Happy Healthy Monsters: Grover's Guide to Good Eating (Book)

Kleinberg, N. (2007). Happy healthy monsters: Grover's guide to good eating. New York, NY: Random House Children’s Books. ISBN: 978-0-375-84063-0

Interest Level: Ages 8 to 3
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Nutrition, Monsters, Sesame Street, Healthy Eating Habits

Plot: Grover and Elmo introduce children to different types of healthy foods and healthy eating habits at the Good Eating Cafe where they work. At the same time a second story is going on in the pictures as Grover and Elmo try to serve a customer who isn't interested in their healthy suggestions.  Foods that are good to eat all the time, such as vegetables and fruits, are discussed along with foods that are okay to eat only sometimes, such as soda and sweets.  Healthy eating tips encourage children to eat healthy, eat lots of different types of vegetables, eat as a family, try new foods, and watch their portion size.  The last two pages of the book offers suggestions for parents for encouraging healthy eating, proper rest, and exercise in children.

Personal Thoughts: I think my favorite thing about this book was that it mentioned eating junk food such as soda and sweets sometimes.  It doesn't help to pretend children don't eat junk, but it does help to explain that these items are best in small quantities.  The story is told with just the right amount of silliness while still getting the message of healthy eating across.  The illustrations are well done, full of labels and extra conversation which add to both the information and humor.

Other Books by the Author: Bath time! (2008); Food! by Cookie Monster (1006)

Inuyasha (Manga Series)

Takahashi, R. (2003). Inuyasha. San Francisco, CA: Viz Comics. ISBN [Vol. 1]: 1-56931-947-2

Interest Level: 13 to 18
Subjects/Themes: Manga/Anime, Friendship, Fantasy, Romance, Action/Adventure, Monsters/Demons, Past and Present, High School

Plot: Kagome, a modern Japanese high school student, can travel back and forth to feudal Japan through a well at her family's shrine.  In feudal Japan, Kagome comes across Inuyasha who is sealed to a tree and releases him.  Inuyasha, a half dog demon and half human hybrid, was sealed to the tree by the priestess Kikyo whom Kagome is the reincarnation of.  Kagome brought back with her the Sacred Four Souls Jewel which Kikyo had tried to destroy.  Now monsters keep attacking her trying to steal the jewel for its power.  The jewel is accidentally shattered and now Kagome must search the land to find the jewel shards and prevent them from being used for evil.  Inuyasha decides to travel with Kagome because she is the only one who can sense the hidden shards and he wants the power of the jewel for himself.  Their travels form a friendship and an almost romance complicated by the fact that Inuyasha was in love with Kikyo before he met Kagome.  They gather a group of friends (a lecherous monk, a sweet child like fox demon, and a demon slayer) who help them in their search.   

Personal Thoughts: This anime is for older teens as it does have some suggestive situations, violence, and alcohol or tobacco use.  The series is of the shonen manga genre which means it is primarily targeted towards a junior high and high school boy demographic with lots of action, humor, and camaraderie.  The illustrations in each volume are well detailed and composed of black and white sketchings.  There is also a "ani-manga" version of the series that uses color scenes from the anime cartoon based on the same storyline.  This manga is a constant battle between good and evil.  A lot of unfortunate events happen to the different characters that help to form who they are and how they act.  There is a lot of action and subtle romance throughout the series.  The cartoon anime series is very closely based on the manga.

Awards:
Shogakukan Manga Award for best shōnen title of the year (2002)

Similar Materials: Fruits Basket [My Review]; Naruto Series Anime & Manga;

Skelly the Skeleton Girl (Book)

Pickering, J. (2007). Skelly the skeleton girl. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Interest Level: Ages 5 & under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Halloween, Monsters, Skeletons, Dogs, Pets, Lost Items

Plot: Skelly, a cute little skeleton girl, finds a bone lying on the floor in her haunted house.  She goes around asking her monstrous pets, neighbors, and friends if the bone is theirs.  Then she hears a noise outside and goes to investigate.  Where she finds a skeleton dog digging in her backyard looking for his bone.  

Personal Thoughts: A cute and not to scary book perfect for Halloween.  There's a little skeleton fish in a fish bowl with a coffin.  Skelly tickles the monster under the stairs to check his funny bone.  The giant spider explains that spider's don't have bones.  The little skeleton dog and some of the other characters remind me of the characters in Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas.  The graphics present scary monsters in sweet ways.  Pickering has acted as the illustrator for a number of chapter and picture books.  The text is simple with Skelly describing everything she does to find the bone's owner.

Author Website: Jimmy Pickering Website

Other Books by the Author: Skelly and Femur (2009); Another Season Book Series;

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (DVD)

produced by Leslie, E., Donner, L., (Producers), Weitz, P. (Director & Writer), & Helgeland, B. (Writer). (2010). Cirque du freak: The vampire's assistant [DVD]. Universal City, CA: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Interest Level: Ages 13 to 18
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 109 minutes
Subjects/Themes: Friendship, Vampires, Freaks, Horror

Plot: Darren and Steve go to a freak show where they meet Larten, a vampire.  Steve begs Larten to make him one of them but Larten refuses.  Meanwhile, Darren steals Larten's poisonous spider, Octa.  After Octa bites Steve, Darren becomes Larten's apprentice, a half vampire, in order to get an antidote for Steve.  This means that Darren must fake his death and leave his family in order to learn how to control his powers.  Mr. Tiny finds the grieving Steve and turns him into a different kind of vampire, the kind that kills to feed.  Mr. Tiny sets events in motion to start a war between the two kinds of vampires by pitting the two friends against one another.

Personal Thoughts: This movie is based on the first two books in the Cirque du Freak Series by Darren Shan.  The movie is rated PG-13 for the violent actions scenes, disturbing images (in one scene Darren has his neck snapped in order to fake his death), and some language.  Possibly a good vampire movie for those who wanted more action and less of a love story than what was found in the Twilight movies.  The movie has a dark and deadly feel throughout, full of shadows and mist.  There are themes of friendship and not judging people by what they look like.  Suggested for older tweens and teens.  If they like the movie then they'll probably be reaching for the next book in the series to see what happens next.  While there was a lot going on in the movie, there was still a lot of unfinished business.  No wonder though since there are ten more books that follow the first two.  

 

Author's Website: Darren Shan Website

Wild Magic (Book)

Pierce, Tamora. (1992). Wild Magic. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 0-689-85611-3

Interest Level: Ages 10 to 14
Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Animals, Magic, Medieval Worlds, Fictional Wars and Battles, Non-Sexist Occupational Roles

Plot: Daine has a knack for animals that’s definitely magical.  She can hear them and they can hear her.  Daine's been surviving in wilderness on her own since raiders burned her house down and killed her family.  But now Daine needs to rejoin the human world and that means money and a job.  Daine manages to get hired as an assistant caring for the Queen’s Riders' horses, a special group of warriors under direct command of the Queen herself.  It is here that Daine learns to control her magic, stand up for herself and others, and learn that anyone can be a hero.  

Personal Thoughts: One of my favorite tween authors, Pierce's books are all set in the same medieval world.  In Daine's world, women are fully equal to men (they can rule or be warriors) which is a result of the previous series, The Song of the Lioness. Each series should be read in order for better understanding, but it is not necessary for the different series to be read in order though they do run chronologically.  There are a lot of strong female and male characters in this book, though it mostly focuses on the females.  A Must Read book for tweens with an interest in fantasy, medieval, or magic.

Series Info: Book One of the Immortals Series
Sequel: Wolf-Speaker (1994)

Author Website: Tamora Pierce Website 

Other Books by the Author: Beka Cooper Series; Song of the Lioness Series; Trickster Series; Circle of Magic Series; Protector of the Small Series;

Coraline (Book)

Gaiman, Neil. (2003). Coraline. Waterville, ME: Thorndike Press.

Interest Level: Ages 9 to 16
Genre: Fiction, Horror
Subjects/Themes: Family, Neighbors, Parallel Universes, Monsters, Talking Animals, Kidnapping

Plot: Coraline has just moved into a new apartment with her very busy parents.  They share the building with two old eccentric ladies who used to be actresses and an old man who used to be part of the circus.  In an attempt to escape her family and boredom, Coraline crawls down a tunnel into a parallel world where she has another mother and another father.  This "other" world is so much more interesting with singing mice, talking cats, and all her favorite things.  Her "other" family tells her she can stay forever, if only she sews buttons over her eyes.  Now her "other" mother, a monster in disguise, has kidnapped Coraline's family in order to force her to stay.  It’s up to Coraline to get them back.

Awards:
ALA Notable Children's Books (2003)
School Library Journal Best Books (2002)
Wisconsin Library Association Children's Book Awards: Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award (2003)
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (2003)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults List (2003) New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age (WINNER)
IRA/CBC Children's Choice (WINNER)
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award Masterlist (Vermont) (WINNER)
Publishers Weekly Best Book (WINNER)
Child Magazine Best Book of the Year (WINNER)
Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers (2002)
Hugo Award for Best Novella (2003)

Personal Thoughts: I loved this book, but then I love a lot of Neil Gaiman's books.  Coraline has just the right amount of horror and fantasy that I enjoy.  The story is suspenseful and easy to read.  Even if children have already seen the movie and know the ending, they'll still enjoy reading the book.  If fact knowing there's a happy ending might make this scary book a little less so.  They made this book into a movie in 2009, check out the Coraline movie website for more information.

Other Books by the Author: The Graveyard Book (2008); Interworld (2007); Odd and the Frost Giants (2009);

Author's Website: Neil Gaiman's Journal

Three Billy Goats Gruff (Book)

Finch, M. (2001). Three billy goats gruff. New York, NY: Barefoot Books. ISBN:  978-1-846-86072-0

Interest Level: Ages 5 & under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Goats, Trolls, Fairy Tales, Folklore

Plot: A retelling of the classic tale of three billy goats gruff.  In which three goats cross a bridge to get to the greener sweeter looking grass on the other side.  Unfortunately under the bridge they must cross to get there lives a hungry troll.  The two littler goats tell the troll to wait to meet their bigger bother.  When the biggest of the billy goats gruff crosses the bridge he kicks the troll off the bridge rather then gets eaten.

Personal Thoughts: The mixed used of collage, watercolors, and crayon make for wonderfully textured illustrations.  Bright and happy colors and patterns are used for the goats and the scenery, while browns and olive greens make up the troll.

"I'm a troll, from a deep dark hole,
My belly's getting thinner,
I need to eat - and goat's a treat -
So I'll have you for my dinner."

The text is simple and easy to read aloud.  The troll's repeating lines don't quiet rhyme but children will enjoy joining in all the same.  My suggestion would be to add some hand gestures for the children to copy while your telling the story. 

Other Books by the Author: The Little Red Hen and the Ear of Wheat (2001);

Bone Soup (Book)

Evans, C. (2008). Bone Soup. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin.

Interest Level: Ages 8 & under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Halloween, Monsters, Sharing, Food

Plot: Everyone knows that Finnigin has a very large appetite.  So large in fact that all the other monsters hide their favorite foods whenever he comes to town.  Finnigin goes from house to house looking for food for the Halloween feast but every house claims to have no food.  Finnigin fills a cauldron with boiling water, adds a bone, and begins singing about his wonderful bone soup.  One by one the townscreatures add their hidden food to the soup to help make it better.  All the monsters end up sharing the wonderful bone soup and having a Halloween feast.     

Personal Thoughts: A cute Halloween themed rendition of the "Stone Soup" tale about food and the importance of sharing.  Children will love the different monster foods such as eyeballs, batwings, and frog legs.  The little werewolf (pretty much tattling) tells Finnigin about all the yummy food the other monsters have hidden away, forcing them to do the right thing and share.  Its also very obvious that Finnigin is tricking all the other monsters into sharing their food in order to have a feast, but his trick is a kind one as everyone ends up sharing.  The illustrations are a mixture of the dark colors of fall and night-time mixed with glowing lights and eerie greens.  This story is probably best for one on one reading with a parent as there is quite a bit of text.  Some clever editing to shorten the story and keep the plot would be suggested if you wanted to include it in a storytime. 

Author Website: http://www.cambriaevans.com/

Other Books by the Author: Martha Moth makes socks (2006)

How to Trap a Zombie, Track a Vampire, and Other Hands-on Activities for Monster Hunters (Book)

Rotruck, A. (2010). Young wizards handbook: How to trap a zombie, track a vampire, and other hands-on activities for monster hunters. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast.

Interest Level: Ages 9 to 12
Genre: Fantasy, Non-Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Monsters, Hunting, Survivial Skills, Dungeons & Dragons, Activity Book, Role-Playing

Plot: Teaches young wizards in training how to gather supplies, survive their surroundings, and hunt monsters through a variety of different food, game and craft making activities.  The last pages contain an index of monsters that describe them by sight, smell, and sound as well as gives information about where they are located, hostility levels, intelligence levels, and tactics to use against them.  The book also contains common sense tips and safety advice such as never eat any local berries, fruit, or plants without asking an adult first.    

Personal Thoughts: This is a wonderfully inventive way of encouraging older children to try certain crafts.  Some crafts include: how to make a backpack out of an old pair of jeans, how to make invisible ink, and how to make lantern.  Children are taught how to construct and play different thematic games, such as Goblin Coin Toss. The book is set up for a single child to try different activities or for a group of children to work together.   The book is filled with informational charts and step by step instructions.  The illustrations are a mixture of color graphics and pencil sketches.  My local library actually has the book shelved in the J Graphic Novel section.  This book would make a good gift to a child interested in role-playing, wizards or monsters.  It might also be helpful to a parent looking to throw an organized "wizards & monsters" birthday party. 

Website: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/

Similar materials: The Book of Wizard Craft: In Which the Apprentice Finds Spells, Potions, Fantastic Tales, and 50 Enchanting Things to Make (2001) by Janice Eaton Kilby. (New York, NY: Lark Books).