is a fun way to walk through the days of the week. As Musa meets each classmate, they tell him about their favorite day, which happens to always be the next one in the row. Starting with Tuesday, each child names the next as their favorite. This is never overly obvious, but clever listeners will notice, and it offers adult readers a chance to emphasize it each time and build it into a little learning tool. Then, there's cultural goodness. There's a wide variety as each child has a chance to shine. Lastly, there's the entire theme surrounding the reason that each day is marked as the favorite and how meaningful moments with loved ones makes an impact on feelings and lives. Of course, all of these are woven in with fun and joy as each child is very excited to explain their favorite days. The positive vibes are inspiring.

The illustrations let each scene and event come across with energy and enjoyment. There are enough details to draw in and make every moment familiar, but even the full page illustrations never add so many so as to pull away from the main theme. The characters are presented with smiles to make it clear how much fun they are having. The text works as a read-aloud, and it is also great for those readers, who are sure of their words, to pick up on their own. It seems as if the author kept this second group in mind while writing it. 

There is some extra information at the end surrounding the days of the week, how other countries see them, and very brief information as to where each day's name originated. This last part is very brief and offers an opening to deepen the theme. I'd especially recommend this read for classrooms, groups, or homeschoolers. 

And here they are...

Ashley Franklin is the author of Not Quite Snow White; “Creative Fixes” from the anthology Once Upon an Eid; “Situationally Broke” from the anthology What We Didn’t Expect; Better Together, Cinderella; The Masjid Kamal Loves; and more. Ashley received her master’s degree in English literature from the University of Delaware. She is an adjunct college instructor and proud mom. Ashley currently resides in Arkansas with her family.

Rahele Jomepour Bell is an illustrator of several picture books, including Our Favorite Day of the Year by A. E. Ali on the Salaam Reads list. Rahele came to the United States from Iran in 2011 and pursued her dream of studying art at Iowa State University where she received her MFA in integrated visual arts. She believes all people share a common home in planet Earth, but may differ in their skin color, way of life, and their thinking. She loves these differences and believes this is what makes the world a beautiful place to live. Visit her at RaheleStudio.com.