Fun February Reads

If you've ever been a classroom teacher, you know that the month of February is the "longest shortest month" of the year. It's true. Those 28 days seem to D--R--A--G on, the weather is yucky, and spring break seems like forever away!

Even if you're at home, February can be a dull month; everyone is sick, no one wants to visit because of germs, and, again, the weather....

It's time to lighten it up, folks! Try one of the books/series below this February for a quick reprieve from heavy duty school work and more intense reading. Are these books destined to be ones you'll reread? Probably not. Are they modern classics? Probably not.

BUT, will they be fun? Yes. Perhaps even laugh out loud funny? Yes. Will your youngsters enjoy the sheer delight of reading a good book on the couch while it's cold and yucky outside? Absolutely. Will this be more fun if Mom makes a cup of chai to enjoy simultaneously? Of course. And, will your kids enjoy watching YOU enjoy some light reading? Most definitely. Try one of the book/series below for some quality time with your kids--if discussion topics arise, great. If not, take note of any issues/character traits/events which might provide good fodder in future discussions (i.e. "Aren't you acting a bit like ... here?").

The Odd Squad: Bully Bait
Michael Fry
Hyperion, 2013 (comes out THIS month!)

Hilarious in a very middle school way, The Odd Squad is the latest comic/illustrated novel (a la Wimpy Kid or Dork Diaries) to hit shelves; I must say, it's a heap site better than those other two in my opinion. In fact, this is sort of Lunch Lady meets Wimpy Kid: a motley and unlikely collection of 3 misfits learns how to beat the bully with some behind the scenes help from the school janitor (there's more to the janitor than meets the eye!). But it's more than just a lesson in standing up for yourself. Along the way, the three learn how to be friends, how to look past someone's outer exterior to what might be going on inside, and how to be themselves--quirks and all. And there are definitely some quirks. The main character, Nick, reminds me of the main dude in Wimpy Kid, but I like Nick SO much better. He's a jerk at times, but he learns from it and recovers. This will have your 5th, 6th, and 7th graders laughing and nodding along, especially if they're in a school big enough to have lockers! I viewed the ARC, so the artwork wasn't final--but what I saw added to the text tremendously and was well done.

Babymouse
Jennifer and Matthew Holm (brother and sister!)
Random House


I have a confirmed Babymouse addict in the house in the form of one 7-year-old little girl. And I gotta say, folks, that I'd take Babymouse over Angelina Ballerina or Olivia ANY day. Is there snark? Sure. Does Babymouse have an attitude? Yep. But the Babymouse Christmas won me over: when Babymouse gets the handheld gaming gadget of choice for Christmas, she actually puts it down and goes over to play with her younger sibling and the new doll house. And, more to the point, since this is a graphic novel, the pictures were worth more than a thousand preachy words. In the Puppy Love installment pictured here, Babymouse is dying for a puppy, but she learns a lot about how hard pets are to take care of--especially when you're a bit absent-minded. When she finally does figure it out...well...  (Recommended for middle elementary--early middle)

Lunch Lady
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Knopf

Another graphic novel series, this one is for those among you who go to school and/or appreciate some great schooltime humor. Solving "crimes," the Lunch Lady and her kid cronies are ka-powing, blam-ming, and karate-chopping away (only the Lunch Lady does this with fantastic kitchen-implements-turned-secret-agent-weapons). Funny, quirky, and a terrific break from heavy reading for the 3rd-7th grade crowd (although my K5-1st grade crowd enjoy them, too).

TinTin
Herge
Little, Brown

There's some serious vocabulary in these original TinTin books!! And while the movie might be fun, the comics are so much... more. More plot, more action, more TinTin! TinTin travels the world in his various adventures, solving crimes and having daring adventures. Middle grades.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Jeff Kinney

I'm not a huge fan of the Wimpy Kid series, but Janie Cheaney over at Redeemed Reader makes some worthwhile points in favor of this (admittedly hilarious) series.

Capture the Flag
Kate Messner
Scholastic, 2012

4 kids. 4 ethnicities. 1 President-Hopeful. 1 poodle. 1 missing Star Spangled Banner (yes, THE Star Spangled Banner). 1 Secret Society. 1 airport full of people stuck during a 24-hour snowstorm and subsequent grounding of all planes. And LOTS of Tootsie Rolls, crazy baggage carousel rides, and action. The only true chapter book in this lineup, Capture the Flag is a terrific adventure read for a snowy winter day or two....Middle grades (4th-7th perhaps)

All cover images from goodreads; all books save The Odd Squad from my local library; ARC for Odd Squad thanks to Hyperion via netgalley

Rudyard Kipling's Just So Comics: Tales of the World's Wildest Beasts

Rudyard Kipling's Just So Comics: Tales of the World's Wildest Beasts
Rudyard Kipling
Pedro Rodriguez, illustrator
Capstone, 2013

I've tried valiantly to read a few more comic/cartoon/graphic novels recently because I know so many kids who enjoy them, and I still feel like I'm in unfamiliar territory. So I jumped at the chance to read this ARC since I'm a big fan of Kipling's Just So Stories. Phrases like the "great, gray green greasy Limpopo" jog along in my head, "o best beloved," whenever I think of them.

Some classics have been translated into graphic novel form quite successfully; this is not one of those instances. These are fun to read/look at, but the tone is all wrong--a bit more snarky and "hip" than Kipling's original voice. In addition, so many of those deliciously perfect read aloud phrases, such as the ones mentioned above, have been removed in order to make the text more sparse, no doubt. The art is fun and engaging, the stories chosen are good ones ("The Elephant's Child," "How the Leopard Got His Spots," "How the Camel Got His Hump," and "Why the Rhino Has Wrinkled Skin"). [those might not be the exact wording of the titles, but you'll recognize which ones they are if you've read the originals] There are some nice extras in terms of nonfiction information on the various animals, and the book is a quick read.

All in all, this is definitely no substitute for the original tales. It might work as a suitable introduction for children who are really into graphic novels and lead them then to the originals. It might also be a fun exercise for students to read these after having read one of the originals and then try their hand at creating a comic from one of their favorite stories.

Suitable for all ages; scheduled to be in stores this month!

Cover image from goodreads; thanks to Capstone via netgalley for the ARC

Elephant and Piggie

Elephant and Piggie Series
Mo Willems
200--'s (still in process!)
Geisel Award (several)

How in the world have we managed to ignore these guys on our blog???? Megan told me of them a while ago, and we have read EVERY ONE multiple times (well, all the ones in our local library--they are still being published and not all have trickled down yet). We LOVE Elephant and Piggie around here. I must have written this post a thousand times mentally, but, since I can't seem to locate it on our blog, I must not have actually typed it up. Shame on me.

Elephant and Piggie are best friends along the lines of Frog and Toad. Truly, they represent one of the best literary friendships. Elephant is a boy (Gerald) and Piggie is a girl (Piggie), and their personalities are very distinct (and oh, so lovable).

Bink and Gollie

Bink and Gollie
Kate DiCamillo, author
Alison McGhee, author
Tony  Fucile, illustrator
2010
multiple "best books..." lists
Geisel Award Winner

DiCamillo has done it again! We are HUGE fans of the Mercy Watson books in this household, and my daughter has fallen in love with Bink and Gollie (the boys will, too, once I introduce them). In a new early chapter book series, DiCamillo (and team) give us two seemingly opposite girls: short, crazy-haired Bink and tall, tidy Gollie. Best friends who love to roller skate, they must compromise for nearly everything else. Even their houses are completely different. While Bink and Gollie are girls, they are not princess-y; they make a nice change of pace and boys will enjoy them, too.

There's a Princess in the Palace

There's a Princess in the Palace
retold by Zoe B. Alley
R. W. Alley, ill.
2010



There's a Princess in the Palace is a funny graphic novel-style reinterpretation of five classic princess tales (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Frog Prince, Princess and the Pea, and Snow White). The clever narrative in this oversized book is broken up into the five distinct tales, but each story is connected (hilariously) to the next so that the book forms a complete narrative. Two little mice keep the narrative moving and help connect the details--as well as provide extra humor.

This book is best for (newly) independent readers who have some familiarity with the original tales; readers should have enough maturity to pick up on occasional word plays, twists on the original tales, and general wit. This would also be a great choice for slightly older reluctant readers.

Recommended for first grade and up.

American Born Chinese

American Born Chinese
Gene Luen Yang
2006
Printz Award and a million others!

This is a must read, folks.

"No way, Betsy, I don't do graphic novels. Those are for kids! Or comic book geeks!"

Really, this is a must read.

American Born Chinese follows three seemingly unconnected storylines: one about a monkey king, one about a Chinese American boy named Jin and his friend Wei-Chen, and one about an American boy named Danny and his Chinese cousin named Chin-Kee. The stories come together in the end brilliantly.

What will you find in this quick read? Nicely balanced art with text. Racism treated humorously yet with candor and poignancy. Early high school angst at fitting in. Friendship and betrayal. The theme of being who you are created to be. Allusions to the Christ Child, visually, and near verbatim quoting of such Scripture passages as Psalm 139.

This is not a "Christian" book. Yet, Yang makes his point subtly and forcefully: we were created (by someone) for a purpose, and when we try to transform ourselves into something we're not, we "sell our souls" as the old Chinese lady tells a young Jin. The point is well made without being preachy. Along the way, you will laugh out loud as Yang pokes fun at our stereotypes of Chinese Americans--while revealing how ruthless kids can be.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Jeff Kinney
2007

I'll admit it, folks. I laughed until I cried through the first half of this book--I mean it. I was wiping tears away and just cackling. I couldn't help it. Maybe I haven't progressed much since middle school. I can totally see why middle school boys (and even 4th and 5th graders) are into this series. Kinney has given us a cartoon novel (in which cartoons are interspersed with text) that is a quick read and right on a kid's level. In diary-format (well, the narrator Greg would remind us that this is a journal because diaries are girly), we read about Greg's life in sixth grade. Here's a sample from page 3:

"Let me just say for the record that I think middle school is the dumbest idea ever invented. You got kids like me who haven't hit their growth spurt yet mixed in with these gorillas who need to shave twice a day. [funny cartoon] And then they wonder why bullying is such a big problem in middle school."

See, it's funny!

And yet, by about 2/3 the way through, I was over it. The kid, Greg, is really a bit of a jerk and it stops being funny (at least to me). I'm not sure he learns how to be a true friend by the end. I'm not sure I'll read the rest of the series... at least not right away. Maybe when I need a good laugh after all the heavy young adult fiction.

Will your kids be scarred? No. Will they be exposed to bad stuff? Not really. Bad language? Nope. Sex/drugs/rock and roll? Nope (well, ok, some rock and roll). Good character? Nope.

The moral of the story: just space these out with more edifying fare, but don't bar them from your kids' recreational reading. I'm sure they have lured millions of reluctant male readers into the marvelous world of the book. They have their place, but don't let someone get stuck here.