Published by HMH Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Sydney the skunk and Taylor the hedgehog live in a burrow under Miss Nancy’s potting shed.  Sydney’s pretty happy staying at home, warming his feet by the fire, but Taylor has an itch to explore.  So Sydney, a supportive friend, agrees to go on an adventure with Taylor.  After a few packing mishaps, the two set off, map in hand, to explore the world.  Danger awaits them everywhere, as they get lost, face down an angry dog, and almost get run over by a truck.  Taylor has an unfortunate tendency to roll himself, hedgehog-style, into a ball, and it’s up to Sydney to figure out a solution to their problems.  Miss Nancy proves herself an unexpected ally as well.  They finally make it safely back to the burrow, where Sydney proclaims it “the best expedition ever,” before adding, “Promise me we’ll never do it again.”  80 pages; grades 1-3.

Pros:  This cozy friendship story will undoubtedly charm those just beginning to read chapter books.  I loved the opening illustration of the two friends’ burrow, and the pictures throughout were pretty appealing.  I couldn’t help wondering if the animals’ names were an homage to All-of-a-Kind-Family author Sydney Taylor.

Cons:  As animal friendship stories for beginning readers go, this one didn’t feel terribly original.

I wish there were more books published that fit into this category: chapter books for the 7-to-9-year-old crowd that are substantial without being too heavy, that still have illustrations, and that are great to read aloud or independently. Here are five of my favorites that fit that description this year.

The Silver Arrow by Lev Grossman, illustrated by Tracy Nishimura Bishop

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

At 272 pages, this is pretty long for the “early chapter book” genre, but I’m including it on this list because it would make a great read-aloud for that audience. It’s also perfect for those precocious second- and third-grade readers who have out grown the true early chapter books but aren’t quite ready to tackle some of the topics in a lot of middle-grade fiction. And it has a lot of great illustrations!

Real Pigeons Fight Crime by Andrew McDonald, illustrated by Ben Wood

Published by Random House Books for Young Readers

We here at A Kids Book a Day take pride in our eclectic tastes and are not tied to some pretentious definition of “great literature”. So yes, Real Pigeons is on this “best of” list, okay? It’s funny, it straddles the graphic novel/chapter book divide, and there’s plenty of action. I would be proud to recommend this to any second grader who asks me.

A Collie Called Sky (Jasmine Green Rescues) by Helen Peters, illustrated by Ellie Snowdon

Published by Walker Books/Candlewick

I haven’t seen too much of this British import series, but I really liked it and would recommend it to any kid who loves animals. Jasmine seems poised to follow in her veterinarian mother’s footsteps, being smart and passionate about animals. It’s a bit long for an early chapter book (160 pages), but has plenty of illustrations to keep things moving along.

A Long Road on a Short Day by Gary D. Schmidt and Elizabeth Stickney, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin

Published by Clarion Books

Short enough (64 pages) for a second- or third-grader, yet with enough substance to keep a fifth grader engaged, this is a perfect introduction to historical fiction. I think Gary D. Schmidt and his late wife Elizabeth Stickney are the only authors to make it on to two of my favorites lists this year.

Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson, illustrated by Nina Mata

Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Another longish book (192 pages), but with a large font and enough illustrations to make it a perfect third-grade read. This book felt like a modern-day Beverly Cleary book and would be great to read aloud, as each chapter is its own small story. Be excited book that 2 coming out in the spring of 2021!