Comics

COMICS SQUAD: RECESS. Random House, 2014.

Jenni and Matt HOLM, Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier, Dav Pilkey, Jarrett Krosoczka, and Gene Yang combine their talents ith several other authors of graphics novels for this collection. BabyMouse and Lunch Lady are here along with Harold and George of Captain Underpants fame writing their own GNs. This will be one that is in great demand from tons of fans. It will also create some new fans of the books by these stellar graphic artists.

Hearts

HEARTS by Thereza Rowe. Toon Books, 2014.

Pieces of her heart
Send Penelope on her
Journey to wholeness.

GNs for Beginners

A TRIP TO THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD WITH MOUSE by Frank Viva. Toon Books 2012.

Toon Books are comic books/graphic novels for emerging readers. Here readers can journey with Mouse as he and his owner sail to the bottom of the world. There is much to be seen but Mouse is eager to arrive and then to return home. <660>

BENNY AND PENNY IN LIGHTS OUT!by Geoffrey Hayes. Toon Books, 2012.

When the sun sets, it is time to read. But Benny has left his favorite cap in the playhouse. The dark is a little frightening. How will the two deal when the lights are out and the noises and shadows are scary? <661>

MAYA MAKES A MESS by Rutu Modan. Toon Books, 2012.

Maya's manners are atrocious. She eats with her hands, slurps, burps, and is generally an embarrassment. Her parents warn her that if she were to behave this way in front of the Queen, it would be the end of her. However, the Queen rather admires Maya's lack of convention when it comes to eating. <662>

Going Graphic

TUNE BOOK 1: VANISHING POINT by Derek Kirk Kim. First Second, 2012.

Andy Go decides to drip out of art school believing he has nothing left to learn from his classes. The only lure to school was the lovely Yumi, she of his longtime crush. But that, too, seems to be heading nowhere fast. Andy is content to sit around the house and watch TV, but his parents,ashamed at their son's lack of education, insist he find a job. As he fails to land job after job, Andy comes up against a deadline: find employment or find somewhere else to live. His decision, the one that ends Book 1, could lead to some more than interesting (not to say dangerous) ends. <631>

GN series

LUNCH LADY AND THE PICTURE DAY PERIL by Jarrett Krosoczka. Knopf, 2012.

How odd that on picture day everyone seems to be plagued with zits and bad hair. Another oddity: the school photographer, Stefani diPino seems a little different from the norm. However, she is happy to take cash to "fix" the photos and erase the imperfections. Enter Lunch Lady, always ready to lend a hand. Can she solve this mystery and still cook up a tasty lunch for the kids? Look for a cameo by John Shoemaker (@mrschureads). <568>

SQUISH: CAPTAIN DISASTER by Jenni and Matt Holm. Random House, 2012.

Squish is the single celled amoeba with a heart as big as all outdoors and an overactive imagination that sometimes gets him in some trouble. Join Squish as he tries out for the soccer team and learns an important lesson about sportsmanship and friendship. <569>

LEGENDS OF ZITA THE SPACE GIRL by Ben Hatke. First Second, 2012.

Zita is back in the second book in her story. Zita has been in hiding from the paparazzi since she became an accidental heroine. A robot who assumes Zita's identity is now travelling with Piper leaving Zita stranded with Rat. What could possibly go wrong now? Plenty of action, more backstory, and another open ending mean readers will be seeing more of Zita in books to come. <570>

Getting Graphic Again

BLOODY CHESTER by J T Petty and Hilary Florido. First Second Books 2012

The lawlessness of the Old West takes a very dark turn in this graphic novel. After he is bullied and beaten, Chester Kates is approached by Mr. Croghan. Croghan offers Chester money to head off to a town known as Whale and burn it to the ground. Chester is more than willing to do whatever it takes to survive and heads off to the town only to find it mostly abandoned. The few survivors inform Chester of an awful plague, a disease more of the spirit than the body.

There are many questions here: exactly what is the disease called "waits" is chief among those Chester wrestles with in this grim, dark novel. No stereotyped Western this. Instead this is an intense and unflinching examination of the nature of greed and power. <362>

Graphic Series

Jarrett Krosoczka gives us another episode of his Lunch Lady series in LUNCH LADY AND THE FIELD TRIP FIASCO (Knopf 2011). Lunch Lady joins the Breakfast Bunch on a field trip to an art museum. When the kids suspect that all is not right, they begin to investigate. Lunch Lady, of course, is on hand to help foil the plans of the art thieves aided by her assistant Betty. I am still flummoxed how Krosoczka is able to accomplish storytelling with few colors on the palette B&W with touches of yellow) but his characters and the details we come to know and love about each of them add depth to the story as well. <521>



Ah, A VERY BABYMOUSE CHRISTMAS by Jennifer and Matthew Holm (Random House 2011) is a perfect way to celebrate the holiday season to come (though Target and other stories think it nearer). Parodies of A NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS and A CHRISTMAS CAROL are just two of the humorous elements of the story as BabyMouse covets the newest electronic gadget for her Christmas gift. The Whizbang does it all including folding laundry and doing homework (if the ads are to be believed). What makes BabyMouse tick is that though rodent she reflects so much of the exuberant though misguided kids we all know and love. The best gift for Christmas? More BabyMouse. <522>