Penny series by Kevin Henkes

Easy Fiction Treasure

My easy fiction treasure posts are focusing on beginner books that have recently been culled from my former school library.  The Penny series titles are: Penny and her Song; Penny and her Doll; Penny and her Marble;  Penny and her Sled. These are so SPECIAL I simply cannot fathom why they were removed from the collection. Kevin Henkes is one of the best US writers. His famous titles include Chrysanthemum; The Year of Billy Miller; Junonia (one of my most favourite books of all time); and Wemberly Worried.

Penny and her Marble and Penny and her Doll have Kirkus Star reviews. The first three Penny books are available in paperback and are very inexpensive.

In the first book Penny comes home wanting to sing her song but her mother explains the babies are sleeping.

From Kevin Henkes web pages

Penny and her Song

Penny is an energetic young mouse with a song she just can’t wait to sing. Her mama’s name is Jane, her papa’s name is John, and her twin baby siblings are Tilly and Pip. Meet Penny and her family (and her new doll!) in this brand-new series for brand-new readers.

Penny and her Doll

When Penny receives a surprise box in the mail from Gram, she is thrilled. The surprise is a doll, and she is absolutely perfect, from her head to her toes. Penny loves her immediately. She introduces her new doll to Mama and to the babies and to Papa. But then Papa asks what the doll’s name is, and Penny realizes that she doesn’t know.

Penny and her Marble

Penny found a marble as blue and perfect as the sky. The marble is smooth and the marble is fast, but the marble does not belong to her. It belongs to her neighbor, Mrs. Goodwin. Now Penny is worried she’s taken something important, but a chance encounter with Mrs. Goodwin puts all her fears to rest.

Penny and her Sled

Patiently, Penny waits and watches for the snow to appear. She puts on her scarf and hat. She sleeps with her mittens. Maybe if she’s ready, the snow will finally come. But day after day, the snow does not arrive. Finally, Penny decides she will use her sled for other things—it’s too wonderful not to!

With a little imagination, the sled becomes a bridge for her glass animals to cross. It becomes a bed for her doll, Rose. It becomes a magic carpet that takes Penny and Rose on adventures all around the world.

These gorgeous books should be in every Primary school library. They are books to treasure and share with young readers who are gaining confidence with independent reading. Add them to your shopping list today!