Rutabaga's Reads 2025: Part 6

I’m adventuring through chapter books in this compilation. They all happen to be library books, too.

Astrid & Apollo and the Ice Fishing Adventure (Aug. 1, 2022) by V.T. Bidania.

   Evelt Yanait, illustrator.

<This book is part of an unnumbered series.>

They’re well into winter, and the ice is thick, so twins Astrid & Apollo and their little sister, Eliana, are all excited to fish in an icehouse. Dad shows the kids how to drill a hole, clear it away, bait the hook and reel in their “fish friends.” Everyone’s having a good time, except for Mom. Even fully dressed for winter plus wearing a blanket, Mom is cold, and she’s worried about something going wrong. When an uninvited guest pops up and causes a little chaos, it’s Mom who ends up having the biggest laugh.

            Another spirited story from the Astrid & Apollo series, this realistic fiction adventure showcases a wintertime hobby for many. The story teaches the basics involved in ice fishing and discusses the patience typically involved of fishing in general. As always, the stories are overall easy to understand, though there might be some words that beginning readers may need help with.

See also: Rutabaga’s Reads 2024: Part 6

Rutabaga’s Reads 2024: Part 3

Rutabaga’s Reads 2023: Part 3

Llama Quest: Danger in the Dragon’s Den (Jan. 7, 2025) by Megan Reyes.

   Kay Davault, illustrator.

<This is the first book in a series.>

The 12 Magic Stones are missing. Eight-year-old Dak Evans wants nothing more than to leave his family’s home on Mythic Island in the Kingdom of Ravenwood and visit the Mainland. Instead, he spends his days scooping up llama poop. One night, he’s awoken by drool on his face from a fashionable llama who always wears a scarf. It turns out, her name is Lucy, and she’s a magic llama. Lucy’s friend is a young girl named Fenn with purple hair who lives with the mysterious monks. After Lucy sniffs out the fire stone, she teleports them to the Dragon’s Den. They meet dragons suffering from fire flu and witness Moon Wizards casting spells to save the village, but can they find the red fire stone before the thief retrieves it?

            This chapter book is a fantasy adventure, a solid choice for readers who are too young for Tolkien. The grayscale illustrations are cartoonish, but the dragons do have a ferocity about them, and Lucy is a delight. Nothing in the story is shocking and new, but the pacing and prose are steadfast. The danger isn’t especially dangerous, but the quest continually moves forward, and there’s the mystery of the thief, which will continue, likely through the series. After reading this tale, young readers may picture themselves as Stone Seekers of Team Llama Quest.

Lucy Lancaster Has a Secret (Jan. 7, 2025) by Willow Coven.

   Priscilla Burris, illustrator.

<This is the first book in a series.>

Can hiccups make a classmate nicer? Can hiccups make someone into a butterfly whisperer? These are a couple of the questions Lucy Lancaster wonders to herself when mysterious outcomes occur after hiccupping. She’s never experienced this before, and she’s a second-grade student at Brewster Elementary. When Ms. Egli visits Mrs. Welli’s classroom, where Lucy’s a student, she knows what’s what with Lucy. Ms. Egli invites Lucy to the library and opens up a secret unlike any Lucy realizes could exist, and that’s saying something, because she already loves the library and knows the power of books.

            With many easy-to-read words and illustrations on every story page, this chapter book is a good choice for emergent readers. If the reader is reluctant, it’s an ideal story to team read aloud, so that way, an older reader can assist with any challenging words or give encouragement as new chapter book readers sound out longer words like character last names Lancaster or Heckelbeck or Bickerson. The simple story format is engaging and well-crafted, and Lucy’s star-framed glasses are adorable.