Tag: humor

Posted in Animal Fiction, Fiction, Fiction, Humor, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Uncategorized

Hamster Princess is back, and she’s saving twelve dancing princesses!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

hamsterprincessHamster Princess: Of Mice and Magic, by Ursula Vernon (March 2016, Dial Books), $12.99, ISBN: 9780803739840

Recommended for ages 8-12

Babymouse fans, where are you? Come on over and check out the adventures of Princess Harriet Hamsterbone, a hamster princess with enough snark and sass to stand toe to toe with our favorite Mouse.

Written by Dragonbreath series author Ursula Vernon, Hamster Princess: Of Mice and Magic is the second book in this new series about a hamster princess who has a battle quail, a poncho of invisibility, and a best friend, Prince Wilbur, who she totally does not like like that, okay? She’d rather be cliff-diving than sitting at court any day of the week.

Of Mice and Magic finds Princess Hamster bored stiff now that all the local monsters have retired. She happens upon a fairy who tells her about twelve mice princesses – daughters of a very odd king with loads of issues – who are cursed to dance all night long. She offers to help break the curse, but she may have gotten herself in too deep when she comes up against a witch that’s really calling the shots.

This series is fantastic! I’ve been a fan of the Dragonbreath series for a while, and the kids at my library agree; the series is in constant circulation. I can’t wait to introduce them to Hamster Princess – she’s awesome for boys and girls alike, thanks to Ursula Vernon’s snappy dialogue, loaded with side-of-the-mouth snarky comebacks and a great graphic novel/chapter book hybrid format. It’s everything we love about Danny Dragonbreath, with a new twist on a beloved fairy tale. Where Dragonbreath’s art is largely green, black, and white, Hamster Princess glams it up a bit, with shades of purple and pink thrown in with the black and white. Princess Harriet is a great heroine – she’s smart, independent, can think on her feet, and can fend for herself. I love her, and I can’t wait for the kids in my library to meet her.

Ursula Vernon writes the Dragonbreath series, along with other great books for kids. Her website offers an FAQ, her blog, and a shop where you can check out some of her amazing artwork. While Of Mice and Magic won’t be out until March 2016, you can get started with the first book in the series, Harriet the Invincible, right now!

Posted in Uncategorized

#Presidents: Follow the Leaders – A funny social media guide to the Presidents

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

follow_pres#presidents: Follow the Leaders, by John Bailey Owen (Aug. 2015, Scholastic), $9.99, ISBN: 9780545849388

Recommended for ages 8-13

Imagine for a minute, if all the Presidents – all 44 of them! – were on Twitter? And they could talk to one another? Can you imagine what you’d find out if you were able to follow them? That would be the best history lesson ever!

#presidents: Follow the Leaders does exactly that. We hear from the Presidents – and some Vice Presidents and First Ladies! – as they tell us a little bit about themselves and react to other Presidents. There are hilarious screen names, too: James Madison, our shortest President and the author of the Constitution, goes by @LILJCONSTITUTION; William Henry Harrison, who caught a cold during his inauguration speech and died after 32 days in office, can be found @ILLWILL_H. Bill Clinton can be found @CLINSTAGRAM, and our current Prez, Barack Obama, is @BAMIMOBAMA. We’ve got some guest stars, like the White House Pets, Camp David, the Secret Service, and the White House Chef, and the Rules of Running for President makes sure everyone knows how the process works.

There are profile pictures, hometowns, hilarious hashtags, even #tbt pictures. A timeline of the U.S. Presidency rounds out the book. It’s a fun companion to a kid’s history books, but make sure no one’s doing their history homework with this as their sole source of information (I can see some of my patrons trying it)!

Author John Bailey Owen is a humorist. His author website offers blog posts and links to his other books.

Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye – Mystery and Humor for Middle Grade!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

warren the 13Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye, by Tania del Rio (Nov. 2015, Quirk Books), $16.95, ISBN: 978-1594748035

Recommended for ages 8-12

Poor Warren the 13th. He’s a 12 year old orphan, who’s currently bellhopping at his family’s hotel. His hapless uncle Rupert and Rupert’s evil wife, Annaconda are managing the hotel until he’s old enough to take it over, but Rupert’s really running the whole show. All Rupert wants to do is nap, and Annaconda is convinced that a treasure she calls the All-Seeing Eye is somewhere in the hotel, and that it will give her unlimited power. The thing is, word gets out, and the hotel is besieged by all sorts of wacky and weird characters. The hunt is on, but Warren needs to find the Eye first to save his family’s legacy!

This is a perfect book for middle graders who love their creepy stories with a lot of humor. We’ve got a Cinderella type story here, with a sweet kid being raised by an evil family member (his uncle isn’t bad, just a bit slow on the uptake). There’s a fun subplot that will surprise and delight readers, and the ending – and Warren’s origins – leave the possibility of a sequel open. The Victorian setting is such a fun setting for stories – rambling homes with all sorts of stories abound- and there two-color illustrations on every page that will spur more visual readers on.

Tania del Rio is a comic book writer and artist whose credits include work for Archie Comics, Dark Horse, and Marvel. You can find out more about her books and see more of her art at her author website.

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, Fiction, Humor, Intermediate, Uncategorized

Paranormal fiction for beginners: Seymour Strange

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

seymour_1Seymour Strange: How to Trick a One-Eyed Ghost, by Susan Lurie/Illus. by Victor Rivas (December 2015, Blue Apple Books), $6.99, ISBN: 9781609055554

Recommended for ages 6-8

Seymour Strange (that’s not his real last name) sees ghosts, even if no one else does. In his first adventure, How to Trick a One-Eyed Ghost, Seymour and his best friend, Ozzie, find themselves being chased by three wacky ghosts.

This is a fun early chapter book, perfect for readers who are ready for a little extra thrills and chills in their fiction, but aren’t quite ready for Goosebumps – in fact, author Susan Lurie was the Goosebumps series editor. There’s a great mix of humor and wacky, creepy fun in this debut – no nightmares need apply here.

Seymour Strange: How to Trick a One-Eyed Ghost is part of Blue Apple’s I Can Read Chapters series; paperbacks with a smaller trim size and denser text that are just right for readers with growing competence who are ready to move on from Blue Apple’s Jump-Into-Chapter series.

 

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Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads

Max the Brave is FEARLESS!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

max the braveMax the Brave, by Ed Vere (Sept 2015, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky), $15.95, ISBN: 978-1-4926-1651-1

Recommended for ages 2-6

Max is a fearless kitten. He is a brave kitten. He does not like being dressed up in cutesy bows. He is a kitten who catches mice… or, he would, if he knew what a mouse looked like. He sets off in search of a mouse, politely asking several animals along the way if they are mice. Somewhere along the way, though, it looks like someone told Max a fib…

This book is adorable. The cartoony artwork will grab little readers and storytime attendees right away. Max is bold and black, with big yellow eyes. The animals he encounters are largely bold and black, set against bright background pages. The minimalist artwork makes it easy for younger readers to follow along, and the plain black text makes for an easy read for storytime.

The story reinforces manners – even though Max is brave and fearless, he’s always polite when asking for directions to Mouse. The story’s end will make parents giggle along with their children, and they will cheer for Max on his quest. There’s just enough repetition on Max’s search to keep kids engaged and interactive with the story.

I read this story to preschoolers and toddlers, and each time, they LOVED it. There was a fantastic amount of interaction, with kids calling out the names of the animals Max encounters and calling out advice to Max. The toddlers giggled and clapped and asked me to read it again – so I did!

Bottom line: Put this one on your Fall reading lists. The kiddies love it. There are great activities available as a free download from the publisher, and there’s also a free Common Core educator’s guide.

Watch this space – there’s going to be a Rafflecopter giveaway on this blog shortly!

 

 

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Humor, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Middle School

Pen Pals across time? Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in My…

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

ben franklinBenjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in My…, by Adam Mansbach & Alan Zweibel (Sept. 2015, Hyperion), $12.99, ISBN: 9781484713044

Recommended for ages 8-12

Thirteen year-old Franklin Isaac Saturday (call him Ike) has a really obnoxious writing assignment. He has to write a letter to a person from history, so he chooses Benjamin Franklin, his namesake. He rants and raves about the dumb assignment, the struggle of being in middle school, his jerk of a stepfather, and his crush on classmate Claire Wanzandae. He inadvertently sticks the letter in a mailbox as part of a joke, but here’s the surprise: he gets a response back. From Ben Franklin, who’s got stuff of his own to complain about! He hates his hair, Thomas Jefferson gets on his nerves, and he’s sensitive about his weight. Will these pen pals out of time somehow help one another through their rough patches, or will they cause the entire timestream to become out of whack?

Written in the first person through Ike’s eyes and through letters between Ike and Ben Franklin, this is a good middle grade read, especially for those reluctant readers. It didn’t really grow on me like I thought it would – the thought of Ben Franklin being that concerned about his stringy hair and feelings of not measuring up didn’t work for me – but I think middle graders will get a kick out of this one. The writing is conversational and witty, with plenty of snark and sarcasm. The time travel aspect of the story is a little far-fetched, but go with it.

This is a good addition to collections (both home and library) that cater to kids who are a hard sell for reading. Humor is always a good thing to have on your shelves, especially for those kids who don’t want to read, but need a book for school. I tend to fall back on humor and adventure for these kids, so this will be a helpful one to have on hand.

Posted in Horror, Humor, Teen, Tween Reads

After Dark: There’s something very creepy going on in this town…

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

after dark After Dark, by James Leck (Aug. 2015, Kids Can Press), $16.95, ISBN: 9781771381109

Recommended for ages 11-14

Charlie Harker is not having a great day. He’s in trouble on his last day of school; his mom met him to tell him there’s no more money left – their absentee dad spent them all into debt, and she’s putting Charlie, his sister, Lillith, and his brother, Johnny, to work over the summer to renovate his grandfather’s old inn in the boring town of Rolling Hills. The only excitement seems to come from local conspiracy nut, Miles Van Helsing.

Charlie realizes, pretty quickly, that there may be something to Miles’ ramblings. People are acting weird, and Charlie decides to help Miles investigate further. There’s definitely something going on in Rolling Hills, but will Charlie and Miles be the next victims?

This is a fun humor/horror story; think of Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets old-school Fright Night. There are some nice nods to horror history, including references to George Romero and The Lost Boys, not to mention the obvious Dracula references in the boys’ last names. The ending leaves the possibility for a sequel. It’s a good end-of-summer read, and readers who shy away from gore and horror may be drawn in by the sarcastic narration and overall humor.

Posted in Humor, Preschool Reads

Where do dads go when they’re lost? The Bureau of Misplaced Dads!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

misplaced dadsThe Bureau of Misplaced Dads, by Éric Veillé/Illus. by Pauline Martin (Aug. 2015, Kids Can Press), $16.95, ISBN: 9781771382380

Recommended for ages 4-8

A young boy misplaces his dad one morning, and heads over to the Bureau of Misplaced Dads to see if he ended up there. Dads show up there every day, many of whom are reclaimed the same day, some who have waited a while, and some who get released into the wild. There are dads of all shapes and sizes, with all sort of quirks and talents, but is the boy’s dad there? And does he want a replacement dad if he’s not?

This is a cute story that will go over well in a storytime, as kids get to see all kinds of dads: strongman dads, dads named Michael, dancing dads, and clueless dads, for starters. The very idea of misplacing one’s dad will be familiar to any child whose parents have “gotten lost”, whether in a department store or in the same home.

The retro, digital artwork is entertaining and lively, with bright colors, exaggerated mustaches, and crazy costumes; various dads strike wacky poses as the little boy looks on, searching for the perfect dad: his.

The book is light and played for laughs, and would also make for a fun cuddle time story at bedtime for Dad and kids. I’m going to add this to a storytime and have the kids draw a picture of their dad on a milk carton template.

 

 

Posted in Fiction, Humor, Puberty, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

The Incredible Three and A Half Superheroes is a silly superhero story… kinda.

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

titaah_superheroes_side_crThe Incredible Three and a Half Superheroes, by Frank Schmeiβer/Illus. by Jörg Mühle, Translated from German by David H. Wilson, (April 2015, Little Gestalten), $19.95, ISBN: 978-3-89955-740-4

Recommended for ages 10+

Imagine if Doug, the Wimpy Kid, his buddy, Rowley, and Fregley, the weird kid, started their own superhero group. Now you’ve got an idea of what to expect with The Incredible Three and a Half Superheroes. Headed by Sebastian Appleby-Krumble, aka The Brain, the three middle school friends and classmates are a quirky group of kids from class 6A, taught by the lovely Mrs. Daffodil. Their nemeses, class 6B (for bums, among other things), are taught by the awful Mr. Devill. Things have gone missing from Mrs. Daffodil’s class, and the school administration thinks that she may not be able to control her class. To save her teaching position and reputation, the Incredible Three and a Half (the half being Martin “The Chameleon’s invisible friend, a shy chicken) must find out exactly who the real culprit(s) are.

If that wasn’t enough on its own, Sebastian also has his awful – but wealthy – Aunt Boudicea – staying with them for her birthday festivities. Sebastian’s mother is going crazy trying to feed the woman and her husband, and create an entertaining birthday song and dance routine for Sebastian to perform to entertain her at her birthday party!

The book is written in middle grade style, but the language tends toward a slightly higher level. There’s more profanity than I expected in a middle grade book, so this may be an issue for some families. Written in first-person from Sebastian/The Brain’s point of view, and illustrated with black and white line drawings throughout, this will appeal to fans of The Wimpy Kid, Big Nate, and other books in the diary/journal genre. There’s a lot of running back and forth between plot and subplot, and the writing becomes hectic, but kids will likely get a kick out of the craziness of planning a party for Sebastian’s crazy aunt and shrugging off the constant indignities she – and his classmates – toss his way.

Not a bad purchase for home and public libraries, but school libraries will likely be turned off by the language.

 

Posted in Fiction, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

The Bus Ride by Marianne Dubuc is a fun read

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

the_bus_rideThe Bus Ride, by Marianne Dubuc (Mar. 2015, Kids Can Press), $16.95, ISBN: 9781771382090

Recommended for ages 3-7

A little girl rides the bus to grandma’s. It’s her first time by herself, and she’s all packed for the ride: she’s got a snack and a sweater, in case she gets cold. The Bus Ride is a sweet story about a little girl’s bus ride with a group of animal passengers, including a goat who offers her a flower, a little wolf with whom she shares cookies, and a pickpocket fox. There are little visual winks to sharp-eyed readers, including changing newspaper headlines and quirky passenger behavior, which always make for a fun, participatory read-aloud. Kids will love catching these little elements, and the largely wordless text will encourage you and your readers to tell big stories about each passenger on the bus.

The bus interior features on each two-page spread of the book, really letting the art breathe. Let the kids in your life discuss or illustrate their own bus ride to grandma’s – what would they see? Who’s on the bus with them?

The Bus Ride is a fun addition to storytime collections. Read it along with the fairytale classic Red Riding Hood and see if kids can spot the similarities!