Read Your Way Homewood

Red Riding Hood, Superhero: A Graphic Novel  (Far Out Fairy Tales) by Otis Frampton If all the graphic novel twisted retellings of fairy tales in the  Far Out Fairy Tales  series are as good as this one, sign me up!  Red Riding Hood, Superhero  is a very funny and beautifully drawn elementary/middle grade graphic novel. Red is a 10 year old girl named Ruby, her grandmother is the President of the United States, the Huntsman is a General in the Army, and the Big Bad Wolf is a Werewolf named Professor Grimm. The art is clean and bright and the panels are very easy to follow, but that does not mean it is simplistic. There are lots of small details that the eyes will enjoy looking looking at. Highly recommended for anyone at any age who enjoys fairy tale retellings. There is no blood / gore and the violence is extremely tame - Warner Brothers classic cartoons are worse than this - so I'd be comfortable sharing this with kids as young as 4 or 5. - Miss Kelly

Cleopatra in Space, Book One: Target Practice (Cleopatra in Space #1) by   Mike Maihack A little slow to start but once it got going it was really entertaining! Middle grade readers will love the plot and action and zaniness of an ancient Egyptian princess in the far future.  At first, I thought they brought her to the future for a middle school romance opportunity, and that annoyed me, but there was far less of that than it seemed like it was gearing up for. 3.5 rating Available as a physical book and an e-Book.  e-Book review: The zoom action was a little sporadic. Sometimes full panels of art would be one "zoom" meaning that it didn't give a closer look at some of the smaller elements which really deserved a closer look. But other times, it did split them so that was a bit inconsistent. The story wasn't affected, but the experience with the art was. - Miss Kelly #GraphicNovels #Elementary #MiddleGrade #Adventure

Spelling Trouble (The Misadventures of Salem Hyde, #1) by  Frank Cammuso Calvin & Hobbes + magic with a girl lead = this adorable book. So Cute! Would be perfect for my own 8 year old reluctant reader if I could get her to TRY it. (Sigh) - Miss Kelly #GraphicNovels #Fantasy #Elementary #Humor #MiddleGrade

Mini Myths: Don't Get Lost, Odysseus! (Mini Myths)  by Joan Holub , Leslie Patricelli (Illustrations)   Accurate re-tellings of Mythology these stories are NOT. Super-cute and wonderful Board Books anyway? Why, yes! Yes they are!  Using the names and the core element of a classic Greco-Roman mythological tale, these Mini Myths talk to pre-schoolers. Odysseus gets lost, Pandora touches something she shouldn't, Icarus isn't careful. These tales are couched in terms the little ones understand. Then, at the back, a more accurate summary of the actual tale is given, again at kid level. HIGHLY recommend this super stinking cute series.  ALSO: diverse cast and characters through the series  #BoardBooks #FamilyTies #StoriesReimagined #WeNeedDiverseBooks

Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly Apple doesn't like herself much. The way she looks, the way her mom talks and cooks, her name... all of it is a reminder that she is *different* and she hates it. Until a list and a series of events bring her to some new people who help her see the great things about standing out in a crowd instead of fading into it. This is a really nice middle grade book for self esteem, issues of ethnic minorities feeling bullied, and kids who are searching for their way. Favorite line was towards the end, and was about a former friend who was obsessed with being popular and cool: "I realized that's how she would always be: going where the crowd goes and then getting lost." - Miss Kelly #ComingOfAge #FamilyTies #FriendshipBonds #MiddleGrade #Realism #SchoolStories #WeNeedDiverseBooks

Little Bo Peep and Her Bad, Bad Sheep: A Mother Goose Hullabaloo by A L Wegwerth, Luke Flowers (Illustrations) This picture book is decidedly NOT for the very young, unless they are one on one with an adult that has at LEAST a half hour of uninterrupted time time pore over the pages AND they are already familiar with a large selection of Mother Goose rhymes. Rather, this picture book is perfect for the older reader (3rd - 6th grades and over) who enjoys a fracturing of the familiar, and Where's Waldo style chaos. The art is beautifully bright and sharp, and the style reminds me of Rocky & Bullwinkle in some ways. I could also see this book being adapted for a Reader's Theater presentation. It would accommodate QUITE the cast of characters with minimal lines (for those still struggling with their reading) and would also accommodate more than one narrator with heavier vocabulary building. Four stars for the older readers / readers theater. If I were reviewing for t