Daddy Mojo

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, a mixed-up bag of coal

Why does this film have two directors? I wondered as the credits rolled in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms started. By the middle of the film I was wondering how much worse the film could’ve been had it not actually had two directors. Much like any number of recent films (Solo, The Last Jedi, JLA) that have had integral people behind the scenes replaced; the result is a jumbled mess that’s barely entertaining and leave you wondering how this all came about.

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Mon Petit Busy Day, a huge board book that deserves more

Board books are awesome. Having said that, not all board books are created equal and determining if it’s the right one for your little soon-to-be reader requires some thought. Is the content too simple, are the pages too busy, are the pages too small or are the interactive features in the board book not sturdy enough? Mon Petit Busy Day is an oversized board book by Annette Tamarkin on Little Simon that has a lot going for it, but might fall between the cracks for other parents too.

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All age comic books for October 31

There is some delicious irony in having NCBD on Halloween. That means the week’s new all age comic books will be out on Halloween, so the kids will have to get to the store after school or postpone their visit until November 1. This week features a greater than normal number of books that will immediately hit elementary school kids in their wallet. There are also a couple of great comic books that will appeal (and be appropriate!) for readers as young as 6 years old! Really, check them out, dig into the podcast or Youtube version of this for more visual or audio fun.

Star Wars Adventures #15

If you have a reader who is 6 years or older and likes reading (or looking at cool) science-fiction then Star Wars Adventures is where you need to be. This is a monthly comic book from IDW Publishing that has everything a reader of that age expects from Star Wars, minus the Imperial back story and drama that slows down the films. Each issue has two stories. One story is more action-centric with characters that you’ll know and the other, much shorter story is funny and very light hearted.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Meltdown

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Meltdown arrives in stores this week. This is the 13^th book in this franchise behemoth from Jeff Kinney. Third graders and up will be chomping at the bit to buy this at their Scholastic Book Fair or ASAP from their local store.

Tangled Hair Raising Adventures #2

Tangled Hair Raising Adventures is a mini-series by IDW Publishing that sticks to the Rapunzel script and audiences love it. If you have a Disney fan who liked the film or a reluctant reader who liked that film have them check out this comic book. This is issue #2 of a three-issue mini-series. They can jump in now and look for the first issue or check out the complete trade paper back when all three are released in a month or two.

Humor

Superhero

Action/Science-fiction

All age comic books for October 24

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Comics! Over in the podcast we’ll talk about Blastosaurus, Foxtrot, Scooby and more. For now though let’s look at three nice all age comic books (or graphic novels…) that will interest readers in elementary school and up.

Phoebe and Her Unicorn in Unicorn Theater

The odds are strong that your elementary school student knows Phoebe and Her Unicorn. Most of the time Phoebe is in comic strip form, with the individual three or four panel strips telling the story. Phoebe and Her Unicorn in Unicorn Theater is the second graphic novel from Dana Simpson. The difference is that this story featuring Phoebe and Her Unicorn is encapsulated. Unicorn Theater is an original graphic novel and if you don’t know Phoebe she’s worth getting to know as anybody will relate to her.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is a great monthly comic book from Marvel Comics. Ignore the T rating on this comic book and let it loose one those readers who are 8 and up. This is great monster, dinosaur fun with a side dose of middle school drama.

Star Wars Tales From Vader’s Castle

Star Wars Adventures with a sprinkling of all age horror? Count us in for this mini-series that’s happening this month only. Jump in now for issue #4, catch the final issue next week or the graphic novel when they’re all collected and readers who are 8 and up will love them.

Humor

Superhero

Action/Science-fiction

Grandma Gatewood Hikes the Appalachian Trail, well worth the hike

The story of Grandma Gatewood is a minimalist, unassuming story that’s so sweet and inspiring it’s all but impossible to believe that it happened in 1955. However, it really did happen, anyone who reads it will come away with some degree of increased motivation and might just feel like a cream puff compared to the 67 year old grandmother. At the age when some folks intentionally drop anchor and become sedentary, she started walking and didn’t stop until she finished The Appalachian Trail.

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Backstagers and the Ghost Light will delight middle school grades

For me it was when I first saw Big that I realized that comic books were more than comic books. They tell a story and have the ability to evolve and change. In Big it was the ‘choose your story’ angle, however, before then I didn’t have the foresight to imagine comic books in any other medium than the occasional movie. I’ve since come around on that idea and am a huge proponent of great properties getting out there in as many formats as possible. As a comic book, The Backstagers isn’t in our top 10, but it’s certainly a great comic for those middle school students and up that dig theater. The Backstagers and the Ghost Light is the first novel to feature the stage crew at St. Genesius Prep in an original graphic novel.

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Chomp Goes the Alligator, a counting board book with real bite

To a new parent counting books might appear be quite similar. They were to us. The numbers don’t change; they go in order, what’s the difference. However, there are variables that need to be considered. If it’s a flap book (where you have to flip something up) are the flaps strong? Will they rip off easily? How thick are the pages? Will they be ripped or compromised with ease? Also, don’t forget the spine of the book-be sure that it’s strong enough to merit the cost of the book. Chomp Goes The Alligator by Matthew Van Flee gleefully devours all of those expectations into the best counting book that we’ve seen in years.

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Hip & Hop In The House!, 4 fly 4YO and up

The tortoise raps slow. The hare raps quickly. There is no racing involved. They do walk briskly for a moment, but that’s only after the two anthropomorphic animals meet each other and see a poster for a rap battle. Hop lives in Breakbeat Meadow and Hip lives in Slowjamz Swamp, both of which are in Oldskool County. If you’re tongue isn’t fully in cheek yet there are more than two dozen cute puns that seal the deal in this book hits home for elementary school readers; or for those parents of young readers who want to have fun reading it to them.

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