Babymouse

Babymouse is a dreamer. Not the lay on your back, stare at the clouds dreaming of being an adult dreamer. Nope. She has a wild imagination and vivid fantasies of being the most popular and beautiful mouse in her school. In reality, her school already has one such creature, the Queen of the World, Miss Felicia Furrypaws. She has everything that Babymouse wants- devoted friends, fans, and purrfect whiskers. She is the epitome of cool, grade school style. As Babymouse clamors for an invite to Felicia’s sleepover, young tweens will relate to her desire to be part of the in-crowd and as the story draws to a close, they will be pleasantly relieved with the conclusion. This graphic novel series written by Newberry Award winning author Jennifer Holm and illustrated by her brother Matthew Holm will delight even older readers as Babymouse navigates friendships, family life with a pesky younger brother, and school hierarchies. Themes of self-acceptance and gratitude are sprinkled through the series, and covert moral lessons are entrenched in the clever, witty text and illustrations. Fans of the Sardine in outer space series or Ivy and Bean will be sure to enjoy the many adventures of Babymouse. 

Holm, J.(2005). Babymouse: Queen of the World. New York: Random House. 91 pages. ISBN: 978-0-375-93229-8.

Ages 9-12

Al Capone Shines My Shoes (Book Trailer)

I’m pleased that the Newberry Award-Winning author Gennifer Choldenko continued the story of Matthew ‘Moose’ Flanagan, his friends, and his family on Alcatraz. The story picks just where Al Capone Does My Shirts ended, and now the favor Moose asked of Al Capone has to be repaid. Thoroughly frustrated and fearing for his family’s sanity, Moose had asked Al Capone to help get his sister Natalie into a special school for children with disabilities. “Your turn,” the note attached to his shirt simply said. So, Moose struggles to do as Capone asks, angering guards, the warden, and finally getting his friends and their father into trouble. As he puts his father’s job in jeopardy by doing as Capone asks, Moose becomes wiser and grows to understand the effect he has on people- particularly girls. From the tense beginning to the chilling conclusion, the themes of honesty, loyalty, and friendship reverberate instilling moral lessons without begin overly preachy. Overall, it is the trust and honesty of friends that prevails when individuals make mistakes.  

If readers haven’t been entertained by the previous story in the series, I would suggest reading Al Capone Does My Shirt first and rushing to your nearest library to put a copy of Choldenko’s newest books, No Passengers Beyond This Point, on hold. This work of historical fiction can stand on it’s own, but definitely holds more meaning as a sequel to the first book where familiar characters continue to develop and change. 

Choldenko, G. (2009). Al Capone Shines my Shoes. New York: Puffin Books . 304 pages. ISBN: 978-0-142-41718-8.

Ages 9-12.