Who is the Bucks Bandit? stumbles in this otherwise engaging series

As a family, we are knee-deep in the struggles of getting an elementary-aged student to learn to love reading. One series that he does enjoy is the Diary of a 5th Grade Outlaw series by Gina Loveless with illustrations by Andrea Bell. The third book in the series is Who is the Bucks Bandit? and it feels very different than the first two. Elementary-aged students who are already enjoying the series will gamely follow along. However, those passive readers who were reading the book just to placate their parents will feel like they’ve been here before. The result will leave librarians and parents of those younger kids who are coming into the series hoping that the fourth book in the Diary of a 5th Grade Outlaw series finds its mojo again.

The third book in this series feels too familiar

Teen Titans GO! To Camp! succeeds as a graphic novel for this all age team

Teen Titans GO! is easily one of the favorite television shows in our house and has been for the past two years. Our boys are eight and ten now and I suspect that this show will still be in their queue for the next three years. Moreover, the show is incredibly smart and displays a very high level of humor, all the while making fun of how dumb it can be in certain moments. For us, the show rivals The Simpsons in its intelligence and laughs per minute. Similar to that show, it had a comic book element that was equally as fabulous. Unlike Homer’s vehicle, Robin and his crew continue to have new adventures, and the first one of these, Teen Titans GO! To Camp! is out and is everything that fans of the show enjoy and want.

IT’s a graphic novel that delivers the promise of the comic and the TV show

Gridiron is a middle-grade book that transcends football and kidlit

One’s appreciation of a subject matter isn’t relevant to their ability to discern the quality in it. For example, you don’t have to personally enjoy a genre of music to be aware that there is some talent that goes into making it. I am that way with sports. My knowledge of football specifically is limited to what could be written on the back of a postage stamp. Gridiron, Stories From 100 Years of the National Football League is an oversized book that is perfectly aimed at me, plus any middle-school student who happens to enjoy football or the drama of sports.

Gridiron is for book fans, as well as, football fans

The Derby Daredevils, Shelly Struggles to Shine levels up

I love it when the second book in a series surpasses the first one. It doesn’t even have to go all “Empire Strikes Back” and be leagues better than its predecessor. For us, just the fact that it’s better means that the series has lots of gas left in the tank. The Derby Daredevils: Kenzie Kickstarts a Team set up the story about a group of girls teaming up to create a roller derby team. That was a middle-grade book that mainly girls will enjoy that had a variety of positive, diverse themes. The Derby Daredevils: Shelly Struggles to Shine takes that storyline and delivers a J-block to the other teams lead jammer.

Middle-grade comfort food with a side of roller derby for girls 9 and up

100 Kyoto Sights, travelogue & motivator to visit this great Japanese city

100 Kyoto Sights goes by the subtitle of ‘Discover the “Real” Japan’ and that’s a lot to measure up to. After all, ‘real’ is a fluid definition, but in this context let’s think in terms of old-school Japan. I lived in Japan for two years and it is one of the most fabulous places you’ll ever visit. It’s as clean as a theme park with a society that’s just as kind as any the best customer service you’ve witnessed. Even against that backdrop, there’s an area in Japan that offers more for those tourists who want a massive overview of all that Japan’s history has to offer.

Kyoto is a world away and so well worth visiting

All age comic books for September 9

This week in all age comic books is loaded with great graphic novels and a couple of comic books that will really hit home with the middle elementary crowd. First up in all age graphic novels is Dog Man, Grime and Punishment. If you have a kid who is eight or up it’s highly probable that this is already on your radar. If not, this is the final Dog Man graphic novel, so your kids will get caught up on the library’s copies or the bulk set that’ll be on sale just in time for the holidays. Cat Kid Comic Club is coming out in December to carry the torch for fans of this humor.

Middle-grade graphic novel fans can check out Roald Dahl-The Witches graphic novel or The Comic Book Story of Basketball. Those older fans can read Kent State-Four Dead in Ohio or Awkward Pause. Each of those will be dramatically different, but high in quality.

However, between Owly-Just a Little Blue, Pheobe and Her Unicorn-Virtual Unicorn Experience, Squidding Around-Fish Feud and more it’s a week that has many opportunities for those elementary ages to really enjoy some quality books. For the entire list just go on past this image.

Issues, all age comic books and more

Big Nate The Gerbil Ate My Homework is pitch-perfect

I should be working right now. Instead, I got sucked into the black hole that sometimes whirls around me which is Big Nate. In this case, it’s the 23rd installment of Lincoln Peirce’s instantly funny comic strip series. Big Nate The Gerbil Ate My Homework collects strips that were originally published in newspapers from February 16, 2016, through September 6, 2016. I should be working, but like only eating one potato chip or only watching one cat video I’m failing miserably at only reading a couple of Big Nate comic strips.

bIG nATE IS STILL GREAT AT COLLECTION #23

ABC for Me: ABC What Can I Be?, big, smart alphabet 411

ABC for Me: ABC What Can I Be? is the sort of book that kids and adults reading to three to six-year-old small people will cherish for a period of time. This is when kids are learning about jobs, where mom or dad go when they earn money, and what it is exactly that people call them there. It’s also an oversized-ABC book that’s printed on thicker than average cardboard paper. This isn’t board book thickness, but ABC What Can I Be? isn’t aimed at those crawlers. Instead, it’s a bright, happy, intelligent book that’s geared towards emerging readers who know some of the alphabet, but also want to have fun learning more.

ABC for Me: ABC What Can I Be? is a smart board book that digs deeper into what people can be with bright illustrations and simple sentences for 3-6.
This is a smart ABC book that’ll make ages 3-6 think about the future with a grin

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