(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Confident readers who love facts will appreciate the wide ranging (sometimes random) information about rocks and minerals in this leveled reader, which is organized in short, accessible chapters. There is a breathless excitement to much of the writing: "Humans even have to eat a mineral--salt--to survive!" The enthusiastic text is well supported by lots of captioned stock photos in a lively design that lends itself to browsing. In addition to two double-page spreads featuring "25 Facts About Rocks and Gems," all one hundred facts are reviewed in one very long list at book's end. An index is also included.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. This book introduces newly independent readers to Abrams and her many accomplishments, with attention to the many "firsts" she's achieved as a Black woman. Mwai uses short, direct sentences to give a cursory overview of complicated topics, including civil rights and election fairness, with both personal and historical perspectives to add context. Vocabulary words are defined in text boxes and again at book's end. Fact lists, a timeline, and a quiz are included. Each page features captioned photographs that support and help break up the text.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) K-3 Rodale Kids Curious Readers: Dealing with Feelings series. Illustrated by Hilli Kushnir. In Jealous, the narrator envies the attention-getting new girl. Scared finds a (different) narrator worried about swim lessons. Both books feature adults who help the children recognize emotions ("What am I feeling? I am feeling scared") and react appropriately ("We practice breathing deeply"). The easy-reader stories, with their "Dealing with Feelings" message and somewhat static digitally-colored pencil illustrations, are reassuring if a little bland. Review covers these Rodale Kids Curious Readers: Dealing with Feelings titles: This Makes Me Jealous and This Makes Me Scared.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Rodale Kids Curious Readers: Dealing with Feelings series. Illustrated by Kushnir Hilli. In Jealous, the narrator envies the attention-getting new girl. Scared finds a (different) narrator worried about swim lessons. Both books feature adults who help the children recognize emotions ("What am I feeling? I am feeling scared") and react appropriately ("We practice breathing deeply"). The easy-reader stories, with their "Dealing with Feelings" message and somewhat static digitally-colored pencil illustrations, are reassuring if a little bland. Review covers these Rodale Kids Curious Readers: Dealing with Feelings titles: This Makes Me Jealous and This Makes Me Scared.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Penguin Young Readers series. Illustrated by Sam Ricks. In his fourth early-reader adventure, sports-loving Mo Jackson (Don't Throw It to Mo! and others) takes to the soccer pitch. He needs practice, and Mom and Dad are happy to help. During the big game--Billy Goats versus Pups--Mo has some ups and downs, but he (sort of inadvertently) scores the winning goal. Mo's underdog status and his try-try-again attitude, reflected throughout Ricks's unfussy illustrations, continue to have appeal.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) K-3 Penguin Young Readers series. Illustrated by Sam Ricks. In his third easy reader (Don't Throw It to Mo!; Get a Hit, Mo!), Mo has a new sports obsession: basketball. Diminutive Mo struggles to connect (literally) with his teammates when passing the ball; with extra practice and encouragement, he shines when his team needs him the most. Intentionally repetitive sentences, engaging illustrations, and a large typeface make the humorous story comprehensible for new readers.

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(3) K-3 Green Light Readers series. This latest entertaining early reader about dog Buster and his pal Phoebe consists of two short stories originally published separately in different Buster books. The first has the two canines digging for bones and sharing the bounty, and the second has the pair thwarting a raccoon and getting sprayed by skunks. The full-color ink and watercolor illustrations are expressive and engaging for beginning readers.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) K-3 Penguin Young Readers series. In Border's easy-reader spinoff of his food-themed picture books (Peanut Butter & Cupcake!), new-to-town Peanut Butter is anxious about the upcoming first day of school. At his mother's suggestion, he practices his walk to school, soliciting advice from friends Cupcake, Egg, and Soup along the way. The story feels perfunctory, but Border's trademark color photos of wire-limbed foodstuff are as beguiling as ever.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Rodale Kids Curious Readers: Positive Power series. Illustrated by Eren Unten. In Brave, a girl conquers her (small) fears on a family beach vacation. In Strong, a boy takes the lead during his school's field day events. Both easy-reader stories, with their "Positive Power" messages and somewhat static digitally-colored pencil illustrations, are reassuring if a little bland. Review covers these Rodale Kids Curious Readers: Positive Power titles: I Am Brave and I Am Strong.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Rodale Kids Curious Readers: Positive Power series. Illustrated by Eren Unten. In Brave, a girl conquers her (small) fears on a family beach vacation. In Strong, a boy takes the lead during his school's field day events. Both easy-reader stories, with their "Positive Power" messages and somewhat static digitally-colored pencil illustrations, are reassuring if a little bland. Review covers these Rodale Kids Curious Readers: Positive Power titles: I Am Brave and I Am Strong.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Rodale Kids Curious Readers: Dealing with Feelings series. Illustrated by Hilli Kushnir. A girl is thrilled to ride a roller coaster, visit the petting zoo, etc., on her field trip to the fair. Everything is happy-making until the charity bake sale, where her peanut allergy prevents her from partaking. No matter: she can still enjoy the satisfaction of giving. The easy-reader story, with its "Dealing with Feelings" message and somewhat static digitally-colored pencil illustrations, is reassuring if a little bland.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Penguin Young Readers series. An overview of the Amazon rainforest is organized into chapters and short paragraphs. With clear and immersive language, a leveled text geared toward "fluent readers" smoothly introduces vocabulary as it touches on climate, geography, and the diversity of animals in each forest layer; a final chapter focuses on conservation. Quality photos appear throughout. Young readers will come away well informed. Glos.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Penguin Young Readers series. Two squirrel brothers stuff their mouths with nuts in We Need More, then implore the reader to take them away by Please, No More--they "cannot stand their guts." The cartoony characters relate the humorous narratives solely in speech balloons on cleanly designed spreads. The rhyming texts are nicely repetitive and have an energetic (if silly-frantic) beat. Review covers these Penguin Young Readers titles: Please, No More Nuts! and We Need More Nuts!

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(3) K-3 Green Light Readers/Colección luz verde series. Translated by Carlos E. Calvo. These easy-reader Spanish translations of two classic Big Dog and Little Dog books (originally published as board books) perfectly match Pilkey's characteristically droll, understated tone. The bilingual text is accompanied by hilarious illustrations that make the stories accessible to readers in any language. These books are excellent choices for librarians looking for bilingual easy readers. Related activities are appended. Review covers these Green Light Readers books: Perrazo y Perrito se equivocan / Big Dog and Little Dog Making a Mistake and Perrazo y Perrito se meten en problemas / Big Dog and Little Dog Getting in Trouble.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. This volume includes four previously published entries: Jump, Pup!; Play, Kitty!; Peek, Otter!; and Go, Cub! The very brief texts geared to pre-readers hold the slightest amount of information, but the emphasis is on animal action, and the sharp, bright, glossy photos invite budding wildlife watchers to take a closer look. Each book includes a "vocabulary tree" and an appended activity.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Green Light Readers series. Previously published as picture books, these easy readers, with pithy rhyming texts and comical art, are great for new readers. When Farmer Chuck's truck breaks down (Truck), the farm animals call handyman Hugh and "together they make the truck like new." In Band, one by one, the animals join Chuck with his new banjo; soon there are ten cheerfully raucous players. Review covers these Green Light Readers titles: Chuck's Band and Chuck's Truck.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2006

(3) K-3 Green Light Readers series. Previously published as picture books, these easy readers, with pithy rhyming texts and comical art, are great for new readers. When Farmer Chuck's truck breaks down (Truck), the farm animals call handyman Hugh and "together they make the truck like new." In Band, one by one, the animals join Chuck with his new banjo; soon there are ten cheerfully raucous players. Review covers these Green Light Readers titles: Chuck's Band and Chuck's Truck.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2008

(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. This easy reader offers newly independent readers a broad overview of some wild cats' attributes and adaptations. Bright, relevant captioned photos; brief "Fur Word" definitions; "Cool Facts About Wild Cats"; and jokes ("What side of a cat has the most fur? The outside") enhance the presentation. Glos.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Leveled for "reading independently," the text offers very basic information about a variety of space and astronomy topics (sun, moon, stars, planets, etc.). Clearly delineated headings introduce each subtopic (e.g., "Earth's Sidekick" is about the moon). Simple sentence structures--along with corny jokes ("How do you get a baby astronaut to sleep? You rocket!"), well-captioned photos, and sidebars--increase accessibility. Glos.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Green Light Readers series. The stories about Dunrea's iconic goslings are now in early-reader format. Large type and plenty of white space, along with lots of room for the beguiling illustrations, will make these books a hit with young fans who are now ready to tackle reading themselves. A downloadable "read-along audio" file is available. Review covers the following Green Light Readers titles: Gemma & Gus and Gus.

Reviewer: Kari Allen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2015