Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 

Summary:  Dolores “Lola” Levine is an athletic second grader who loves playing soccer, writing in her diary, and hanging out with her best friend, Josh, who is also the school principal’s son.  When she makes an aggressive play during a recess soccer game, a boy in her class gets hurt, and she is banned from playing soccer.  Worst of all, some of the girls in her class start calling her Mean Lola Levine.  After suffering a few days in silence, Lola confides in her family, and together they figure out a way for Lola to resolve her problems.  96 pages; grades 1-3.

Pros:  With a Jewish father and Peruvian mother, Lola is a multicultural successor to Judy Moody and Junie B. Jones.  She incorporates aspects of both cultures into her strong, feisty personality.

Cons: Not a particularly groundbreaking entry into the early chapter book genre.

Published by Arthur A. Levine Books 

Summary:  Sylvie and Miranda have been best friends just about their whole lives.  But now a new boy in the neighborhood, Georgie, is becoming friends with Miranda, and Sylvie is worried that she’s losing her friend.  She decides that Miranda’s upcoming birthday party is her chance to prove what a good friend she is by giving the most spectacular present she can find.  Her misguided attempts result in a stolen ferret, a twisted ankle, and an enormous cardboard castle covered with glitter glue.  Will Miranda appreciate Sylvie’s efforts, or is their friendship doomed to come to an end?  Grades 2-4.

Pros:  Sylvie is a likable character with worries and self-doubts that many kids will relate to.  Her clumsy but heartfelt efforts at friendship will engage beginning chapter book readers.  Look for the sequel, Mean Girl Meltdown.

Cons:  The stolen ferret storyline made me anxious.

Published by Beach Lane Books

 Summary:  There’s a drought in Gooseberry Park, and it’s up to Kona the dog, Murray the bat, and Gwendolyn the hermit crab to get water to the elderly and baby animals that live there.  Together, they hatch an ingenious Master Plan which requires the cooperation of Murray’s cousin Morton, Herman the crow, a possum, a cat, three young squirrels, and 200 owls.  Working with split-second precision, the team manages to secure and store enough water to keep the animals going until much-needed rain brings the park residents permanent relief.  Grades 1-4.

Pros:  This perennially favorite author-illustrator team have produced a worth sequel to Gooseberry Park.  The story is engaging, but the book is driven by the characters, such as spiritual Gwendolyn (she does Reiki) and motivational speaker Morton.  Readers will cheer for the success of the master plan and root for another book about this wonderful community.  This would be a perfect read-aloud for primary grades.

Cons:  Some of the characters’ quirks may be more appreciated by adult readers than children.

Published by Scholastic Press 

Summary:  Second-grader Suzannah and her friends are back for the second installment of the Shelter Pet Squad series.  This time, they are captivated by Merlin, a lively ferret who loves to hide, steal shiny objects, and play.  Wanting to make sure he finds a perfect home, the kids decide to make up a ferret quiz for any potential adopter.  As the youngest member of the group, Suzannah sometimes struggles to keep up with the other kids, so she decides to do her research from the biggest book she can find.  But she’s not quite ready to tackle such a weighty reading assignment, and her sketchy reading causes her to give Merlin a toy that almost proves disastrous.  Fortunately, she’s surrounded by friends who are glad to help, and a happy ending is in store for all, including Merlin.  Grades 2-4.

Pros:  Newbery honoree Cynthia Lord has created an early chapter book series that has a bit more depth and character development than many books of this level.  Kids will love reading about animals and the children who get to help them.

Cons:  Readers may be disappointed to learn that seven-year-olds working with animals in a shelter is, in general, purely fictional.

Published by Scholastic

Summary: Olive and Beatrix are twins, but not quite identical. Beatrix was born at exactly midnight when there was a full moon, so naturally, she’s a witch. Olive, the narrator of this story, was born a few minutes later, so is just an ordinary girl. One day Olive and her friend Eddie, a budding scientist, decide to play a trick on Beatrix involving a large number of spiders. Unfortunately, the spiders get into Beatrix’s growing potion, then head outside. The three kids have to round up the oversized spiders and use Beatrix’s magic to get them back to the normal size before they’re discovered by their parents. Ages 5-8.

Pros: Another entry from Scholastic’s Branches books. The sisters have a close bond, with the witchy magic twist adding a bit of extra interest. Much of the dialog is in the form of cartoon bubbles which, combined with plentiful illustrations, make this a manageable first chapter book.

Cons: Magically enhanced spiders.

Published by Candlewick Press

Summary: Francine Poulet is a third-generation animal control officer who has yet to back down from any animal that needs controlling. Until one night when she’s called in to catch a ghostly raccoon on a roof and gets the first fright of her life. After a fall off the roof results in a lengthy hospital stay, Francine decides she’s not cut out to be an animal control officer after all, and gets a job at a bait and tackle shop. Fortunately, a young boy named Frank comes into the store one day and encourages Francine to try again with the raccoon, which has now taken up residence on a roof on Deckawoo Drive. Francine musters her wits, climbs up the house, and overcomes her fear to stare down the raccoon and eventually snare it in her animal control net. She is back and better than ever. Grades 1-3.

Pros: Fans of Kate DiCamillo’s Mercy Watson series will recognize several characters in this new Deckawoo Drive series (this book is the second installment). The crazy situations, goofy characters, and slapstick illustrations combine to make this lots of fun for beginning chapter book readers.

Cons: Some of the sophisticated vocabulary and humor may be a bit over the average eight-year-old’s head.

Published by Scholastic

Summary: Sisters Tori and Miranda have frequently visited their grandmother’s pony ranch, but this year they’re staying for the whole summer. Nine-year-old Tori loves being outside with the ponies, while her eight-year-old sister prefers playing with the new puppies inside. Tori’s favorite pony is Jewel, but Gran says he’s too wild for her to ride. Meanwhile, Miranda has some difficulties with a puppy named Trouble who would rather visit the ponies in the barn than stay with her brothers and sisters. When Trouble goes missing, the girls work hard to show Gran they’re ready for some new responsibilities. Ages 6-8.

Pros: One of Scholastic’s Branches series for beginning chapter book readers, Silver Pony Ranch is the first to not have at least a touch of fantasy to it. Animal lovers will enjoy reading about Tori and Miranda’s adventures on the ranch, to be continued in Sweet Buttercup, due out in January.

Cons: The illustrations don’t always match the text. For instance, Gran’s dog is described as “her collie, Lady”, but the pictures look more like a sheep dog. And Jewel, “the color of hot chocolate” looks quite light-colored.