Chapter Books

Alvin Ho

/ Sara Gentry / Leave a comment

He’s afraid of elevators, tunnels, bridges, airplanes, thunder, substitute teachers, kimchi, wasabi, the dark, heights, scary movies, scary dreams, shots, and school. And of course, girls, because the scary thing about girls is that they are not boys. He won’t go to school without his PDK – personal disaster kit – complete with emergency plans of how to survive show-and-tell.

Meet Alvin Ho. He is the middle child in an Asian-American family living in Concord, Massachusetts. In Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things (written by Lenore Look, illustrated by LeUyen Pham), Alvin is navigating the second grade (using the advice of his older brother Calvin), all while learning how to be a gentleman, like his dad.

The Alvin Ho series is full of warmth and is downright hilarious. If you are looking for a fun read the entire family can enjoy, consider these books. They are also appropriate choices for those reading at a third to fourth grade reading level. There are six of them in the series. And don’t forget to check out Alvin Ho’s Woeful Glossary at the end of the book.

Frog and Toad – Mouse and Mole

/ Sara Gentry / Leave a comment

The Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel has been a go-to favorite collection for many years. Frog’s easygoing manner and upbeat outlook perfectly counter Toad’s sometimes surly, but always loyal nature. Perfect for early readers, these books have simple sentence structure and vocabulary, yet still manage to entertain both young and old.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the same warmth in the Mouse and Mole series by Wong Herbert Yee. This series has received acclaim from readers and critics alike, with Mouse and Mole: Fine Feathered Friends even receiving the Theodor Suess Geisel Honor as a distinguished book for beginning readers. Mouse and Mole share a tree – Mouse lives upstairs, Mole lives in the ground below. The premise sets up the characters’ different personalities, but each one strives to be a good friend to the other.

The Mouse and Mole series is charming and delightful. The reading level may be slightly more advanced than Frog and Toad, with a slightly more difficult vocabulary. The Mouse and Mole books also have more of a cohesive plot throughout the entire book, whereas the Frog and Toad books are more of a collection of short stories. Both series emphasize the value of friendship, and their light humor and heart will make them favorites for young readers.