Captain Underpants and Ricky Ricotta

Yes, I thought the same thing when I first saw these books several years back. But I've since changed my opinion. Dav Pilkey is a highly esteemed author and his work is usually a little over the top for those of us who grew up on Beverly Cleary, but these books really get kids addicted to reading. I've seen it many times. They read the whole series (these are two different series) and ask for more and I've seen many readers take an interest in Pilkey himself. They are developing their own tastes and favorite authors and these tastes and authors will mature as the child grows.

Moby Dick

This graphic novel retells Herman Melville's epic story of the search for the white whale (and is nowhere near as long as the original). The graphic retellings of the classics are interesting because they often include informative historical text boxes to help readers understand the setting and other details from the story.

Babymouse

You may have heard some of the kids talking about Babymouse. Who and what is Babymouse you might ask. Well, she is the very dramatic and adventuresome main character in this graphic novel series by sister and brother Jennifer and Matthew Holm. There are nine in the series and all the illustrations with the exception of the last one are done in pink and black.

I have to brag that Hawthorne was the first school in the district to have #9 (Monster Mash), which was just released this fall. I was at the Mildred Laughlin Festival of Books at the Stillwater Public Library in October and during a break I was browsing the "for sale" shelf in the lobby. I was flabbergasted when I spied Babymouse #9, as the kids have been asking for it since last year. It must have been a sample the library had received and I gladly left one dollar in the box for it. Now we have two copies, although there is a rather long waiting list, and the kids are anxiously looking forward to more Babymouse!

Otto's Orange Day

A funny, lower-level, story about Otto and his love for the color orange.

Biographies

The graphic biography of Amelia Earhart by Robert Burleigh and Bill Wylie is nice. We also have one about the Wright brothers by the same authors.

I was shocked at how involved I found the graphic biography of Marie Curie.

Teacher Resources

SuperHero ABC, by Bob McLeod. A really fun book for teaching alliteration.

Teachers, I also have a great graphic book for teaching onomatopoeia but I had trouble getting the image to post. It is called Kapow! by George O'Connor.

Into the Volcano

A great adventure story by Don Wood, illustrator of The Napping House and other books, in his first and applauded attempt in the graphic format. We have two copies.

Who is Fly Guy?

Who is Fly Guy, you ask? Fly Guy is the hero of a new series of books by Tedd Arnold, author of the wonderful idiom-teaching books Parts, More Parts, and Still More Parts. Fly Guy also happens to be a fly and these books chronicle his adventures with his human buddy, Buzz.

These books are excellent for emergent readers. They are very short, with very few words on each page, and of course they are full of Arnold's super illustrations. The books also introduce the concept of a chapter, the font is large, and the glossy, colorful pages are eye-catching.

The Fly Guy books are some of the most popular books in the library for kids of all ages. Students seem to like to read them over and over and they remind me of some of the old classics by Dr. Seuss, Syd Hoff, P. D. Eastman, and others of that genre. Most importantly, the kids find them hilarious and they make them want to read more!

We have several in the library and the newest one is available at the bookfair.

Pinkalicious--Coming soon to Hawthorne!

Pinkalicious loves all things pink. She can't stop eating pink cupcakes despite warnings from her parents. Her pink indulgence leads to her skin and hair turning pink and her doctor diagnosing her with Pinkititis. This is a dream come true for this pink loving little girl. But when her color goes too far, only Pinkalicious can figure out a way to get out of this situation.

This is a cute story from sisters Victoria and Elizabeth Kann. When I read it to second and first graders, even the boys found it funny, although one did ask if I could read a "boy story" next. Apparently there is a musical out and a sequel called, I'm not kidding, Purplicious.

Pinkalicious is available at the bookfair in softcover and I will order a hardcover copy for our library.

Who is Junie B. Jones?

I want to do some character sketches for the blog and this will be the first one.

For those of you who don't know who Junie B. Jones is, she is the title character in the very popular series of books by Barbara Park. In the books, Junie is in kindergarten and she later moves to first grade. She is hilariously funny and is always in some kind of situation. The books are told from her own point of view and they are full of comic relief with Junie B. wearing the nerves of all who know her. I had not read a Junie B. Jones book until last year, and wondering why they were in such demand, I read several and discovered immediately why the books fly off the shelves. You can't help but love this character and the way she just calls her teacher "Mrs. and that's all," not caring to bother with her teacher's full name. She has a mind of her own and the way it operates is delightful. The books are a very easy read, I can read one in a setting, and I guess that is part of the attraction for the kids. I think they can also relate to her and the language of young kids that Park uses in writing her books. We have many copies in the media center so if you want to read something quick and funny, and keep up with what the kids are reading at the same time, Junie B. Jones is perfect!