Pepper and Boo series by Charise Mericle Harper

 

Pepper and Boo are two, slightly crazy dogs. They live with a suspicious housemate, the Cat. This series is perfect for newly independent readers who like funny books. If you are reading a book from this series in your family, you could take turns to be Pepper or Boo or the long-suffering cat. The voices are easy to follow because Charise Haper uses different speech bubble colour to show which dog is speaking.

Cat is a solitary creature, so she speaks to herself and about herself. Her commentary is so funny. 

Plot Book One - A cat surprise: They are two dogs who do not know much about cats. (Who does?) They wonder why the cat sleeps so much (in their beds!), licks itself so much, what the cat is thinking, and what makes the cat happy. Luckily, the cat can explain. The cat knows a lot about being a cat. They know a cat will sleep anywhere (a box, a keyboard, a sink, and Boo's bed) and any time of day. They know what cats like and do not like to eat. They also know that although they are different, they're happy to have housemates like Pepper and Boo.

Plot Book Two - Puddle Trouble: Pepper and Boo are two dogs who like to have fun. The Cat likes to have fun, too, but cat fun is very different from dog fun. Cats can have fun with a newspaper, a bottle cap, an ice cube, and some boxes. Dogs like to have fun by chasing leaves, biting sticks, and licking the grass. That’s not the only way cats and dogs are different. The Cat explains while Pepper and Boo try to find coats so they can go outside on a rainy day. With the perfect coat, cats and dogs can all have fun outside together. 

Plot Book Three - Paws up for joy!: Pepper and Boo are two dogs who love to celebrate. What could be more special than a day in the house without the Cat! The dogs can play with their toys and dance for treats and the cat will not come running. Hooray, the cat is outside. The Cat knows about special things too. Special things can be big, but sometimes special things can also be small. Like a sunny day after lots of rain, a yummy smell, a little bug, or even a sweet sound. When you look, there are joys to be found. At the end of the day there is one last surprise - the feeling of family.

Charise Mericle Harper is author of many books for young readers including the Just Grace series Charise lives in Oregon. You can see lots of other books - picture books, older readers graphic novels and more at her website. 

You're finally here! Melanie Watt

Do you know how long I've been waiting in here? Long enough to watch paint dry ... long enough to find a needle in a haystack ... long enough to learn an accordion solo ... long enough to gather dust bunnies.

Our narrator bunny is annoyed with waiting for YOU. He is also bored, impatient, and accuses you of extreme rudeness but if you agree to stay he has written a contract:

"This document states that YOU, the reader, hereby agree to stay with ME, the bunny (book character of YOU'RE FINALLY HERE!), forever and ever. YOU, the reader promise to devote all your attention exclusively to ME, the bunny. YOU, the reader, therefore agree never to keep ME, the bunny waiting again! And, oh yes, YOU, the reader, will provide ME, the bunny, with carrot treats every day."

If you are not laughing yet the final pages where our Bunny is interrupted by a series of mobile phone calls are sure give you (and your reading companion) a bucket load of giggles. Now who is left waiting? This book is perfect for young readers aged 6+ but I would also read it to older students and it would be a terrific present for a newly graduated law student too!

Mélanie Watt has taken the classic concept of a fictional character speaking to his audience and found some very interesting ways to make that concept fresh again. Watt’s little bunny is exuberant, pushy,passive-aggressive, charming, and very, very human and, I think, kids will adore how the bunny behaves less like a character in a book and more like a motor-mouthed friend or family member. Building a Library

Watt touches on all manner of manners issues here: the rudeness of pointing out rudeness, of being late, of being selfish, of being aloof and inconsiderate. She strikes a balance between the allure of the bunny’s hyper-­enthusiastic joy at receiving the reader’s attention, and the offensiveness of its egocentric – if not psychotic – neediness. Quill and Quire

Sorry to say this very, very funny book is now out of print. The hardcover edition was published in 2011 and the paperback in 2014. Hopefully you will find a copy in a well stocked library. In the meantime I did find a well made video of the whole book. For teachers and teacher-librarians this is a perfect book for the start of the year with a Grade Two class. I do love books that break the "fourth wall" such as Little Mouse, the ripe red Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear; and Bear Hunt by Anthony Browne. 

Canadian author illustrator Melanie Watt is famous for her Scaredy Squirrel series.