The Mystery Kitten
by Holly Webb, Sophy Williams (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars
Elsa is worried about moving into a new house and having her own room, separate from her sister, Sara. When she hears scratching and mysterious noises coming from the attic, she is terrified. But then she discovers an adorable black kitten, and has to keep him a secret from her family.

Elsa meets new friends, solves the mystery of the kitten, and figures out how to convince her family to keep the kitten. I love Elsa’s character. She is smart and compassionate, but she is full of anxiety about moving to a new house. She learns to have more confidence and build stronger bonds with her family. I was impressed with her simple but powerful character development.

Little Lion Rescue (Little Animal Rescue, #1)
by Rachel Delahaye
4 out of 5 stars
Callie loves animals, especially lions. She is visiting the zoo with her class, when she is whisked away to the African Serengeti, where she rescues a lost lion cub and tries to find the lion’s family.

I loved learning more about different African animals and how lions survive in the wild. However, I did not like that Callie reaches the African plains through some kind of magical portal opened by a postcard. I would have enjoyed it much more if she had just been on vacation for a safari with her parents or something. It seemed oddly out of place with the rest of the story.

Both these chapter books are so sweet and fun! The writing is perfect for ages 8-11, as children start to read more on their own. The plot is fairly simple, but keeps things interesting.

The illustrations are beautiful pencil drawings in a light and airy style that is very attractive. There is an illustration every 4-5 pages, bringing the story to life.

I love the positive messages of compassion and hope in both of these books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.