Tween Reads – Page 139

When You Wish Upon the Moon… Randy DuBurke’s Moon Ring Takes You on a Trip

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Book Review: The Moon Ring, by Randy DuBurke, Chronicle Books 2002
Recommended for ages- 4-8

Maxine, a young girl, sits on the porch, with her grandmother, seeking relief from the summer heat, when a magic ring seemingly falls from the blue moon. Maxine is swept away on a magic ride around the world – to the South Pole, a wild savannah, and New York City, accompanied by some new friends. But what happens when she runs out of wishes?

The book is a fun fantasy tale about magic and the moon. We always hear about wishing on a star, but the moon is the star of the show here (no pun intended). Randy DuBurke gives readers a classic fairy tale elements – granting wishes, being transported to exciting adventures and locales, and the temporary scare – the wishes have run out!

Young readers will enjoy the close relationship Maxine and her wise grandma who knows that magic is out there. Maxine is drawn with a wonderfully expressive face – it makes for fun reading, with prompts to children learning about facial expressions and emotions. The exciting, changing landscapes are beautifully rendered in pen, ink, and acrylics on cold waterpress paper. The story uses its space well, alternating between full-bleed spreads and framed panels. I read the digital version of this book, so I can’t speak to the fonts, but I’m sure a read-aloud with the actual book will work better with a young group.

The Moon Ring is a playful, fun book that makes for a good read-aloud session. This would be a great addition to a read-aloud about magic, imagination, or the moon. There are many rhymes and fingerplays about the moon that would be good companions to this book – Hey Diddle Diddle would be a fun start!

Fiction, Tween Reads

Blank Slater, the Boy with the Dry-Erase Face – a WhatchaReading Review!

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

You may or may not know this, but I review comics and graphic novels for the comics and comic culture site, WhatchaReading. Recently, Chuck over at WhatchaReading gave me the opportunity to review Blank Slater: The Boy with the Dry-Erase Face, written by Matt Bergin and illustrated by Zach Wideman. I was so impressed by this book, which provides a creative way to teach kids about self-esteem, emotions and feelings, and discovering who they are.

When this book hit WhatchaReading’s inbox, I got a chuckle out of the cute cover and figured I’d give it a shot – sounds like it could be fun, a kid with a Dry-Erase face, right? Draw silly faces and stuff? And then I dug in, and realized that there is so much more to this story than that.

Blank Slater is a kid born with a Dry-Erase face. He’s a blank slate (see what they did there?), and he goes through life pretty miserable – wouldn’t you? – until the day where he wanders away and discovers someone just like him! Nada Trace is a girl with a Dry-Erase face, but she isn’t wallowing at all – she grabbed some markers, pencil, and glitter, and made a face of her own! She helps Blank try on different faces, but nothing fits quite right until one day, Blank discovers his own face – and more important, a friend.

For the rest of the review, head on over to WhatchaReading!

Fiction, Graphic Novels, Humor, Tween Reads

Frank and His Friend: A Pre-Calvin and Hobbes Cartoon About Friendship

Posted on January 17, 2014August 24, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Book Review: Frank and His Friend: Special Collector’s Edition, by Clarence “Otis” Dooley (Curio & Co, 2013)

Recommended for ages 8+

I’m trying something new and fun with this blog, and creating more interesting (I hope!) titles for the reviews. I’ll still note the book title and bibliographic info at the top, as you see above, but I’m hoping that the review titles give you a little more information to draw eyes to the reviews and the great books I write about here.

This time around, I’ve read a trade paperback of a 1970s-era serial comic strip, Frank and His Friend. The premise will remind readers of Calvin and Hobbes, a favorite of mine: a young boy and his stuffed toy, Frank, go on adventures and experience life through a child’s eyes. While Frank doesn’t speak, as Hobbes does, readers will still get some pretty serious life advice from his pairing with his “friend” as they spend time in nature, playing, embracing chocolate chip cookies and avoiding broccoli.

The black and white artwork is simple and elegant, and gets the point of each short story across. There are a mix of panels and full pages in the book, and adults and kids alike will enjoy Frank and His Friend’s stories, which encourages readers to use their imaginations. One on page, the boy clings tightly to Frank with one hand, a balloon clutched in the other, and says, “Hang on tight. You don’t want to get lost in the ether of space.”

The stories invoke some thoughtful moments. When fighting their advancing enemy who suddenly becomes invisible, the boy looks at Frank and sighs, “Typical Monday.” The boy tries on a pair of eyeglasses, presumably belonging to a parent, and declares that he’d “rather look at the world through my own eyes.”

The book is a good idea to give to kids who are surrounded by the chaos of electronics, school, and extracurricular moments, to introduce them to the quiet, peaceful moments of childhood. And adults will enjoy returning to that peaceful time.

Frank and His Friend: Special Collector’s Edition

Writer and Artist: Clarence “Otis” Dooley
Price: $19.95
Pages: 128
Pub Date: December 11, 2013
ISBN: 9783950296631
Diamond Order Code: OCT131033

Fiction, Graphic Novels, Tween Reads

Book Review: Drama, by Raina Telgemeier (Graphix, 2012)

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 10-14

Drama geeks have their day in Raina Telgemeier’s Drama, a winner of the 2013 Stonewall Book Award from the American Library Association. Seventh-grader Callie loves the theatre, even if she can’t hold a tune with a bucket. She’s active on the crew with her school’s theatre group and is set designer for their upcoming production of Moon Over Mississippi. But, as with most tweens, there’s drama in Callie’s personal life in addition to the drama unfolding in the production as she crushes on Greg, who doesn’t seem to be able to give up his on-again, off-again girlfriend Bonnie. She becomes fast friends with new-to-the-school twin brothers Justin and Jesse, both of whom get involved in the production, and she finds herself falling for one of the twins… but he’s sending mixed messages. Can Callie use her shoestring budget to pull together a great set, and figure out her crush drama at the same time?

Raina Telgemeier won an Eisner Award for her previous graphic novel, Smile – another tween drama – and she knows tweens. She can tap into the not-so-in-crowd with ease, telling a great story about the kids you may not see at the cool table, but who aren’t at the angsty goth table, either. Their drama is self-contained, part of growing up, but these seem to be overall happy kids, most of whom have a decent idea of who they are or are on their way to figuring it out. She includes positive, honest-feeling portrayals of LGBT characters. The cartoon art allows the reader to relax into the story and just melt into the setting. I enjoyed spending time with Raina’s characters, and look forward to meeting some more when I pick up Smile.

Ms. Telgemeier’s website offers free webcomics and media, her blog, author appearance information, and a store.

Fantasy, Preschool Reads

Book Review: Doug Unplugged, by Dan Yaccarino (Knopf, 2013)

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 4-8

This fun, retro story by Dan Yaccarino tells the story of a little robot boy who decides to “unplug” one day and explore the world. Little Doug is a robot boy whose parents plug him in every day so that he can learn while they head to work. One day, while learning about the city, Doug spies a pigeon at his window, and he’s fascinated. He unplugs himself and heads off on a day of exploration where he rides the train, scales a skyscraper, and makes a friend. After reuniting his friend with his parents, Doug decides to head home and tell his parents about his exciting day.

The story is sweet and packs a powerful message in our highly technological society. When most of our kids spend their days behind their iPads and computer screens, this simple message – unplug and learn by getting outside and doing – is a welcome sigh of relief. Packed with Yaccarino’s fun, adorable retro-futuristic artwork, Doug is a little boy on a big adventure that kids will enjoy living through vicariously. He may be a robot, but he’s easily distracted – there are many kids who can relate to the excitement of a pigeon landing on the windowsill at school or while doing homework at home. He spends a day exploring the city, yet manages to find a friend, and knows that he must go home at the end of the day. The art consists primarily of blues, greens and yellows, with other colors showing up to punch up the landscape. I read the digital version of this book, but encourage adult readers to use the physical storybook, which has smaller black font (it’s a great read-aloud book), usually at the bottom of the page or individual pictures so as not to detract from the artwork. There are whole spreads and chunked panels throughout the book, giving a fully-fleshed-out feeling to this story.

This would be a fun addition to a storytime on robots and would provide a more human perspective on a robot read-aloud. There are many robot printables and crafts online, and the author’s website offers information about his books, blog, social media, and speaking engagements.

mythology, Preschool Reads

Book Review: Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth by Sanjay Patel & Emily Haynes/Illus. by Sanjay Patel (Chronicle, 2013)

Posted on January 15, 2014January 30, 2026 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 4-8

This adorable story puts a new spin on the Hindu myth that tells the story of how Ganesha, the elephant-headed god, came to help write the epic poem, The Mahabharata. Young Ganesha has a sweet tooth and particularly loves laddoos – a kind of jawbreaker candy – until one day, he breaks a tusk on one! What’s a young godling to do? He meets the poet, Vyasa, who offers a surprising way to make the best of the situation.

I can’t say enough about this book. The art is stunning. Sanjay Patel is an animator at Pixar Studios, and the look and feel of the overall story definitely has a fun quality to it that Pixar fans will appreciate and everyone will enjoy. The colors and Indian-influenced artwork are breathtaking. This is artwork I would hang in my kids’ room, it’s so beautiful. It’s colorful and exciting, and introduces children to Indian-influenced art, which many will likely never have seen before.

At the same time, the artwork is adorable. Children will adore Little Ganesha and his best friend Mouse and relate to them. What child wouldn’t want to sit and eat candy all day long? What child doesn’t believe he or she is invincible, as Ganesha does? When Ganesha breaks his tooth, he is worried about his appearance and becomes angry and frustrated, throwing his tusk at the moon. He loses his temper, like any other child would in a frustrating situation, and there is a friendly adult, in the person of Vyasa, to deflect Ganesha’s anger and channel it into something productive.

There are good lessons to be learned in this story, including making the best of a bad situation and how sharing is important, as illustrated between Ganesha, Mouse, and their other friends. I read the digital version of the book, but encourage adults to read the actual storybook, as the font is playful, round, and fun, attracting young readers’ eyes and directing them to the action and flow of the story. The artwork will keep little eyes busy – there is so much to see! – and the story lends itself to great post-storytime discussions about sharing, listening to your friends, and seeing the good in every situation.

Graphic Novels, Middle School, Non-Fiction, Tween Reads

Book Review: Donner Dinner Party, by Nathan Hale (Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales), Abrams, 2013

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 8-13

Colonial spy Nathan Hale is sentenced to death by hanging – but WAIT! He’s got stories to tell! His executioner and the British soldier standing guard are intrigued. Off he goes into yet another Hazardous Tale from history, this time, about the infamous Donner Party.

You’ve heard of the Donner Party, if only as a horrific joke. During the Westward Expanion, they were a group of pioneers headed for California who got caught in the brutal winter of 1846 and resorted to cannibalism to survive. Nathan Hale’s book tells the story of the Donner-Reed party, focusing primarily on James Reed, whose “shortcut” caused the doomed wagon train to stray off course into brutal territory.

Written as a graphic novel, this book is a great read for middle schoolers and even the reluctant high schooler. The story cuts between Nathan Hale, the British soldier and the executioner as Hale tells the story, and the story of the Donner-Reed party. The characters are detailed, and kids will love the executioner, who really, REALLY doesn’t want to hear bad news about any of the animals in the story. There are well-drawn diagrams and graphics teaching readers about the members of the party, maps of the territory traveled, and informational bits that enhance the story for all.

Hale doesn’t shy away from the more brutal aspects of this story, but he doesn’t glorify them, either. He presents the facts, even illustrating a specter of death coming for the travelers, with their names, as they pass away, listed on Death’s cloak.

This was my first Hazardous Tale from Mr. Hale, but it certainly won’t be my last. Stock this book in your bookshelves, teachers and parents, and watch kids scramble to learn about history.

Mr. Hale’s website offers information about his other books, his blog (which includes sneak peeks at his artwork for future books!), and a section dedicated to Correction Baby, who helps edit all of his books. Check it out!

Adventure, Espionage, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Steampunk

Book Review: Etiquette & Espionage, by Gail Carriger (Little, Brown, 2013)

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 13+

Gail Carriger, author of the Parasol Protectorate series, kicks off her YA Finishing School series, set in the same universe as the Parasol Protectorate series, with Etiquette & Espionage.

Fourteen year-old Sophronia is driving her society lady mother crazy. She climbs trees. She takes apart things to figure out how they work. She lines her books with rubber from a dumbwaiter in the house. Fed up with Sophronia’s antics, she sends her to finishing school – Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality, to be precise.

What neither Sophronia nor her mother bet on, though, was that this is no ordinary finishing school – when they say “finish”, they mean “finish” – the students learn how to curtsey and flutter their eyelashes, but they also learn about poisoning, espionage, and weapons placement. Sophronia is learning to be a spy and an assassin in addition to being a lady. But she also stumbles into a mystery involving one of the students as soon as she boards the coach to school – what is really going on at Mademoiselle Geraldine’s, and what does her newfound nemesis have to do with it?

While I am a big fan of the Parasol Protectorate series and went into this series with high hopes, I was a little let down here. I understand that this is the first book in a new series, with much to be established, but I felt there was an overall lack of plot to drive the story forward. It seemed more a collection of “look what Sophronia’s got herself into now” moments, with some vague subplot surfacing to give her an archenemy in future books.

The dry humor is there, though, and that kept me reading. I love the way Ms. Carriger writes, and I enjoy her stubborn heroines who can lock horns with a werewolf and then stress about their state of dress and look for a cup of tea. I enjoy the Parasol Protectorate universe, and there’s paranormal and steampunk aplenty here, with werewolves, dirigibles, and automatons for all. There are a few pleasant surprises for Parasol Protectorate fans, too.

If you’re a fan of Carriger’s, you’ll at least enjoy the universe and references. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Horror, Post-apocalyptic/Dystopian, Teen

Book Review: Ex-Heroes, by Peter Clines (2012, Crown)

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 16+

Peter Clines’ Ex series, beginning with Ex-Heroes, is one of those series created for adults but easily crosses over into the teen readers’ market. It provides an interesting new take on the zombie apocalypse, with this universe offering superheroes who continue protecting humanity by creating a haven in an abandoned Hollywood movie lot for survivors.

As with the best post-apocalyptic/zombie tales, the interplay between people facing the end of the world is what makes Ex-Heroes compelling reading. You not only have survivors, The survivors are split into those inside the sanctuary and those outside – inside the sanctuary, we have the superheroes – metahumans – and “regular” people. Outside, there are predatory gangs that have turned the surrounding areas into their kingdom. They try to infiltrate or sabotage the heroes’ camp and supply runs, but have been largely unsuccessful until they find themselves with a terrifying advantage that could destroy everything the heroes have striven to build. Add in the fact that within the sanctuary, there’s dissension in the ranks as more and more people find themselves uneasy about being governed by superpowered individuals, and you have a the makings of a compelling post-apocalyptic saga.

The best zombie stories are not so much about the undead, but about the survivors and how people break down – or endure – life at the end of the world as they know it. Here, Ex-Heroes shines. The relationships between heroes is complex to begin with, and the stress of the situations around them, added to the fact that there are now superpowered undead to compound the situation, amp up the action and the desperation. We get origin stories and back stories for the major heroes: Stealth. Gorgon. Regenerator. Cerberus. Zzzap. and The Mighty Dragon, and the action shifts pretty seamlessly from past to present, giving us a full picture.

While written for adults, Ex-Heroes is an accessible book for teen audiences who enjoy horror/post-apocalypse fiction. The violence is not gratuitous and while there are allusions to sex and some language and overall content, I see no reason why a mature teen would not be able to read and enjoy this book.

Ex-Heroes is the first book in Peter Clines’ Ex series, which also includes Ex-Patriots, Ex-Communication, and Ex-Purgatory.

Animal Fiction, lift-the-flap, Toddler Reads

Book Review: Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1980)

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 0-4

It’s supper time, and Sally the Dog is looking for her puppy, Spot. She looks for him behind doors, under stairs, inside clocks, and other hiding spots and encounters his friends on her search. But where’s Spot?

Part of the popular “Spot” series of books by Eric Hill, Where’s Spot? offers toddlers and preschoolers familiar characters and cartoon-like art with bold, black lettering for sight-word learners. For printables and online games, parents can point their browsers to http://www.funwithspot.com/us/. For the youngest Spot fans, make sure to check out his board books!