ShrtRvw: #ValiantHigh #NetGalley

Title: Valiant High
Author: Daniel Kibblesmith
Publisher: Diamond Book
Genre: Children's fiction, sci fi & fantasy
Rating: 🥄🥄🥄🥄

Publish Day: September 4, 2018
Downloaded from: Netgalley

What it is: High school, enjoyable imagery and story. I missed the download time for this one so went and purchased it. Was worthwhile to drop cash on the eBook.

#SupergirlbeingSuper #NetGalley Supergirl: Being Super by Mariko Tamaki Review

Title: Supergirl: Being Super
Author: Mariko Tamaki
Illustrator: Joelle Jones
Release Day: June 5, 2018 -- Today!

Downloaded from Netgalley to read for an honest review!

Summary: Kara Danvers isn't any different than any other teenager in her hometown. Problems with school. Problems with boys. Problems with friends. But while growing pains shake up Kara's world, a series of earth-shaking events hits her hometown, leaving her with with the choice of blending in with the crowd, or being different. Being an outcast. Being super.

This reimagining of Supergirl will appeal to fans of all ages and readers new and old, as the Girl of Steel flies face-first into the struggles that every teenager faces. Collects SUPERGIRL: BEING SUPER #1-4.

Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels, Superheroes  Rating: 4/5

Opinion:

This is Kara and her life with her friends. Focused on friendship and family from start to end. It's fun, emotional and interesting to keep turning the page. Loved my time with this story.

Everything throughout the story -- the friendship, her family, the villains -- feel realistic enough. You are dealing with her new world as she tries to get her footing. This will be posted on my kidlit blog, too, but I wanted to write about it here.

This comic would be fantastic for kids from 3rd grade and up. But the story line can hold an adults interest. I love when a story can do that.

Also: The teenagers that are the focus of this feel like today's youth. They're not repurposed teenagers from the sixties. Often characters in kid literature feel like the writer doesn't understand or never met a kid before.

If you're looking for something modern to read for your kids or to read together this definitely works.

Recommend: 

Yes!

Kara Danvers isn't any different than any other teenager in her hometown. Problems with school. Problems with boys. Problems with friends. But while growing pains shake up Kara's world, a series of earth-shaking events hits her hometown, leaving her with with the choice of blending in with the crowd, or being different. Being an outcast. Being super. This reimagining of Supergirl will appeal to fans of all ages and readers new and old, as the Girl of Steel flies face-first into the struggles that every teenager faces. Collects SUPERGIRL: BEING SUPER #1-4.

Wrapped Up Vol. 1 by Dave Scheidt

Score: 4/5

First sentence: Hey!

There is a free comic listed on Amazon  just to give it a taste test.

It's a collection of comics about this zombie kid named Milo and the weird things that happen to him.

Good:

Artwork and easy to read fonts. It consists of spontaneity that upper elementary/middle school kids will like. A neighbor who does not have boundaries and breaks your house and makes life miserable but also goes with you to fix things. Small amount of bathroom humor.

Diversity in the side characters in some of the comics. It's fun, interesting and definitely would be liked by kids who like random, odd, and some small gross moments in this.

Bad:

Whacky neighbor who bothers the family. Destroys their house with a Gorilla busts through window for pizza. Kid steals Dad's card and goes to town eating pizza without permission. Bathroom humor.

Recommend?

Yes.

Little Pierrot Vol. 2: Amongst the Stars by Alberto Veranda

Downloaded through Netgalley in exchange for a review.

Score: 4/5

Summary:

Little Pierrot and Mr. Snail's imaginative adventures take them to the stars and beyond! They might fly to the moon on the wings of a well-worn book, or cloud-watch with the new girl in school. Little Pierrot is ever the dreamer, but Mr. Snail is there to bring him back down to earth.

This will be out March 6, 2018!

Good:

Illustrations are fun to look at. There's a young boy, his talking snail friend and the moon. Each comic strip has a different theme.

It's easy to read and follow along what is going on in each section.

"It's good if a book is beat up... it means it was read again and again -- come on let's go!"

Relies heavily on imagination and it works for what you are getting as you read. I enjoyed this.

Bad:

This is a collection of separate stories that have different things going on. This may be confusing for some kids, especially, those who are newer to reading comics.

But it would still be fun for kids to look through and enjoy either way.

Recommend?:

Yes! It's adorable and is extremely fun to read through.

Little Tails on the Farm with Chipper & Squizzo - Frédéric Brrémaud

Score: 4/5

First sentence: Wake up, Chipper! Let's go to the farm!

This is already out and ready to buy! Published January 16,2018. Downloaded through Netgalley to read for an honest review. 

Good:

The main characters are in need of some milk. They decide to go to the farm to ask around to see if anyone has some. They meet and interact with different animals on the farm.

Adorable illustration. Easy to read font.

Easy to follow and help kids learn how to read a graphic novel.

At the end there is information about the animals that they visited through the book. On Netgalley their information says they will also have lesson plans that can go with this. But this can go with any lesson plan that has anything to do with farms.

Bad:

Nothing that I could see while reading this.

Recommend?:

Yes! It's a great addition for kids who like comics, especially, those new to them. 

There's more!

For just kid book reviews hop over here.

Dream of the Butterfly Vol. 1: Rabbits on the Moon by Richard Marazano

Downloaded through Netgalley to read for an honest review.

Score: 5/5

First Sentence: WAAH... WAAHHH!

This is not the best to get a first sentence from but that's how the story begins.

Summary: Tutu is late to go somewhere. She hurries out and a storm blows her into a town. But it's not any kind of town. It's a town full of various animals. She becomes involved in various elements of politics while trying to get home.

Absolutely enjoyed reading this. 

Good:

 Comic is enjoyable to look at. The story starts in the beginning of a dream or at least looks like one of her dreams.

Story line is interesting enough to keep you going. She's a human little girl in a town full of talking animals all of which for some reason don't like humans. Instead of trying to get her home and out of their hair they send her to a temporary living arrangement and has to work in a factory.

She gains the interest of the Emperor, the Flying Bandit, a group of human children, and a Panda Bear that she works with. They all need her or believe that she will help them with something. She doesn't understand why they're bothering her and how no one's helping her get home.

Tutu sounds and acts like a child her age and in a situation that she is in. She gets snippy, lashes out, is tired and doesn't want to do anything they keep asking her to do.

The spies are adorable.

Bad:

In some places it feels as if you've skipped a page and have to flip back to double-check. It feels like you're missing something to the story but it keeps moving on.  

The townsfolk keep warning her about saying the things she keeps saying but she keeps saying things. The reason? There doesn't seem to be any actual consequence for talking against or negatively about the emperor -- or at least FOR HER -- than maybe the other residents of the town. Or is it just fear that there isn't anything else preventing them from saying things other than fear?

Does she ever eat??? I know this isn't high on a list but the bird sends her to work with a container of worms. She gives them to the Panda.

Recommend?

Yes.  It's enjoyable and a fun read. It's a children's novel and possibly more for older elementary level. For kids who may struggle with reading or following along with the plot line definitely enjoy the pictures and the story through the artwork.