Daddy Mojo

First Names: Harry Houdini -nonfiction that young readers can believe in

Books that capture the attention of elementary or middle school readers need to be entertaining. It’s a bonus if said books can fun and leave those young readers with a smile on their face or a sense of wonder. Rare is the book that can be entertaining and fun, all the while doing it in a non-fiction book that upper elementary aged readers will enjoy. First Names is a line of books from Abrams Books for Young Readers and if this first book is any indication of their things to come it’ll be a go-to series for this age group. First Names: Harry Houdini by Kjartan Poskitt with illustrations by Geraint Ford is a book that has you smiling from couple pages into the book and weaves a breathlessly true tale that you don’t know.

This book reads like an adventure-comedy and kids 8 and (way up…) will love it

Sophie Johnson, Unicorn Expert transcends the alicorn crowd

Sophie Johnson loves unicorns. In way she’s like any dreamy-eyed kid between four and eight who wants to believe in magical things. For a short period of our lives trolls, elves and unicorns populate our world. For some people it’s a combination of these creatures, while others are fully invested in one of them. Sophie Johnson, Unicorn Expert is what her business card would say, if six year-olds started carrying them around. What makes this book work is that it goes beyond the imagination of a young child, has fabulous colors and has just a touch of meta to make any kid in that age range enjoy it.

Sophie Johnson, Unicorn Expert is a books that transcends those that like alicorns because of the succinct story and friendly art.

Unicorn fans and more will love this book, read on……

Ruby Finds A Worry, lovely message + great art=fabulous book

A worry is not a physical thing. The moment you stop obsessing over said ‘worry’ it magically disappears into the background of life. It’s natural to have illustrated books about being worried because some miss and some hit. Ruby Finds a Worry is by Tom Percival and expertly brings his warmth, pacing, sublime story telling ability and art to a worthy book about a topic that we need to address…but not be worried about.

Ruby Finds A Worry is a fabulous illustrated book. It’s about a worry, but it allows kids to realize how not to act, instead of telling them how to behave.

Ruby Finds a Worry, kids 4-8 will find a jammin book, read on for proof

Awesome Achievers in Technology, short stories of innovation for 8 and up

Eight pages should not be this entertaining and be able to tell a contained story. That’s what I was thinking at the end of each profile in Awesome Achievers in Technology, Super and Strange Facts about 12 Almost Famous History Makers. Awesome Achieves is a new book series written by Alan Katz, who wrote the very funny book The Day The Mustache Took Over, its sequel and many others. This is an educational book, but it’s also fun to read and provides dozens of ‘light bulb’ moments when readers will see the moment that something special in history was created.

Awesome Achievers in Technology is the first in a series of books. It features 12 tech titans who you probably don’t know.

8 YO readers (and older…) will dig this book, read on we say….

Spencer’s New Pet, great layout and patient story for wordless fans

Wordless books are awesome. They allow readers to use their imagination to entirely propel the story forward. We don’t know anything about their character’s background or the people who are in the story. There are no names and it gives kids, provided they want to play along, a chance for them to tell their own story within the picture narrative that the author has established. Spencer’s New Pet is by Jessie Sima and has a couple neat hooks that will capture young readers.

Spencer’s New Pet is a wordless book about balloon animals, imagination, self-paced storytelling and the perils of pointy objects.

More mojo after the click….

I’m Worried, an OK illustrated book on being concerned or paranoid

Being worried is a challenging state of being for kids to process. We want them to be concerned and to be cautious, but worrying about anything and everything is counter-productive. I’m Worried by Michael Ian Black with illustrations by Debbie Ridpath Ohi tackles the concept of worrying in a way that some kids will understand.

I’m Worried is an illustrated book that straddles the line between being careful, having fun, worrying and living life.

Dig more Mojo by clicking….

All age comic books for August 28

What’s new in all age comic books this week? In the podcast we’ll chat about Marvel Team Up, Tangled and a couple other comic books that tie-in to some announcements made at D23 recently.

This week in all age comic books has Lumberjanes, Moon Girl, Tangled and a Tyna of The Lake a fabulous fable oriented original graphic novel.

If you’re looking for a comic book that’s great for ages 8 and up this week check out Lumberjanes or Invader Zim. If it’s something a little younger you’re looking for dig into Tangled: Hair It Is, My Little Pony or Casper’s Capers. Our favorite all age comic book (or in this case, graphic novel) is Tyna of the Lake. This is volume 3 in the ongoing Gamayun Tales series by Nobrow Press. This graphic novel is beautifully illustrated and full of the sorts of imagery and monsters that live in fables that ages seven and up will love. This a great example of an all age graphic novel that appeals to those in elementary school and up-without watering down the action or adventure older readers yearn for.

Humor The Art of Bravest Warriors, UE, M, H Casper’s Covers #6, E, M Ducktales Silence & Science #1 of 3, M Lumberjanes #65, E, M, H My Little Pony Friendship is Magic #81, E

Pumpkin Heads, M, H

Pumpkin Heads, All age comic books for August 28

Red Sonja Vampirella Betty Veronica #4, M, H Sonic the Hedgehog #20 E, M Tangled the Series Hair It is, E, M Superhero Amazing Spider-Man #28, UE, M, H Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica, M, H Marvel Team Up #5, UE, M, H Mighty Morphin Power Ranger #42, M, H Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur #46, E, M, H Power Pack #1, UE, M Action/Science-fiction Archie vs. Predator II, #2 of 5, UE, M, H Tyna of the Lake, E, M, H Invader Zim #46, E, M, H Steven Universe #31, UE, M, H

I am Hermes! approachable (and fun!) Greek mythology for 8 and up

Hear me roar. For some reason when I say I Am Hermes!, hear me roar just follows naturally. In actuality the official title is I Am Hermes! Mischief-Making Messenger of the Gods. I say mischief, you say Gods, I may think Loki, but nay, this is the OG, original gods, son of Zeus and daughter of Maia. It’s not a stretch to say that the Gods, their powers, relationships and history are Greek to me. Our two children know more about the Greek Gods than I do and that’s due entirely to through what they’ve learned from their friends.

I Am Hermes! is a graphic novel with a light, approachable manner that allows ages 8 and up to understand the messenger

Our Greek friends know that Hermes is the one that invented astronomy, the alphabet, gymnastics, music and more. I Am Hermes!, by Mordecai Gerstein paints the legacy of the original king of mischief in a way that those who don’t know Greek about him will be able to enjoy it in many ways.

Presenting educational text in an actual entertaining format is challenging. I know, the Greek gods didn’t really exist, it’s the sort of mythological beings that allow people to dream. It’s not ‘technically’ education in a non-fiction sense, but it’s fun reading and done in a graphic novel format that ages 8 and up will enjoy.

This is a hardback graphic novel that’s the size of a book. Its format is different and is complimented by the Gerstein’s art. Its painted art with watercolors allows some of the color within the panels to blend into each other or outside the lines. The effect is lighthearted and makes the book read very quickly.

I Am Hermes! is broken up into a couple of chapters, with each one telling a specific angle of his life. Again, at times I have to remind myself that Hermes wasn’t a real person. If it’s someone that you’ve heard of for ages then they must be real, right? Hermes was apparently quite the challenging child for his parents. He was often playing jokes on his parents, all the while trying to figure out his place in the world. So, the story of Hermes is unlike any real person and any similarities to erstwhile siblings who might joke around too much is entirely coincidental.

Think of I Am Hermes! as a starter story for a Greek God whose title, Messenger of the Gods is perhaps better known than he is. The vocabulary is such that those in upper elementary school will be able to easily read it and have the life experiences required to appreciate-and learn the lessons that these myths can teach us.