8. Stop that Mop!

8. Stop that Mop! Jonathan Fenske. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, beginning reader]

First sentence: I am a mop. I mop and mop. I mop. And mop.

Premise/plot: You may doubt that a book about a mop could be fun. But if you're familiar with Jonathan Fenske's work, then you know there's nothing to worry about! In this one, a mop who is TIRED OF IT ALL runs away. Many try to catch the mop....but will any succeed?????

My thoughts: I love, love, love Jonathan Fenske. I do. This one was fun. Is it my favorite of his? Probably not. Is it more entertaining that 90% of all other beginning readers???? YES. I thought this was a silly, fun, exuberant read. It did win the Geisel Award for 2026.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Young Readers

7. The Tunneler Tunnels in the Tunnel

7. The Tunneler Tunnels in the Tunnel. Michael Rex. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, beginner reader, ready to read, animal fantasy]

First sentence: The tunneler tunnels in the tunnel. The gardener gardens in the garden. The tunneler tunnels in the tunnel. The farmer farms on the farm. The tunneler tunnels in the tunnel.

Premise/plot: The tunneler tunnels in the tunnel on almost page of this one. Where is the tunneler tunneling to? Is it worth all the hard work?

My thoughts: I don't love this one, but it is perfectly okay. I do think depending on how it's read or read aloud, it could be fun. I think it would be perhaps amusing as a shared read. With one person doing all the 'tunneler tunnels in the tunnel' pages and another reader reading the rest aloud. I do think you could ask questions as you read like, where do you think he's tunneling? You could also read the details of the illustrations for clues.

 

© 2026 Becky Laney of Young Readers

6. Earl & Worm: The Big Mess

6. Earl & Worm: The Big Mess and Other Stories. Greg Pizzoli. 2025. 72 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, early chapter book, animal fantasy]

First sentence: It was spring. Worm was cleaning her house. Worm loved to clean. She loved things neat. She loved things tidy.

Premise/plot: Earl and Worm are best friends. This is their second adventure. There are three stories in this book, "The Big Mess," "The Lucky Penny," and "The Sunrise."

In "The Big Mess" Earl helps Worm clean house. Worm's newly cleaned house soon acquires some of Earl's mess. "The Lucky Penny" has Earl finding a penny. But will the penny be a lucky or unlucky penny?! "The Sunrise" has Earl and Worm staying up all night so they can watch the sunrise together.

My thoughts: My favorite story is "The Big Mess." It was a GREAT story. I loved it so much. The other stories were good too.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Young Readers

5. Pizza and Taco Go Viral

5. Pizza and Taco Go Viral (Pizza and Taco #10) Stephen Shaskan. 2026. 72 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, graphic novel, children's series]

First sentence: What are you watching?

Premise/plot: Pizza and Taco are back in another adventure. (Is this really their tenth book?!?!?!) In this one, the two become obsessed with become StewTube stars. If they start a StewTube channel, can they make a video go viral?!?! What kind of videos should they make together?!?!

My thoughts: There isn't much substance in this one. To be fair, it has its amusing moments. They talk about famous StewTubers that they watch. This allows for some fun puns.

It isn't my favorite or best from the series, BUT, I do love Pizza and Taco as characters.



© 2026 Becky Laney of Young Readers

4. Traitors in Space

4. Traitors in Space. Tim Collins. 2025. 192 pages. [Source: Review copy] [3 stars, pick your own path, choose your own adventure, science fiction, space, aliens]

First sentence: The door to your ship closes, and you take your helmet off.

Premise/plot: YOU are in control of your destiny in this 'pick your own path' sci-fi space adventure. YOU are a scientist returning from space--bound for earth--but there's danger on the ship. An alien life form has been detected. It is presumably parasitic. ONE of your fellow crew COULD be the alien. But how do you KNOW who to trust and who to thrust out into space?!

My thoughts: I wanted to enjoy this one. I do think it's perhaps possible to read and enjoy this one. It depends on how YOU read choose your own adventure books. I am methodical. As in with paper and pen in hand, I write down ALL the page number opportunities, I track each one to the end. Go back start again. Cross page numbers off, etc. I don't immerse myself in the story--if there is in fact a story. It's just too mechanical or methodical for me. I don't reread the story heading into new endings.

It didn't work for me because I wanted more from the characters and the story. There are eight characters for YOU to "get to know" to figure out who is trustworthy and who is alien. Are eight characters developed? Nope. Are any of the eight characters developed? Nope. Is that too much to hope for?! Probably. I didn't really expect continuity between all the choices in terms of characters and story. BUT it would have added a level of awesomeness IF there had been a true mystery to solve. IF there were objective facts, truths that stayed true, between ALL the possibilities, then it would have been more like a mystery-mystery. There would have been clues that you could slowly but surely gather as you kept reading. Layers to the story. There's none of that. And that is okay. That's not the book in hand. And that's fine. Expect bare minimum of story and characters. Do expect a gimmicky, fun read with plenty of possibilities.

Despite the description saying TWENTY possible endings, I counted forty-two. At least ten of those were repeat endings using the exact same pages. Again, I think if there had been FEWER characters MORE time could have been spent with those we had AND the endings would have had to have been better.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Young Readers