The mischievous monkey, Bell, returns with Nell and Ben and visit a circus. This high-spirited story told with dazzling illustrations and playful dialogue introduces new vocabulary words with similar phonic sounds. Advanced early readers will enjoy Bell’s hilarious pranks, and parents can use Bell’s antics as an opportunity to discuss actions and their consequences.

Children join Ben and Nell on their adventures to visit their grandparents, a trip which many children have taken. Bell, their flamboyant and arrogant pet monkey, intrigues young readers when he misbehaves on the plane and with the ponies on the farm. The family’s adventures are built on the phonic sounds of similar words, slightly longer sentences, and hilarious dialogue, creating an enjoyable book for the advanced early reader.

Kim and Tim return for another boating adventure where the family goes on a fishing trip. A creative advanced early reader packed with lively dialogue and plenty of words with similar sounds produce an enjoyable reading experience. The lush colors of the water scenes coupled with the facial expressions of the characters leave no doubt that Kim and her mother are enjoying the fishing trip more than Tim and his father. The story is a good opportunity for parents to discuss jealousy and doing your best without holding a grudge if you don’t win.

Jill and Nick with their new red baseball caps return. When the two friends arrive for ball practice, their friends laugh at them for wearing hats. But when Jill and Nick surprise the team by catching balls with their caps, the whole team rushes to get one. Walking back to the ball field, the team sees an oak tree loaded with acorns, and they discover their new caps are perfect for holding acorns. This advanced early reader offers excellent opportunities for parents to discuss how learning new things can be beneficial.