Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Kids face challenges big and small in kind, engaging books.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Since THE CARVER CHRONICLES series is written from a variety of perspectives, each story is a fresh perspective on life at an elementary school. That each kid has a different background -- race, family makeup, income -- adds a layer of depth and relatability that's rare in books for young readers. Calvin learns that the school bully faces challenges in foster care that are beyond anything Calvin understands; Carlos faces huge adjustments when his cousin Bernardo moves into his room and his school; Gavin feels picked on by an overbearing relative. Along with their friends Richard, Nikki, Deja and the others in Ms. Shelby-Ortiz's classroom at Carver Elementary, the kids navigate heady topics. But, with trips to the skateboard park and soccer field, plus birthday parties and playground antics, these kids are definitely still kids.
Is It Any Good?
The changing perspective from book to book is one of the best things about this series, and helps promote one of the core values author Karen English seems intent on sharing: empathy. Throughout The Carver Chronicles, readers feel what it's like to walk in another kid's shoes, to make mistakes and to be misunderstood, to succeed, to fail, and to be loved. These aren't light, funny, easy reads; the topics are serious, and the books are well written and surprisingly deep for this age group. But it works. The stories are engaging, the vocabulary is age appropriate but offers some challenges, and young readers might be surprised how much they enjoy reading about the importance of responsibility and integrity.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the kids in The Carver Chronicles are so different from one another but also so similar. Calvin and Harper have very different personalities; what gets them to connect?
Knowing what you do about a few of the kids' backgrounds, what do you think Ms. Shelby-Ortiz thinks when she looks at the kids in her class every day?
What other books are about different kids at school together?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Laura Freeman
- Genre : School
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HMH Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : October 14, 2014
- Number of pages : 128
- Available on : Paperback, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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