Children's book reviews, all age comic books, Kidlit, mglit, movies, entertainment and parenting
Be Yourself and Other Bad Advice is a very helpful, readable, relatable book with a bit of a subtitle problem. Problem might not be the most accurate word. Limiting comes to mind, but specific could also be used, and specific isn’t bad per se. A Teen Girl’s Guide to Unlearning the Rules is the subtitle and immediately identifies the book’s target audience. That subtitle will almost certainly rule out all but the most read-hearty boys.
I like big books and I cannot lie. The size of a picture book doesn’t matter. I know, you know, it’s about the quality or interest level of what’s inside. However, kids might be swayed when they see a picture book that’s larger than others. It puts a stamp on the bookshelf. It’s a physical declaration that dares young audiences not to open it. Books of that ilk have an awe about them. To wit, Awe! is a picture book that celebrates the wonders that live around everyone everywhere.
My pseudo-critical thinking lessons to high school students sometimes challenge them. I do provide answers, but I prefer to have students find the path or the solution, themselves. Jokes, stories and raw enthusiasm can lead people to learn in a manner where they want to, as opposed to they have to. Mushrooms and Company takes the former road. Educators, parents and some students will recognize the look of Mushrooms and Company.
Oh Multiverse, you vex us so. The premise of the Multiverse is awesome. Its execution has been sketchy and inconsistent, with some characters and worlds being much more enjoyable than others. By far, the best job at establishing multiple protagonists in the same or different timelines is Spider-Man. It’s so effective at it that you can simply call it the Spider-Verse. Around the Spider-Verse: An Original Graphic Novel Collection is a new collection stories within that world that grabs your attention regardless of where your knowledge is about Spider lore.
I didn’t get it. Despite being an ex-radio guy and owner of hundreds of LPs, I didn’t get the idea of buying vinyl. My collection had been stoic, waiting in the office, frustrating near the record player. It was a tin of cat food in the kitchen while an electric can opener tauntingly looked on. TLDR: I get vinyl now and it’s awesome. Atlanta Record Stores: An Oral History is a book that’s meant for people who get vinyl. They understand and appreciate the culture behind the small businesses.
Every book aimed at elementary school-aged youth has its core audience. There is also the unknown crowd whom parents and educators hope find the book. Trial and Error is a graphic novel whose Venn Diagram bleeds into many fields. As an educator, you hope the longest leg option takes root but know that this avenue usually has the smallest entrance. However, you’re thankful for clever, unique books that speak to niche audiences, even though you want them to be more successful than they are.
“Why are you reading a book of poems?”, asked the high school senior. Well, that’s a fair question, brother. I had taught this student in various classes over the years. In my typical way of teaching, I turned our conversation into a critical thinking exercise. This left our teenage dude mentally slipping into the hedges of his mind. He probably also wanted to get away from me and towards someone talking about something in his area of expertise. However, much to my surprise, he kept asking me questions about Langston Hughes Melodies of the Weary Blues: Classic Poems Illustrated for Young People.
As kids get halfway through middle school they could lose their ability to use adjectives. I’m normally a glass-half-full kind of a guy. However, the essays that I see in 9th grade have a majority of students who need a map, compass and guide dog in order to find adjectives. They’d be overly excited if they came up with two ways to describe the weather in July and then ask for a waiver on future assignments. A Tale of Plagues and Perfumes is one of the more original middle-grade releases you’ll read this year. It does that by delving into a world that mglit readers know as familiar, but not too familiar, and exploring a realm that other books haven’t had the scents to do.
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