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

3. If You Make a Call On a Banana Phone

3. If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone. Gideon Sterer. Illustrated by Emily Hughes. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, imagination, picture books]

First sentence: If you make a call on a banana phone, somewhere deep in the jungle...a gorilla will probably answer. And if they do, they will have some questions, Like, Who are you? and Why are you calling? If you'd like, you can tell the gorilla your name. If you are calling just because, that's okay. But it is good to be interesting and share some things, like your favorite color or sandwich or joke. If you make a gorilla laugh on a banana phone, they will probably like that very much--there aren't many jokes in the jungle, and they might wonder more about you.

Premise/plot:  This book imagines what MIGHT happen if you should make a call on a banana phone (and who hasn't made a call on a banana phone?!?!) It is written in second person.

My thoughts: I love, love, love this one. I do. I love it because it celebrates imaginative play. I love it because it celebrates the wonders and joys of imagination. I love that it is extended imaginative play. It keeps asking what might happen next....and next....and next....and next. I love how so much of the story is told THROUGH pictures.

I think this one would be great for sharing with young readers. Parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians. I do think teachers could do extension activities with this one. Young readers could become young writers and write imaginative stories of their own. They can write their own adventures if they call on a banana phone.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Young Readers

2. Squirrel Sits Still (Board Book)

2. Squirrel Sits Still (Board Book). Christianne Jones. Illustrated by Jayri Gomez. 2026. 20 pages. [Source: Library] [board book, 5 stars, animal fantasy]

First sentence: It's hard for Squirrel to sit still. She's still working on that skill. She tries to get the wiggles out. She jumps and shakes and moves about. She hurries to her story spot. She thinks about what she's been taught.

Premise/plot: Squirrel struggles with sitting still. In this context, Squirrel is trying to sit still during a library story time. The story is written in rhyme (see quote above).

My thoughts: Rhyming books don't always work for me. BUT the rhyming in this one seems natural and not forced in terms of rhythm and flow. IT works. Squirrel is adorable enough as the protagonist. I enjoyed the text and the illustrations.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Young Readers

1. The Animals of Farmer Jones

1. The Animals of Farmer Jones. Leah Gale. Illustrated by Richard Scarry. 1942. 32 pages. [Source: Bought, 4 stars, Golden Books, children's classic, farm stories]

First sentence: It is supper time on the farm. The animals are very hungry. But where is Farmer Jones?

Premise/plot: The Animals of Farmer Jones is a classic Little Golden Book. This one was originally published in 1942. Half the book is spent visiting ALL the animals on the farm--every one must make its sound after all--who want to know where Farmer Jones is. The other half of the book focuses on Farmer Jones visiting ALL the animals and feeding them.

My thoughts: Is this the most thrilling farm book? Perhaps it isn't. But it has all the elements you'd expect: a wide variety of farm animals, all the animal sounds, repetition of the text, predictability. The illustrations are by Richard Scarry. They are fabulous illustrations.

If reading about farm animals is part of your life now as a parent, a grandparent, a guardian, then you might as well read a few classics as well.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Young Readers