Book picks similar to
Spelling Trouble by Frank Cammuso
graphic-novels
graphic-novel
humor
fantasy
The Vanishing Coin
Kate Egan - 2014
He's not a bad kid. He just can't sit still. And now, his parents won't let him play soccer anymore; instead he has to hang out with his new neighbor Nora, who is good at everything!Then, Mike and Nora discover the White Rabbit. It's an odd shop—with a special secret inside. Its owner, Mr. Zerlin, is a magician, and, amazingly, he believes Mike could be a magician, too. Has Mike finally found something he's good at?
Dying to Meet You
Kate Klise - 2009
Grumply moves into the Victorian mansion at 43 Old Cemetery Road, hoping to find some peace and quiet so that he can crack a wicked case of writer's block. But 43 Old Cemetery Road is already occupied--by an eleven-year-old boy named Seymour, his cat, Shadow, and an irritable ghost named Olive. And they have no intention of sharing!
The Sand Warrior
Mark Siegel - 2017
When war erupts, three unlikely heroes will discover there’s more to themselves—and more to their worlds—than meets the eye. . . . Oona Lee, the clumsiest student at the Sand Dancer Academy, is a fighter with a destiny bigger than she could ever imagine. An Tzu, a boy from the poorest slums, has a surprising gift and a knack for getting out of sticky situations. Jax Amboy is the star athlete who is beloved by an entire galaxy, but what good is that when he has no real friends? When these three kids are forced to team up on an epic quest, it will take not one, not two, but 5 WORLDS to contain all the magic and adventure!
Mistakes Were Made
Stephan Pastis - 2013
Created by New York Times best-selling cartoonist Stephan Pastis.Take eleven-year-old Timmy Failure — the clueless, comically self-confident CEO of the best detective agency in town, perhaps even the nation. Add his impressively lazy business partner, a very large polar bear named Total. Throw in the Failuremobile — Timmy’s mom’s Segway — and what you have is Total Failure, Inc., a global enterprise destined to make Timmy so rich his mother won’t have to stress out about the bills anymore. Of course, Timmy’s plan does not include the four-foot-tall female whose name shall not be uttered. And it doesn’t include Rollo Tookus, who is so obsessed with getting into "Stanfurd" that he can’t carry out a no-brainer spy mission. From the offbeat creator of Pearls Before Swine comes an endearingly bumbling hero in a caper whose peerless hilarity is accompanied by a whodunit twist. With perfectly paced visual humor, Stephan Pastis gets you snorting with laughter, then slyly carries the joke a beat further — or sweetens it with an unexpected poignant moment — making this a comics-inspired story (the first in a new series) that truly stands apart from the pack.
Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat
Lynne Jonell - 2007
At least she tried very hard to be good. She did her homework without being told. She ate all her vegetables, even the slimy ones. And she never talked back to her nanny, Miss Barmy, although it was almost impossible to keep quiet, some days.She really was a little too good. Which is why she liked to sit by the Rat. The Rat was not good at all . . .Hilarious, inventive, and irresistably rodent-friendly, Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat is a fantastic first novel from acclaimed picture book author Lynne Jonell.
I Am Pusheen the Cat
Claire Belton - 2013
Birthday: February 18Sex: Female Where she lives: In the house, on the couch, underfootHer favorite pastime: Blogging, sleepingHer best feature: Her toe beans Her favorite food: All of themPusheen is a pleasantly plump cat who has warmed hearts and tickled funny bones of millions worldwide with her signature GIF animated bops, bounces, and tail wiggles. Now, Pusheen is ready to make the leap from digital to print in her first comic collection! Learn what makes her purr and find out why millions of people have already fallen in love with this naughty, adorable kitty. Featuring some of the most popular stories from Pusheen’s Tumblr and Facebook pages (plus a healthy serving of never-before-seen material), I Am Pusheen the Cat is a treat for cat lovers and comics fans alike.
The Golden Twine
Jo Rioux - 2012
Suri is convinced monster taming is her destiny, defiantly explaining to those who deride her that she was born in ?the land of monsters? and ?was carried into this valley in the arms of a fire-breathing dragon.? But while Suri may be brave enough to challenge a monster, she still has quite a few lessons to learn about their world. Like how sometimes the most frightening-looking monsters are actually not scary at all up-close, while a normal-looking boy can prove to be terrifying. And sometimes a perfectly ordinary object, like the ball of golden twine Suri finds in the woods, can turn out to contain the most mysterious and powerful magic she could ever imagine! With a multilayered plot, a range of intriguing characters and a smart protagonist whose sights are set on a seemingly impossible task, this first book from Jo Rioux seamlessly lays out the fantastic world the stories inhabit. The dark and spooky illustrations are infused with an energy that leaps off the page and, along with the story's numerous plot twists and savvy humor, are sure to keep even reluctant readers flying through the pages. Besides its general appeal to readers, this book could be applied to a language arts lesson on the components of genre fiction.
Amelia Rules! Volume 1: The Whole World's Crazy
Jimmy Gownley - 2003
She's nine years old, a former New Yorker who's now living in a small town after her parents decided to get divorced, and dealing with everything from being the new kid in school to getting her first kiss. But you know what? She's got her mom and her aunt Tanner (who happens to be an ex-rock star) and her friends Reggie, Rhonda, and Pajamaman, and everything's going to be okay. Except, of course, when it isn't. In this first book of Amelia's adventures, Amelia and her friends take on bullies (and Santa!), barely survive gym class, and receive a disgustingly detailed explanation of the infamous Sneeze Barf.
Lulu and the Brontosaurus
Judith Viorst - 2010
Lulu isn't particularly impressed with the snake, tiger, and bear she encounters, but then she finds him--a beautiful, long-necked, graceful brontosaurus. Mr. B completely agrees with Lulu that having a pet would be a wonderful thing, and Lulu thinks she's gotten her birthday wish at last. Until she realizes that Mr. Brontosaurus thinks that "she" would make an ideal pet for "him!"How will Lulu ever get out of this sticky situation without throwing a fit (Mr. B does not respond well to those), or using force (Mr. B is much too tall to bonk on the head with her suitcase), or smushing her pickle sandwich? Beloved children's author Judith Viorst and Caldecott-winning illustrator Lane Smith offer a fresh and funny tale with several surprise endings!
Real Pigeons Fight Crime
Andrew McDonald - 2018
REAL PIGEONS solve mysteries! REAL PIGEONS fight bad guys! And REAL PIGEONS won't stop until your neighborhood is safe and the questions are all answered: Like, why have all the breadcrumbs disappeared? And which food truck smells the best?
Snapdragon
Kat Leyh - 2020
But in reality, Jacks is just a Crocs-wearing, internet-savvy old lady who sells roadkill skeletons online. It’s creepy, sure, but Snap thinks it's kind of cool, too. Snap needs a favor from this old woman, though, so she begins helping Jacks with her strange work. Snap gets to know her and realizes that Jacks may in fact have real magic—and an unlikely connection to Snap’s family’s past.
The Only Child
Guojing - 2015
USA Today declared it “a compelling and melancholy debut from an important new talent" as well as "an expansive and ageless book full of wonder, sadness, and wild bursts of imagination.” And like Shaun Tan's The Arrival and Raymond Briggs's The Snowman, it is quickly becoming a modern classic. A little girl—lost and alone—follows a mysterious stag deep into the woods, and, like Alice down the rabbit hole, she finds herself in a strange and wondrous world. But... home and family are very far away. How will she get back there? In this magnificently illustrated—and wordless—masterpiece, debut artist Guojing brilliantly captures the rich and deeply-felt emotional life of a child, filled with loneliness and longing as well as love and joy.
Mal and Chad: The Biggest, Bestest Time Ever!
Stephen McCranie - 2011
What's it like to be so extraordinary and yet so invisible? Not even Megan, Mal's secret crush, has any idea that Mal is anything more than a dork. Fortunately, Mal and Chad are best friends with a penchant for adventure . . . even if the time-traveling does get them grounded by Mal's mom. Introducing the first in a series of illustrated chapter books by talented newcomer Stephen McCranie that are laugh-inducing, clever, and full of heart. Give this to any kid who's a reluctant reader or is just leaving picture books and be prepared to answer the question: "When can I read the next one?"
Space Battle Lunchtime Vol. 1: Lights, Camera, Snacktion
Natalie Riess - 2016
on a spaceship... and her alien competitors don't play nice! Does Peony really have what it takes to be the best cook in the Galaxy? Tune in and find out!
My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish
Mo O'Hara - 2013
Tom knows that there is only one thing to do: Zap the fish with a battery and bring him back to life! But there's something weird about the new Frankie. He's now a BIG FAT ZOMBIE GOLDFISH with hypnotic powers . . . and he's out for revenge!