September 17, 2017
Today I have a book that will ring true to kids who have a bittersweet life in middle school. Victoria Jamieson is the author of the Newbery Honor book Roller Girl and her latest adventure is also exploring growing up through the eyes of a tween girl. But this time she shakes things up a bit by writing about a…
May 21, 2017
I think everyone one of us needs a graphic novel about managing friendships. Fortunately for our girls, Shannon Hale has shared her experiences when writing the wonderful book Real Friends. Hey, elementary school can be tough and girls can get their feelings hurt easily. It is just nice to know that so many other people are feeling the same way and…
May 7, 2017
Every parent needs a book after Diary of a Wimpy Kid to hand their child. Illustrated novels are a great thing, and they keep the reading going. But let’s be honest, you may only be able to stand your kid reading the same story over and over for so long until you feel compelled to give them something else. Jake the…
March 28, 2017
Today I have Nathan Hale’s latest adventure. What do you do next when you have an immensely popular graphic novel series based on great moments in history? Why create a post apocalyptic fantasy where the world is inhabited by aliens of course. This is a departure for the author but a sucessful story into a new genre of graphic novel.…
February 8, 2017
Today I am reposting a review I did for an empowering graphic novel for girls. This book won a well deserved Newbery Honor and helps make the case that graphic novels are a noteworthy form of literature for kids. I love books that show that girls can be fierce and tenacious. This was the author’s debut graphic novel and she…
January 25, 2017
There is a new installment to the Babysitters Club Graphic Novel series. The current illustrator, Gale Galligan will be taking over for Raina Telgemeier and she looks to be a wonderful addition to keep this graphic novel adaptation going. You can read an excerpt from her new book here, but sadly readers will have to wait until September for the actual novel…
December 9, 2016
My nephew loves most illustrated novels in the vein of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Tom Gates. As his book loving aunt, I must come up with a winning book related Christmas gift for the season. This year I am going with The 13-Story Treehouse series. It is funny, full of ridiculous antics and plenty of hysterical pictures. A…
December 5, 2016
I always love it when a new graphic novel series comes out, and this one from the author of Zita Space Girl is an adventure filled new addition to the category. Graphic novels have become a rich environment for storytelling that challenge both traditional readers as well as visual learners. These are not your parents comic books! Don’t forget to…
October 23, 2016
With the election so near (and yet feeling so far away!) I want to share a fun book to get kids educated on the election process. It is fiction, but brings in so many elements of tailoring your message to your audience, and targeting certain blocks of voters that kids will get quite a lesson on what is going on this election…
October 10, 2016
I love it when authors use all their tools to get early readers engaged. Creating an illustrated early chapter book is a nice way to take some of the pressure off the leap up from those simple early reader books. Illustrated novels are much less intimidating for kids and allow them to use the pictures as a guide in the story.…
