Books For Kids By Mona Hodgson

I Can Read! and DESERT CRITTER FRIENDS Series

Children love every Desert Critter Friends story! Mona and the illustrator Chris Sharp bring the Arizona desert and its critters to life in the Desert Critter Friends Series. Written at a second-grade reading level, each book uses beginning-reader vocabulary and short sentences to help kids develop reading skills and learn values such as honesty, self-control, forgiveness, respect, trust, responsibility, friendship, contentment, humility, individuality, cooperation, and helping others. Each compelling story is followed by activity pages and discussion starters for easy use in classrooms and family settings. The children in your life (maybe that's you) will want to collect all twelve books in the Desert Critter Friends Series.

Value: Individuality

Bert the roadrunner is ready for a day of adventure in the desert. He races toward the big rocks, the bunch of trees, and Mingus Mountain. Along the way, he meets a strange new friend, Taylor the tortoise.  Bert and Taylor notice their differences.  What does Bert find on his trip to Mingus Mountain? Can Taylor help him out? Can they ever be friends, or are they just too different? Read along and find out!

Value: Friendship

Lenny the pack rat decides to explore the desert alone. That way he won't have to share anything he finds.  The special treasure he finds gets him into a lot of trouble!  Now Lenny needs his friends.  Can Bert the roadrunner and Rosie the skunk save him? Read along and find out!

Value: Self-control

The big Desert Critter Friends race is coming up soon! Wanda the cottontail rabbit needs to be in good shape for the race on Friday. But instead of exercising, she has been snacking a lot. Now she runs out of breath when she hops. Puff! Puff! Bert the roadrunner and Rosie the skunk find special ways to help Wanda.  Will Wanda be ready for the race on Friday? Who will win? Read along and find out!

Value: Honesty

Rosie the skunk notices some of her friends are avoiding her. When she discovers the problem, her feelings are hurt. Her friends have believed a smelly tale. The Desert Critters learn that listening to gossip or spreading it always hurts someone in the end. And they learn that half-truths aren't really the truth at all.

Value: Cooperation

Fergus the great horned owl is pouting. He wants to build the new Desert Critter Clubhouse in a tree. But not everyone thinks that's a good idea. Will Fergus find a way to be a part of the team? Read along as Fergus uses his gifts to help the Desert Critters find the best clubhouse ever!

Value: Helping Others

A fierce storm comes to the desert! Myra the quail smells fire! Mingus Mountain is burning. Then Myra discovers a mysterious animal in the Desert Critter Friends clubhouse. Can the Desert Critters identify this creature and help her find her brother? Read along as the Desert Critter Friends use their detective talents and kindness to help a new friend.

Value: Forgiveness

Jamal the jackrabbit teased a coyote, and now it has found Toby and Wanda cottontail's borrow. Oh no! Toby is safe, but where is Wanda? Toby is very angry at Jamal. Can he forgive Jamal for what he has done? Toby and Wanda's home is no longer a safe place since the coyote knows where they live. Where will they go now? Read along as the desert critter friends come to the rescue!

Value: Trust

The desert critters are going on a campout! Everyone is excited . . . except Jill the ground squirrel. It's a nighttime campout and Jill doesn't stay awake at night like some of the other desert critters. She is afraid of what might happen in the dark. Can Jill learn to trust her friends? Read along as the desert critters take care of each other at the campout.

Value: Humility

Quincy the porcupine needs a place for his art show. The desert critters agree that their clubhouse is the perfect place to display his work. But something goes wrong. What happened to his masterpieces? Read along as Quincy learns humility while he discovers that friendship outlasts his sticky statues.

Value: Contentment

Taylor the tortoise wears glasses to help him see. But he thinks that glasses make him look goofy. Although Taylor thinks he looks better without glasses, he creates all kinds of problems for himself and for his desert critter friends when he doesn't wear them. Read along as Taylor's friends show him how to be content with who he is and how he is.

Value: Respect

The Desert Critter Friends are having a talent show! But Nadine the Javelina is only thinking of herself which causes a lot of trouble with her friends. She's rude to Jamal, tears up Myra's garden, snoops in Bert's house, and refuses to listen to Jill's idea for the talent show. Then something surprising happens at the talent show. Read along as Nadine and her desert critter friends learn to respect one another.

Value: Responsibility

Jamal the jackrabbit promised to clean up the sticky mess he had made in the Desert Critter Clubhouse. Instead of getting it done before the big Spelling Bee like he said he would, he chooses to do something else -- something more fun. Because of Jamal's lack of responsibility, his desert critter friends are all in a buzz and they can't get into their clubhouse for the Spelling Bee. What will happen? How will they get the buzzing invaders out of their clubhouse. Read along and find out.