• Age: 5 to 7
• Grade: k to 2

The Inside Scouts Viv and Sanjay help a lion with a leaky heart in this full-color early reader series!

Pick a book. Grow a Reader!

This series is part of Scholastic's early reader line, Acorn, aimed at children who are learning to read. With easy-to-read text, a short-story format, plenty of humor, and full-color artwork on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and fluency. Acorn books plant a love of reading and help readers grow!

Viv and Sanjay are the Inside Scouts! Together, they help animals. They have a cool superpower -- they can shrink super small. When a lion with a leaky heart needs help, the Inside Scouts know what to do! They put on their suits, grab their tools, and get really small. They go inside the lion to find the leaky spot. And they fix it together!

This series introduces beginning readers to the human body through mammals with similar anatomy -- and it does so in really fun ways! In this first book, readers learn about the circulatory system as Viv and Sanjay fix the lion’s heart! With color-coded speech bubbles, easy-to-read text, and light nonfiction content, these engaging STEM-themed stories are the perfect fit for new readers!

MITALI BANERJEE RUTHS grew up in Houston, Texas, and dreamed of becoming an astronaut someday. She has worked as a babysitter, an ice cream seller, and a medical doctor. She is the author of the picture book Archie Celebrates Diwali, the Scholastic Branches early chapter book series, The Party Diaries, and the Scholastic Acorn early reader series, The Inside Scouts. Mitali lives in Canada with her husband, three kids, and their dog, Tux.

Mitali Banerjee Ruths' profile page

Francesca Mahaney is a biracial (Filipino-American) illustrator based in Massachusetts. Francesca enjoys illustrating for magazines, books, educational materials, and beyond. She has an A.S. in Visual Arts and a B.F.A. in Communications Design from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. The Inside Scouts by Mitali Banerjee Ruths is her debut early reader series.

Francesca Mahaney's profile page

Praise for Awesome Orange Birthday (The Party Diaries #1) by Mitali Banerjee Ruths:

"This series debut aimed at newly independent readers provides short, colorful, diary-style entries with a sweet central character. Strongly recommended." -- School Library Journal

"Priya is a well-rounded, nuanced protagonist whose enthusiasm and anxiety will resonate with readers, and the narrative, peppered with bright images, is fast-moving... A layered, upbeat tale starring a determined, relatable protagonist." -- Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Archie Celebrates Diwali by Mitali Banerjee Ruths:

"This sweet picture book about sharing Diwali will ring true in many households." -- Kirkus Reviews

"A reassuring portrayal of childhood anxieties." -- Booklist