Stratford Library Association, Young Readers Book Reviews
What makes a book a favorite? This month at the Stratford Library Young Reporters Club, we asked our student readers about selecting their favorite books and what makes a book a favorite. Joseph says it’s a book you read so many times. Alyssa thinks it’s a story that will inspire your interest. This month, young reporters at the Stratford Library feature their favorite books of 2025.
Joseph’s favorite book of 2025: A Friend for Dragon by Dav Pilkey (Dog Man by Dav Pilkey also made his favorites list). Why? In A Friend for Dragon, Dragon brings an apple to the doctor’s office and meets Walrus. He asks Walrus to watch his apple while he gets a drink of water. When he returns, his apple does not look the same at all. The story has really funny words and pictures, according to Joseph. En Espanol: Un amigo para Dragon.
A close second? Dog Man has a ton of very funny moments. Dog Man gets eaten by a ginormous vacuum cleaner, and when the vacuum cleaner pops, Petey floats away, and Dog Man takes off on a surf board to save him. Joseph ranks this title as one of his two favorites because the idea of a human body connected to a dog’s head, the premise of Dog Man, is pretty silly.
Alyssa’s favorite book of 2025: Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter. According to Alyssa, the chapter book is better than the graphic novel – And did you know there are over 68 titles in this popular series? We counted at least that many. A tabby cat named Rusty was owned by humans and then he escaped the house and ran into the forest, meeting the Thunder Clan. At first they didn’t trust him because he was a human-owned “kitty pet”, but Blue Star, the leader of Thunder Clan, said he could join their clan as long as he was trustworthy. Allysa’s verdict? “If you like cats, I highly recommend this book.” Alyssa has read the entire six book The Prophecies Begin series, of which Into the Wild is Book one.
2026 Reading Resolutions
After a tour of different types of books at the Stratford Library, Alyssa and Joseph are also ready to share their reading resolutions for 2026. On Joseph’s list is Charlotte’s Web and Cat Kid Comic Club. Alyssa has chosen Spirit Animals Book 1: Wild Born and Real Life Mysteries and Disasters. Librarian Miss A writes, “The best thing about a new year is new books to read and love. I picked Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker by Heidi Heilig as my 2026 reading resolution.”
Real Life Mysteries and Disasters
