Children’s Book Review: Oh Susannah Series By Carole P. Roman

OH SUSANNAH: IT’S IN THE BAG

By: Carole P. Roman

Illustrated by: Mateya Arkova

Published: April 3, 2017

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Fiction

The first in the OH SUSANNAH series introduces readers to Susannah, a third grader who needs some help dealing with things she has been putting off. This chapter book shares how Susannah becomes overwhelmed with math homework, an uneaten banana, a sleepover invitation, and a test. By shoving them all in her bag, she tries to ignore them until her bag gets too heavy and “bursts”. She thinks her parents are too busy to talk to about her fears until they finally come out in a nightmare.

I think this story is realistic for elementary readers who can easily feel overwhelmed with homework and anxieties they may be having about friendships, homework, and things they are afraid of. Instead of talking to someone, these fears keep building up over time until they eventually explode. This story teaches a lesson on talking about your fears and making sure you handle things as they happen and not letting them build up over time.

OH SUSANNAH: THINGS THAT GO BUMP

By: Carole P. Roman

Illustrated by: Mateya Arkova

Published: July 11, 2017

Publisher: Chelshire, Inc

Fiction

The next book in the series picks up right where Susannah left off in the previous story. Susannah has learned how to handle things that overwhelm her, but she still hasn’t told her parents about being afraid of the sleepover at Lola’s house. Lola lives in a big, older home that makes weird noises and has dark rooms. Lola’s brother also told Susannah that a ghost lives there and walks around carrying heavy chains. So, Susannah is afraid to go to Lola’s and stay overnight. Rather than talking about her fears, she lets them run wild in her mind. Finally, the day of the sleepover has arrived and she doesn’t want to let her friend down, but she is too scared to go.

Again, Susannah has to learn to talk about her fears with her parents and see that what she thinks is scary really is just her mind playing tricks on her. When she finally goes to the sleepover, she gets the biggest surprise of all.

This series by Roman includes short chapters that can be read by parents to young-elementary-aged children or alone by upper-elementary-aged children. I think the fears and anxieties that Susannah is feeling are realistic for children today. Parents and children often have extremely busy lives and once a couple assignments build up, kids can be afraid to let parents know they are feeling overwhelmed. Kids see how busy their parents are and don’t want to bother them. Roman has created a series that is relatable to children with fun stories that offer lessons on how to handle concerns many kids face.

Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of over fifty children’s books. She writes both fiction and non-fiction for a wide range of ages. Whether it’s pirates, princesses, or discovering the world around us, her books have enchanted educators, parents, and her diverse audience of children.  She has co-authored a self-help book for beginning authors. OH SUSANNAH is her first Early Reader Chapter book series. Roman lives on Long Island with her husband and near her children and grandchildren. To see all my reviews of Roman’s books, click HERE. You can also visit Roman’s website, HERE.

To purchase a copy of either OH SUSANNAH book, click the photo below:

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