Official Kids Mag

Reading with your children is a great way to be together AND help your children to develop their reading skills. Even though you are never too old to share picture books, here are some new great chapter books for sharing aloud with your children. Chapter booKs for ages 4-11 Hamster Princess by ursula Vernon Hamster Princess is a twist on the fairytale, Sleeping Beauty. Harriet learns from her parents that at age 12, she will prick her finger on a hamster wheel and fall into a deep sleep. Instead of being afraid of what New Series to read in the New Year lies ahead of her in life, she can do whatever she wants until she is 12! Chapter booKs for ages 6-9 years old Owl Diaries by Rebecca Elliot This series is by an author who has been an illustrator for many children's books. This is a series for kids transitioning into chapter books. The graphic novel aspect of speech bubbles is presented on lined paper that looks like a diary. Funny, clever puns, and they cover topics relative to this age group: sleepovers, pets, ponies, and more. Chapter booKs for ages 7-12 Mac B, Kid Spy by Mac Barnett The reviews for this series were amazing! One reviewer set up the premise of the stories as "James Bond meeting the Diary of a Wimpy Kid." This series imagines the author, Mac Barnett, being a spy for the Queen of England when he was a kid. The author has written some of the funniest books for kids. If you love books by Dav Pilkey and Jon Schieszka, you will love this series! Boxcar Children: Creatures of Legend created by Gertrude Chandler Warner This is a continuation of the adventures of the Alden children in more current, updated settings. In the first book in this series, Creatures of Legend, the Alden children go to a Summer Camp in Colorado and learn about fossils from Dr. Iris Perez, a famous paleontologist. This adventure starts the kids looking for Big Foot and other legendary creatures. Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger This action-packed series is about a twelve-year-old girl who is telepathic. She finds a new friend, Fritz, who has the same amazing ability to transmit their thoughts to other telepaths and know what others are thinking. Sophie will have to leave the world she has always known and ends up in a brand-new world – where others are just like her. Puzzled Mystery Adventure by P.J. Nichols Peter, a junior high school student, really doesn't fit in with the cool kids. He does love puzzles and is very good at solving puzzles, riddles, and other problems. He and his friends must solve the puzzles and riddles to prevent an evil supernatural power from taking over the world. Wollstonecraft Detective Agency by Jordan Stratford This series combines mystery with history and science. The two main characters, Ada and Mary, are based on real historical women - Ada Lovelace and Mary Shelly. Ada and Mary use their wits to solve and catch criminals. This pair are the female counterparts of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Real historic figures play roles in these stories and as well as reinforcing STEM techniques to solve the crimes. City Spies by James Ponti Sara and four other diverse kids are brought together from different parts of the world and with different skill sets to become spies. This was one series that we just couldn't stop reading! We love the way the story develops and uses the strengths of each kid to help solve the mysteries. Chapter booKs for ages 12-14 The Alien Skill Series by Rae Knight (The Ben Archer Series) Science Fiction series which introduces Ben, a 12 year old, who witnessed a UFO falling out of the sky. The government tries to cover up the crash, but now Ben and the extraterrestrial who survived the crash must work together. 28 • JANuARY 2022 • www.OfficialKidsMag.com

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