Wonder Woman at Super Hero High, by Lisa Yee

This super cutie book showed up in the post the other day, and I promptly snagged it to take it home. I constantly on the look-out for all things super hero, and when there is a girl power theme, I'm all for it.  Plus, Lisa Yee?  I'm all in.

Wonder Woman has lived on Paradise Island with her mother her whole life, and she has been happy there. But Wonder Woman actually goes behind Hippolyta's back and applies to Super Hero High. It's not that Wonder Woman wants to leave home and her mother, but she does want to spread her wings and figure out who she is.

Wonder Woman is ecstatic when she finds out she is accepted, and is even more thrilled when her mother lets her go.

The thing is, Wonder Woman hasn't exactly been around the block. Have you ever met someone who takes everything literally?  Well, that is Wonder Woman to a "t"!  When she is told to get a clue she goes looking for one! Imagine moving from Paradise Island to being roomies with vlog obsessed Harley Quinn?

Permeating the school are the regular high school cliquey concerns, but what is on the minds of everyone is the upcoming team selection for the elite Super Triathlon Team.  Whispers around the hallways say that Wonder Woman was recruited for this very task, and that she's a shoe in.  Wonder Woman is starting to believe it too, because someone is leaving her nasty notes encouraging her to leave the school.  Can Wonder Woman live up to her mother's standards while figuring out the ropes of high school?

Readers meet so many characters along the including Beast Boy, Bumblebee, Star Sapphire, Cheetah, Frost, Golden Glider, Katana, Green Lantern, Red Tornado, Crazy Quilt, Hawkgirl among others.  I was grateful for an internet search or two to figure out who is who.  Perhaps a back-matter listing of characters and attributes would be helpful.

Overall, this is a super fun start to a series that will fill a gap.  While the characters are over the top in a comic book way, their larger than life characteristics obviously fit the occasion.  Even though the books are branded as DC SuperHero Girls, boys will pick up these titles as well.  The pages are filled with plenty of action and drama, and I can't wait to see what comes next!

Sunny Side Up, by Jenni and Matthew Holm

Every now and again you come across a perfect book. Of course there's no such thing as perfection for everyone, but for you as a reader, the right book lands into your hands at the right time.  This is how I feel about the Holm's Sunny Side Up.

It's 1976 and Sunny Lewin is being sent down to Florida to spend some time with her Grandpa. But where Gramps lives is no Disney World ... it's a retirement community where Sunny has to wear an ID at all times to prove that she belongs there.

Luckily, Sunny isn't the only kid in the community.  The groundskeeper's son Buzz lives there as well.  He is totally into comics and introduces Sunny to some of his favorites while she's in Florida.  The two of them manage to make some money finding lost cats for the old ladies, and golf balls for the pro shop to fund their comic habit.

These all seems rather bucolic and idyllic on the surface, but readers learn through Sunny's flashbacks that there is a reason that she is spending time with Gramps far from home.  It turns out her older brother is experiencing problems with addiction.  Sunny doesn't understand what's really happening -- she just knows her brother isn't who she remembers him to be and he's causing all kinds of trouble for their family.

Handled deftly, Sunny's confusion and concern are heartbreaking. Based on true events, the authenticity in this title stands out.  The push pull of Sunny's feelings for her brother are obvious and none of the characters are one note.  Little things like the toilet roll doll and lifting buns from the early bird special may go over younger readers' heads, but are perfect for the setting and the time period.

I borrowed our copy from the library, but will be purchasing this one to live on my shelves.  I can imagine future me pulling it from the shelf and shedding a tear or two each and every time.

Vordak The Incomprehensible: How To Grow Up and Rule The World

I first saw this book at ALA in Washington DC.  You’ve got to give it to the publisher who puts “Not for Wimpy Kids” directly on the cover.  Not only will it attract the inevitable push backers for that phenomenon, it will likely peak the interest of Kinney’s faithful readers to find out what the heck that means!

Vordak the Incomprensible is a Super Villain who has decided to share the wealth with the rest of us mortals (“As Seen on TV" style), by giving readers, through the scribing of his minion Scott Seegert,  a step-by-step guide towards world domination!  For a guy who hasn’t actually defeated his own arch-nemesis (the superhero Commander Virtue), he has an awful lot of bravado as is evident in the prologue simply entitled “Glorious Me”.

Beginning with the idea of “Bringing out the EVIL”, to an absolutely hilarious acrostic definition of superhero (Stupid, Underwear munching, Pig kissing…), to amazing plans for “Diabolically Clever Yet Extremely Slow-Acting Death Traps”, Vordak will have readers laughing out loud.  Every action movie/mystery cartoon stereotype gets the send up, and the delivery is spot on.

The visual appeal of this title cannot be easily matched. John Martin’s illustrations run the gambit from yearbook photos with barred out eyes to files on heroes and villains; from advertisements to quizzes.  The text to illustration ratio is seemingly perfect, and will keep reluctant readers interested, and voracious ones zipping along.

While the cover does look young, and the age rating is the ever-popular 8 and up, I’d say that the perfect range for this one is 4^th-7^h grade.  There is a media savvy that the reader needs to have to truly appreciate the Tick like humor in the pages.  I have a feeling that the Punisher-esque pronged out logo will be gracing the margins of some notebooks in the days to come.

Fun!

Teen Titans Year One

Adolescent angst doesn't get much better than this!

5 young versions of super recognizable JLA heroes are doing what teens do best. Obsessing about their own lives. Kid Flash is wasting away waiting for Robin to IM him back. Aqua Lad is trying to get over his fear of, well...everything. Wonder girl is wandering around the big city crushing on boys and boy bands. Kid Arrow is just trying to prove himself to the Green Arrow. And Robin is wondering what the heck is going on with Batman.

In fact, Batman is not the only one with a problem. All of the adult mentors are intensely wicked. They are mean to their young counterparts and violent in a way that is out of character. Can these teens figure out what is wrong and restore the balance
between good and evil? Can they work things out among themselves once fame hits, or will ego get in the way?

A fun, fast read for both the superhero fan and those who aren't so into the capes and tights set. Lots of action, a blossoming romance, and characters to fit every psyche, this collection of issues 1-6 is certain to be passed hand to hand, from both boys and girls.

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute

Have you ever thought about what might really be going on in the life of your Lunch Lady?

Most people don't think about it, but Hector, Terrence and Dee have recently started to wonder. "Maybe she has a family to take care of"..."I bet she has like a hundred cats!"..."Maybe she's some sort of secret-agent spy or something...".

Lunch Lady and her side-kick Betty do have something going on after all. Beneath the cafeteria is a lab of sorts where ordinary kitchen utensils and sundries are altered into gadgets and weaponry.

But why would a school need Lunch Lady superheroes?

Because the teachers aren't necessarily who they seem to be. Previously unknown substitute Mr. Pasteur is suddenly stepping in for popular teacher Mr. O'Connell who hasn't been sick in 20 years. Sound fishy? It should!

Jarrett J. Krosoczka has written a laugh-out-loud funny graphic novel that is sure to have kids talking. From the familiar school angst that Hector, Terrence and Dee are facing, to the wise cracking maintenance man, readers will recognize their own lives. Add in an over the top dash of superhero action, and readers will be passing these hand to hand without checking them back in to the library! The black, white and yellow illustrations are effective and lend not only to instant recognition of the series (a la Babymouse), but are clean yet filled with movement at the same time.

Jarrett. J. Krosoczka gets funny and he gets what kids like. Look for Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, and Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians on shelves in summer '09!