Venus must race to uncover a gross secret ingredient before her family eats a disastrous dinner.
Maisha Oso introduces us to a young girl with a planet-sized imagination in this first installment of a new chapter book series. Venus Washington is often confused by her own name—since she was born on Earth and has never visited D.C.—but she is very certain about her love for gooey lasagna. When her grandpa hints that the secret family recipe might actually include toes, Venus enlists the help of her best friend Summer and her genius pet hamster, Hamsterburger, to stop the meal. This series currently features three books, offering a steady stream of adventures for early readers to follow.
This series is a fantastic fit for English language learners and students who find long novels intimidating. The story uses clever wordplay and literal-minded humor that mirrors the style of classics like Amelia Bedelia, making it a great tool for discussing idioms and multiple meanings in the classroom. Courtney Lovett’s expressive black-and-white illustrations appear throughout the chapters, providing visual cues that help students track the action without feeling exhausted by the text. Because the characters and the humorous tone remain consistent across the books, pupils can build their reading stamina and confidence as they move from one “drama” to the next.
