Family Reads

Skippyjon Jones

Skippyjon Jones

by Judy Schachner
© 2003, 32 pages Level 2 (all about levels)Learn More on Amazon

 

Skippyjon Jones is to Judy Schachner and the American South what Peter Rabbit is to Beatrix Potter and the English Countryside....but with a little caped crusader action thrown in!

So begin the adventures of Skippyjon Jones, a Siamese cat who wants so much to be a chihuahua he has created his own alter-ego, El Skippito Friskito. This cape-donning, mask-wearing Spanish sword fighter rallies to the cries of his imaginary amigos who live the bedroom closet.

He travels to another world inside the closet with the other chihuahuas (with names like Poquito Tito and Don Diego) and, with a spanish accent and fun(ny) rhymes, battles the likes of dinosauritos, the Bobble-ito, or any nemesis  who threatens his dancing pretend BFFs.

The Skippyjon books have a great sense of cadence and rhyme that make you want to clap and maybe even do a little dance while you read. Dancing is encouraged!

"Oh, my name is Skippito Friskito. (clap-clap)
And I heard from a leetle birdito (clap-clap)
That the doggies have fled
From the gobbling head
Who goes by the name Bobble-ito! (clap clap)"

Higher level vocabulary (some in Spanish) and humor are peppered through the Skippyjon stories. For example, Skippyjon as Skippito tells Poquito Tito something is a "pain in the sciatica." Most women who have been pregnant know of this pain. My six-year-old, however, looked a bit puzzled! All the references are easy enough to explain and children will be more knowledgeable after.

Skippyjon Jones is the first in a series of books featuring this frisky feline. As a family we own the entire set and enjoy reading them again and again. It is also a special treat to find a copy with Ms. Schachner reading the story herself.

Ms. Schachner has created a delightful character that will appeal to children and parents alike...especially those parents with curious, highly imaginative toddlers and pre-schoolers.

» Our thanks to Robin Storch for sharing this terrific review! Visit Little Bits of Life for more.

The Cat Came Back

The Cat Came Back

by Fred Penner
© 2007, 32 pages Level 2 (all about levels)Learn More on Amazon

 

If you've ever had a cat, you know it's pretty difficult to discourage them from doing anything they want to do. In our house, disciplining our cat doesn't mean she'll stop the undesirable behavior. It just means she knows to run away even more quickly when we catch her. In The Cat Came Back, we meet a strong-willed feline who will not be deterred when he decides he's finally found the home he's been looking for.

For his new owner, the cat targets a farmer named Mr. Johnson. But Mr. Johnson does not want the cat and tries to find him an alternate abode.  After several attempts, Mr. Johnson gets more and more desperate and tries sending the cat off on a pirate ship, stashing him on Santa's sleigh, even launching him on a rocket to Mars.

"But the cat came back the very next day.
The cat came back—we thought he was a goner.
But the cat came back.
He just couldn't stay away."

Based on a folk song by the author (but with a slightly different ending), the text definitely has a lyrical feel to it. The illustrations do a great job of capturing the book's silly spirit. The Cat Came Back is a fun read-aloud, and is enjoyable for cat-lovers, who will surely understand the cat's determined behavior, as well as cat-detesters, who will be amused at the thought of a cat hurtling through outer space.

Flabby Tabby

Flabby Tabby

by Penny McKinlay
© 2005, 32 pages Level 2 (all about levels)Amazon Reviews

 

"The trouble started the day Tabby couldn't fit through the cat-flap. She thought about miaowing, but decided it was too much effort."

Oh, Tabby, it happens to the best of us. We get older, maybe a little lazy, and then the next thing we know, we aren't fitting into things the way we used to.

Tabby's family notices her growing problem and takes her to the vet, where they get a surprising prescription to help Tabby shed a few pounds: a kitten! Tabby is not pleased with her live-in weight loss solution who is not only emptying the food dish before Tabby can make it there, but is soaking up way too much of the attention that rightfully belongs to Tabby. Something must be done to stop this fit kit!

Never crossing the line of being mean-spirited, this book is a fun and funny read, particularly if you're like us and living with a flabby tabby of your own!

Dark River (Warriors: Power of Three, Book 2)

Dark River (Warriors: Power of Three, Book 2)

by Erin Hunter © 2007, 322 pages Level 5 (all about levels) Read Amazon Reviews

 

This book is one of the best books I've read in the past few weeks. It combines action, humor, mystery, and romance into one superb novel.

Dark River tells the story of three ThunderClan apprentices named Jaypaw, Lionpaw, and Hollypaw (all apprentices' names end with "paw"). Lionpaw has a forbidden love interest, Jaypaw is exploring his power to see into other cats' dreams, and Hollypaw knows a secret that could stop a war between the four clans. The apprentices grow stronger, but so do their problems.

I cannot say much about the plot of this wonderful book without betraying the feeling of excitement you get when you actually read it. However, I will mention that there is a near drowning at the end of the book.

Combining many different elements of a Best Read, I give this book the Best Read Banner for its commendable use of the English language and its stellar story.

Note: Something else that is incredibly impressive about this book is the fact that it does not use the word "said" once.

Just Grace

Just Grace   

by Charise Mericle Harper © 2007, 144 pages Level 3 (all about levels) Read Amazon Reviews

 

After I finished Just Grace, I held it in my hands for a while and smiled at it. It's one of those books.

Grace is a high-spirited, resourceful third-grader whose matter-of-fact observations are both true and funny.

"How Mom could forget something exciting like a postcard but remember boring things like how many bites of green beans I eat and if I remember to put the toilet lid down is something I hope I'm never going to understand. This is one of the reasons I am not so excited about turning into a grownup. The grown-up world is very filled up with boring rules about eating and cleaning."

Yet, like all children, Grace lives in a world dominated by grownups and has to accomplish her many goals while navigating through their rules. Which, when you're a superhero, can get pretty tricky.

You see, Grace has what she describes as a teeny tiny superpower. Her power is that she can always tell when someone is unhappy, no matter how much they try to hide it. (Her dad calls that empathy.) What makes it a superpower is that she feels she must do something to make the sad person feel better:

"A superhero has to help people in trouble. She can't just change into a regular I'm-not-going-to-do-anything-to-help-someone-else type of person even if she wanted to."

So when Grace discovers that her neighbor is going through a rough time, she has to find a way to cheer her up. The solution that develops involves a cat, some french toast, lots of glue, and a few stamps. And it's more perfect in its sweet simplicity than any idea an adult would come up with. Of course, that means it might cause a little trouble, which requires a pair of oven mitts, some pancakes and an unlikely alliance to solve.

With quirky illustrations, photos and comics throughout, Just Grace is a 100% delightful book that both girls and boys will enjoy.

Jenny and the Cat Club

Jenny and the Cat Club

by Esther Averill © 2003, 176 pages Level 3 (tell me about levels)

 

As I picked this book off Ben's bookshelf tonight so that I could write a bit about it, he remarked, "Oooh, that's a good one!" Though he's 12, the stories about this spirited cat still live happily in his memory. And deservedly so. These timeless tales, dating back to the 1940s, chronicle the adventures of a black cat who sports a red scarf and lives with her sea captain owner in Greenwich Village.

This particular edition contains five stories, starting with Jenny's welcome into the Cat Club. Even as an adult, I can relate to the emotions portrayed in her journey to belonging: hanging back shyly and secretly observing the other clever cats and their antics, retreating when she didn't feel like she fit in, rejecting their friendly advances because of her feelings of unworthiness, her search to find the way she is special, her graceful display of her own unique talents, and her confident acceptance of their invitation to join the Cat Club.

The other four stories find Jenny in all sorts of situations where she displays bravery, unselfishness, patience and much kindness. Sometimes she doesn't come by these traits naturally and we love her all the more for her, er, humanity.

Told in a straightforward style, these stories also have a delightfully wry sense of humor. My favorite example occurs on a page featuring pictures of all the cats in the club, except the spot for the great fighter, Sinbad, is left blank, filled with the explanation, "refused to have his picture taken."

Each story is about 30 pages long, in a nice, large beginning- reader font, with lots of drawings throughout. It's a great read-aloud for younger children who might want the older feel of a chapter book, but more compact storylines. If you fall in love with this first set of stories, several more are available, thanks to the lovely reprinting efforts of the New York Review Children's Collection.

Mr. Putter & Tabby Write the Book

Mr. Putter & Tabby Write the Book

by Cynthia Rylant © 2005, 44 pages Level 3 (tell me about levels)

Mr. Putter and Tabby set out to write a book and find many delicious distractions along the way.

Mr. Putter and his cat, Tabby, lead a cozy life together. The retiree and his aged feline live in a comfortable house filled with soft chairs, velvet pillows and fires in the fireplace. So when a big snow hits and they can't go outside, Mr. Putter gets an idea to write a mystery novel. After all, he has the right environment and everything else a writer needs: a good cat, a pen and plenty of paper.

The story that follows is sweet and funny and inspiring all at the same time. While Mr. Putter doesn't produce a great mystery masterpiece, he does create something very special—something that just might encourage the reader to do a little writing himself.

Mr. Putter & Tabby Write the Book is one in a series of early-reader books, including other titles like Mr. Putter & Tabby Take the Train and Mr. Putter & Tabby Catch the Cold. I like the fact that we see Mr. Putter as a person unto himself—not just the grandfatherly image that so many kids experience in the media and in their own lives. Written with warmth and humor, these stories were the kind that Ben would pick up to read over and over again. The books are divided up into three short sections so they give the beginning reader a sense of chapter-bookish accomplishment.

Take note: don't miss the illustrator's (Arthur Howard) nod to Charles Schulz on the page where Mr. Putter reads the comics.