Princess of the Wild Swans

Princess of the Wild Swans by Diane Zahler is a retelling of the Six Swans.  The story follows Meriel the only daughter in the kings household.  She adores her brothers and when her father comes home with a new wife who seems to resent their existence Meriel becomes worried.  After the new Queen sends her brothers to school Meriel is suspicious.  When she finds a new group of swans on the lake that seem like her brothers she knows that something is wrong.  She soon finds out that they've been enchanted and she must make them shirts out of stinging nettles and remain silent until the task is done.

This is a wonderful retelling.  Zahler does a fantastic job with these retellings in a way that makes them perfect for the middle grade readers who love princesses but have no desire to read a romantic story.  This book is full of magic, suspense and girl power.  I finished the book quickly and had a huge smile on my face when it was over.

Appropriateness:  This is a fantastic middle grade book that is also great for younger advanced readers.  The story is fun and interesting full of evil queens and princesses without the usual romance that you would find in fairytale retellings.  There is some nice vocabulary the lexile is 819.  I would recommend this book to readers 9-13 with the book being short and interesting enough for a read aloud.    

How to Slay a Dragon

How to Slay a Dragon by Bill Allen tells the story of Greg Hart a small boy with an overactive imagination who is pulled into a real adventure in a different realm. Greg is told that he is Greghart the dragon slayer and that there is a prophecy that he is to slay the dragon and save the princess.  Greg and his new friend Lucky go on an adventure after adventure until finally meeting the dragon in his lair. 

This is a fantastic fantasy novel that is filled with adventure (and difficult vocabulary words!) and humor.  There is plenty of action (but nothing excessively violent).  I loved reading what adventure was going to happen next and how Greg and Lucky would get through them.  The book moves quickly from one scene to another and at around 250 pages it would make for a fantastic read aloud.

Appropriateness:  This is a book that boys will enjoy.  There are multiple strong male characters and the only female character while strong and spunky is only around for a small part of the book.  The book does have quite a bit of difficult vocabulary making it a great read for younger advanced readers.  I would recommend this book to readers 9-14 who are fans of adventure and fantasy and as a read aloud for younger readers.

Review copy obtained by amazon vine

The Midnight Zoo

The Midnight Zoo by Sonya Hartnett is a magical tale of three children who find a zoo in the midst of a war torn country.  Andrej, a Roma was forced to run with his brother and his baby sister after Nazi's capture his community.  At the zoo they find that the animals can talk and they share their stories.

This book felt more like real literature than most middle grade books do.  It has lots of big concepts that provide lots of potential for real thought and the prose was beautiful.  I do wish that there had been more of an overreaching plot to move the story along, however the stories of all the animals and the boys were engrossing and very well written.  There is some massive vocabulary in this book (along with beautiful descriptions) making this a good book for advanced readers.  However the book is short enough that it is finished quickly.

Appropriateness:  This book has a few difficult war scenes and asks questions that will require some higher level thinking skills (or help from an adult) to fully comprehend.  I would recommend this book to readers 10-14 with it appealing equally to boys and girls.

Review copy obtained from publisher (not sure how though, it just showed up so if you sent it to me thanks!)

Princess Academy

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale follows Miri a small girl living in a town that mines a special rock called linder.  When a man from the capital arrives he tells the town that the priests have proclaimed that the next princess is to come from their town.  To prepare all of the girls for the princes arrival all girls of eligible age are sent to a princess academy that has been created to educate the girls so that they can learn enough to be a princess.  Miri initially does not want to go and the school mistress is cruel but she soon finds that she loves to learn and is able to use the knowledge that she has gained to help her town.

This was not the pink encrusted bubbly book full of twittering girls that the title suggests.  Instead it is a wonderful tales of girls realizing the importance of education and discovering their own self worth.  Miri is a strong girl who learns to love learning, to be confident in her own abilities and is a fantastic role model. 

Appropriateness:  I would recommend this book for a 10-13 year old audience.  There is a bit of romance but not enough that it would intimidate young readers.  Miri is fourteen and her classmates are between the ages of twelve and seventeen,  The lexile is 890 putting the book at a fifth grade reading level and it would be a great read aloud for older kids.  The book comes with a readers guide complete with an author interview and discussion questions. 

The audio version of this book (and other books by the same author) is narrated by full cast audio which uses a different actor for each character making for a delightful listening experience. We picked our copy up at the library.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl stars Charlie a poor boy who wins a ticket to tour the mysterious Willie Wonka chocolate factory.  The other children on the tour all have distinct flawed personalities which are tested on the tour to disastrous results.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is much like the movies that have been produced which was my daughters only complaint.  She wished that she'd read the book first.  It took a couple chapters before she really got into it but because she's got an author crush on Dahl so she knew that it would get better and after the first couple chapters she was hooked.  My daughter loved the book and looked forward to reading it every day even though it was a difficult read.  The characters are what really makes the book the other kids are exaggerated examples of all the obnoxious kids that are in a childs life and they get what is coming to them when they refuse to behave during the tour.

Appropriateness:  Like most of Dahl's books this book is very twisted.  Bad things happen to the kids on the tour in fantastical ways which might disturb kids that have a hard time distinguishing fiction from reality.  My daughter however thought it was fantastic.  The lexile is 810 and the grade level equivalent is 5.9 making it great for advanced readers.  I'd recommend it for kids 9-14 who can handle the reading level.

James and the Giant Peach

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl is an action packed classic.  James has to go live with his evil Aunts because a giant Rhinoceros ate his parents.  A man gives James some magic to make him happier, but the magic spills all over the soil near the peach tree causing a huge peach to grow.  James found a hole in the peach and climbed in and found giant bugs and he goes on an adventure with them facing giant cloud men and sharks along the way.

My daughter asked to read the book and after checking out the reading level I told her that it might be a little hard so if she thought it was too hard she should quit reading it.  She was not deterred by the difficulty of the book because she enjoyed the story so much.  She really liked the descriptions throughout the book which made it exciting.  She was so excited as to what was going to happen next that she read this book outside her normal reading time and finished it very quickly.  

Appropriateness:  This is Dahl so there are some things that are a little twisted so if you have an easily disturbed child they might be bothered, most kids won't have any problem (if they can handle spiderman they can handle Dahl)..  This is a fantastic book for advanced readers.  It's full of adventure and fun and age appropriate (content wise) for all elementary aged readers but it is filled with poetry and difficult vocabulary words.  Like other Dahl books the reading levels vary based on which system you use, the grade equivalent is 6.7, lexile 840 (putting it at a fifth grade level) and the guided reading level is Q.  I would recommend this book as a read aloud for second grade and up an as a read to self for kids that read above a fourth grade level.

This book is on the banned book list for a lot of absurd reasons.  You can read a great article here on the book and the controversy.  Most of the books on that list are fantastic, so use the list to get your kid pumped about reading a banned book.

There is a movie version of the book that is great when your child finishes the book that my daughter also enjoyed that we rented from netflix when she finished the book.

Revolution

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelley follows Andi, a suicidal young girl dealing with the aftermath of her brothers death.  Andi who is flunking out of school is dragged to Paris by her geneticist father who is doing tests on a heart to determine if it belongs to a young prince who was killed during the revolution.  Andi finds a diary of a young girl, Alexandra who had a close relationship with the prince and becomes engrossed in the diary and her research.

This book had many intricate layers woven together and for the most part it worked.  It took me several chapters before I got into the book because Andi at first is so unlikeable.  She's spoiled, mentally ill and constantly popping pills.  Alexandra's story ultimately is what keeps the reader interested for most of the story while Alex is relegated to narrating and explaining the history.  When the diary is over the reader is given an irritating plot device to wrap everything up.  However, even with the problems this is a very engrossing read.

Appropriateness:  This is an extremely complex book that I think will speak most to the high school and above young adult audience.  There are also some adult situations which while are situational and appropriate for a high school audience would cause some concern with middle school aged readers.  The main character is suicidal and pops heavy duty anti-depressants like they are candy and spends large chunks of the book hallucinating and stoned because of the number of pills she's popped.  She follows people she meets on the street and gets herself in several dangerous situations.  None of these bad behaviors are seen as positive and could easily be combated by talking to your child about prescription drug abuse, depression and suicide.

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl is about a window washing company.  The employees of the window washing company are a Giraffe who serves the role of the ladder, a Monkey who washes the windows and a Pelican who is the bucket.

Description from Scholastic:

Roald Dahl uses rich language and fantastic images to tell the tale of a young boy who is able to make his dream of running a candy shop come true. The adventure begins when the little boy teams up with the Giraffe and the Pelican to clean windows at the Ladderless Window Cleaning Company.

This simple plot explodes into an excitingly zany tale that makes readers laugh out loud while conveying a positive message. Dahl expresses this tale by interweaving poetry, charming illustrations and an engaging narrative voice to make this story enticing. Many young readers will recognize that each character serves a special purpose in the story. For example, the Giraffe becomes a main character because of his long neck and ability to reach and clean high windows.

A great read-aloud, this book is also a spectacular model to use with young, developing writers. Among other things, it is a terrific example of what poetry is and how poetry can be used to tell stories. The book closes with the words "No book ever ends when it's full of your friends, the Giraffe and the Pelly and Me." The last line invites young readers to imagine the wonders that lie within all books. This fun, fast-paced story is a fabulous choice, containing many valuable lessons.

My daughter Katelyn read this book.  She thought the idea for the book was original and fun.  She liked each of the characters.  There were some pictures throughout the book to illustrate what the characters were doing.  Katelyn took this book to school with her to read during silent reading and would excitedly come home to tell me what had happened each day.

Appropriateness:  There is a bit of scariness in the book but the scary part resolves very quickly with a happy ending.  The book is short with quite a few pictures but a difficult reading level making this a great read aloud or story for advanced younger readers.  The story is one that would appeal equally to boys and girls.  The lexile is 890 (WOW!!) putting it at a sixth grade reading level.

The Wide Awake Princess

The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker tells the story of Annie, Sleeping Beauty's sister.  Annie was gifted at birth with magic not having an effect on her.  All Annie's life she's been kept at a distance because she repels magic.  When the castle is put to sleep by her sisters curse she is the only one that can save her family.  Annie travels through several kingdoms with a bodyguard looking for princes to kiss her sister.

This is a delightful book that kids will adore.  Kids will enjoy picking out the pieces of different fairytales that are smashed in together.  There is a bit of a romance but it is simple and not enough to put off young readers.  Annie is a strong and confident girl and the type of princess that Mom's would love their daughters to be.  Liam, Annie's bodyguard is sweet and a great friend. 

Appropriateness:  This is a great fast paced fairytale.  I would place the interest level at 9-12 with it being a fantastic read aloud for younger readers who love fairy tales.  The lexile is 890 putting it around a sixth grade reading level making it a great book for advanced readers.

Zoo School

This is a delightful kids book about a school at a zoo. My daughter was excited each night to hear what zany lesson the kids were going to have (gym class with seals, sorting and counting with real monkeys). It's the type of school every kid wishes they went to.






We loved this book in my house.  The premise was fun and the kids had wonderful adventures each day at school.




The book has about twelve chapters that aren't too long and it has a story which is entertaining to kids as well as adults so it's a fantastic book to read aloud to your child or your class. It is one of my daughters favorites.  The lexile is 720 putting this at a mid fourth grade level and making it perfect for either advanced younger readers or upper elementary readers.

Bitter End

Jennifer Brown's Bitter End is the story of a young girl in an abusive relationship.  When Alex meets Cole everything seems perfect.  Things with Cole move very fast and when he becomes angry when she spends time with her best guy friend she excuses it, what guy would want his girlfriend hanging out with another guy.  Then insults and pinches turn to punches and control of her entire life.

I really enjoyed this book and see it as a great teaching tool for girls as to what the warning factors are in an abusive relationship.  While the book did at times remind me of a Lifetime TV Movie or after school special the characters were very relateable and Alex's thoughts behind her actions seem realistic. 

Appropriateness:  This novel has alcohol use, sexual content (although not descriptive) and an abusive relationship.  None of these behaviors are shown in a positive manner and it's a good piece for parents to discuss with their daughters and to discuss the warning factors of abusive relationships.

ARC received from publisher Release date in early May

Fairy books by Daisy Meadows

Daisy Meadows has several series that are perfect for girls who are just starting chapter books (either as read alouds or independently) .  There are jewel fairies and dance faeries and animal fairies (and many many more that I am missing).  Each series contains several books with easily predictable plots.  They follow Kristy and Rachel as they search for the fairies to save fairyland from whatever evil plot Jack Frost has cooked up.

I would buy these books by the box set so you have all of them set and if you're reading them aloud I would suggest that you only agree to read one series as you'll get bored after one set (because they all have the same plot).  My husband recorded himself reading them (each book takes about 45 minutes) a couple years ago and my daughter still likes to listen and read along occasionally.

These books are perfect for girls ages 4-8.  They have adventures and bad guys, are a little bit scary and most importantly the girls are polite and good role models and the girls use good grammar (unlike someone we know named Junie B Jones).  The lexile for each book is around 520 (guided reading level M) which puts them at a late second/early third grade level.  They're perfect for younger advanced readers and work well as read a louds for those being newly introduced to chapter books.

Scones and Sensibility

Scones and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland follows Polly a romantic twelve year old girl obsessed with Pride and Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables.  She is wistfully romantic and talks like a character in those books (and her friends and family good naturedly put up with it) and decides that she wants to help her friends and family find romance.  Unfortunately she's more interested in her idea of the perfect relationship than what is the best for her friends.



 Scones and Sensibility is a delightful novel for the young romantic.  Polly's understanding of love and romance is fresh and innocent and a delight to read.  I finished the book quickly and was delighted in all of Polly's mishaps.  The references to classic romances will encourage young readers to pick up those novels (or watch the movie if they're not up to Jane Austin).

My seven year old daughter picked this one out at the bookstore.  When we got home I read the back cover and asked her if she liked romance as the book was all about romance.  She giggled and said that she liked romance a little.  I told her that I'd read it and see if I thought it was something she would like but that I thought she probably would want to wait till she was a little older but if she really wanted to she could read it.  After reading it I told her what it was about and how it was difficult to read and she decided that it could wait a few years.

Appropriateness:  There isn't any adult material in the book and the romance is tame enough that a young child would not be put off by it, the romance is mostly matchmaking.  However, because Polly talks like she is in the 1800's it is not an easy read.  The publisher lists it as at a mid fifth grade level.  I would recommend it to romantic 11-14 year olds who are looking for a sweet fun romance.   

The Enormous Crocodile

The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl tells the story of a very naughty crocodile.  The crocodile decides that he would like to eat some children and he devises some tricky methods to accomplish this mission.  The story has been illustrated with delightful color pictures which make the book even more entertaining for young readers.

I bought this book along with a big pile of Dahl's books at a clearance sale.  I showed it to my daughter and then put it on the shelf and told her she could read it when she was finished with the book she is currently reading and warned her that it would be difficult but it was short so I thought she'd be able to handle it.  Unknown by me she decided to read this book on her own time and loved it.  She thought the story was very funny and finished it easily in an evening.

Appropriateness:  This is Roald Dahl so parents need to understand that the book is going to be a little scary and does not have a happy ending.  This book is very difficult (but short!) and has some big vocabulary words, making it most appropriate as either a read aloud or for advanced readers.  Scholastic lists the lexile at 410 (third grade) but puts the grade level equivalent as 5.6 which I'm assuming is related to the difficult vocabulary level.

Harry Potter is Not a Children's Book

Many parents seem to be in a huge rush for their kids to read Harry Potter.  As soon as their kids get beyond the Junie B Jones and Magic Treehouse books they run out and buy Harry Potter.  Even Amazon and Barnes and Noble list these books for 9-12 year olds.

What I see often that happens when elementary school readers are given Harry Potter is that they start the book, perhaps even making it through the second in the series and stop, deciding that they don't like Harry Potter and generally don't pick the series up again.  Their parents are confounded because every child likes Harry Potter and it is the ultimate chapter book so why not their child?

Harry Potter is HARD, much harder than most childrens and young adult (and adult) books.  Not only are they very difficult to read but the books are very long and there are seven of them which is a lot for a young reader. 

Additionally, Harry Grows up throughout the series and while he is fairly young when his adventures begins, he is an adult when the series ends, dealing with issues that to older readers can relate to more than younger readers.  The series is also very dark, the later books so much so that many adults find them scary.  Because of their length and reading levels I classify these books as Young Adult which are also appropriate for very advanced younger readers who are interested and motivated to read the series.

Here are the lexile rating and page length for all the books in the series.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:  Lexile: 880  Length: 320

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2): Lexile 940 Length: 352

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3): Lexile 880  Length: 448

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4): Lexile 880 Length: 752

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix: Lexile 950 Length: 870

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6):  Lexile 1030 Length: 672

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7): Lexile 980 Length: 784

That places the books from a sixth grade reading level to an eighth grade reading level (book number six).  Which means that elementary school age kids who are reading on grade level are going to find these book far more difficult than almost anything they have read, even at school.


My Fourth or Fifth Grader Loved Harry Potter and sped through all of the books!
You should be proud of your child and yourself.  You have a very good reader on your hands.  You should also encourage your child to reread these books again when they are in middle school so they can pick up what they probably missed the first time.  Part of the reason that these books are loved so much by librarians and teachers is because they are so difficult and many readers push themselves (YAY) because they are so enthralled in the story..


My seven year old has read books at a higher reading level than that so they're ready right?
Don't do it!!  The sheer length of these books is too much for kids that young.  If they're asking then get them the audio books.  Keep their reading to books that are shorter and wait till they are in third or fourth grade.  If they're audio book fans, that is always an option.

My child really wants to read the books but I'm afraid they're going to be discouraged as I know they are not super strong readers:
Try the audio books, they can listen to the books in the car or before bed (you could read them aloud but that will take months) .  Your child will develop literacy skills and enjoy the stories without being bogged down while trying to get through the text or struggle with the length. They can either read along with the audio books (my daughter loves to do this) or listen to the books without the text.  You can find the audio books in your public library. 


When is the right age to encourage my child to read Harry Potter?
These are young adult books that are perfect for a middle school aged child and are perfect for summer reading.  They are also generally on middle school recommended reading lists for schools that allow kids to pick their own books to read during silent reading periods at school.  The series is great for fourth or fifth graders who are advanced readers to start.

There are a few series, such as Percy Jackson, or The Underland Chronicles that are similar but not as quite as difficult or lengthy that are good predictors as to their readiness to read Harry Potter.  If your child has gotten through one of these series without difficulty then they should be able to handle Harry Potter.


The Harry Potter series is fantastic and one that I highly recommend.  However, parents need to be educated on the difficulty of the series, understanding that they are not the only books written for children and that your kids will be more likely to enjoy the series if they read it later rather than earlier.

There are so many wonderful children's books out there for kids to read.  Including ones that are filled with action and magic.  When you child first starts to enjoy reading for pleasure search for books that include topics they will enjoy and are written at a reading level that will not frustrate them.  Leave the 600 page difficult books till they are old enough to enjoy them without working too hard.

Happy Birthday Sophie Hartley

Sophie Hartley wants a baby gorilla for her birthday.  When her Dad says yes she's excited.  However when it's time to tell the family she instead gets a shocking announcement from her older sister.  Her sister is moving out of her room and into the attic.  Sophie's story is entertaining and fun.

It's difficult for parents and teachers with young but advanced readers to find books that are interesting yet challenging.  This book has some very difficult vocabulary while still having a plot that young children will like and there are no major boy obsessions.  The book isn't overly long and the chapters are short.

Appropriateness:  This is a girl book, with lots of talk of bad girls and other things that third grade girls find important.  There is a chapter in which Sophie and her friend talk about bras and breasts (in a typical childlike way with lots of giggling and even some sock boobs).  It's enough to make a boy uncomfortable but not too much to alienate a young girl (it's a step down from Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.)  This book is on a fourth grade reading level with a lexile of 680.

Review copy obtained from Amazon Vine.

East

East by Edith Pattou is a retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun West of the Moon.  In the tale a girl named Rose is a member of a large family which is very poor.  She has always wandered and has on several occasions seen and felt a connection to a large white bear.  When a bear comes into her home and promises to heal her sister and help her family out of poverty if she comes to live with him she agrees to go with him.  

I have read several retellings of this tale, all different and all enjoyable.  What I love the most about this tale is the power that is given to the heroine.  It is up to her to save the prince and she is willing to face a dangerous journey and must use her smarts to save him.

East was very well written and a fantastic book.  It was far more literary than other versions I have read and very long.  The book is told from the viewpoints of many characters allowing the reader to have an understanding as to how each character thinks, I even at time found myself sympathizing with the villain once or twice. 

Appropriateness:  There is nothing in this book that parents would find objectionable.  I would recommend this book for the older end of the young adult audience or for younger readers that enjoy books with a lot of substance.  The lexile of the book is 900 putting it at a sixth grade reading level and it rings in at a very long 516 pages. 

Other versions of this tale that I have enjoyed include Sun and Moon Ice and Snow and Ice.  There is also an old Jim Henson movie called The Polar Bear King which is available on Netflix.

The Dragon Keeper Series

The Dragon Keepers Series by Kate Klimo consists of four books.  Dragon Keepers #1: The Dragon in the Sock Drawer, Dragon Keepers #2: The Dragon in the Driveway , Dragon Keepers #3: The Dragon in the Library and the fourth book Dragon Keepers #4: The Dragon in the Volcano which will be released in late May.  These books follow ten year old cousins Jessie and Daisy who find that that the geode that they picked up while on a hike hatches revealing a talking baby dragon which they name Emmy.  Jessie and Daisy have to take care of Emmy and protect her from the evil St George who uses dragon blood to stay alive.

This series is very well written.  It has beautiful descriptive passages with difficult vocabulary words that are set in a context that young readers can infer their meanings without trouble.  Each chapter begins with a delightful picture to help kids picture the scene.  Emmy is very funny and does things that made my daughter laugh out loud.  The male and female leads make this a book which is equally enjoyable for both boys and girls.

Appropriateness:  I would recommend this book to an elementary school aged audience.  The lexile is 680 putting it at a high third grade level (a step up from the beginning chapter books).  The book has about 150 pages with chapters of varying lengths.  It is a story that very young readers can enjoy making it a great read aloud or book for advanced younger readers.  Older elementary school readers will find it interesting and funny enough to keep them engaged and the story is one that even reluctant readers will enjoy.

The Underland Chronicles

The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins is a series that follows the adventures of Gregor.  When Gregor and his sister Boots fall through a grate in his apartment building they find an underland world filled with giant talking bats, cockroaches, spiders, evil rats and an entire human civilization.  After his arrival Gregor is told that a profit foretold his arrival and he is destined to be the warrior that will save the human race.  The five books chronicle the adventures of Gregor, his sister Boots, a giant cockroach named Temp, the underland princess Luxa, Gregor's bat Aries and Ripred a "rager" rat who is working with the humans as they fight the rats.

This series is fantastic.  Each book features an element of warfare, rescuing a prisoner of war, assassination, genocide, chemical warfare and military intelligence.  The elements of PTSD and the repercussions of such violence are also included.  These heavy topics are woven masterfully into a beautiful fantasy world with a brave hero and great friends in a way that makes them very accessible for kids.

Appropriateness:  This is a fantastic series for the 10-14 year old audience and it is a series that will speak strongly to boys (although there are also great female characters that girls will love).  The book is fairly violent (lots of sword fights) and there are some sections in the later books that sensitive kids may find upsetting (I cried in a section of the fourth book), this is a civilization at war and there are casualties on both sides.  The lexile for the books is around 630 putting the books at a fifth grade level.   

Bad Kitty

 Bad Kitty Gets a Bath by Nick Bruel tells the story of Bad Kitty getting a bath.  This is a modified graphic novel which has chapters and lots of pictures.  The original Bad Kitty is an alphabet picture book and the author followed that book with several others that are designed for readers that are reading early chapter books. 

I got this book for my daughter when she was a kindergartner (she's an advanced reader). I figured she'd read a chapter at a time and it would take about a week like the other beginning chapter books she was reading.

Well I was wrong.

The day she started the book she came downstairs to tell me that she was finished (without being prompted to read at all). She read four chapters before bed without being asked because she loved the book so much.  That's the sign of a great beginning chapter book.  We've since given Bad Kitty books at birthday parties along with the Bad Kitty Stuffed Animal and it's always a great hit.  The lexile is 650 putting it at a mid third grade level and it works well as a read aloud, advanced younger readers and for upper elementary school readers who want something funny.