The Bears Upstairs

Magic Castle Readers

by Jane Belk Moncure

Katie plays with her toy bears using chairs and later serves them pears.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Fantasy, Animals, Fiction

31 pages, Library Binding

First published June 1, 1987

About the author

Jane Belk Moncure (born December 1926) is an American author of early childhood non-fiction, fiction and poetry. She has also written under the names Bruce Wannamaker and Jennie Davis.

Moncure has lived in Virginia and North Carolina. She worked in early childhood education for thirty-five years. She lives in Elon College, North Carolina.

Moncure is a creative and prolific author: there are millions of her books in circulation, and they are widely distributed in schools and libraries. Distribution has been primarily through The ChildsWorld, ChildrensPress and Scholastic. Her creations and works include My First Steps to Reading, My First Steps to Math, My First Steps to Science, Word Bird, The Soundbox Books, and The Magic Castle Series. Her works have been translated into British English, Spanish, French, Chinese, and Malay. Belk Library, Elon University holds a collection of all published books by Moncure.

Jane Belk Moncure is a recipient of the C.S. Lewis Award and over the past 20 years, her works were recognized by numerous Awards. Most recently, in 2008, Jane received the Scholastic Teacher's Choice Award for her outstanding contribution to the My First Steps to Learning Program. --from Wikipedia

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has some "creative ideas for play" in it... but all of them require chairs. So... if you give this book to a child, you better include 4-10 chairs as well, or they are going to be sorely dissapointed. Also... bring bears.

Edit: I think this is my favorite review that I've written. Clearly it was taken very seriously and written during a phase where I was just attempting to goodreads review anything I had ever read, regardless of how long ago and 15-page-childrens-book it is. Thank you Tortla for being the sole person to like this.

[Kristen Dutkiewicz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay story about a very noisy neighbor.

[Edward Creter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane Belk Moncure, who has cranked out at least three kid's books a day for four decades, now honors book reading by calling them "windows" into a whole new world to explore. Which is why most grown ups may find the works of Jane Moncure as "exciting" as a dime store novel from a Middle East publisher and as degrading as a sermon on Sunday from James Dobson. But then we tend to forget at times to see the world through the eyes of a toddler. Change your perspective and even Run Spot Run becomes enjoyable. This book allows a young girl character to explore a book about bears who live upstairs in a small classroom, a nice family of bears as lovable as the Berenstains. She plays pretend and treats them to pear snacks and even hugs it out with them, pretty brave considering these are, yknow, bears?!? But let's face it, we grownups are inundated with way too much fiction that forces us to face reality head on. 9/11 has done that to all of us, I know. So don't you think the time is now to read stuff where the imagination is far better than realism? We knew this once before 9/11, and now it's time to overcome tragedy and enjoy pure fantasy again. Let a girl and a few cuddly bears lead the way. You might be surprised.
Three stars
Care Bears eating pears RULE!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

EASY READER - Renton Highlands

Eh, it's a phonics book that is teaching kids words and does it with some class. The various games the kid sets up for the bears are fun and the pictures are engaging.

[Atlantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rhythm and rhyme first reader about creative play.

[Peter Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Were indeed upstairs

[Shawna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was so fun to read. A story about two bears and their many differences. I think that students can be taught that sometimes many people are very different in the way they live, therefore, we should be respectful of that and come to a middle ground and be friends! This book can teach students a great life lesson while enjoying it through the life of two bears.

[Brittany]

A child plays with her toy bears using chairs and later serves them pears.

In this book the child uses her imagination to do whatever she wants while she is playing. I would read this book to my students then have them tell me and adventure they would play if they had several bears to play with (teddy bears).

[Cecilia · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, I was lead to believe this would be a book about being a considerate neighbor when living in an apartment. It wasn't. It clearly might have been at some point in the editorial process. But the book comes off like several different plot ideas were merged over each other into a giant mess that doesn't make much sense.

[Tricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh - not so great.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

great system of books to help teach children to read, each book shows one or more lessons on words, repetition or sound editions. this system has great colorful books with very simple books

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book my son was given a few months ago. While the story itself is cute (a girl plays with some bears and their chairs), the idea of calling a book a "Word Window" is just insulting and lame.

[Brittney Swetmon]

each page includes something different that the little girl is doing with the bears. good book for fantasy and imagination.

[David Kilgore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to teach the limitless possibilities of your imagination

[Kymberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on teaching imagination, different types of vehicles, opposites, & rhyming. Very cute book.

[Jean Doolittle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story, like the mouse on every page.