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Kate and Sam Adventures #1
Kate and Sam to the Rescue
One summer evening Sam and Kate's parents go for a walk.
"We're just going around the block," says Mama, "We'll be back in fifteen minutes."
But they do not come back in fifteen minutes. Where could they be? The next morning Kate and Sam discover a mysterious special delivery letter in an iridescent green envelope. It's from Mama and Dad, and it says, "Dear Kate and Sam, We are very sorry we did not get back home on time last night as we promised. Unfortunately, just as we turned the corner of Elm Street, a large, fierce yellow dragon swooped down and carried us off..." So begin Sam and Kate's adventures to rescue their parents. Along the way they learn from their pet cat how to speak with animals, and they make many friends - which is lucky, because they'll encounter wolves, robbers, angry bees, fairies, magical traps and puzzles, the yellow dragon, and more. But have no fear! Sam, Kate, and their companions are kind and resourceful enough to solve any problem.
"We're just going around the block," says Mama, "We'll be back in fifteen minutes."
But they do not come back in fifteen minutes. Where could they be? The next morning Kate and Sam discover a mysterious special delivery letter in an iridescent green envelope. It's from Mama and Dad, and it says, "Dear Kate and Sam, We are very sorry we did not get back home on time last night as we promised. Unfortunately, just as we turned the corner of Elm Street, a large, fierce yellow dragon swooped down and carried us off..." So begin Sam and Kate's adventures to rescue their parents. Along the way they learn from their pet cat how to speak with animals, and they make many friends - which is lucky, because they'll encounter wolves, robbers, angry bees, fairies, magical traps and puzzles, the yellow dragon, and more. But have no fear! Sam, Kate, and their companions are kind and resourceful enough to solve any problem.
- GenresFantasy
135 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
89 people want to read
About the author
Anne E.G. Nydam
18 books19 followersAnne E.G. Nydam has been writing poems and creating imaginary worlds since the age of four. If asked at any point since then what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would have answered, "a writer." Her love of language led her to major in linguistics at Yale University, but this was followed by an unexpected but delightful ten-year detour into teaching middle school art.
Ms Nydam is now a stay-at-home mother, artist, and writer. She lives with her family outside of Boston. She is a poor housekeeper, as is only natural in someone with so many more interesting hobbies to pursue.
Please join her at her blog on relief block prints and juvenile fantasy: Black and White, Words and Pictures.
Ms Nydam is now a stay-at-home mother, artist, and writer. She lives with her family outside of Boston. She is a poor housekeeper, as is only natural in someone with so many more interesting hobbies to pursue.
Please join her at her blog on relief block prints and juvenile fantasy: Black and White, Words and Pictures.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 26, 2012
I've been on the quest for read-aloud chapter books with content that is not too scary or intense for young children, but that still have language and vocabulary that aren't dumbed-down or over-simplified -- and that are also fun and entertaining enough to keep an adult from boredom or saccharine-overload. "Kate and Sam" is my offering in that particular niche, and it was written with lots of input and ideas from my children. Not only do my children love it, of course, but their entire first grade class, who heard it as a read-aloud, gave it positive reviews. I hope you and the child you read to will like it, too!
There are also sequels, "Kate and Sam and the Chipmunks of Doom," and "Kate and Sam and the Cheesemonster."
There are also sequels, "Kate and Sam and the Chipmunks of Doom," and "Kate and Sam and the Cheesemonster."
June 15, 2014
“Kate and Sam To the Rescue” by Anne E.G. Nydam is a cute childrens book about a brother and sister, Sam and Kate, and their cat, Nasturtium, who have to go on a journey to rescue their parents from an evil dragon. We learn right away that Nasturtium can talk and he acts as a translator to the animals they meet along the way.
This was a really fun book and I think that younger children would definitely like the journey and all the characters to be read aloud to them. In the story, the author shows the value of kindness and friendship, as well as courage. She does it in a way that is flows with the story and does not hound on it to make the point. I found the best parts were the letters written by their mom to let Kate and Sam know how she and their dad are holding out. An excerpt from one of the letters goes:
“We are so tangled up that at present we can hardly move enough to write to you, and we do not know what will happen when the giant spiders find us in the morning. But don’t worry; we’ll figure out something.”
When I would read these letters, I could hear in my imagination my mother’s voice, and what I, as a kid, would have felt like getting letters like this from my parents.
I really liked this book. It is a fun read, but I think it would work best was a book that was read aloud to a child. Some of the illustrations in the book were drawn by Mrs. Nydam’s children when they were 6 years old and felt like they belonged in the story. Other illustrations were done by the author herself.
**This book was received for free through Goodreads First Reads. That in no way influenced my review.**
This was a really fun book and I think that younger children would definitely like the journey and all the characters to be read aloud to them. In the story, the author shows the value of kindness and friendship, as well as courage. She does it in a way that is flows with the story and does not hound on it to make the point. I found the best parts were the letters written by their mom to let Kate and Sam know how she and their dad are holding out. An excerpt from one of the letters goes:
“We are so tangled up that at present we can hardly move enough to write to you, and we do not know what will happen when the giant spiders find us in the morning. But don’t worry; we’ll figure out something.”
When I would read these letters, I could hear in my imagination my mother’s voice, and what I, as a kid, would have felt like getting letters like this from my parents.
I really liked this book. It is a fun read, but I think it would work best was a book that was read aloud to a child. Some of the illustrations in the book were drawn by Mrs. Nydam’s children when they were 6 years old and felt like they belonged in the story. Other illustrations were done by the author herself.
**This book was received for free through Goodreads First Reads. That in no way influenced my review.**
May 16, 2016
I read this to my kids as a read-aloud. I would have given it a 2, but they really enjoyed it. My main issue is that the chapters are soooo long - which is a bit of a pain for read-aloud, but also for kids with a limited bedtime reading time.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews