Transitional Reads

 


    

Safari Pug By Laura James 

    My first memory of books like these is Junie B. Jones books. They were extremely popular when I was a child, and my siblings and I would try to get as many books as we could for Junie B. Jones. Jones series as we can. Reading these books reminded me of being in elementary school and waiting to read the next book in the series. 

    The most interesting aspect of these books is that they belong to a distinct category of their own. They are not entirely picture books, but they are not strictly chapter books either. They feel like they are for older children, but I would not recommend them for a twelve or thirteen-year-old. These books are a unique genre, and their sole purpose is to serve as a bridge between picture books and chapter books. 

    The books I chose were mostly for nostalgia reasons. Despite the books being recent releases, I wanted to be reminded of my childhood. I decided to pick The Princess In Black by Shannon and Dean Hale. I also picked up Safari Pug: The Dog Who Walked On the Wild Side by Laura James. The Princess In Black is about a young princess named Magonila who is the perfect princess. She is prim, proper, and does not wear black. She does, however, have a secret. Magonila secretly fights monsters in all black attire. Funnily enough, Hale was inspired by her daughter, who said that "princesses don't wear black". The other book, Safari Pug, is about a pug who goes to the zoo with his friend, Lady Miranda, and meets the tiger. Both books were quick and easy reads, split into a couple of chapters. Both of the books were longer than the picture books we originally read, and both books are part of a longer series. 

The Princess In Black by Shannon Hale

    Although they are easy to read and have simple plots, they are essential for children to develop their reading skills. They serve as a bridge between picture books and chapter books, and their simple plots and story structures make it easy for children to follow. Many popular children's books, such as the Junie B. Jones series helps children transition from picture books to chapter books. Without them, they would have a harder time reading longer pages of text. 

After reading these books, I felt a sense of nostalgia. I remember feeling so proud of myself, reading books like these for the first time. I felt like I was getting ready for the future, which is why these books have a special place in my heart even now. 


Works Cited

Hale, S., Hale, D., & Pham, L. (2014). The Princess In Black. Candlewick Press.

James, L. (2017). Pug Safari: The Dog Who Walked On The Wild Side. Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Comments

  1. Jen CJune 16, 2025 at 11:57 AM

    This post does a great job of placing the books in the context of youth lit. The intention of the blog, though, is to dig a bit deeper into each title for reviewing practice. Also, remember to avoid "I" statements to move the focus from the book to you.

    ReplyDelete

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