It's So Amazing- A book about eggs, sperm, birth, babies and families by Robie H. Harris

Harris, R. (1999).  It's so amazing; a book about eggs, sperm, birth, babies, and families.  Cambridge, Massachusetts. Candlewick Press.

In this informational book many topics about life and giving life are covered including reproduction, male and female parts,  growing up, inside and outside parts, the job of sperm and egg, sexual intercourse, love, pregnancy, babies,  birth, adoption, kinds of families, keeping safe, and HIV&AIDS.  These very important topics about life are discussed with both text and illustrations that use kid friendly language but does not "sugar coat" or use " baby talk".  It's important for children to feel comfortable talking about these issues and topics and this book gives them a tool by which to do so.  The book's design and organization uses colorful cartoon or comic like illustrations, speech bubbles, pictures with details and labels, an index and diagrams.  The pictures show realistic body parts and inside parts but makes it easier for children to comprehend than actual photographs.  All of the scientific information is accurate but keeps a positive tone through out the text.  The book is divided by topic so it's a great reference tool to go back to again and again as specific questions about life may arise.  I highly recommend this to any parent as a communication tool to help facilitate or introduce these topics. This book would also be good for anyone discussing these topics to a school audience (nurse, counselor, PE or heath teacher).  I feel this book is appropriate for even the youngest elementary student or any child questioning their body or human life in general.  

Babymouse; Queen of the World by Jennifer and Mathew Holm- Book Set #5

Holm, J. & Holm, M. (2005). Babymouse; queen of the world.  New York, NY. Random House Children's Books.

In this first book of the Babymouse series, Baby Mouse is introduced.  She is an average "tween" girl (even though she is a mouse) who simply wants to be queen of the world, is that too much to ask for? Instead her life just seems typical....homework, chores, annoying little brother, curly whiskers, and a locker that is always stuck.  She wants to be like Felicia Furrypaws the most popular girl in school, she was the real queen... in Babymouse's eyes. Babymouse desperately wants to be invited to Felicia's slumber party, but she has to give Felicia her book report and give up a movie night with her best friend in order to make it happen.  At the party Babymouse realizes who her true best friend is and that she really already is queen of the world because she has everything she could ever want...cupcakes, good books, dresses with hearts, and a true best friend.

Characters and style stand out the most in this adorable low fantasy graphic novel.  Except for the fact that the animal characters in this book can talk, the characters are typical tween age kids.  Babymouse of course is the main character and she is just a girl who most girls this age can relate to because she wants to be friends with the cool girl at school.  Within the book we can see her imagining things as if she was in a mystery, adventure, science fiction, or ghost story.  She likes to read these kind of books and she usually starts to daydream in the middle of the day.  From here, our minds learn to become sort of like a movie and we are able to go back from the dream scene to the regular scene.  The authors also writes speech bubbles and captions to Babymouse as if she is having dialog with the authors themselves.  We typically think of boys attracted to graphic novels, but I think Babymouse has probably captured a whole new audience of girls.

A Big Guy Took My Ball! by Mo Willems- Book Set #5

Willems, M. (2013).  A big guy took my ball.  New York, NY. Hyperion Books for Children.

Piggie runs to Gerald his elephant friend to tell him that a big guy took his ball.  Piggie is obviously upset and heartbroken over it that it makes Gerald really mad. He is so mad that he is determined to get the ball back from the big guy.  When he discovers that the big guy is a whale, then he is to intimidated to get the ball back.  The whale thanks them for finding his ball but is sad that nobody will play with him because he is too big.  Gerald and Piggie make up a game of "whale ball" that has everyone playing together.  In this Geisel Award winning book, this novel can be classified as fantasy because the animals are talking.  Otherwise the characters are totally relatable because kids in all different sizes are on the playground. With hardly any description or even an illustration of setting and a very simple plot we rely on the characters to carry the book's content within their dialogue and facial expressions within the illustrations.  The book does however have a universal theme of friendship, and "not judging a book by it's cover".  This is a wonderful read especially for young and beginning readers.

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale- Book Set #5

Hale, D. & Hale, S. (2008).  Rapunzel's revenge.  New York, NY.  Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books.

In this graphic novel made for young adults we find a unique twist on the classic fairy tale Rapunzel. In this story, Rapunzel lives with the evil Gothal who she thinks is her mother.  She lives her young life trapped between the towering walls of a large Mediterranean style villa.  One day she discovers what is over the large wall, a desolate land in ruins with people living in poverty and despair.  Among them she discovers her true mother and when forced to go back to Gothal, she gives her a piece of her mind.  Unfortunately Gothal has planned well in advance for this and has her taken to a tree-house like tower in the middle of a dangerous swamp.  It is so high that Rapunzel can not escape.  She lives here in the tower for many years, growing up to be a beautiful young women as her hair grows longer and longer.  Until one day, when she is 16, she ties her hair into a braid and uses it as a lasso to tie around a tree and swing on it like a rope.  As soon as she is free, she figures out how to wrangle a wild boar and ride it until it's shot by  a generic "adventure hero" in cowboy get up who looks a little like a Ken Doll.  He shows his true colors when he reveals his intentions and so Rapunzel plays a little joke on him.  She then finds her way into an old western saloon where she saves her soon to be sidekick Jack and his goose from a dangerous fight.  They steal some horses and runaway from the trouble.  The two get to know each other and decide to return to Gothal to seek revenge and get Rapunzel's true mother out of danger.  A few adventures are thrown their way, but Rapunzel always seems to save the day and get the two back on track.  Together they manage to sneak their way back to the Villa where Rapunzel's mother is trapped in the dungeon.  They save her and defeat Gothal with some help from Jack's beanstalk and a magic tree.  Rapunzel and Jack's friendship turns into romance and a it turns into a happy ending for all...even the goose who finally lays a golden egg.

Along with an Old West style , the characters and setting are important components in this graphic novel.  Rapunzel is not a princess that needs any rescuing.  She begins as a weaker, younger, more naive and vulnerable character, but years of built up anger and frustration in  a tower make her a powerful, strong, spirited, and independent young women with the sharp mouth of a cowgirl.  She has plans of revenge and to save her mother.  Jack is the con-artist/thief turned good-guy sort of side kick.  Together the two show a playful, witty, and sarcastic dialogue that helps turn their relationship to friendship and later romance.  Unlike most classic fairy tales as well as comic stories  the hero is a girl and her sidekick is the boy. I personally love it.  It is a powerful character that young girls can relate too and look up to. No more damsel in distress.  There of course are many characters who help the duo along the way and of course the evil villain, Gothal.  The setting is also an important factor in making this novel so unique.  A swampy marshland, and southwest canyons and dessert help complete the western spin on this story.  The comic strip illustrations give us full details of where they are, almost like watching a movie. This graphic novel is a great read with possibly units of  study on women heroes, twisted versions of classic fairy tales, and on the graphic novel itself.  

Check out the sequel Calamity Jack at http://www.squeetus.com/stage/books_jack.html

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

Appelt, K. (2008).  The Underneath. New York, NY. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

The Underneath is the description for the area under the porch of the house where Ranger lives with his master Gar Face who is a mean and abusive man.  Ranger protects a stray pregnant calico cat and her later her kittens Puck and Sabine by helping them to hide underneath and away from Gar Face.  When Puck surfaces from the underneath, he is caught by Gar Face along with his mother and they are then used as Alligator King (a very large alligator that is over 1000 years old) bait. Another story continues to be woven within the stories of these animals friends and of Gar Face himself.  Grandmother Moccasin, Night Song, and Hawk Man reveal their own story and how Grandmother Moccasin came to be buried in a pot underneath the roots of a tree for over a thousand years until one day lightening strikes the tree and the pot resurfaces.  The stories connect when sadly the mother cat is drowned, Puck escapes, and Sabine and Ranger try to take care of each other.  Gar Face is eaten by the Alligator King and the Grandmother Moccasin is freed from the tree and the pot and then decides to free the animal family front their chains.  

The plot stands out in this book mostly for its multiple perspectives and story lines that are in the end connected.  The plot of several stories goes back and forth with each chapter and is woven through out the entire book.  This is not an easy plot to follow for younger readers who have not developed a concept for several different stories at once.  Each story is very different from the next with characters and even time. Gar Face is a human story that explains the reasons for his behavior and anger.  The talking animals develop a heartfelt story of life and family and the ancient story of the strange half human/animal creatures seem like something out of greek mythology. It provides a unique blend of people, animals, and magical creatures.

See if it's a book you would like to read at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IwFChjedMg

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick- Book Set #5

Selznick, B. (2007).  The invention of Hugo Cabret.  New York, NY. Scholastic Press.

Hugo is a young boy who lives in the train station apartment in Paris.  He is alone because his father has died and his uncle has disappeared.  He is left in charge of making sure all 27 clocks in the train station are functioning daily.  His sole possession is an automaton figure that shares many memories from his father but is broken.  Hugo is determined to figure out how it works. He steals a toy from an old man at a toy booth and the man takes his notebook of information about the automaton.  He is determined to get it back and becomes friends with Isabella the old man's goddaughter.  One day Hugo snatches a necklace from Isabella that looks like something that would fit in the keyhole of the automaton.  He discovers that it is a missing piece and him and Isabella watch the automaton draw a picture from one of Hugo's dad's favorite movies.  He also signs the drawing Georges Melies which is her godfather's name .  Hugo finds out that George's once was a famous movie maker that everyone seems to believe is dead.  With the help of some friends and family Georges finally gives his story up.  On his way home Hugo finds out that his uncle has died, he is being chased by the station inspector and booth keeper for stealing some milk, and he almost dies while falling in the train tracks but Georges comes to his rescue.  After that Hugo finds a new family with Georges.  He creates his own automaton, the one that created this book.

This book has strong setting and plot.  The setting is described in great detail but drawings through out the book give us more specific visuals as well as to help the story continue to move forward.  Old black and white photographs are used on a few pages to show Hugo's dream and Georges movies.  It is a unique  and secretive setting full of secret tunnels and paths and behind the walls and clocks of a train station.    The plot is very interesting and is told through a combination of text and narration and pictures.  The pictures are so much a part of the story that is important and necessary to the story itself (not just an accompaniment).  Much like a wordless picture book that carries the entire story.  It obviously still has enough writing to be considered a novel but one with a Caldecott Award.  

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman- Book Set #5

Gaiman, N. (2008). The graveyard book.  New York, NY. Thorndike Press.

Nobody Owens, otherwise known as Bod is a boy who looses his entire family to a man who has killed them all.  As a toddler he fled the scene of the crime only to wind up in a graveyard where he stayed  in the care of ghosts, Ms. and Mrs. Owens and a guardian Silas who is neither alive or dead but somewhere in-between.  He stays here in their safety because Jack (the man who killed his entire family) is still out to get him, but he does not know that until much later in the story.  His life is full of adventures lead by ghosts, witches, ghouls, werewolves,  an Indigo Man, Night-Gaunts, and The Sleer. He also has some interesting powers that help him that he gains from being raised by the dead.  He has a friendly childhood relationship with a girl named Scarlett who then moves to Scotland.  She returns years later and helps to fight off not one but an entire brotherhood of Jacks who are trying to kill Bod.  After loosing some of his powers, Bod leaves his graveyard  life for real one in the real world.  This plot in this ghost story is full of adventure, excitement and suspense. An array of characters from  the after life become a part of Bod's new life and he grows up knowing the "after life" rather than actual life.  The feelings of lost and alone that come from not knowing his real family can resonate with anyone who has lost a family member or is adopted.The setting and characters are given detailed descriptions to help us imagine a world unknown to us.  This is a fun read for anyone who is interested in the life of the dead.