Review: Ballet Stars by Joan Holub

Ballet Stars
by Joan Holub
illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
Random House | 2012
Step Into Reading | Step 1: Ready to Read

"Ballet show today - hooray!"  Follow along as a group of young dancers prepares for and executes a performance.  Their excitement is contagious, and for a short book, Ballet Stars covers a surprising scope of information.  From tutus and turns to the audience and applause, there is much here for young ballet enthusiasts to explore and discuss.

True to the publishers description, this Step Into Reading Step 1: Ready to Read book has big type, rhyme and rhythm, and plenty of picture clues to aid beginning readers.  A few of the words might be difficult to sound out (ballet, hooray), but overall new readers, especially those with an interest in dance, will find this a motivating read.


This book has been nominated for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Ballet Stars was borrowed from my local public library.

Early Readers: Pets Edition

Dixie Wins the Race
story by Grace Gilman
pictures by Jacqueline Rogers
HarperCollinsPublishers | 2012
I Can Read! 1: Beginning Reading

Emma and her dog, Dixie love to run together, but when Emma participates in a relay race, Dixie is given a difficult task. Sit. Stay. Cheer.
Dixie demonstrates great self control. She sits, she stays, but when she cheers, the race takes a turn for the worse.  Dixie comes to the rescue and... you guessed it... she wins the race!

Simple sentences, a bit of repetition, and a faithful canine hero make this a great book for new readers.  


Mittens at School
by Lola M. Schaefer
pictures by Susan Kathleen Hartung
HarperCollinsPublishers | 2012
I Can Read! My First Shared Reading 

When she is taken to school for show-and-tell, Mittens is also asked to sit and wait, but she is not so patient.  When the students leave the room for gym class, Mittens lets herself out of her cage (talented cat!) and explores the classroom.  Of course, she makes a bit of a mess and is caught, but quickly forgiven.

A sweet read, with just a sentence or two per page, this book is ideal for a beginning reader.


These books have been nominated for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Both books were borrowed from my local public library.

Review: The Barnabas Series by Royden Lepp

Barnabas Goes Swimming and Barnabas Helps a Friend
story and pictures by Royden Lepp
Zonderkidz | 2008
Barnabas is a bear: cute enough to cuddle and always thinking of his friends.  In Barnabas Goes Swimming, Barnabas and Russell Raccoon try unsuccessfully to recruit friends for an afternoon of swimming.  Upon arriving at the swimming hole, they find Gary Gator alone and sad because, “it’s not safe to swim alone.”  They gladly accompany him into the water and are pleasantly surprised when their other friends decide to join them as well.
Barnabas Helps a Friend follows a similar pattern as Barnabas and Russell ask their friends to help repair Mr. Beaver’s home after a storm.  The friends are too busy, but Barnabas and Russell are determined to help Mr. Beaver anyway.  When they arrive at Mr. Beaver’s home, they discover that their busy friends are already hard at work.
These books about Barnabas are part of the Zonderkidz I Can Read! series and are classified as My First: Shared Reading books with “basic language, word repetition, and whimsical illustrations, ideal for sharing with your emergent reader.”  They follow a traditional early reader format with an illustration on each page and a block of text below.  The text is large and well-spaced – great for beginning readers and those just discovering how a book works.
Families who enjoy faith-based reading or books that convey values will appreciate the gentle life lessons presented in the Barnabas books as well as the scripture verse included on the copyright page.
Also in The Barnabas Series by Royden Lepp: