I received a sample for this review/feature. Opinions expressed are my own
Last year I really enjoyed reading to my 7 year old daughter chapter books for the first time. Even starter chapter books take the reader deeper into stories than most picture books can. We just finished reading the first two books in the new Mouse Scouts series and we are officially hooked! This book series introduces readers to best friends Violet and Tigerlily who just happen to be two young mice who are newly minted Acorn Scouts. As a Girl Scouts troop leader and my daughter being in my Daisy troop this book was a hit from the first few pages.
Meet Violet, Tigerlily, Hyacinth, Petunia, Junebug, and Cricket, six new Mouse Scouts who are trustworthy and strong, thrifty and brave . . . and destined to be friends to the end!?Best friends Violet and Tigerlily can?t wait to start earning their merit badges. But their troop leader, Miss Poppy, is one strict rodent. And earning their first badge?planting a vegetable garden?is hard work. Will the troop drive unwanted pests from the garden and earn their Sow It and Grow It badge? And will they ever get Miss Poppy to smile?
Each book in the Mouse Scout series revolves around the Scouts journey to get a new merit badge. The first book covers the ?Sow It and Grow It? badge. This involves planting and harvesting a vegetable garden, a much harder task than they anticipated. Especially when slugs, bugs, and grubs invade. In Mouse Scouts: Make a Difference the Mouse Scouts are determined to earn their ?Make a Difference? badge.
Violet, Tigerlily, and their friends are ready to earn their Make a Difference badge. If only they could agree on what kind of difference they want to make. But when the troop decides to clean up a local park, they find themselves facing an unusual rescue mission. Will the girls be able to make a real difference, or will this badge prove more than the Mouse Scouts can handle?
Sarah Dillard studied art at Wheaton College and illustration at Rhode Island School of Design. Sarah’s first author/illustrated book,?Perfectly Arugula,?was published in 2009 and the audio book version won the Gold Award for the 2010 National Parenting Publications Awards. Sarah is currently working on a graphic series called?Ordinary Warren?for Simon & Schuster and has a picture book,?Zoo School, forthcoming from Zondervan.
The Mouse Scouts teach readers valuable lessons about becoming involved in your community, being a good friend and teamwork. I will be recommending it to all my fellow Girl Scouts moms but it is still a great book for those not involved in scouts. It is geared for ages 7-10 and is a great length for novice readers to read on their own and of course a fabulous book to read to girls too. Cute black-and-white illustrations?including pages from the official Mouse Scout Handbook is a nice touch that my daughter particularly enjoys. The characters are lovable and it is fun to see these mice work on their merit badge in each book. We can’t wait to read new books in the series as they are released.
