Abrams books | Page 7 of 11

Ghoulia and the Doomed Manor, a loved and detailed graphic novel

Readers love seeing one of their favorite book series as they continue to improve upon its initial quality or enjoyment. Ghoulia, a graphic novel series from author/illustrator Barbara Cantini has maintained its very high level of quality and proved that a dead girl, and her also dead family, can bring life and excitement to ages eight and up. Ghoulia and the Doomed Manor is the fourth book in this series that really has that something special.

The details on the cover allude to something really cool inside

Pigskins to Paintbrushes, a life and book to inspire readers 8 and up

Non-fiction illustrated books have a special place in the classroom and library. Depending on the reader’s level they can provide a brief introduction into a true story, a deeper dive into a piece of history, motivate further reading, or more. Pigskins to Paintbrushes, The Story of Football-Playing Artist Ernie Barnes is one of those illustrated books that will have readers in those categories and more. It’s a book that will also draw in those kids who want to read about sports. Of course, all of this is a moot point unless the book is entertaining and one that kids will relate to.

Pigskins to Paintbrushes is so much more than the story of an artist turned football player, or vice versa. It’s inspiring, fun to read, empowering and teachable also.

This is an example of what non-fiction illustrated books should aspire to

Vegetables In Halloween Costumes, dress-up mirth for crawlers

Jared Chapman potty trained my children. It’s not that author/illustrator, Jared Chapman has a side hustle wandering the country training toddlers about the virtues of going to the bathroom in the toilet. Among other books, he’s the author of Vegetables In Underwear. Vegetables In Halloween Costumes takes that theme, focuses on the carrot, and lets crawlers through pre-k kids loose with the laughs.

Vegetables in Halloween Costumes has the produce Jared Chapman has made famous and gives them the chance to dress up.

This is a great halloween board book to start the crawlers out with

School Is Cool!, a Hello!Lucky joint on school for the very new

Hello! Lucky, you get me. That’s what kids who are in pre-K through middle-elementary school say to themselves as they’re reading some of their books. Sabrina and Eunice Moyle have an energy and style to their brand of Hello! Lucky books that unmistakably speaks; and sometimes yells to ages four through nine. Through their neon colors and happy, yet not too juvenile rhymes their books bring up younger readers without making older readers feel as if they’re engaging in a baby book. School Is Cool! takes that same spirit and applies it to going back to or headed out on the big yellow monster for their first time.

School Is Cool! is a Hello!Lucky book from the Moyle sister that revels in its happiness and invites readers to enjoy it too.

Resistance to being happy whilst reading this is futile

The Collectors, a more personal side of scares, spooks for middle school

There is a lot of room in the spooky tent of middle school reading. Each corner or section will have its own specific bent with some going for the gore, others playing it for laughs, a couple emoting their way to the unknown, and some combining all of the elements. Fright Watch is a series of books by Lorien Lawrence that takes its time in weaving the scares together. The Collectors is the second book in the series and tells a ghostly tale that’s woven on top of some very human elements. It’s a case where the story of how the best friends, who most certainly don’t have a crush on one another, Quinn and Mike deal with the happenings on their street.

Middle school life, with a current of ghosts…

Sharkblock, far from jumps the subject matter for ages 4 and up

Don’t judge a book by its cover. I know the saying. Yet, I was completely judging Sharkblock before looking at it. Ironically, my first thought was that the ‘block’ series has jumped the shark. How could Franceschelli and Peskimo make a block book about sharks that was something more than just a board book asking young readers to look at the sharks? Quicker than you can say ‘hold my cartilage they’ve made a book that continues the excellence that you’d expect from this series. Sharkblock has the thick, interactive pages that fans of the series expect to see, but has added education in the most kid-friendly way possible to their subject matter.

SharkBlock shatters board book expectations by being fun, educational and engaging for ages 4 and up.

Board books are just for babies you say…..

The Stuff Between the Stars, dazzling non-fiction STEM in story and art

Grey matter and dark matter walk into a bar. The bartender looks at them and asks, “what’s the matter?”. Dark says, “I’m not attracted to anybody”. It’s worth noting that I know absolutely nothing about dark matter and didn’t even know that it was an actual thing before I read The Stuff Between the Stars. The Stuff Between the Stars: How Vera Rubin Discovered Most of the Universe, is an excellent example of an intelligent, illustrated book that treats its young audience with respect and isn’t afraid to broach big-scale ideas. It does this and accomplishes what an illustrated book should do, which is to entertain young readers. As a healthy aside, those rare illustrated books will tell them something new and make them curious about the bigger picture.

The Stuff Between the Stars is the story of Vera Rubin and works on any measurement for a great illustrated book.

Vera Rubin saw dark matter and gave it a name

DJ Funkyfoot Butler For Hire!, madcap chapter book for ages 8 and up

Oh DJ Funkyfoot, get out of my dreams and get into my car. DJ Funkyfoot Butler For Hire! Is a book that our nine-year-old really needed at this time. This is a book that’s a member of The Flytrap Files, which is in itself, a character and series of books created by Tom Angleberger. Inspector Flytrap was the series that started it all, which spun off Didi Dodo Future Spy and now DJ Funkyfoot. I take the first sentence that started all of this back and now invite all three of them to get into my car. Butler For Hire! is madcap silliness that some kids will flock to read and others, like the reluctant reader kind, will love to read.

From The Flytrap Files comes DJ Funkyfoot: Butler For Hire!, a zany chapter book for ages 8 and up that will tame even those reluctant readers.

wacky fun that kids want to read and you’ll enjoy too