Oh Susannah is a series of early reader chapter books from award-wining author Carole P. Roman, author of the Captain No Beard and If You Were Me series. Oh Susannah: It’s in the Bag is book number one in this new series.
Susannah Maya Logan is a third grader (she is nearly 8 years old) and gets so overwhelmed by her problems that she buries them in her backpack. It is not a case of out of sight, out of mind as the problems start to weigh her down.
It all starts with incomplete homework, breakfast she doesn’t want and an invitation to a sleepover in a creepy house that she doesn’t want to go to. The day at school gets no better and just adds to her problems. But rather than confront the issues or ask for help from her extremely busy parents she shoves them all into her backpack until it can take no more.
Oh Susannah: It’s in the Bag is a very charming story that has been carefully written to explain that burying problems won’t solve them and dealing with things as they arise, whether by yourself or asking for help, will make life so much easier.
Stuffing everything in a backpack until it reaches breaking point is an excellent metaphor and one that young readers will be able to relate to and understand.
As an early reader chapter book it is a good length at 34 pages, split into 9 short chapters. It is written in a style that children will relate to and has humour throughout (like dad’s third eye in the back of his head that Susannah is still trying to find).
An excellent read that gives the message that is it perfectly OK to ask for help when you are feeling overwhelmed. I’m hoping the second in the series, Thing’s That Go Bump, is just as good.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £10.99 (Paperback) / £5.17 (Kindle)
Available to buy from Amazon here.
