Moms and dads need entertainment and these posts, for one reason or another will do just that
There are some children’s books that extend beyond the ages that they’ve meant for. In theory they have a younger skewing interest level, but there is just something about them makes them work for a couple years older, or longer than you think they will. The Night Knights by Gideon Sterer with illustrations by Cory Godbey is that kind of book.
Continue reading The Night Knights is a great good-nite book
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Hello new comic book day! It’s every Wednesday and there are handfuls of great all age comic books that come out each week. In the podcast we’ll take a deeper look at the best selling comic book of all time in New Zealand, a summer special from one of the great go-to comics, a classic literary crime solving teen comes to comics and more. For now though let’s look at three all age comic books that’ll entertain readers as young as 6.
My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic #69
For girls aged 4 through 9 My Little Pony can be their jam. I say ‘can be’ because not all girls will like MLP, but most of them will. In issue #69 of My Little Pony Pinkie Pie finds a magical apple that gives her special powers. Try not to smile when you read that sentence. It’s the same with the comic book, this is happy stuff that will please anybody if you give it a chance.
Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #35
If you know of a middle school student or even one in their final year of elementary school who is looking for a truly cool hero look no further than Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. With tongue firmly in cheek, she hangs with supers, foils villainous plots and survives being a teenager. In this issue Spider-Man joins her for some fun and possibly to help take down Kraven.
Blastosaurus
Blastosaurus is the #1 selling comic book of all time in New Zealand. It’s being relaunched in the U.S. as an all age comic book. He’s a 6-foot-tall mutant triceratops who is helped by two 12-year olds as they fight monsters, robots, aliens and more. This looks fun, original and just like the sort of thing that will shake up kids 8 and up who can read independently.
Humor
Superhero
Action/science-fiction
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All age comic books for July 25
Humor
Superhero
Action/Science-fiction
We’re under embargo and can’t say too much about Teen Titans GO! To The Movies until closer to its release date. However, we’re giving away 2 pairs of tickets to this film and this is a giveaway that you want to enter. These are tickets that are valid through Fandango for Teen Titans GO! To The Movies. So regardless of where you live, if there’s a Fandango theater near you that’s showing Teen Titans GO! To The Movies, then you’re good to go anytime you want to see the film before August 23.
And go you will want to.
Continue reading Win 2 pairs of tickets to Teen Titans GO! To The Movies
Thanks to DreamWorks for the free DIY craft, which is actually quite simple to do…. Our kids grew up on Captain Underpants. Actually our kids are still growing up with Captain Underpants as they’re only 6 and 8. The older one has been a fan of George and Harold since he was 4. It’s the first books that he started to read and the series that I credit with him actively wanting to read. We started with one random book from Captain Underpants and ended up buying the entire series as the year went on. To that end, The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants appears to bring what fans of the book series loved about the books. The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants starts airing on Netflix on July 13. If you’re kids haven’t started asking about it, they will. However, if they don’t, then show them a book, then point them in the direction of the television show.
We all were fans of the film. It had more heart than some of its contemporaries that targeted the same demographic. There were still some sight gags, but it wasn’t all potty humor and toilet puns, which is quite ironic considering the titular character. In its place, just as it is in the books, lie George Beard and Harold Hutchins, two best friends that any kid in elementary school can relate to. They’re goofy, like to draw, have fun and also have a wide variety of friends to interact with.
If there was one thing that the film did not contain that our kids noticed, it was its lack of supporting characters. Other than Melvin Sneedly, Mr. Krupp/Captain Underpants and Professor Poopypants it was the George and Harold show. Fans of the books know that there are several characters that interact with them and help spice up the universe of Jerome Horowitz Elementary.
From the previews that I’ve seen, The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants seems like it has more ensemble players. It’s still the George and Harold show, with Captain Underpants/Mr. Krupp, but there are teachers or friends that pop in from time to time to act as foibles or friends.
It also still retains the silliness and fun of Captain Underpants. Even as I type this, try to say, much less think of Captain Underpants without smiling. This is a story, nay, a series of stories, a television series even, that compliments its original feature film and books and feels like a compliment instead of a cash in. Part of that is because people, mainly kids who are between 5 and 11, want to see more of their adventures. That was the vibe that our kids gave us after the film and that’s what they get from Dreamworks The Epic Tale of Captain Underpants when it steams all of its first season on July 13.
Everyone hits a moment where things don’t click and that goes for book series too. That was the case with the Secrets of the Seven book series by Sarah. L. Thomson. The first book in the series The Eureka Key was a fabulous first book in the series. It was quickly paced, relatable for kids 9 and up and felt like a kidlit cousin to the film National Treasure. At the end of the first book I was waiting for the second book. When it did the next year, The Eagle’s Quill failed to deliver. It was darker, didn’t have the punch of the first one and left us lukewarm about a third book. The Ring of Honor returns to the swagger and fun that populated the first book so well and makes this a book that kids will really enjoy reading. Continue reading The Ring of Honor, a return to form for middle school fun reading
If Phoebe from Friends started a business relationship with Monica, where they’d write a book, the end result might be something like A Friendly Town That’s Almost Always by the Ocean!. The is quirky with a capital “Q” and geared towards middle school readers. Think of this as a book that’s perfectly suited towards fans of Lumberjanes or Adventure Time, but want something more (slightly) grounded in reality, with characters that skew evenly towards boys and girls.
Continue reading A Friendly Town That’s Almost Always by the Ocean! Review
I have never read a Harry Potter book and I feel as though I’m in front of a support group when I say that. To further spread the butter of the heretics, I’ve only seen one Harry Potter film and that was the one that had the large snake in the climatic final showdown. We have most of the Harry Potter books in the home library, courtesy of my wife, as well as, those from Rick Riordan. I have to mention all of this before commenting on the third and final novel in the Shadow Magic series, Burning Magic from Joshua Khan. As with the aforementioned book series, Shadow Magic has a large and passionate fan base. They’ll also be rewarded with Burning Magic, a book that’s detail rich, action packed and has character development-with plenty of twists that will leave them clinging to the end of each chapter.
Continue reading Burning Magic, a great end to Shadow Magic that leaves you wanting more.
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