Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Mousetronaut Saves the World is cute and smart for early elementary school

We didn’t read the first or second illustrated book in the Mousetronaut series. Having read Moustronaut Saves the World, it’s not necessary. One of the main Mousetronauts, Meteor has been to space before. That fact is referenced more than a couple of times in the book. He’s been to space before and has just the knowledge set to save Earth from the asteroid on a collision course with the planet. Thankfully, the flight director of the James Webb Space Telescope has a big plan that is dependent on little astronauts.

Mousetronaut Saves the World is an illustrated book with space action, mouse hijinks and wondrous adventure for early elementary ages.

Set phasers to fun for early elementary

Theodora Hendrix: A Fun Chapter Book for Young Readers

It’s a great feeling for parents, educators and most of all, children, when they can comfortably carry around a chapter book. Those first and second graders might carry around Dog Man, but it probably belongs to their older sibling. It’s in late second grade, third grade and hopefully by fourth grade when kids start carrying books like Theodora Hendrix and the Curious Case of the Cursed Beetle. That’s an alliteration in case you’re reviewing that term for seventh-grade ELA. This is second entry in a ridiculously fun chapter-book series that run with silly characters, age-appropriate monsters, and just enough evil to thrill ages 7-10.

Theodora Hendrix and the Curious Case of the Cursed Beetle is the second book in this series that melds monsters, family and friends in an early reader chapter book.

Don’t fear the reaper, embrace the book

Westfallen is mglit that perfectly baits the hook and rewards readers

Westfallen is the mglit book that you didn’t know that you needed. In this case the ‘you’ that we’re referencing are upper-elementary, middle school or just those good-time readers who want to engage in a solidly paced, semi-plausible action novel that feels like something that makes you think ‘they don’t make em like that anymore’. Westfallen also flies in the face of recent mglit books that brazenly start their book series by putting a number on its spine. I’m all for optimistic thinking, but stating the goal that more books in the series will follow this one, before establishing their awesomeness is a practice that’s fallen far short lately.

Westfallen is the adventure of two trios of kids, separated by 80 years who are communicating via a radio they found in the waning days of WWII.

Start with the end in mind when creating a series

Tater Tales 2: The King of the World, a whole new rot (ten) world

The world of a character is only as big as the fishbowl it lives in. In the world of Rot, a mutant potato; he’s gone from solo stories to familial adventures that have taken place in illustrated books and early reader graphic novels. Tater Tales 2: The King of the World is the second release in this heavily illustrated chapter book series. One could also say that this is the second release in this early reader graphic novel series, and you’d be correct in that observation too. Whichever camp you’re in, this series is a knock-down great time, a hootenanny of early-elementary school joy that kids will laugh at as it’s read to them or grin with silent pleasure as they read it to themselves.

Tater Tales 2: The King of the World! establishes Ben Clanton’s Rot in an all-age graphic novel world of silliness, intelligence, and laughter.

Comfort food classic, but in a new, shiny wrapper.

The Little Bear continues the charm and love that Killen’s books evoke

It’s a fine line between déjà Vous and going back to the well once too often. The process of critiquing that can get thrown a curve ball when you factor in that authors and illustrators have a style that they’re known for. Dance with who came with, goes the old adage. Nicola Killen has a way with illustrated books. Her drawings match the style and flow of each book of hers so perfectly that it’s a case of hand in a well-fitting glove. The Little Bear is the fourth book in the My Little Animal Friends series and has elements of what made the other three books such a joy, but blazes its own path for those young elementary school ages.

The Little Bear is a joy of an illustrated, first day of school book. It’s the fourth in the My Little Animal Friends series that hasn’t lost an ounce of overwhelming charm.

The quality, cuteness and love is deep with this one

Tater Tales #1: The Greatest in the World! expands Rot’s empire and story

Rot and Snot go through a lot. Previously we saw them in an illustrated book, now it’s many more pages in a book that they took. Tot, their little sister, joins the fray for this adventure. Tater Tales #1, The Greatest in the World!, takes the mutant potato adventures one step further than their previous jaunts in an illustrated book. Tater Tales #1 is an early reader chapter book that heavy on illustrations. One could call this a first graphic novel, but it’s more in line with an emerging reader’s graphic novel. It’s a subtle distinction, but one that will make the book very comfortable for third graders and older, plus a step up for most second graders.

Tater Tales #1: The Greatest in the World! takes Rot and Snot, the two mutant potato, gives them a younger sister and adds chapter that extend beyond the illustrated book reach.

It’s rot and snot, in an early reader chapter book/graphic novel all-skate

Lizzy and the Cloud, an illustrated allegory and a great goodnight read

Allegorical illustrated books can be about many things or they can be about nothing at all. Maybe they reference amorphous feelings, or perhaps it’s just about a kid who’s having an off day. The tricky part in quantifying these books is that sometimes your interpretation of the book will differ from mine, but that’s OK because we’re both correct. Lizzy and the Cloud is an illustrated book of a Rorschach test that leads to an M. C. Escher painting that you’re looking at through dreamy, haze-colored glasses. And by that I mean, readers might come away from the book with different interpretations of what Lizzy and her cloud actually mean, but they’ll all be on the same page when it comes to singing the book’s praises.

Lizzy and the Cloud is a great good night book, with illustrations that speak beyond its text and a story ages 4 and up will smile at.

A great-goodnight book that can be read once or multiple times in a sitting

Beautifully Me, a well-intentioned book kids won’t want to read

The Venn Diagram of authors, publishers, and readers is complex. Authors want everyone to read their books. Publishers love books that sell and readers have a variety of entry points. That last category could be a book that’s entertaining, fun to read (or look at), makes you think, teaches a lesson, or educates. It’s those last two classifications that are often the trickiest to maneuver in illustrated books. Beautifully Me is the story of Zubi, an overweight kid who is starting pre-K. It’s an illustrated book whose message about accepting everyone for who they are needs to be heard by young readers.

Beautifully Me is a book that wears its noble intentions on its sleeve, but doesn’t stick the landing due to the illustrations and ironically, the message.

A message that kids need in a book that’s preachy