Absolutely Almost - by Lisa Graff

Sad, sad, sad.  That's what my Guys Read book club decided kept us all from loving this book, it was just kind of sad.

Don't get me wrong, no book is completely sad, and there were definitely some interesting and enjoyable parts of the book.  It's all about this kid in New York City, Albie, who although he tries his hardest, just can't seem to please his teacher, his parents, his best friend's family, or anyone else.  Albie is kind of stumbling through life when he gets a new nanny, Calista.  This girl is dynamic: An art student who is full of creativity and encouragement, just what Albie needs. Through Calista, Albie has all sorts of great times, realizations, and happiness... but then things go wrong, as they often seem to in Albie's life.  See?  Sad.

This is the story of Albie not exactly improving his situation, but finding inner strength and coming to terms with who he is and what he is capable of, even if it's not quite as much as anyone had hoped.  It was a well-written book, with short chapters, interesting characters, and some fun pictures, but in the end it was a little too much of a downer for my group of 3rd-5th grade boy readers.  A bright note:  One of our favorite characters was the endlessly-bullied, stuttering Betsy, who through her gummy bears and fortitude, proves to be the strongest and the best character in the book.

The Terrible Two - by Jory John and Mac Barnett

It's a perfect prank.  The principal's car is halfway up the school stairs, parked sideways and totally stuck.  The question is, who did it?  Miles Murphy, the new kid in town on his first day at his new school, wishes it had been him.  In his old school, everyone knew that he was the #1 Prankster, but here he is forced to admit, there just might be some competition.

As the hilariously fierce yet bumbling principal Mr. Barkin locks on to Miles as a "trouble maker," the story begins a wild ride of pranks, secret identities, curious cows, gullible bullies, non-existent cool kids, and ultimately, a true friendship.  Who is the true prankster, and will Miles be able to compete with his or her brilliance and creativity?  And what is with this "School Helper" kid Niles, who follows and annoys Miles from day one?  I'm not telling you - just read the book, silly!

This is an excellent story, well-paced and full of strangely likable but annoying characters.  The pictures lead it toward the graphic novel category, but it stops short of being as heavily illustrated as a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book.  The co-authors, both hilarious authors on their own, are a truly dynamic duo in this project, which has already spawned a sequel (The Terrible Two get Worse).

I highly recommend this book, as well as its companion website: www.terribletwo.com.

Sunny Side Up - by Jennifer & Matthew Holm

What young girl wouldn't love to spend a summer in sunny Florida?  Sunny Lewin was pretty excited about the opportunity, until she realized that her grandpa's retirement community was not what she expected... just a bunch of geezers sitting around all day doing boring, boring, and more boring.

Before long, though, Sunny realizes that there may be a little more to these old folks than she first thought.  Once she meets another kid, they begin having adventures, making new friends, and turning the summer into something special after all.

This is a fun, thoughtful graphic novel about one girl's everyday adventures over the course of a surprising summer.  It will appeal to readers of Rain Telgemeier, for sure.  

Mousenet - by Prudence Breitrose

Mice on the Internet? That's just the start of it.  When you read this book, you'll never look at mice the same way again.

This excellent book tells the tale of Megan, a nice but lonely 10-year-old girl who is thrust into the world of mice when her uncle invents a tiny computer and gives it to her.  Megan has a little trouble fitting in at her new school, perhaps because for the last two years it's been just her and her mom, studying sheep on a remote island and focusing more on their science than on keeping up with fashion or pop culture.  Her social problems are the perfect opportunity for the mice to befriend her, because wouldn't you know it, the mouse world had been waiting for an opportunity just like this.

Mice.  Seriously, wait until you read what these mice have been up to!  Not only does this book do a brilliant job of creating an whole sub-world full of thoughtful and sophisticated (but still very mouse-like) mice, but it digs deep into the human  characters as well.  It's one of those books that seems a little silly, but ends up being pretty deep without overdoing it.  This is one that will appeal to boys and girls, and adults and children.  It's not a super action-packed adventure, but will keep your mind racing and your fingers turning the pages.

The Classroom - by Robin Mellom

How does a socially-clueless guy not only survive but thrive in his new middle school? There's only one option:  Go Epic.

Told like a video documentary, this coming-of-age story follows Trevor, a fun but awkward 7th grader whose guiding light, his best friend Libby, has decided to back off and let him solve his own problems this year.  This promises to be a disaster, but that's what makes it so much fun to read about!  As Trevor navigates this difficult transitional point in his life, trying to make new friends, avoid the bullies, survive the classes, and reach his epic potential, there are many more flops than successes, and much of it is comic genius.  His neurotic friend Libby, who has tired of saving his butt time after time in elementary, sits back and watches the drama unfold as Trevor eventually figures things out and takes his future into his own hands.

Kind of like the Wimpy Kid books, but with more likeable characters and fewer illustrations, this is a pretty good book, especially for 3rd-6th grade boys who want a good laugh and a quick, interesting book to tell your friends about.

The High-Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate - by Scott Nash

Have you ever found yourself wishing for a rollicking old-fashioned pirate story... in which the characters are all BIRDS?  Probably not, but this story may change your mind.

Blue Jay is a demanding captain of a flying pirate ship in a land which seems to be filled with all birds.  When his crew captures a giant egg, they think it is pure treasure... until it turns out to be a goose.  Luckily, geese are considered near-gods in the bird world (Birdlandia), but unfortunately, this particular gosling quickly outgrows Blue Jay's ship, but cannot yet fly. However, when the pirates find themselves at the sword-point of a nasty gang of crows, their goose may not be cooked after all.

With interesting characters, including a star-nosed mole and a number of feisty little warrior birds, a unique story line and incredible drawings by the author, this is definitely an interesting and unusual adventure and an enjoyable book.  The problem is the target audience: The language may be a little advanced for the kiddos who may be most likely to pick up this book, and the ideal audience of middle-grade readers may think bird pirates are too silly, or may recognize the author as a regular on the picture-book circuit for younger readers.  It's a story worth anyone's time, though, as long as that reader has a sense of adventure!

Flora and Ulysses - by Kate DiCamillo

This is by far, and without any argument, the BEST book I've ever read about a pessimistic girl and her super-hero squirrel.  More than that, it is just a delightful story, full of hope and wonder, ridiculous and laughable characters, and a really obnoxious lamp.  Who would have thought that a squirrel could do such things?  Or that a mother would be capable of such wickedness?  Or that a father would introduce himself quite so often?

Like much of Ms. DiCamillo's work (Tiger Rising, The Tale of Despereaux, or Because of Winn-Dixie, to name a few of her firsts and my favorites), this story is about more than it seems at first.  It is ostensibly the tale of a girl whose parents have split up, leaving her in the uncomfortable middle.  When she meets a special squirrel, it begins a chain of events that change her life forever, bringing several new people and great adventure (relatively speaking) into her life.  Behind the scenes, it's really about family, and what it really means to be a family.  It's about love, beauty, and poetry.  It's about time someone wrote a book like this, and this was the right person for the job.

I should note, the book does have a number of clever illustrations, and the reader gets a good feel for the characters through these drawings. I like the subtitle, "The Illuminated Adventures," as it reminds me of those beautiful hand-colored illuminated bibles of long ago.  The drawings, though wonderful and humorous, are not overpowering, and it is definitely NOT a graphic novel.  It is, however, a book for the ages.

The Odd Squad: Bully Bait - by Michael Fry

One is so tall that her classmates tease her relentlessly.  One is so strange that nobody wants to be near him.  The last is so short that he gets stuffed in his own locker every day. Life is hard for seventh graders Molly, Karl, and Nick, and there seems to be no way out.  When these three oddballs get forced to start a Safety Patrol together by their principal, things seem to be worse than ever.  However, helped by their apparently deranged Shakespeare-quoting school custodian, the three soon learn that working together, they can overcome their fears and actually turn things around.

The story is told by Nick (the shortest seventh grader in the history of the universe, according to himself), and centers around his interactions with Roy, the school bully.  Through the course of this graphic novel, Nick learns more about his tormentor and finds new strength and empathy that he never knew he had to make some really tough decisions that could either save them all, or ruin everything.

As a graphic novel, this is kind of Wimpy-Kiddish, with more of a story line, and more likable characters.  It wasn't an earth-shatteringly wonderful book, but it was funny, well-written and drawn, and touching at parts. I'd recommend it for a fun and easy read to anyone who enjoys graphic novels, school stories, and seeing bullies get what they deserve.

One Dead Spy - by Nathan Hale

Nathan Hale is/was one cool dude.  The original Nathan Hale was awesome because he was a spy for General George Washington during the American Revolution, and risked (and lost) his life in the fight for liberty.  The author Nathan Hale is awesome because he wrote a book about a dead guy with the same name as his, and because his illustrations and sense of humor are just outstanding.

This graphic novel is a biography of the short-lived American spy Nathan Hale.  Told by the spy himself to his own executioner (hangman) through a series of flashbacks, this is also a great summary of the first part of the American Revolution and its causes.  It's really a wonderful book for anyone interested in this time period, and a good introduction to early American history and military history for reluctant, or any readers.

This series has two books (#2: Big Bad Ironclad), and I can't wait to see what else the author comes up with. Excellent book!

Wildwood - by Colin Meloy

If you're in the mood for a rollicking mystical animal adventure fantasy written by a famous musician about a lost forest paradise near Portland, Oregon, I think we've found the perfect book for you.  This long, well-written story tells of young Prue McKeel, whose life is pretty darn boring until the day her baby brother is carried away by crows.  When she sets out to find him along with her nerdy classmate Curtis, things really get interesting.  They follow the crows to an overgrown woodsy area on the outskirts of town, where they discover talking animals, hidden cities, and all sorts of surprises you would not expect outside of an adventure fantasy novel.

The animals and people in the Wildwood are at war, and as sides form and armies gather, Prue and Curtis must choose their paths and dig deep to find their courage.  Their choices are hard, but the stakes are tremendous.  Will Prue find her brother?  Can the children ever go back home?  Will the Dowager Princess and her coyote minions release the Ivy? (Okay, getting a little ahead of ourselves there...)  There are a lot of interesting plot twists, and the book builds to an exciting and powerful conclusion.

The book is charmingly old-fashioned, from the delightful illustrations (she also illustrated my favorite book, The Mysterious Benedict Society) to the characters' use of old-timey technologies. It's a fun book, and worth checking out! Note: The second book, Under Wildwood, is also available.

All The Wrong Questions: Who Could That Be at This Hour? - by Lemony Snicket

How do you follow up on the huge success of A Series of Unfortunate Events, one of my favorite series?  For Lemony Snicket, you do it with a new series with excellent pictures and a really confusing plot.

Yes, confusing.  There are some interesting characters, most notably a young reporter named Moxie Mallahan, and two (very) young taxi drivers, Pip and Squeak.  The main character is a 13-year-old Lemony Snicket himself, and the plot centers on his apprenticeship with an associate in an unnamed secret association. It's all very mysterious, which is of course the point, but parts of the book will leave you scratching your head.  If you want a good slapstick mystery comedy with a number of unanswered questions, characters with excellent names (the bad guy is named "Hangfire"), and some rich vocabulary, this is your book.

Honestly, I was expecting a bit more from Mr. Snicket.  I'm not sure how young readers will like this book (the one fourth grader I had read it so far rated it 5/10), but I'm guessing that if the series succeeds, it will be due to the author's fame and notoriety from his amazing A Series of Unfortunate Events.  These characters are interesting, but nowhere near as memorable as Count Olaf and the Baudelaire orphans!

Here's the official trailer for the new series.

A Boy and a Bear in a Boat - by Dave Shelton

This story is about what the title says, and not much more.  Well, there's a little more.  There's a very old (and scary) sandwich.  There is a ukulele.  There is also an old comic book in a foreign language.  All of these are important to the story, which is kind of a bad sign.  You see, this story begins with the boy climbing into a small boat and asking the Captain, a bear, to take him to the other side.  Before you know it, they are lost (though the bear will never admit this), and boredom and adventures ensue.  The story really has no beginning or end, it is simply a tale of these two seafaring partners and the ups and downs of their relationship.  Though it's not much of a story, it's really quite a fun tale.

My favorite parts include everything to do with The Last Sandwich, the sea monster bits, and the ukulele.  You will come to love both the bear and the boy, though at times you will want to strangle both.  If you are in the mood for an odd, fun little read that will leave you smiling, but scratching your head, you could do much worse than this.

Smile - by Raina Telgemeier

I've never been a teenage girl.  Not once.  If anyone ever asks me what it's like to be one, I could just shrug.  More likely, though, I'll hand them this book. 

This is a very enjoyable graphic novel, and finally one written mainly for girls!  The author tells the story of her own childhood, from life as a tween with tooth trouble, all the way through high school, with all of the social situations that come along with those years.  The focus of the story may be on Raina's unfortunate dental problems, but the real story is her life itself, and told in this way, it's quite an enjoyable story!

There's drama, romance, athletics, dentists, orthodontists, braces, retainers, headgear, crowns, and stuff like that.  The illustrations are great, some of the tooth stuff kind of gross, but the take-away message positive:  Be yourself, you'll find friends who like you for who you are, just remember to smile.

Copper - by Kazu Kibuishi

If you enjoy Calvin and Hobbes for its humor, wisdom, and the interaction between a boy and his animal, you'll surely enjoy Copper.  This beautifually drawn book of short but poignant comic strips is, in my mind, a masterpiece.  Follow Copper and his dog Fred through all sorts of imaginative journeys.  Fred is nervous and scared, while Copper is curious and ready to explore. These two personalties play off one another perfectly through adventure after adventure.

If you're ready for a more grown-up comic, but still one that's childish and wholly appropriate for all ages, check this out.

Wonderstruck - by Brian Selznick

Mysteries!  Wolves!  Natural history museums!  Sign language!  Lost family!  New friends!  That's a lot of exclamation marks, but this is a book that deserves it.  Much like the author's previous book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, this story is told through both amazing drawings and words, with multiple story lines weaving together until the end, where it all comes together and knocks your socks off.

This is the story of Ben, a young orphan from Minnesota who finds a clue as to his father's identity, and who sets out on an adventure to discover the truth about his past.  It is also the story, told only through pictures, of Rose, a young woman who sets off on a journey of her own to find a mysterious actress in the big city.  These stories take place fifty years apart and seem to have nothing to do with one another, but part of what makes this an amazing book is that each of the stories can't be told without the other.  The end really will leave you, shall we say, wonderstruck!

This is a book not to be missed.  The artwork is incredible, the story thoughtful and well-crafted, and the character memorable.  Brian Selznick has a gift, and trust me, you don't want to be left out.  That said, this is a book that will probably mean more to slightly older readers.  It is a picture book of sorts, but I would recommend it to children from nine to one hundred and nine.

Nursery Rhyme Comics- Various Artists

No, this isn't my normal type of recommendation.  However, I picked this book up at Barnes and Noble last week, and neither my almost-3-year-old son nor I have been able to put it down.

In this beautiful hardcover book, fifty classic nursery rhymes have been totally modernized and reinterpreted by big-shot comics artists.  The words are the same Mother Goose we learned from our grandparents, but the illustrations breathe new life into the stories, so much that my son has nearly memorized all of the stories in one short week, and we spend hours singing them together, looking at the wide variety of captivating drawings.  Don't let the cover fool you - the woman who designed that didn't even write any of the sketches, and the quality in-book is better than that on the front. My personal favorites: Tweedledum and Tweedledee, The Owl and the Pussycat, and For Want of a Nail.  Flip through this book and you'll fall in love with some old nursery rhymes all over again, too.

Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze - by Alan Silberberg

It's not easy being a teenage boy.  For Milo, that's especially true because his mom passed away, and his dad is NOT the same guy he used to be.  To top it off, the girl of Milo's dreams doesn't know he exists (until he sneezes on her), but the weird girl who lives next door won't leave him alone.  This is Milo's story, told from his point of view, about how to find his place in the world, and the difficult task of getting back to normal when  you life is all shaken up.  It's not easy, it's not pretty, but it sure can be funny.

Kind of a graphic novel, kind of a chapter book, this is a well-told story with pictures that help the plot move along.  Milo is a likable dork, and his friends are a hoot, but his family will get you down.  Young readers will have no problem identifying with Milo's situation, even if they've never been in a similar spot themselves.

This book will make you laugh, and it may make you cry.  If  you've lost a loved one, this is a good book for you to read, but it's also a good choice for anyone who likes zany school novels with funny characters and interesting plot twists.

Star Jumper: Journal of a Cardboard Genius - by Frank Asch

This is a book that will leave you wondering what is real and what is imagined.  Young Alex loves to create things with cardboard boxes and other bits of junk he's collected, but his biggest challenge comes when his pesky little brother threatens to foil his latest invention.  When Alex is forced to reveal his plans for escape into outer space in his cardboard spacecraft, he must find a way to prevent his brother Jonathan from ruining everything.

There is plenty of sibling rivalry, fancy space and inventor's talk, and creativity in this short but fun book.  The reader won't know where the truth ends and Alex's fantastic imagination begins as this book moves from the bedroom to far above the Earth.  It will appeal to young inventors, older siblings who have to deal with little pests, space fans, and anyone wanting a curious but rewarding short book.

Doctor Proctor's Fart Powder - by Jo Nesbo

Yes, this book has an awesome title, and check out that illustration!  Yes, he's flying, and no, it's not because of super powers.  Can you tell this book is going to be a little silly?

Surprisingly, it's not as silly as you would expect.  This is a serious story of friendship, scientific experiments, what it's like to be the new kid, and how to deal with nasty neighbors.  The plot is focused on Doctor Proctor, a lonely old inventor, his neighbor girl Lisa, and the new kid on the block, Nilly, who is not only very funny, but very, very small.  So small that he can get flushed down a toilet, for instance.  Oops, I shouldn't have given that part away.  When Doctor Proctor invents a powder for creating explosive (but odorless) farts (Yes, it feels weird typing that word!), the three begin a race against time as they fight to save the invention from the bully family down the street, and to use this outstanding new product to earn enough money to send... well that's just too much information for you!  Oh, and there's a big snake in the story too.  Really big.

It is a very funny book, though it is not ridiculous like Captain Underpants or other series like that.  It is a delightful chapter book with great use of language, humor, and illustrations, but also emotions.  The book was translated from Norwegian (it takes place in Oslo, Norway), so it must be sophisticated, right?

For a good laugh, for a good story, for a book that will make you feel good about the little people in your life, and for the best story every written about the positive things that can result from a good long fart, read this book.

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians - by Jarett J. Krosoczka

I had high hopes for this book because my 2-year-old loves this author's picture book so much (Punk Farm, Bath Tub Pirates, My Buddy Slug, Giddy Up Cowgirl), but it was a bit of a disappointment.  It was a little hard to follow, the plot was pretty weak, and it just didn't hold my attention.  I'm obviously not the target audience for this book, and it may be just right for an early reader who wants to move from comics to graphic novels.

The illustrations are great and the characters are pretty goofy, so there's something redeeming about the book, but I would never spend money on any book in this series.  There are so many good graphic novel series out there, keep looking and you'll find something more interesting.