Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior, An Op Alliance builds on its potential

For a period in most boy’s or young men’s lives, they love Minecraft. Granted there are some girls who enjoy and can craft circles around their Y chromed counterparts, but for the most part in our experience. So for those girls that like ghosts, warriors, creepers, wolves, and more, Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior, An Op Alliance is for you. This is a surprisingly good and effective original graphic novel that fills a void that exists in regards to a literary version for this immensely popular franchise.

elementary-aged readers get yr minecraft graphic novel..

Kaleidoscope of Creatures is multi-purposed for STEM and fun

I firmly believe that STEM and the concepts that make it up are ones that kids want to learn.  It’s just that the information has to presented to them in ways that are interesting to those students. I know, back in my day the information was packaged in a granite block, we had to smash our hands against it to glean information; we liked it, and asked for more. However, what if the building blocks of classification and organization, specifically the animal kingdom were displayed in a hyper-inviting way that encouraged elementary-aged students to explore, learn, ask questions and add to what they’re being taught? That’s the idea behind Kaleidoscope of Creatures, The Colors of Nature Explained by Cath Ard with illustrations by Greer Stothers.

A potato chip of a book, you read one page, then another…and so on

Wilderlore The Accidental Apprentice, a book series with quick hooks

On its surface, Wilderlore, The Accidental Apprentice seems like a book that you’ve read before. For me, it’s because I recently read Fartquest, a book whose tone is quite different but does share an overarching theme in common with it. Those older readers might even find threads of How to Train your Dragon, Nevermoor, or LOTR in the book. As you might have guessed, The Accidental Apprentice involves a quest that has monsters, beasts, and kingdoms. The mglit angle is firmly hit by the book because it’s one that middle school readers will enjoy due to the fact that it’s fun, has a very quick pace, and a pair of teen characters who will ride their imagination.

Wilderlore The Accidental Apprentice is the first in a series of books that hooks readers in fifth grade and up.
This book plants roots for future stories

Meesah Makes Friends works and speaks effortlessly

I was teaching at school and there was a gap in the schedule. It’s a ten-minute period where the kids finished the lesson, the student transfer didn’t happen on time, or the class simply needed redirection. Regardless, I had to find a book to read to some wily kindergarten kids ASAP. I love the book series from Tom Percival, A Big Bright Feelings Book. These are oversized illustrated books that make the most of their size and color. Meesha Makes Friends was just the length and theme that I needed for the read-along for many reasons.

Meesha Makes Friends with young readers very quickly

Saving Stella, current event canine non-fiction with a war backdrop

There are books that kids want to read, books that parents/educators want them to read, and those books that sometimes straddle both camps. Saving Stella is one of those books that will keep a foot in each of those categories to some extent, due to its true story, soft visuals, and the always appealing element of a lovable dog.

A book for people that love dogs and hope

The Coldfire Curse, a graphic novel that elementary ages will want to read

I just read an illustrated book to a first-grade class. It was a pleasant enough book. They enjoyed it because they knew the story so well that they memorized the words and it represented a time when they don’t have to work. The book was also far too easy for them. Some of the kids were so bored that they simply put their heads on their desks and listened to an all too enthusiastic substitute teacher read it to them. In my experience teaching children, it’s not that they don’t want to read, it’s that they want to read books that are entertaining. The Dragon Kingdom of Wrenly, The Coldfire Curse by Jordan Quinn is a graphic novel that classes like that would devour during their free reading time.

This all-age graphic novel is the dragon bomb, great for ages 5 and up

Saucy is a swine reading time for middle-elementary through middle school

When I was a kid I had fringe pets. These were animals that didn’t qualify under the domesticated category that most people associate pets with. For example, I had a rabbit, granted lots of people have rabbits as pets but these rabbits were outside, never came inside, and rarely graced the touch of a human hand. We also had a crow, who ironically had the same home the rabbit did, albeit a couple of years later. Saucy is a book that’s aimed at upper elementary through Middle School readers and is all about those fringe pets. The cover has a pig who is running with glee, possibly running away from or towards something as the back jacket as a small family who is chasing him for some reason. That illustration gives you a great feeling for how the book reads.

Saucy, try not to say it in an austin powers voice

A Year Full of Celebrations and Festivals makes learning fun

A Year Full of Celebrations and Festivals is the kind of book I would’ve loved as a child. Growing up in the United States I knew about all of our festivals and holidays, but what really intrigued me were the international ones that my classmates or neighbors celebrated. I wanted to try the foods that they ate on those days and had umpteen questions about why they did or believed certain things. When I got older those questions only got more involved as I worked at EPCOT and actually became friends with people from all over the world. A Year Full of Celebrations and Festivals by Christopher Corr and Claire Grace is a reference book for grades three and up that takes a look at over 90 celebrations from around the world. It is a reference book, so it’s encyclopedic in nature. However, it’s also loaded with illustrations and brightly colored pages that entice young readers to keep turning the pages.

A Year Full of Celebrations and Festivals is a well constructed book that educates and entertains kids on global happenings.
It’s a reference book. It’s fun to read. It’s a unicorn.

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