Max and Zoe at Break Time

Shelley Swanson Sateren is the award-winning author of many children’s books. She has worked as a children’s book editor and in a children’s bookstore. Today, besides writing, Shelley works with elementary-school-aged children in various settings. She lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with her husband and two sons.

Max and Zoe are good friends. When Max misses out on the class’s recess sledding excursion because he forgot his boots, Zoe helps him remember by writing notes and taping them up in his room. The next day, he wears his boots but forgets his shoes. In the second book, Zoe can’t dribble the ball through the cones at soccer practice but is the fastest runner on the team. She and Max decide to help one another and learn new skills. Short chapters and episodes of action help move the story arcs along, with Sullivan’s expressive illustrations providing good context clues. Well balanced, the books manage to include lessons like perseverance and responsibility without being overly didactic. Good additions for beginning-reader collections.