Childrens Book Review: SUNNY'S ADVENTURES

I have always loved to read, as I have mentioned before and thankfully, we seem to be raising a group of reading girls here at Chez Nous. Since the girls like to be read to and are now learning to read themselves, we often make trips to the library plus I am always on the lookout for new and exciting books and characters to introduce them to. I recently learned about a new book titled Sunny's Adventures. It is a delightful and fun children's mystery book written by Leketha Marie Johnson.

Here is what I found:

About the Book:

Meet Sunny. She's smart. She's kind. She lives with her Mom, Dad and Grandma. She's a heck of a pie maker and she loves to solve mysteries.

Young readers will delight in investigating neighborhood dilemmas and schoolyard crimes alongside Sunny in SUNNY'S ADVENTURES (Jabberwocky Books; Mill City Press; Copyright 2008, 2008; $12.95), where they'll piece together clues and will be able to think through conclusions.

In The Case of the Missing Puppy, Sunny and her friend Rita set out to find Rita's puppy, Fancy, who's disappeared. The two girls follow the dog's footprints until the strangest thing happens. They vanish right outside of Mrs. Taylor's house! Did Mrs. Taylor kidnap Rita's puppy Fancy? Young readers are asked at the end of the chapter to think about what clues helped the friends find Fancy.

All of the students at Riverton Elementary School love their class's pet turtle, Wilma. But one morning, Mrs. Peabody informs the class that the turtle has gone missing. Will

Sunny solve The Case of the Missing Turtle? Of course! And she'll make a new friend in the process.

Sunny's mother and grandmother are both excellent bakers. When Sunny and her mom decide to participate in the Mother and Daughter Baking Contest, Sunny is thrilled to learn that the prize is a trip to Disney World! They work hard together to perfect Grandma's best recipe, an apple streusel blueberry pie. But when Sunny and her mom return from the contest break, they find that someone has stolen their masterpiece. Readers will help Sunny solve the Cooking Contest Mystery.

The riddles don't stop there. Sunny must also work through The Case of the Missing Doll and the Disappearing Diamond Ring. Along the way she makes new friends, learns lessons about being kind to others, and has fun with her loving family. Best yet, at the end of each mystery, young readers are asked to work back through what clues were helpful in solving the crime, teaching the importance of active reading.

Children, parents and teachers alike will be smitten with Sunny's bright personality and vibrant, kind mind. Complete with delightful illustrations, SUNNY'S ADVENTURES is sure to bring smiles to readers of all ages.

About the Author:

Leketha Marie Johnson was born and grew up in Los Angeles, California (just like I did). She is currently working on a series of children's books for all ages. Mrs. Johnson resides in Riverside, California, with her husband Vernon and her daughter Mya. Click here to read more about the author, Leketha Marie Johnson.

Here is what I did like:

The book actually contained 5 individual short stories. They were the perfect length to hold my daughter's attention. Each story revolved around a mystery of some sort and at the end of each story, there are a few questions for the reader to answer involving the clues. This is so helpful in building creative thinking and problem solving. Each story shows Sunny helping someone as well as reinforcing the value of honesty, anger management, forgiveness and more.

I like that the illustrations are hand-drawn, making the feel of the book be more intimate and like that of a good friend.

Another thing I noticed and really appreciate about the book is that the main character is a little girl who happens to be African American - a minority. Her friends however, are from a variety of races and race is quite obviously not an issue for any of them. As the mama of a minority child now, this really hits home and I cannot thank Leketha Marie Johnson enough!

Sunny, although clearly intended to be a girl is clever enough and non-frilly enough for boys to enjoy as well. The book is actually aimed at children ages 9 to 12 but my 6 year old 1st grader thoroughly enjoyed hearing the mysteries and helping to solve them.

Here is what I didn't like:

The book is actually a soft-cover book, making me fear that it may not hold up as well as a hard-cover book would. However, the cover is laminated, front and back and is a good quality. The only other thing that I wish was different is that the illustrations inside the book are all in black and white. It is probably just a personal preference on my part but I wish they were in color like the cover is.

Here is what I say:

Overall, the book is a great read with five short stories that the children are sure to love. If you are trying to encourage reading and to broaden a child's horizons in an entertaining and educational way, Sunny's Adventures is a terrific choice. Once again, children can learn while they do not even realize it and reinforce all of those great values that are so needed in our world.

The book can be purchased from the author via the Sunny's Adventures website or from Amazon Books.

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Be sure to download your free coloring book pages from Sunny's Adventures. Also don't miss having your child enter the coloring contest. They will instantly receive two free book marks just for entering! Enjoy!

This post was made possible courtesy of the Parent Reviewers .




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