Series Spotlight - Shanna's First Readers by Jean Marzollo

I've mentioned before that I'm always on the hunt for series that have diverse characters. A similar hunt is for diverse reads for beginners - it seems like there are plenty of picture books, and novels for middle grade and teen readers, but where the multicultural children's literature field falls short is in board books (more on that another time) and books for beginners. Beginning readers are tough because they already have to accomplish so much: be readable for those just starting to decode the written word, but at the same time be colorful and inviting, have plots that are easily understood, and be interesting enough to compel those beginners to pull them off the shelf. Tall order indeed!

But there are choices out there, if you're willing to look. Libraries are one of the best places, as are used bookstores, for the simple fact that some of these series start out strong and then don't get the backing from their publishing houses that one might hope. (Lots of thoughts on that, again, for another time.) Today's pick is a series that I unearthed by rooting around in the library catalog. It's one I hope will stick around for a while on our library shelves because Sprout loves them now, and I know he'll be thrilled to read them on his own one day.

The series in question is Jean Marzollo's Shanna's First Readers. We've read three of the titles: Shanna's Hip, Hop, Hooray!; Shanna's Bear Hunt; and Shanna's Party Surprise. Each of the books is fairly shimmering with energy and excitement, from the cover right on through, which makes them a perfect selection for catching and keeping a beginner's attention. They're also fairly simple, so perfect for low level readers, and make use of speech bubbles and other comic-inspired devices. There's so much going on here, but each spread is carefully constructed to move beginners sequentially through the story.

And the plots, while easy to follow, are fun too. In Shanna's Hip, Hop, Hooray!, Shanna and her brother Shane are putting on a show with their animal friends. Everybody's dancing and moving to the beat, which readers can't fail to catch on to - it's infectious, to say the least! Illustrators Maryn Roos and Shane Evans keep the backgrounds uncluttered so the focus is on the characters and the action, just as it should be. At the end of each story, Marzollo gives kids a fun word game to help reinforce the skills learned in the book. For Shanna's Bear Hunt, for example, the game is matching up rhyming words, underscoring the rhyme scheme occurring in the text -- just what a beginner needs to succeed.

Sadly this series is out of print (come on, Jump at the Sun, bring it back, will you?) but you can find used copies if you hunt around. Our library copies have seen better days, but I'm hoping they can hold on a bit. Fun, engaging titles just right for a beginner, featuring an adorable girl and her equally cute little brother? What's not to love?!

Shanna's First Readers:

Shanna's Animal Riddles
Shanna's Bear Hunt
Shanna's Hip, Hop, Hooray!
Shanna's Lost Shoe
Shanna's Party Surprise
Shanna's Pizza Parlor

also look for the Shanna's Show titles:

Shanna's Princess Show
Shanna's Doctor Show
Shanna's Teacher Show
Shanna's Ballerina Show

Series Spotlight: Messy Bessey by Patricia and Fredrick McKissack

A while ago a reader contacted me asking about series featuring children of color. Ever since then I've been on high alert for series that fit the bill - those that have a recurring character or characters but for which diversity isn't the driving force of the story. Rather, I'm looking for books where diversity is a side element, less the focus of the narrative than a characteristic. I've already written about a few, and featured a couple on a Pinterest board, and I've got several others in the wings (one of these days I'll have time to write all those blog posts I want to, right?).

One series that cropped up early on in my research was the Messy Bessey series by Patricia and Fredrick McKissack. Patricia McKissack is a familiar name in kidlit circles, and for good reason - she's written some outstanding picture books and novels, both with her husband and on her own, and has received both a Newbery Honor and two Coretta Scott King Awards. But her Messy Bessey series is a bit of a departure from her historicals and nonfiction titles, and it is for beginners so it may have flown under the radar of most of her readers.

And that's a shame, really, because this is a terrific series to share with kids just learning to read. Don't look for complex plots or intense character development; like most early readers, these titles drop readers right into the action and feature swift, satisfying resolutions. The series is filled with colorful and lively illustrations by Dana Regan, a point that's sure to draw kids in from the covers alone. Add to that the trope of a recurring character who finds herself always on the clean-up end of a big mess (usually her doing) and you have the makings for a charming little series for beginners.

I brought home three of the Messy Bessey titles to share with Sprout and he's insisted every time that we read all three together. Quite frankly I think he identifies most with the first title, Messy Bessey. In that outing, our heroine must clean up her room, which is a frightful disaster -- gum on the ceiling, for goodness sakes! (Sprout thinks that's hilarious). And being a typical kid, Bessey does just what she needs to do - clean up the surface and shove most of the debris into her closet. I love that - no goodie two-shoes ending here, which would be a total drag for kids anyway, as who loves a book where the main character does just what they are told?

The other two titles we read are Messy Bessey's Family Reunion, in which Bessey's extended family gets together for some fun at the park and then must clean up afterwards, and Messy Bessey's Holidays, which sees our girl baking cookies for three winter holidays. I especially love the last one, because it shows a rare nod to Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Christmas all together. In that outing, we learn that different people celebrate differently, but everyone enjoys a colorful sugar cookie!

We've had great fun reading these three books together, and I know that we'll revisit the series when Sprout's ready for some easy readers of his own. Simple and readable, with relatable characters and situations, the Messy Bessey books fit the bill for parents and teachers looking to move beyond licensed characters and familiar faces for the beginner reader set. Though these are older titles, it's still worth checking out your library or used bookstore to find them - you never know what Bessey's up to, but you can be sure a mess isn't far behind!

Titles in the Messy Bessey Series (note: I couldn't find a complete series listing):
Messy Bessey
Messy Bessey's Holidays
Messy Bessey's Family Reunion
Messy Bessey's Closet
Messy Bessey's Garden
Messy Bessey and the Birthday Overnight
Messy Bessey's School Desk

Bonus: an interview with Patricia and Fredrick McKissack from Reading Rockets

Series Spotlight - Ruby and the Booker Boys

This is the second in my series of posts focusing on series that feature people of color as main and supporting characters (check out the first post here). The purpose of these spotlights is to offer alternatives to other titles where diversity is lacking - not that I don't enjoy many of those popular series books, but in recognition of how important it is that all kids see themselves represented in the literature around them.

This time around, we're looking at Derrick Barnes's series Ruby and the Booker Boys. This is a fantastic early chapter book series for young readers, packed with humor, emotion, and lots and lots of fun. Fans of Clementine or Judy Moody will be equally smitten by the self-proclaimed ultra-fabulous Ruby Booker, a narrator who sparkles between every line. Ruby may have three awesome older brothers, but she refuses to stand in their shadows. No sir, Ruby Booker is a star, and she's not afraid to show it.

 

In the first book of the series, Brand-new School, Brave New Ruby, our heroine is starting third grade in a new school, Hope Road Academy. Now Ruby's not one to be intimidated by just anything, but the thing is that at Hope Road, her older brothers are already legendary. This could work to her advantage, if their star power shines bright enough. But it could also mean that their little sis is outshined, and Ruby cannot let that happen. Instead, she's determined to make her mark at Hope Road in her own unique way.

The second title sees Ruby having found her footing at Hope Road, but she's still got to establish herself as her very own Booker, not just the little sis. In Trivia Queen, 3rd Grade Supreme, the students have a chance to win a great prize in the school-wide trivia contest. And Ruby knows her stuff, because she's a trivia manaic. So what's the problem? Technically the contest is only open for the upper grades, which means that Ruby's brothers are eligible but she isn't. Can she convince the principal to allow her to compete? And if Ruby does get in, will she be able to beat the older contestants?

There's a lot to love about the Ruby Booker titles. Though Ruby competes with her older brothers, they all love each other very much, and that affection shows through in each story. Her parents are supportive and want the best for all their kids, though some good-natured teasing is definitely in order. But best of all is the character of Ruby herself. She's confident and self-assured, sassy and full of fun. She loves music, her pet iguana Lady Love and her orange-and-purple sneaker set. Ruby's the kind of kid boys and girls can relate to, and readers will want to hear more about this bouncy, vibrant kiddo and her fun-loving brothers. And those adorable illustrations by Vanessa Brantley Newton are the icing on the cake!

The Ruby and the Booker Boys Series:
Book 1: Brand-new School, Brave New Ruby
Book 2: Trivia Queen, 3rd Grade Supreme
Book 3: The Slumber Party Payback
Book 4: Ruby Flips for Attention
Book 5: Tad P. Loves Ruby B. (no release date set at this time)

Age range: Elementary/Middle grade

Bonus: interview with author Derrick Barnes from the blog Color Online

Series Spotlight: Clubhouse Mysteries by Sharon M. Draper

Recently a reader asked about series for her middle-grade son, in particular those that feature characters of color. She wants books where the protagonists and supporting cast have diversity, but that don't explicitly deal with race as a feature of the storyline. Her son wants books about kids that "look like me", a desire I think all of us can relate to. How many times can you read books about characters you have nothing in common with, before you just give up on reading altogether?

To that end, I began researching series that might fit the bill. I was pleased to uncover quite a few, from beginner readers up to those for older kids. Best of all, many of them are just fun to read, with the kind of easy plots and satisfying resolutions that we look for when we read series books. For reluctant readers, the prospect of tackling a new book might seem easier when they've already gone through the process of getting to know the characters. Being able to relax into the storyline and watch familiar friends navigate the events they encounter is the very best part of series fiction. (When life is especially stressful for me, I often turn to mystery series -- the formulaic nature of the books can be a welcome relief from chaos!)

One of the best series I've found so far is Sharon M. Draper's Clubhouse Mysteries. The books feature the exploits of buddies Rashawn, Jerome, Ziggy and Rico. The boys are neighbors and have formed a club called the Black Dinosaurs, named after Rashawn's toy apatosaurus. The mission behind the Black Dinosaurs is to be a group where the boys can have secrets, make plans, and above all, hide their treasures. The four boys built themselves a clubhouse in Ziggy's backyard (his parents are the most laidback about things like this) and have regular meetings with a rotating secret code word - which works out great, except that Ziggy can never quite remember the current code.

The first entry in the series, The Buried Bones Mystery, is the set-up, explaining a bit of each boy's back story and telling about the formation of the club. Right away, the boys find that their clubhouse is much more than a place for hanging out - it may just be built on a burial site! When they uncover a box of bones while digging a hole to hide their treasures, the boys find themselves deep in the midst of a mystery that only four intrepid heroes like themselves would dare to tackle. Is there a connection between the destruction of the neighborhood basketball court and the strange bones the boys found? And why does old Mr. Greene keep singing that creepy song, "Them bones gonna rise again"? Leave it to the Black Dinosaurs to get to the bottom of things.

Draper's background as an educator is readily apparent here - she knows what kids like to read, and she gives it to them, with just enough thrills to keep even the most uninterested reader turning pages. There's lots of humor and plenty of quirky behaviors (no one takes him/herself too seriously). Her characters are compelling too, each boy solidly filled-out with a unique persona and perspective. Rico, for instance, craves Ziggy's wild and rambunctious household which stands out in stark contrast to his own carefully structured home he shares with his cautious mother. Rashawn has a police officer dad and a somewhat crazy dog named Afrika. And Jerome loves basketball, but most often he gets stuck watching his two younger sisters in order to help out his grandmother, who cares for all of them. Together these four make a fantastic team, as each one has strengths that complement the others' weaknesses. Boys especially will love the Black Dinosaurs and wish there was a troupe like these in their own neighborhood.

Other entries in the Clubhouse Mysteries series:
Book 2: Lost in the Tunnel of Time
Book 3: Shadows of Caesar's Creek
Book 4: The Space Camp Adventure
Book 5: The Backyard Animal Show
Book 6: Stars and Sparks on Stage

Age range: Elementary/Middle Grade

Bonus: interview with Sharon M. Draper from the blog Fireside Musings