Willimena Rules!: How to Lose Your Class Pet - Book #1

It's has been very difficult trying to find books for my twin 8yr old daughters. I wanted a series of books with the star character being an African American girl just having fun and doing kid stuff. A book that will make them know that reading is fun. This book does just that and more. I only wish that there were more of them because I already bought them all. If you're looking for a great chapter book for an African American girl, then author Valerie Wilson Wesley's series of "Willimena Rules" is it. Also try, Gloria Rising and Gloria's Way by Ann Cameron.

I've purchased each and every book for myself and my 10-year-old niece. Ms. Wesley has truly delivered something special in this precious series.

Willimena is a typical young girl preparing to launch into the next big step of her life, the third grade. As she prepares for her first day of school she is forced to deal with the taunts of her annoying older sister, but this is just the beginning of her problems. Soon she learns that the teacher she had looked forward to having would not be teaching and she would be in a class with a notoriously mean teacher and to make matters worse, she will be in class with her nemesis, none other than Crawford Mills. As Willimena adapts to her unexpected teacher, she decides that she must make the most of the situation by becoming the most helpful student in her class. But when she is given the responsibility of caring for the class pet, a Peruvian Guinea Pig named Lester, her adventures really begin.Valerie Wilson Wesley has truly captured the voice of a young girl in this first book in her new series of Willimena's Rule books. Maryn Ross's illustrations add to the story and help readers better envision the characters about which they are reading. Based on the first book, this looks like a promising new series that will captivate young readers and have them looking forward to the next installment featuring more of Willimena's exciting, yet everyday experiences. Wesley is indeed filling a void in African American children's literature with this engaging new series.Reviewed by Stacey Seay of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers