friendship – Page 38

Adventure, Espionage, Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Bridget returns in Spy to the Rescue!

Posted on September 7, 2016September 7, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Bridget Wilder: Spy to the Rescue, by Jonathan Bernstein, (May 2016, Katherine Tegen Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9780062382696

Recommended for ages 9-13

Middle school spy-in-the-making Bridget Wilder is not having a great re-entry to “normal” society after being recruited by her former super-spy biological father in Bridget Wilder: Spy-in-Training. The agency that recruited her? Fake. Her super spy dad? Retired, and wants a “normal” relationship with his daughter (read: BORING). Her obnoxious brother is dating someone even more annoying, her best friend has moved across the country, and she’s being framed by someone for stealing cheerleading secrets AND ruining the birthday party of the season! Bridget senses something amiss, though; her spy instincts kick in and she decides to investigate.

Just when you think you’re about to read a fun, fluff middle school drama about mean girls, though, Jonathan Bernstein hits you with the real story: Bridget’s dad goes missing, and she’s pulled back into the spy game. Mean girls have nothing on an international crime syndicate, and Bridget’s going to need all of her skills, plus some new ones, to save her dad, her family, and herself.

I LOVED this book. Written in the first person from Bridget’s point of view, we get a narrator who’s 100% tween/teen girl: smart, funny, sarcastic, and a good kid who cares about her often wacky, extended family. I also love that we get an adopted heroine – yay for adoptees! – who refers to her parents and her siblings as her parents and her siblings, not her “adoptive family” like we see ad nauseum (I’m looking at you, Olympic coverage of Simone Biles and her family). Bridget has her family, and when her long-last dad reappears, he wants a relationship with her, but it’s her choice, and it involves her whole family; it’s not this long last dad appears, daughter runs off with him like the family who raised her never existed scenario, and I am grateful to Jonathan Bernstein for giving us a great, positive portrayal of an adoptee’s relationship to her family. Her entire family. It’s a bit of a touchy spot, being an adoptee myself, so when I find good writing, I applaud it.

But back to the story. Spy to the Rescue is fast-paced and fun. There’s some intrigue, there’s a lot of action, great dialogue, and continued strong character development. I booktalked Bridget Wilder: Spy-in-Training to my Corona Kids during my Spy Week program at the library, and they loved it, especially coming off the Spy Kids movie day, when they were empowered to be spies and save the grownups for a change. Wait until I put this one on the shelves, and let them know that a third book will be coming next year.

If you have action fiction fans, spy fans, or kids who enjoy a good book with a nice dose of girl power, add Bridget Wilder to your collection. Check out Jonathan Bernstein’s author webpage for more about Bridget and her author, Jonathan Bernstein.

Check out the book trailer for Spy in Training right here:

Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

TNT has The Librarians, MomReadIt has The Lybrarians: Ninja Librarians

Posted on August 9, 2016August 16, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Ninja Librarians: Sword in the Stacks, by Jen Swann Downey, (June 2016, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky), $16.99, ISBN: 9781402287732

Recommended for ages 8-12

Dorrie, Marcus, and the gang at the Petrarch Library are back! When we last left Dorrie and her Star Wars-quoting brother, they’d been returned to Passaic, New Jersey, after an adventure where they discovered the Petrarch Library: a library outside of space and time, connecting libraries throughout space and time. They met the Lybrarians, a group of librarians and archivists (and apprentices) dedicated to intellectual freedom throughout history, and Dorrie couldn’t wait to be part of the group. In Jen Swann Downey’s next Ninja Librarians adventure, Sword in the Stacks, Dorrie and Marcus are back, now apprentices, are spending their vacation at Petrarch’s Library.

Dorrie and her friend, Ebba, are on a training mission to London in 1912 that isn’t quite was Dorrie expected, but it’s a great subplot that really brings home the importance of intellectual freedom for all points of view. Marcus – now spouting Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory quotes – has a mission of his own, and grows quite a bit in the process, something I’d been hoping for after reading the first book. The Foundation is back, and they’ve got a heck of a game-changer: a special weapon that will mean the death of someone in Petrarch’s Library, and countless lives in the balance outside of the library. There are high stakes this time out; let’s hope Dorrie, Marcus, and friends are up to it.

This is such a fun series. I loved the first book, The Ninja Librarians: The Accidental Keyhand, and Sword in the Stacks continues the fun, wonderful world-building throughout history, and carries a powerful message about advocacy and intellectual freedom.

I have a “What’s Miss Rosemary reading this week?” sign at my desk, because my Corona Kids get a kick out of seeing what I’m reading. When they saw this cover, I got tons of questions: “Are they really ninjas?” (Well… no, but they are awesome, like ninjas.) “What’s it about?” (A library that exists outside of space and time, and people who protect history.) “WHOA, THEY TRAVEL THROUGH TIME?” (They sure do!) “Do you wish there was a portal in this library?” (Every single day, kiddo.) And the best question: “When are you getting that book here?” Soon, my friends. Soon.

Talk this one up with Chris Grabenstein’s Mr. Lemoncello’s Library books, or Brandon Sanderson’s Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, and show kids how awesome librarians can be!

Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Humor, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Support Monster Journalism! Check out The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo!

Posted on August 2, 2016August 24, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo, by Drew Weing, (Sept. 2016, First Second), $15.99, ISBN: 9781626723399

Recommended for ages 8+

Charles F. Thompson just moved to Echo City with his family. He’s not thrilled, especially with their new digs: a creepy building his dad will be refinishing as the family lives there. Charles – an avid blogger – swears there’s a monster in his room, and he’s not wrong. Some of his toys go missing, and he knows he didn’t just misplace them. Charles is seriously freaked out: what if the monster tries to eat him?! A neighbor quietly slips him Margo Maloo’s number, and Charles’ whole world changes: Margo is a monster mediator. The monsters all know her; she knows all the monsters. She helps smooth relations between Charles and Marcus, the troll that lives in his building. Turns out Marcus is really upset that these awful humans are moving in and messing with his stuff! Once Margo sorts things out, and Charles has been exposed to this new world right under his nose, he’s hooked – freedom of the press demands that he write about this! Margo firmly puts the kibosh on Drew’s reporting, but lets him tag along on her missions. The Echo City monsters aren’t thrilled with Charles, but who knows? Maybe they’ll see Charles’ value as Margo’s assistant. After all, he and Marcus bonded over Battlebeanz toys!

Think of Charles as a kids’ Night Stalker, led by a hard-boiled, female, juvenile Philip Marlowe: She’s on a just a first-name basis with all the monsters in her town, and operates in the shadows, confidently keeping a balance between the monster world and ours. Charles is hilarious, whether he’s complaining about exotic new take-out or proclaiming that “information wants to be free!” (the librarian in me was so happy with that panel); Margo is the picture of cool and sassy, navigating both worlds with a self-assuredness most kids could only dream of, and the monsters themselves are very human: they worry about humans discovering them; they collect toys and knickknacks, and parents worry about their kids walking off when a stranger offers them candy, too. The cartoony art will appeal to kids without scaring them (or maybe, just give ’em a little frightened giggle).

There are three stories in this first volume, to start you off on the world of Margo Maloo. There are also pages from Charles’ notebook, with sketches and information about ghosts, goblins, ogres and trolls, the monsters he encounters in these first tales. If you want more Margo and can’t wait for the next volume, you don’t have to! Margo began life as a webcomic that’s still running, updating on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can check it out at http://www.drewweing.com/, and while you’re at it, discover a few more comics on the site.

The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo is a fun addition to graphic novel collections, perfect for kids who are in Goosebumps mode and want something witty, a little spooky, and a lot of fun.

Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads

Maggie McGillicuddy’s got an eye for trouble… do you?

Posted on August 2, 2016May 16, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Maggie McGillicuddy’s Eye for Trouble, by Susan Hughes/Illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan, (Oct. 2016, Kids Can Press), $16.95, ISBN: 9781771382915

Recommended for ages 4-8

This fun look at imagination appeals to a kid’s sense of play, but also teaches them to be aware of their surroundings. Maggie McGillicuddy sits on her porch, knitting away, and sees things a little differently. When she sees a shadow on the wall, she just knows it’s a hungry tiger! She clacks her knitting needles and scares that wildcat away. That’s no tree branch behind the pizza delivery girl’s bike, it’s a snake! She whacks her walking stick and scares that slippery snake right off. But when Charlie, her next door neighbor, is about to run into the street while chasing a ball, Maggie springs into action – this is no figment of her imagination!

This is such a great story about imagination and playing little games with yourself, but it makes a point about being aware, too. When Maggie sees that Charlie’s in danger, there’s no clacking of knitting needles or whacking a walking stick, she yells and gets Charlie’s attention – she makes him very aware of his surroundings! And playing games with your imagination is a fun way of being aware of what’s around you, too. Charlie and Maggie bond over their active imaginations, and invite the reader in, with repeated wink and nudge phrases like, “you see it there, don’t you?”

The artwork is rendered in watercolor, pencil crayon, gouache and collage, all coming together to give a light, fun tone to the book. Kids will recognize the places where Maggie’s and Charlie’s imaginations take root: tree roots that become snakes, shadows that become wild animals, herds of elephants out on the horizon and a dinosaur lurking behind a bush. I love the movement in illustrator Brooke Kerrigan’s work, too; Maggie’s scarf sways gently until she jumps to action: then, it swings outward, almost at attention. When all is well, the scarf gently relaxes at Maggie’s feet. Throughout the book, the scarf gets longer until both Maggie and Charlie are wearing it, looped around their necks.

Read this and talk to kids about being safe: from looking both ways before crossing a street to knowing street signs and where you are. Maybe even link this story to a book on community helpers, so kids know who to turn to if they need assistance. Have kids draw pictures of what they see in their imaginations when they look outside and make up a story of their own about what’s in the hallway!

Very good for Pre-K and elementary collections. The fun of imagination is contagious.

Animal Fiction, Early Reader, Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Humor, Intermediate

Ape and Armadillo TAKE OVER THE WORLD… Maybe.

Posted on July 30, 2016August 24, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Ape and Armadillo Take Over the World, by James Sturm (Sept. 2016, TOON Books), $12.95, ISBN: 978-1-943145-09-6

Recommended for ages 6-8

Ape and Armadillo want to take over the world, but the whole plan seems a lot more fun for Armadillo – the ringleader, naturally – than it will be for Ape. While Armadillo gets to sneak in and get all the work done, Ape is stuck fighting spitting serpents, an army of robots, and escape through sewer tunnels – YUCK! Armadillo needs to learn how to compromise, or he may lose a friend and fellow Agent of Evil.

Kids will love this graphic novel that touches on a situation very familiar to kids: the bossy friend who wants everything done his or her way. Ape decides that he’s not going to be the flunky any more, and Armadillo has to adjust his own point of view and work – together with Ape – on a game that they can both play and enjoy equally. It’s a fun resolution, loaded with armor, magic wands, magical creatures, and butter pecan ice cream. Secondary Ape and Armadillo comics run at the bottom of each page, providing more insight into these characters and leaving me hoping we’ll meet this dynamic duo in more adventures to come.

This is a good book to use when talking about feelings and playing nicely with others; the dialogue and art treats the audience respectfully and examines a potentially frustrating situation with honesty and humor. It’s a TOON Level 3 book, considered a chapter book comic for advanced beginners, so ages 6 and up will dig right in. TOON includes parent resources at the end of each book, including tips on reading comics with your kids, and levels breakdown: Lexile, Guided Reading, and Reading Recovery, and appropriate grades. There’s a Teacher’s Guide in progress, so check the Ape & Armadillo page on the TOON site to get yours when it’s ready.

I love James Sturm’s books. He just knows how to create great stories for kids, and get his messages across in a fun, bold way. He’s also written the Little Knight books with his fellow Adventures in Cartooning compatriots, and he’s written Birdsong: A Story in Pictures for TOON.

Animal Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Fiction, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

The Nocturnals reunite and face The Ominous Eye

Posted on July 26, 2016July 25, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Nocturnals: The Ominous Eye (Nocturnals #2), by Tracey Hecht/Illustrated by Kate Liebman, (Sept. 2016, Fabled Films Press), $15.99, ISBN: 978-1-944020-03-3

Recommended for ages 8-12

The three friends we met in The Mysterious Abductions are back! In this latest Nocturnals adventure, Dawn, the serious fox, Tobin, the sweet and nervous pangolin, and Bismark, the overconfident sugar glider, try to get to the bottom of a frightening jolt that shakes the earth. They meet a tuatara named Polyphema, who seems to know a lot more than she’s letting on. Polyphema talks about a Beast responsible for the earthquake and destruction, and how it will strike again if the animals don’t listen to her. Dawn seems to be the only one who doesn’t trust Polyphema; Bismark is smitten, and poor Tobin is just nervous.

Nocturnals is a fun animal series. This second book introduces some conflict into the small group of friends, illustrating that teamwork doesn’t always come easy, and that trust must be earned. Animal fiction fans will enjoy meeting more exotic animals in this book – I never knew what a tuatara was, or that they really do have a third eye! This little tidbit makes Polyphema an even more interesting character, making her insights and visions more believable to the animals in the story.

source: The Quantum Biologist

This is a good follow-up to the first book, and yet newcomers to the series can jump right in without having read the first book (but read it – it’s good!). Kate Liebman’s color illustrations add to the text, giving the reader a nice frame of reference for some of these new animals he or she will meet during the course of the book.

Animal fiction fans will enjoy this series. See if you can put out some animal atlases and have the research where the novels take place! Talk up nocturnal animals, and ask the kids to identify more nocturnal animals. Use the educator resources available on the Nocturnals website, especially the printable animal fact cards, to help them along. There’s a third Nocturnals book coming in March 2017, too – mark your calendars!

Early Reader, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Preschool Reads

Start ’em off right: BLIP! from TOON Books

Posted on July 25, 2016August 24, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

BLIP!, by Barnaby Richards, (Sept. 2016, TOON Books), $12.95, ISBN: 978-1-935179-98-6

Recommended for ages 2-5

A robot’s ship is separated from his friends and lands on a strange, new world. Now, his challenge is to find another being that speaks his language! He explores his surroundings and encounters things that roar and snap, but will anyone or anything speak “Blip” and “Bleep”?

This is one of TOON’s Level 1 graphic novels, so there are minimal words, one-two syllables; lots of sound effects, expressive faces and lush scenery, and clearly delineated panels to teach kids how things happen in a sequence. It’s a wonderful and fun way to introduce kids to graphic novels!

I recommend TOON Books all the time. I’ve talked them up when I’ve staffed booth at comic conventions, and I bring parents right to my graphic novels shelves here at my library. Level 1 books, like BLIP!, are a brilliant way to introduce sequential art to kids. They introduce fun, new words that they can associate with sounds their toys make, like blips and bleeps, bangs and snaps; they teach kids that events happen in a sequence, and you can introduce prediction by asking them what they see, and what they think will happen next.

I love the retro futuristic art in BLIP! – his ship looks like Flash Gordon’s spaceship! – and there’s an 8-bit inspired panel that makes my ’80s soul sing. My little guy gets a huge kick out of this one, and I can’t wait to share it with my storytime crew when I have my next Robot storytime. Ask kids what sounds their robots would make, and have a robot craft ready.

I’d add this to any burgeoning graphic novel collection, especially where you’ve got developing readers and English Language Learners. BLIP!‘s not due out until September, so keep your eye on their detail page on TOON’s website; there will be an educator’s guide closer to pub date.

Humor, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Sunblock, towel, umbrella, and The Taming of the Drew: your beach bag is set

Posted on July 13, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Taming of the Drew, by Stephanie Kate Strohm (Apr. 2016, Sky Pony Press), $17.99, ISBN: 978-1-5107-0215-8

Recommended for ages 13+

Cass is a tough cookie high school grad from New Jersey who’s landed her first paid acting job with a Shakespeare company up in Vermont. She’s playing Kate – the shrew – in the company’s production of The Taming of the Shrew, and she’ll be living with her fellow actors all summer long. The one problem? Drew, a fellow actor who’s playing Petruchio, Kate’s suitor. He’s unbearable, as Cass found out when the two got into a fender bender on the way up to the theater. UGH. Together, Cass and her two roommates decide to “tame the Drew” ala Shakespeare; playing pranks on him to tame him, much like Petruchio does to Kate in the play. As the summer progresses, Cass finds herself in a romance with a bad boy skater at the training camp next door, even as she spends more and more time hanging out with Drew.

This is a fun, light, beach read with a bit of messy romance, a generous helping of Shakespeare, some wacky theater company exercises, and a fun group of characters. Theatre fans will love the peek into the camaraderie of a small production company; romance readers will enjoy the comedy of errors and the slow burn romance, and beach readers will love the light-hearted, fun story.

Some of the characters are a little on the stereotypical side: we have the slightly flamboyant theater teen; the crunchy granola girl who’s versed in protest theater; the skater dudes that speak a language all their own, complete with drinking tricks that could have come straight from the set of MTV’s Jackass; and the whole “I hate him, but I’m in love with him by the end of the book” plot. We don’t get much of an explanation as to why Drew is so insufferable at the beginning of the story, and there’s not a lot of diversity to be found, but overall, it’s a fun ride that you’ll have no trouble diving into.

Schedule a showing of the ’90s teen movies Ten Things I Hate About You (also based on The Taming of the Shrew), Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 update of Romeo + Juliet, toss in a little Clueless (it’s based on Jane Austen’s Emma, but has the whole comedic romance down pat), and talk about modern interpretations of classics in drama and literature.

Fiction, Humor, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

Memoirs of a Sidekick – good guys don’t always finish last

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Memoirs of a Sidekick, by David Skuy, (Oct. 2016, Kids Can Press), $16.95, ISBN: 9781771385688

Recommended for ages 9-12

Boris Snodbuckle and his best friend, Adrian, are two students at Bendale Public School. They’re not exactly the most popular kids; Boris and his harebrained plans often put him at the mercy of school bullies and teachers alike, and Adrian’s parents aren’t exactly thrilled with Boris, either. But Boris – “the B-ster” – is endlessly optimistic and just happens to see things differently. He decides to run for student council president, because he wants to make positive changes happen for all the kids across every grade. But Robert, Boris’ chief tormentor, also decides to run, and sets about stealing Boris’ ideas, taking all the credit, and getting the student body to promise their votes to him! Can Boris’ latest wild scheme turn things around?

Memoirs of a Sidekick is built on good values: persistence, optimism, and loyalty, for starters; there’s a strong vein of altruism, with Boris’ desire to take a stand for others. The novel touches on bullying and school social groups, and being a good citizen in the world at large, and there’s a nice emphasis on honesty being the best policy. The book meanders a bit at points, and Boris’ adherence to the Rules he and Adrian live by is relatable, if at times frustrating. Readers will appreciate Boris’ unique way of looking at the world and Adrian’s unflinching loyalty to his best friend.

Memoirs of a Sidekick is a good additional purchase for realistic fiction collections.

Animal Fiction, Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Lucy and Company tells three sweet stories of friendship

Posted on July 1, 2016June 29, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Lucy and Company, by Marianne Dubuc, (Sept. 2016, Kids Can Press), $16.95, ISBN: 9781771386623

Recommended for ages 2-5

A young girl spends time in a forest with her animal friends, where they share food, celebrate a birthday, and help a bunch of baby chicks in three separate stories by author and illustrator Marianne Dubuc.

Marianne Dubuc’s books are loaded with special little elements for readers with a sharp eye. Here, it’s more an attention to detail rather than little winks here and there. The animals’ tiny playing cards are clear; the map in the beginning of the book matches up with a map detail in The Treasure Hunt. The animal companions are adorable and fun to spend time with, as is their human friend, Lucy. The stories are sweet and beginning readers and parents will love cuddling up together at storytime. Display this one with Little Bear and Winnie the Pooh to attract readers who love animal and human adventures. The shorter stories make this easy to split up for shorter storytimes and mix-and-match themes.