Two new books for young readers and readers in the making:
"Skippyjon Jones Class Action"
Written and illustrated by Judy Schachner. Dutton, 30 pp., $17.99, ages 3 to 5
Skippyjon Jones is a hyperactive Siamese kitten with an oversized head and ears who thinks he's a Chihuahua. After starring in five books in a popular series, he decides it's time to go to school.
Mama Junebug Jones argues that "School is for the dogs! They're unruly and drooly." Which doesn't deter Skippyjon, aka Skippito Friskito, who's off to Barker Academy on a trilingual adventure. A few words in Spanish and French add to Judy Schachner's wacky wordplay that's made for reading aloud.
"The One and Only Stuey Lewis"
By Jane Schoenberg, illustrated by Cambria Evans. Farrar Straus Giroux, 115 pp., $15.99, ages 6 to 9
Teachers and librarians often encourage students to graduate from picture books to chapter books with few or no illustrations. Jane Schoenberg has crafted a lovely transition -- an easy-to-read chapter book with a few simple drawings.
Its four short stories are narrated by Stuey Lewis, a gentle second-grader who harbors a horrible secret in the first few days of school: He can't read yet, unlike his best friend, Will, a "reading monster," or Lilly, the class "know-it-all."
But thanks to a first-year teacher, wise beyond her years, that's about to change.
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