Thursday, July 30, 2015

The Super-Smelly Moldy Blob by Amy Marie Stadelmann -- ADVISABLE

Stadelmann, Amy Marie The Super-Smelly Moldy Blob (Olive & Beatrix #2), 80 pgs. Scholastic, Inc., March 29, 2016. $4.99. Content: G.

Olive loves science, but she always loses the science fair prize to her twin sister, Beatrix. After all, Beatrix is a witch. She can turn anything into a winning project. Not this year, though! Olive is determined to win. But when the two girls collide during a fight for the best display table, their projects get smashed together. The results are a smelly, growing blob with a mind of its own. Olive, Beatrix, and their friends must race to stop the blob before it takes over the entire school and ruins the science fair for good.

With its colorful illustrations and concise text, this 80-page story perfectly bridges the reading gap between picture books and chapter books. Although the giant blob adds some tension, the tale is still more cozy than scary -- another plus when working with younger readers. Because of the simplified graphic-novel-like format, this one would work better for individual or one-on-one reading as opposed to a whole-class read-aloud.

EL (K-3) -- ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Caryn

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