Catwad is a cat who’s usually in a bad mood. Blurmp is his best friend who’s usually in a good mood. One of them seems to have bad luck all of the time while the other one walks on clouds to a kitten soundtrack. Catwad is the stuff of elementary school legend. If you go to a Scholastic book sale early enough in the week there might be a copy or two of one of the Catwad books. If you go later in the week then they’ll be sold out. Catwad Me, Three! is out and kids everywhere are clamoring for it.
Jim Benton is a bestselling cartoonist and author. Elementary aged audiences know him for Catwad, Dear Dumb Diary, Clyde, Dog Butts and Love, Franny K. Stein, his Victor Shmud books or something else that’s most likely funny, cartoonish or creative. In Attack of the Stuff, Benton offers up a standalone all-age graphic novel that is unlike anything you’ve ever read. Some readers’ fingers will burn with anticipation through the pages of the book so quickly you’ll need a cup of ice next to it to cool them down at the end of it. Other readers will simply laugh at the puns, illustrations and sheer ridiculousness of the plot. We’re firmly in the first camp and have read the graphic novel several times, finding something new to laugh about each time.
All age comic books and all age graphic novels. The former
are just individual comic books that come out in a monthly or as a mini-series.
The later are either an original story that’s out for the first time or a collected
series of comic books that encapsulate a story arc from comic books.
This week has some amazing examples of all of them. One of
our favorite original graphic novels has a new entry this week. Laser Moose and
Rabbit Boy is so much fun for elementary aged reader and (way…) up. Time Trout
is their latest adventure and is so fun to read. This is the manic sort of
story that will hook in anyone who picks up the book. It’ll make reluctant
readers want to read and give those kids who already love reading an excuse to
re-read it dozens of times. Elementary school readers will also dig Teen Titans
Go!, Catwad-It’s Me, Two and many others.
Middle school readers already have Guts on their radar. The
content might be too much for elementary ages, but some in upper elementary
will be OK with it. The Red Zone is a great example of a graphic novel as a
means of education and entertainment. Granted, the true story of an earthquake isn’t
entertaining, but kids might have difficulty processing massive scale
disasters. This graphic novel opens a window to that experience.
In the podcast we’ll chat about those things plus
Magnificent Ms. Marvel, Archie vs. Predator 2 and more.
Humor
Archie 1955 #1, UE, M
Bigby Bear For All Season, E, M, H
Disney/PIXAR The Incredibles 2: Secret Identities
Catwad, It’s Me Two, E, M, H
Guts, UE, M, H
Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy: The Trout, E, M, H
My Little Pony Friendship is Magic #82, E, M
My Little Pony Friendship is Magic vol. 17, E, M
My Little Pony Retro Coloring Book, E, M, H
Superhero
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #12, UE, M
Magnificent Ms. Marvel #7 UE, M, H
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers vol 9, TBP, UE, M, H
Teen Titans Go! #36, E, M
True Believers Hulk Professor Hulk,
Action/Science-fiction
Archie vs. Predator 2, #2 of 5, UE, M, H
Red Zone volume 1 Earthquake Story, UE, M, H
Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures Chapter Book, E
Steven Universe Harmony, UE, M, H
Steven Universe #23, UE, M, H
Tea Dragon Festival, UE, M
World of Reading Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes & Villains