This curiosity-fueling chapter book will redirect kids’ restless energy toward creative problem-solving and confident exploration.
Charli and her two besties, Molly and Emma, never shy away from learning new things. This day is extra-special because their school welcomes a surprise visitor, a landscape architect named Ms. Martin, who has an exciting announcement. The town council has approved plans for a new park that Ms. Martin is designing, and while most of it is already planned, she needs true experts for one important section. She turns to Mrs. Lopez’s class for ideas, inviting the children’s creativity and enthusiasm to help design the playground. After listening to a few questions about the mechanics of landscape design, Charli’s soaring imagination takes over. She dreams up a brilliant scenario where she and her friends conceptualize a park that is more dog-friendly than others in the area. Using critical thinking and an impressive attention to even the smallest details, Charli works out all the plans and submits her idea: Pawsome Park. The park is a success in her mind, but back in the real world, Bristol still doesn’t have a park where folks can let their pups run free. But the day isn’t over yet!
STEM, an acronym for the academic fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, encompasses many varied careers. But if you think that sounds boring, you need to spend more time with Charli and her friends! The perfect step-up for independent readers growing into fuller stories, this curiosity-fueling chapter book will redirect kids’ restless energy toward creative problem-solving and confident exploration. The energetic story gently educates with concepts such as horticulture, computer-assisted design, and landscape architecture. Some of these ideas might be new to young readers, but are easy to understand in the context of the story, especially with the clear illustrations as a guide. With a refreshingly uncluttered aesthetic, the artwork does an amazing job of keeping the themes at the forefront. A favorite daydream scene of Charli’s depicts this intelligent, mature young lady casually sipping hot cocoa while scanning her sketch of a dog-friendly park. As Charli trades in her pigtails for professional attire, the sweet book offers a charming glimpse of her growing confidence and unstoppable ambition. Even though Charli and Emma still use childlike expressions and gestures as they plan a park, it’s clear that their future is bright. A fun, empowering read that helps dismantle old stereotypes, Charli’s Pawsome Park is a joyful nudge that shows kids just how much they can accomplish.
