written and illustrated by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 4, 2017
A smooth transition into a fresh format that should both resonate with existing fans and entice new ones.
With her trademark sassy panache, Babymouse embarks on a new adventure: middle school.
Babymouse has traded in her A-line heart dress for stylish new leggings and is ready for middle school. Anxious to fit in and make friends, she worries over her clothes and her cafeteria social standing. When extracurricular activities are announced, she knows her choice is important. She decides to join the film club, and when her cinematic musings bring the club together, she is named director of their upcoming project, Au Revoir, My Locker. However, being the director is harder than Babymouse expects; when things go hilariously awry, will she be able to pull the group—and ultimately herself—back together? After 20 vivaciously pink and cheerful graphic novels, the Holms have revamped their winning franchise into a hybrid of text and prose, similar to such fan favorites as Cherise Mericle Harper’s Fashion Kitty. This first in a series seamlessly blends many beloved elements from the graphic novels, including large comic panels with recognizable black-and-white illustrations, with their lively prose, making for a natural evolution for its maturing audience. Budding filmmakers will be delighted to find a glossary of film terms to help them understand the narrative’s jargon.
A smooth transition into a fresh format that should both resonate with existing fans and entice new ones. (Graphic fantasy. 7-12)Pub Date: July 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-55438-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2017
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm ; illustrated by Matthew Holm
by Jennifer L. Holm ; illustrated by Matthew Holm
More by Jennifer L. Holm
BOOK REVIEW
by Jennifer L. Holm ; illustrated by Matthew Holm
BOOK REVIEW
by Jennifer L. Holm ; illustrated by Matthew Holm & Lark Pien
BOOK REVIEW
by Jennifer L. Holm ; illustrated by Savanna Ganucheau
by Kwame Alexander ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 18, 2014
Poet Alexander deftly reveals the power of the format to pack an emotional punch.
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
GET IT
Kirkus Reviews'
Best Books Of 2014
New York Times Bestseller
Newbery Medal Winner
Basketball-playing twins find challenges to their relationship on and off the court as they cope with changes in their lives.
Josh Bell and his twin, Jordan, aka JB, are stars of their school basketball team. They are also successful students, since their educator mother will stand for nothing else. As the two middle schoolers move to a successful season, readers can see their differences despite the sibling connection. After all, Josh has dreadlocks and is quiet on court, and JB is bald and a trash talker. Their love of the sport comes from their father, who had also excelled in the game, though his championship was achieved overseas. Now, however, he does not have a job and seems to have health problems the parents do not fully divulge to the boys. The twins experience their first major rift when JB is attracted to a new girl in their school, and Josh finds himself without his brother. This novel in verse is rich in character and relationships. Most interesting is the family dynamic that informs so much of the narrative, which always reveals, never tells. While Josh relates the story, readers get a full picture of major and minor players. The basketball action provides energy and rhythm for a moving story.
Poet Alexander deftly reveals the power of the format to pack an emotional punch. (Verse fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-10771-7
Page Count: 240
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
Share your opinion of this book
More by Kwame Alexander
BOOK REVIEW
by Kwame Alexander & Deanna Nikaido ; illustrated by Melissa Sweet
BOOK REVIEW
by Kwame Alexander ; illustrated by Dare Coulter
BOOK REVIEW
More About This Book
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
by Kwame Alexander & illustrated by Tim Bowers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2011
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
Share your opinion of this book
More by Kwame Alexander
BOOK REVIEW
by Kwame Alexander & Deanna Nikaido ; illustrated by Melissa Sweet
BOOK REVIEW
by Kwame Alexander ; illustrated by Dare Coulter
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.