Princess Pulverizer

Princess Pulverizer: Grilled Cheese and Dragons
by Nancy Krulik
illustrated by Ben Balistreri

Princess Serena does not want to be like the other girls at the Royal School of Ladylike Manners.  To her, learning how to curtsy and dance is a waste of time.  Instead, she'd rather be Princess Pulverizer and attend the Knight School.  Unfortunately, only boys can become knights, unless she can convince her father she is worthy of the privilege   To do that, she must complete eight good deeds on a Quest of Kindness.  While it sounds like an easy task, Princess Pulverizer's attempts at good deeds gets off to a rough start when she finds herself trapped in an ogre's castle!

With its humorous characters and entertaining illustrations, this book is the first in what looks to be a very fun series!  Fans of Shannon Hale's Princess in Black series will likely enjoy this book as will many other readers looking for a funny, magical story!

Author's website: https://www.realnancykrulik.com/

Book trailer:

Superfail

Superfail
by Max Brunner
illustrated by Dustin Mackay

Marshall Preston's laser vision is a disaster! For most kids, having the power of laser vision would be awesome, but not for the crossed-eyed Marshall.  Whenever he tries to use his superpower, the wrong things get lasered! While others at his school have gone on to be recruited to superhero teams, Marshall is left with other classmates who also have difficulty with their own superpowers.

After uncovering a sinister plot, Marshall finds himself working with other kids with flawed superpowers, as well as an eccentric retired superhero, to try to stop the villains before it's too late!

 This entertaining story is full of action and many humorous moments! Although not a graphic novel, this book is heavily illustrated with engaging, color pictures on every page.  This is a fun read that many readers will enjoy! 

Beauty and the Beak

Beauty and the Beak
by Deborah Lee Rose and Jane Veltkamp

After her beak is shattered, an injured bald eagle is rescued and brought to a raptor center.  Due to the damage to her beak, Beauty the eagle is unable to eat or drink on her own.  However, a biologist at the raptor center comes up with the innovative idea of creating a new beak for the injured eagle.  With the help of 3D printing, a prosthetic beak is designed and created for Beauty!

What an inspiring story!  This true story, which includes many photographs of Beauty, shows readers the possibilities for 3D technology in changing the lives of injured animals like Beauty.  This is a great book for animal lovers as well as those who are interested in 3D printing.

Author's website: http://www.deborahleerose.com/beauty-and-the-beak/

Birds of Prey Northwest website: http://www.birdsofpreynorthwest.org/beauty-and-the-beak.html

Wolf in the Snow

Wolf in the Snow
by Matthew Cordell

Lost in a snowstorm, a little girl comes across a baby wolf who has been separated from its mother.   Hearing the howls of wolves, the little girl follows the sound as she bravely carries the young wolf through the snow until she is face to face with the baby's mother.    While the mother and baby have been reunited, the tired little girl faces a new challenge as she struggles to make her way through the  snow back to her own home.

What a beautiful book!  This story was recently awarded the 2018 Caldecott Medal for its outstanding illustrations!  Mostly wordless, with the exception of a few words that represent various sounds, Wolf in the Snow is a wonderful story about helping others in their time of need. 

Book trailer: 
Author's website: http://matthewcordell.com/

Brave Red, Smart Frog

Brave Red, Smart Frog: A New Book of Old Tales
by Emily Jenkins
illustrated by Rohan Daniel Eason

Seven classic tales are brought to life in this exciting story collection!   Set in an enchanted forest, famous stories, including Snow White and Hansel & Gretel are shared along with a few lesser-known fairy tales.   Each story is cleverly told, with subtle connections between several of the tales. 

This beautiful collection is a great choice for any fan of fairy tales.   Author Emily Jenkins has done an excellent job in retelling these classic stories!


Author's website: http://www.emilyjenkins.com/braveredsmartfrog/

Big Cat, Little Cat

Big Cat, Little Cat
by Elisha Cooper

At first it was just the big cat, living alone until one day it was joined by a little cat.  The big cat taught the little cat many things and, over time, the little cat grew in size as the friendship between the felines also grew.   Then, one day, the big cat was gone, much to the sadness of everyone.  Lonely at first, the former little cat (now a big cat himself) finds happiness and purpose with the arrival of a new little cat!

This sweet, but sad, story addresses the loss of a pet in a age-appropriate, sensitive way.   While it never specifically says what happened to the older cat, readers will likely understand the meaning behind the sadness of the family and other cat.   The black and white illustrations were simple yet effective in bringing this emotional story to life.   A wonderful story that is an excellent choice for anyone dealing with the loss of a pet. 

Author's website: http://www.elishacooper.com/

Red & Lulu

Red & Lulu
by Matt Tavares

Two cardinals, Red and Lulu, live in a beautiful tree.  Then, one day, the tree is cut down and taken away, with Lulu still in it.  Will Red ever be able to find Lulu and his tree?

What a beautiful book!  Matt Tavares' outstanding illustrations are engaging and bring this wonderful story to life.  The new location of Red and Lulu's tree, as seen on the book's cover, may be recognized by many readers.  This is a great story to read aloud during the holidays.


Author's website: http://matttavares.com/

Book trailer:

The Firefly Code

The Firefly Code
by Megan Frazer Blakemore

Old Harmonie seems to be the perfect community.   It is a technologically advanced, safe place where everyone has what they need.   People rarely need to go to the "outside" world.   Mori never questions her community and its ways until Ilana moves onto Firefly Lane.    After spending time with Ilana, Mori begins to suspect that there is something unusual about her seemingly perfect new friend.   Soon she discovers a shocking secret about Ilana, causing Mori and her friends to wonder if Old Harmonie is the perfect place they believed it to be.

What a great book!   Author Megan Frazer Blakemore's story about a futuristic utopian community is full of many twists.    The sequel to this fantastic book, The Daybreak Bond, was recently published and continues the story of the Firefly Five.  This is a great choice for readers who enjoy stories that combine science fiction and friendship issues.   Fans of Gordon Korman's Masterminds series and Margaret Peterson Haddix's book Under Their Skin should definitely give this book a try!

Author's website: http://www.meganfrazer.com/writer/books-for-kids/the-firefly-code/

After The Fall

After The Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)
by Dan Santat

What if Humpty Dumpty could be put back together again?   Author Dan Santat describes life for the unlucky egg after he is fixed and back in one piece.   Humpty Dumpty's life is not easy after his unfortunate fall.  Due to his mishap, he fears heights, causing him to avoid many of his favorite things.  Will Humpty Dumpty ever be able to climb up his favorite wall again?

This is a fantastic book!   Dan Santat, using a classic nursery rhyme character, has created an uplifting story about working through fears after a scary event.  The illustrations are outstanding and add to the beauty of this emotional tale.  This is a great book to use to talk about facing fears and getting back up again!  

Book trailer: 

Demon Dentist

Demon Dentist
by David Walliams
illustrated by Tony Ross

Something strange is happening in Alfie's town!  Children are putting their teeth under their pillows only to wake up to find toenails, spiders, and other horrible surprises the next morning.  Alfie, who has a fear of the dentist after a tooth-pulling fiasco, suspects that the new dentist, Ms. Root, is the cause.  Can he prove that this new dentist is evil?

Demon Dentist reminded me a lot of books by Roald Dahl.  It's both humorous as well as creepy, with many unique, entertaining characters!  It is also full of many fun illustrations that add to the humor of this exciting story.  I enjoyed this book and recommend it for fans of Roald Dahl.

Author's website: https://www.worldofdavidwalliams.com/