Sports Carnival: Ella and Olivia

Sports Carnival: Ella and Olivia by Yvette Poshoglian, illustrated by Danielle McDonald (Scholastic Australia)

PB RRP $7.99

ISBN 978-1-74362-052-6

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Ella and Olivia are sisters. Ella is seven and Olivia is five. They live with Mum and Dad, baby brother Max and puppy dog Bob. Ella and Olivia are very excited. Their school is going to have a sports carnival day and they are training very hard for it with Ella's friend Zoe. Even Mum and Dad are training hard as they are part of the purple team the sisters are in.

Will the purple team get enough points to beat Zoe’s green team and the other two teams? Ella and Olivia would love to win the grand prize, a trip to the Slip and Slide Water Park.

The Ella and Olivia series is pitched to 5 plus beginner readers and Sports Carnival is a sweet story which this young readership will adore. The sisters have a lovely, but realistic, relationship and they are feisty and interesting without being naughty - the cheekiness is left up to Bob the puppy.

The illustrator creates fun characters that are friendly and lively. These pictures break up the text which is clear and easy to read with short sentences and short chapters.

A constantly growing series, there are plenty of titles for young girls to read and enjoy.