Campfire Stories

Gr 1–3—Martha the talking dog is back. Both books contain easy-to-read chapters that work as stand-alone tales. In Stories, the gang camps out in the backyard and decides to tell science-fiction stories. The characters relay quirky and entertaining plots that range from invading aliens to a nod to Poe with "The Telltale Artichoke Heart." In the first story in Dog, Helen's cousin turns into a collie. As with most body-swapping scenarios, each character comes away with a new appreciation of the other's life. The second story is all about T.D.'s idea to pretend to be a dog for a day. Of course, he finds out that being a canine is not as easy as it seems. Because of the bold, colorful illustrations, familiarity of the characters, and readability of the texts, these titles should prove to be a big hit with the beginning-reader crowd. Activities suggestions add to the appeal. Some of the vocabulary may prove to be challenging, but new words are repeated often and used in context throughout the short chapters. Good choices for Martha's many followers.—Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh, PA