Oct 20 2022
with delightful illustrations by Wastana Haikal. I’m a huge fan of the first book in this series, Zara’s Rules For Record-Breaking Fun, and finally, finally got my 11 year-old to start reading it when I asked him if he’d like to go to Hena Khan’s book signing with me. He was enthused, but I warned …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/10/20/zaras-rules-for-finding-hidden-treasure-by-hena-khan/
Oct 18 2022
Okay, wow, first of all, whoever is telling Max he can’t draw needs to sit down and take a chill pill. And sure, I suppose that Max, the protagonist of this children’s picture book, can’t draw as photorealistically as his friend Eugene, who has serious talent. But Max draws quite well for his age, or …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/10/18/i-cant-draw-by-stephen-w-martin-brian-biggs/
Oct 13 2022
It’s time for fairy godmothers (and fathers), or at least ones in training, to take center stage! In the first book of this charming series, Rory And The Magical Mix-Ups, Rory Spellington is super excited to attend the Bibbidi Bobbidi Academy, the boarding school for fairy godparents in training. Unfortunately, she’s a little behind on …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/10/13/bibbidi-bobbidi-academy-1-2-by-kallie-george-lorena-alvarez-gomez/
Oct 12 2022
Oh, man, what a note-perfect take on being in the second grade, and how tricky and possessive friendships can be. Not, ofc, that the Audreys are possessive per se. But there’s no denying that they’re best friends, and provide their teacher Ms Fincastle with zero Teamwork Trouble. They’re not like Bettina and Mimi, who are …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/10/12/audrey-l-audrey-w-book-2-true-creative-talents-by-carter-higgins-jennifer-k-mann/
Oct 06 2022
This is an important book about the Holocaust and one woman’s efforts to memorialize the lives so tragically lost to Nazi cruelty. It’s an inspiring true story matched only by the astonishingly vivid artwork Susan Gal uses here to bring Yaffa Eliach’s story to life. Y’all, I could go on and on about this art. …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/10/06/the-tower-of-life-how-yaffa-eliach-rebuilt-her-town-in-stories-and-photographs-by-chana-stiefel-susan-gal/
Oct 04 2022
This is such a gorgeous volume for anyone of any age who has an interest in fairy folk the world over. I highly recommend getting it in hardback, as the paper quality is absolutely wonderful: luxuriously thick and offering a wonderful canvas for the art and information on offer inside. And what art and information! …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/10/04/the-fairy-atlas-fairy-folk-of-the-world-by-anna-claybourne-miren-asiain-lora/
Sep 29 2022
Y’know, I think this was the first Loud House anthology where I actually wasn’t clear on what the theme was, which is ironic given the title. That said, I really appreciated the editor’s afterword praising veteran comics letter Wilson Ramos Jr. His work graces the Loud House pages and ensures that it’s fully legible for …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/09/29/the-loud-house-16-loud-and-clear-by-the-loud-house-creative-team/
Sep 27 2022
with the most charming illustrations by Nina Mata. Ryan Hart is the one perpetually in the middle: between her prank-loving big brother Ray and her new baby sister Rose, and between her two best friends KiKi and Amanda. Fortunately, Rose is a little sweetheart, even if she does seem to take up almost all of …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/09/27/ways-to-share-joy-a-ryan-hart-story-3-by-renee-watson/
Sep 23 2022
I’m genuinely starting to believe that some of the best under-the-radar writing out there nowadays is coming from middle grade authors. Not that Olivia Jaimes is primarily that (or even her real name.) Having gained acclaim for her reboot of the long-running Nancy comic strip, she’s now published her first middle-grade novel under this name, …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/09/23/the-very-genius-notebooks-1-the-chronicles-of-deltovia-by-olivia-jaimes/
Sep 09 2022
Author Christina Soontornvat wasn’t sure whether anyone would care about her experiences with middle school, but was eventually persuaded to write about one of the most cringe episodes of her own pre-teen career in this wryly moving graphic novel. I’m so glad she did. It’s not easy being one of the few Thai people in …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/09/09/the-tryout-a-graphic-novel-by-christina-soontornvat-joanna-cacao/
Al Singh
Doug Merrill
Doreen Sheridan
John Pitzel
Lars N. Goldschlager
Laura Eilers
Professor X
Robert Maedgen
Sylvere Ap Leanan
The Shire