Children's book reviews, all age comic books, Kidlit, mglit, movies, entertainment and parenting
Remember in college when you heard that song from Gypsy Kings? Maybe it was later in life when you discovered that 99 Luftballons was just the tip of Nena’s catchy rock/pop German catalogue. Your kids are into KPOP or J-rock and you probably don’t understand any of those lyrics. The comprehension is low to none, but you can enjoy it just the same. The Underwild: Relic of Thieves has something in common with all of that music for the uninitiated reader.
There’s an almost impossible point of believability to accomplish between Scooby-Doo, The Hardy Boys, the authentic enthusiasm of teens and realistic fiction. But wait, you want to successfully thread that needle through an opening further complicated by setting the book in 1930’s Germany? Somehow, The Spider Strikes, the third book in The Web of the Spider book series, navigates that 1%. It deftly tells an age-appropriate story about teenagers in 1931 Germany. I was skeptical too. However, during the book I was enthralled at the way it balanced everything. I was also bummed that the first two books in the series had slipped past my radar.
Muslim Mavericks is a new series of books by Salaam Reads. They’re non-fiction books that highlight inspirational Muslim figures. Maysoon Zayid: The Girl Who Can Can is an early chapter book. Zayid has Cerebral Palsy, a condition that impacts 10,000 people in the United States. The chapters in The Girl Who Can Can tell a story that’s inspirational, but its length and organization will impact who can enjoy the book and to what degree.
City Spies is seven? How is it that this go-to middle school series is seven books in and there hasn’t been a movie yet? The City Spies book series is mglit gold and the kind of books your adult self wishes existed back in the 80’s, 90’s, naughties or aughts, depending on where you’re from. Every book that we’ve read from the City Spies series is constant like gravity. They’re easy, breezy and one step away from being a CoverGirl, but this is a team joint. City Spies: Europa got the memo and author James Ponti is holding course. It set sail for age-appropriate action and intrigue to those in grades three through seven.
What makes a kid want to read? The answer to that breaks down due to their age and sex. Girls tend to read much quicker and advance at younger ages. Boys are apparently made of snips, snails, puppy dog tails and fart jokes or gas euphemisms. The Snowman Code is one of the cutest chapter books for elementary age kids we’ve read this year. Not only is it a good book, it’s one that will be effortless to read for children in elementary school. These are the readers who are able to graduate to chapter books, but might need a nudge to boost their confidence to get to books that look like The Snowman Code.
Don’t think about The Contest from Seinfeld, don’t think about The Contest from Seinfeld. Nay you 90’s fans of quality television this is The Christmas Contest. It’s a book that’s been too long dormant on my to-do shelf, but is now seeing the top of my desk and ready for its close-up. And…I feel an initial pang of regret because its hook, if you’re down with Advent, is very logical and addictive. Side note: worst headline ever.
A publisher does not a good book make. However, there are some book publishers who are so consistent in their ability that it primes the pump for your expectations. Tra Publishing is one like that. Their books have an odd, slightly unfamiliar feeling about them, but not too much that it’s incomprehensible to its young audiences. A Home for Felix is familiar, but strange, with big, dreamy illustrations that will make early readers happy and keep the older people reading it entertained.
Here’s an ode to cute illustrated books of Halloween. These are the kid-friendly books that are heavy on illustrations. The book’s pages are glossy and the cover has embossed characters, letters, or both. These features help drive home the book’s movement and tactile enjoyment for young hands. It’s those ages who get more out of touching than they do sitting. It’s Almost Time for Halloween! is the silly sort of seasonal selection that exists to make kids fall in love with the idea of reading a book.
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