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Dracula Vs. Hitler, a taut, fun page-turner that defies expectations

Scoff if you will. I did too when I first read the title of the book Dracula Vs. Hitler. It’s a concept and title so base and cheesy on the surface that you expect it to be a lost screenplay for a Roger Corman film. Dracula Vs. Hitler is a perfect example of the old cliché, “don’t judge a book by its cover”. From the Iron Eagle that represents the Third Reich to the upside down Vampire Bat, complete with the full moon separating them; this is a book whose imagery sets audiences up for a pulp horror version of Death wish. Instead it delivers an intelligent book with classical hooks that have more in common with great WWII dramas and its original source material than the cheesy homage that you’d expect.

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Wonder Woman, Rumble in the Rainforest-great reading for 7 and up

For young readers in first or second grade the jump to chapter books can be challenging. Our first grader has a couple of friends who are solidly not in the princess camp. They like action, fantasy and other fan girl activities that bodes their STEM future well. Readers like that need to check out the Wonder Woman Sword of the Dragon or Rumble in the Rainforest, two entries in a series of early chapter books from Stone Arch Book, an imprint of Capstone.

Wonder Woman, Sword of the Dragon and Rumble in the Rainforest are original books complete with pages of big, vibrant comic book art. Each chapter is approximately nine pages with big font and vocabulary that the average second grader will be able to navigate without assistance.

Some of the pages are full panels of art. There are some cool images of fighting various baddies, flying her invisible jet, using the lasso of truth and hanging out with monsters. The end of the books also have Invisible Plane Secret Files, two pages that detail the back history of the big bad that she just fought in the book.

For example Gorilla Grodd weighs 600 pounds, is an ingenious scientist and can control people using his mind. Wonder Woman’s greatest asset against Grodd is the Lasso of Truth, as well as using her animal instincts. There’s also a biography of the author, Sarah Hines Stephens and Illustrator, Dan Schoening. I like it when they include these in books because we’re teaching our kids about jobs that people do.

For some of the new vocabulary in the book there is a glossary after that also. Priced at $4.95 it’s a good value, especially for young readers who want to get their Wonder Woman on. This is good reading for advanced first graders or any second grader. Those on the early reading scale of either group might need help with some words, but they’ll be able to navigate most of it by themselves.

Big Bear, Small Mouse-a great pair make opposites fun

Chocolate and peanut butter. Starsky and Hutch. Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman. There are some things that work together, teams whose end results are so effective, charming or tasty that you look forward to enjoying them. Big Bear, Small Mouse is like that. This is from the Bear series of books by Wilson and Chapman.

We’ve been fans of this series for years and Bear Snores On is one of the classic board books that your toddler needs to own. There are more from the Bear series of books in the house too. Fans of the series will find themselves flip flopping as to what they like most about them. Is it the carefree happiness of the artwork by Jane Chapman? It could be the timing and caliber of the words by Karma Wilson.

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The Incredible Intergalactic Journey Home, a book 100% unique to you

The Incredible Intergalactic Journey Home is the sequel of sorts to The Little Boy Who Lost His Name. In that book the child woke up and couldn’t find their name. They go to all manner of places finding letters that spell their name until at the very end they’ve spelled out-thus eventually finding their name. This book is similar, but is much more enjoyable that its predecessor for a number of reasons.

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Hap-pea all Year, a monthly, where’s-the-pea #KidLit joyfest

Kid Lit is a fun genre. It’s also one that people who don’t have someone in that demographic might not know. Keith Baker and his peas are one that we just discovered. It’s the soul sibling to Homer Simpson when he said, ‘give peas a chance’. Then Mr. Burns asked, ‘how do you want to get the peas’? ‘With a fork’..,but that’s another story. Hap-pea All Year is a kidlit book that teaches pre-k through early elementary school kids the months of the year by showing peas having fun.

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Rebellion of Thieves, twists up Sherwood for a new audience

Rebellion of Thieves manages to do what many properties with classic origins fail to do. It’s a tricky balancing act, trying to infuse the lineage that generations of people know with a contemporary-or future tale that can stand on its own. Kekla Magoon, author of Rebellion of Thieves, a Robyn Hoodlum Adventure has created the unicorn of middle school books that will appeal almost equally to boys, as well as girls.

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Kid Crazy and The Kilowatt King, strange, happy, hyper creative kidlit

Don’t judge a book by its cover is a metaphor, however in this case it’s an apt one. By looking at the cover for Kid Crazy and The Kilowatt King I was expecting a book that tried too hard. I thought perhaps it would beat you over the head with its crazy vibe and outer-space illustrations. That, plus the length of the book led me to think that it’s packed with filler. Hello thought crow, Kid Crazy and the Kilowatt King is entirely different than any children’s book I’ve read before.

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Paint By Sticker Masterpieces, small stickers add up to big art

We received a couple of books recently that are in a class to themselves. One of these books is Paint By Sticker Masterpieces; it’s the next level up from Paint By Stickers For Kids that our oldest son completed. Paint by Sticker Masterpieces is an intricate, detail rich way for advanced puzzle kids and adults to create unique works of art, in a cubist, rough animated manner.

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