I've mentioned this before, but one of the many things I love about children's literature is the author's ability to help young readers learn a lesson, at times without explicitly calling out that lesson. As a parent, kid lit can be a helpful tool to use when conversations are difficult or when your child needs to hear the message from someone other than a parent. Sometimes, as an added bonus, the book is part of a series, which can also help foster a love of reading when the child wants to read the next installment. The two delightful books I am going to share with you fall into both of those categories: part of a series and a chance to learn a lesson.
The first book, Stonks and the Ginormous Jorts!, is written by Professor Clark and illustrated by Visoeale. This book, released in September, is actually the fourth book in Stonks' series, but the book does fine standing on its own.
In this rhyming picture book, we meet Stonks the ape and his friend, Dodger, as they are landing their spaceship at a Battle of the Bands competition on Earth. As they arrive, they witness a shy rabbit who is being ridiculed and rejected from the competition because the wolves in charge do not believe he is capable of participating. Luckily for the rabbit, named Barry, Stonks and Dodger are there to help and they all form a band together. Although he seems sure of his own talent on the drums, throughout the tale we learn about Barry's lack of self-confidence whenever the competition suggests that the Ginormous Jorts aren't good enough. Thank goodness for friends who are there to support and build your confidence, because through the support of Stonks and Dodger, Stonks and the Ginormous Jorts are a victorious band at the end of the battle.
Besides the reminder to be confident in your abilities, I also enjoyed the illustrations in this book. The blue and purple hues are very enticing and do a great job of creating a concert atmosphere. Additionally, Clark includes some vocabulary words in his book, such as scoffed and strenuous, that lend themselves well to a chance to expose your child to some new vocabulary as you read this book with them. Clark is also a Springfield-area author who has a website about the books in this series (www.stonksbooks.com), which are also available through Amazon.com.
The second book I want to share is the first book in a series by Sarah Mlynowski, titled Best Wishes. Mlynowski is the author of many chapter books, including the Whatever After series, which is one that my daughter and I devoured together some years ago. So it did not take much convincing for me to crack open her new fantasy series.
In this book, our main character, Becca, is struggling in fifth grade. It isn't because of her grades, but because of drama with her best friend. As many of our children (and us) can probably relate, Becca's former best friend has new and different interests, and suggests to Becca that maybe they shouldn't be besties anymore. Becca is upset, but things take a turn when she receives and puts on a bracelet that grants her wish to have friends.
There's a reason for the saying, "Be careful what you wish for," because not only does every student in her school want to be Becca's friend, but also some of the adults want to be her friend now, too. Becca feels like her situation is out of control, but how can she figure out how to undo all the chaos?
I was already a fan of Mlynwoski, but this tale of friend drama took me back to my own childhood. It also includes social media drama, making it even more relatable for kids. The first three books in the Best Wishes series can be found wherever you purchase books.
