2nd Grade Reading

Written by Kate Messner
Illustrated by Heather Ross

Fergus is a mouse. A well-behaved mouse that just happens to be the classroom pet for Miss Maxwell’s class. He follows all the rules, so why shouldn’t he go on the class field trip? Consequently, he sees no problem with stowing away in Emma’s backpack. He befriends a nice banana so he will follow the rule of having a buddy. But when the kids are required to leave their backpacks in the cloak room, Fergus has to find another buddy. And he does – Zeke, a museum mouse. Zeke, not quite believing in rules, shows him all the fun places humans cannot go. They have so much fun, Fergus almost misses the bus home. Of course, Zeke must come with him, much to the surprise of the entire classroom.

Fergus is so likeable that young readers will surely want to know what happens to him. They will probably want to see more from Fergus and Zeke also. Kids will learn a lot about friendship about the importance of rules. They might also learn about how field trips work and about what goes on at natural history museums. The sweet illustrations give a realistic view of this imaginative story.

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• Title: Fergus and Zeke
• Author: Kate Messner
• Illustrator: Heather Ross
• Published: Candlewick Press, 2017
• Reviewer: Sue Poduska
• Format: Hardcover, 56 pages
• Grade Level: K to 3
• Genre: Chapter book, Friendship
• ISBN: 978-0-7636-7846-3

Written by Catherine O’Neill

In three sweet stories, the reader is invited to get to know Annie and her big, big brother, Simon.

First up, Annie is hungry and Simon suggests making banana muffins. The recipe goes smoothly until Annie insists on counting the nuts and the cranberries. Simon’s interest waivers enough so that Annie slips in chocolate chips, which are not in the recipe. Naturally, the muffins are delicious.

Next, Simon finds himself babysitting with the neighbor’s baby. That goes well until the child’s favorite toy gets misplaced. Turns out, the family dog is burying all sorts of useful items.

Last, Annie and Simon are enjoying treasures from Annie’s past – a pacifier and a book about butterflies. Meanwhile, the dog needs to be distracted away from a porcupine.

Delightful watercolors adorn nearly every page and show how much Annie and Simon enjoy each other. Lovely details will be fun for kids to spot. The book is short enough for early readers to tackle on their own. It can also be enjoyed as a read aloud, especially at bedtime.

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• Title:  Annie and Simon: Banana Muffins and Other Stories
• Author:  Catherine O’Neill
• Publisher:  Candlewick Press, 2017
• Reviewer: Sue Poduska
• Format:  Hardcover, 64 pages
• ISBN:  978-0-7636-7498-4
• Genre: Early Reader Fiction
• Grade level: K to 3