Crazy Buildings by Michael J. Rosen-OPTIONAL

Rosen, Michael J., Crazy Buildings. Pgs. 32. Lerner Publishing, 2014. $26.60. INFORMATION.

Did you know there’s an inn shaped liked dogs? Or seen the world’s largest treehouse? There’s even buildings shaped like conch shells and spirals? How did these architectural marvels come to be? Learn about these wild building wonders and the builders that mad them in this book.

A fun book to read, but it seems to be missing something. The buildings are fun to read about, but the text and the illustrations intermixed don’t quite fit together. Nevertheless, readers interested in architecture or crazy things in the world will enjoy reading this book. Included are a glossary, source notes, further reading, a glossary, and recommended websites. EL. OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Jessica Moody, Library Media Specialist, Olympus Jr. High

Fairy Tale Comics by Chris Duffy-OPTIONAL

Duffy, Chris, Fairy Tale Comics. Ill. By Various Artists. Pgs. 123. First Second Books, 2013. $19.99. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Content: Language: G, Mature Content: G, Violence: G

Retold in comic style are everyone’s favorite fairy tales. The illustrations are colorful and entertaining. The stories resemble and follow the stories everyone’s familiar with. Readers who like fairy tales, comics, and traditional tales will enjoy reading this book. EL, MS. OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Jessica M, Library Media Specialist, Olympus Jr. High.

Malcom at MIdnight by W.H. Beck-ESSENTIAL

Beck, W.H., ill. By Brian Lies. Malcolm at Midnight. pgs. 265. Houghton Mifflin, 2012. $16.99. Content: Language: G, Mature Content: G, Violence: G

Malcolm is a rat, but has been mistaken as a mouse by the teacher and kids in the class he lives in. He has a knack for reading, so one night he sneaks off to the library and is almost eaten by a fish. He also discovers that the other class pets have a secret society called the Midnight Academy. The academy tries to help the school, but they don’t like rats, so Malcolm has to pretend to still be a mouse. When Aggy the Iguana goes missing, Malcolm becomes the main suspect. Determined to save Aggy, Malcolm sets out to see what happened to her and clear his name, thus proving not all rats are bad.

The animals are cute and easy to identify with. The plot is completely unbelievable, but is cute and hare to put down. The pencil animal sketches are detailed and adorable. Kids who enjoy books about talking animals, mystery, humor, and adventure will enjoy this page-turning book. EL. ESSENTIAl. Reviewer: Jessica Moody, Library Media Specialist, Olympus Jr. High.