Review Detail

RICA BAPTISTA: A WEEK OF SHENANIGANS is a cute chapter book about family and fun. Rica and her BFF Laini are so excited to see Rica's Grampy. Every summer he comes for a week of fun, taking them to exciting places and doing lots of cool things with them. However, this summer, Grampy has sprained his ankle, and he won't be able to do all the things they have planned. Luckily, this doesn't mean that they can't have fun, and although the summer did not look the way they expected it to, they still had a great time anyway.

What I loved: This is a cute story about handling the unexpected, dealing with disappointment, and having fun. Themes of family and friendship were also really strong throughout the story. This will work best for slightly older chapter book readers, as the chapters feel a bit longer with smaller font sizes and typically only one illustration per chapter. The language is fairly simple with many smaller words and repeated phrases that will work well for independent readers who are gaining confidence in longer stories. The images were fantastic and brought to life the scenes they depicted in black-and-white.

Final verdict: RICA BAPTISTA: A WEEK OF SHENANIGANS is a sweet chapter book about family and finding creative ways to have fun. The book combines great illustrations with a charming story that will work well for independent readers who are gaining confidence with chapter books.