Summer Pick: Olive & Beatrix
by Amy Marie Stadelmann for Scholastic Branches
Reading Level: Grade 2
What's it about?
Twin sisters Olive and Beatrix are often at odds; Beatrix is a witch who loves to use magic to get ahead in life, and Olive is a cool modern science nerd who uses knowledge and logic to problem-solve. When they clash, the consequences can get crazy -- and dangerous! In this book (#2 in a series), Science Fair Day goes awry when the girls mistakenly set loose a ravenous blob monster. The girls have to work together to beat the blob before it absorbs everything in the entire school!
Why do we love it?
This book combines the whimsy, fun, and excitement of magic with real science -- and makes science feel exciting too! The writing is smart and funny, and the sibling rivalry at the heart of the story is something so many kids can relate to. Stadelmann's characters are fantastic heroines and we love the bright, bold, ownable & iconic character design.
Strong heroines plus magic plus science! What else could we ask for?
Bonus: With its Branches imprint, Scholastic has bridged the divide between picture and chapter books using a graphic novel format rather than the standard simplistic reading level 1-2-3 books. These graphic novels are far more engaging for beginning readers; our kids can't get enough of them!
We want more:
Outrageous adventures and science solutions! More books! Science kits! Dolls! And dare we request... an animated series down the line?
