Copper by Kazu Kibuishi

Copper by Kazu Kibuishi
Genre: Manga/Graphic Novel
My Rating: 10/10

One of the things I like about comics/graphic novels/manga is that they can allow you to enjoy different types of writing styles. Kazu Kibuishi's newest book, Copper, is a collection of short story type comics that weave together to show you a piece of what seems to be a larger story. Copper and his dog, Fred, have many adventures together and visit strange and unusual places. The book has a unique layout ~ each story can be as long as 4-5 pages, or fit completely on one!

Copper and Fred have very different personalities - Copper is adventurous while Fred tends to worry about everything- but they make a very interesting duo that readers are sure to enjoy. They do everything together, from walking to the store for their favorite melon bread, to jumping across mile-high mushroom caps as a shortcut. The illustrations in each panel are visually pleasing and help add to the story. Here's a sample from one of the pages in the book:

The Secret of Zoom by Lynne Jonell

The Secret of Zoom by Lynne Jonell
Genre: Middle Reader Fiction - Fantasy
My Rating: 9/10

I was lucky enough to be working last weekend when the author, Lynne Jonell, came to Inkwood to do a signing for her new book - The Secret of Zoom! Not only was Mrs. Jonell fascinating and entertaining, but she also showed us all the drawings that inspired her other books about Emmy and Ratty (Sunshine State and Battle of the Books - Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat). I hadn't read her newest book, so I picked one up while she was at the store and took it home.

Christina is a young girl who lives alone with her father (a brilliant but boring scientist) in a huge mansion up on a hill. Her mother was 'blown to smithereens' when she was just a baby, and since then, her father has become very protective over Christina. She is kept indoors with just her Nanny and Cook for company, and is only allowed to go outside for an hour a day. Even when she does go outside, she is never allowed to leave her fenced in yard or speak to anyone who may be on the road nearby. But one day, the orphans are out cleaning the side of the road and one of them talks to HER! Taft is the very first child Christina has ever spoken to, and when he tells her that there is a secret passage somewhere in her house, she believes him.

As Christina searches for the hidden passage, she soon finds many more secrets about this strange town and it's even weirder founder/leader - Leo Loompski. It's not long before Christina and Taft discover Zoom - a magical-scientific mineral deposit found in the mountains behind Christina's house in a small town owned and run by the evil Leo Loompski. Could it be that Loompski is somehow forcing the orphans to mine the Zoom? What is it for? And where do all the children disappear to?

Order this from Inkwood Books HERE

Steel Trapp: The Challenge by Ridley Pearson

Steel Trapp: The Challenge by Ridley Pearson
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
My Rating: 8/10


Steven Trapp has a photographic memory - he can recall anything thing he's previously seen before in perfect detail. This has earned him the nickname "Steel Trapp" by those who know him, and it certainly fits! Not only does Steel have an extraordinary memory, but he's a science whiz as well, so it's no surprise that he's a competitor in the National Science Challenge. The book starts off with Steel, his mother, and his dog, Cairo, on a train to Washington D.C., where he will present his invention to the judges. Everything seems to be normal, until Steel notices a woman who appears to have left her briefcase on the train. In an attempt to help by running after the woman to return the briefcase, Steel becomes involved in a very dangerous scheme that the FBI has been following for some time. Steel is joined by another National Science Challenge contender, Kaileigh, who also becomes caught up in the dangerous plot. As the Challenge draws closer, the two teens sink deeper and deeper into the mystery of the briefcase and soon find themselves running from the bad guys as well as the FBI. Not knowing who to trust, the teens attempt to disrupt the scheme themselves - causing the situation to take a very dangerous turn.

Steel may not be Alex Rider, but fans of Horowitz's series will find Pearson's characters and plot twists to be just as engaging. The story moves very quickly and readers will be eager for more when they finish. The second book in the series, Steel Trapp: The Academy, is due out January 18th.

Order it from Inkwood Books HERE

The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens

The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens
Genre: Picture Book
My Rating: 9/10

For some reason, little prairie dogs always make me laugh and in this creative picture book, the little critters certainly are entertaining. It all starts when a dog drops a tennis ball into a prairie dog tunnel. The little critters aren't sure whether it's dangerous or not, until one young prairie dog darts forward and gets a little of the green fuzz stuck to her paw. What happens next is complete chaos! The prairie dogs start fighting over the fuzz and things start to get ugly. Everything spirals wildly out of control when an eagle sees a prairie dog covered in green fuzz making a scene outside of their hole and dives down to pick him up. The prairie dogs have to find a way to save their friend - and quick!

The fold out pages allow the illustrations to to show the depths of the prairie dogs' tunnels and give the reader a clear view of the craziness of the story. I loved the scenes where the prairie dogs are dancing around covered in fuzz!

Order from Inkwood Books HERE

Bobby vs Girls (Accidentally) by Lisa Yee

Bobby vs Girls (Accidentally) by Lisa Yee
Genre: Middle Reader Fiction
My Rating: 7/10

I just finished this book today, and it was very funny. Bobby Ellis-Chan is the son of a retired football player, The Freezer. His dad is well known in their town for scaring his opponents on the field, and likes to growl at random people in grocery stores as well. Bobby loves his father, but often finds him to be quite embarrassing. When Bobby starts 4th grade, he soon finds that there are many other things that can embarrass a normal 9 year old boy...
Things like: being caught wearing pink curlers (it was his younger sister's fault!), getting stuck to the world's smelliest tree on a field trip, and finding out that static cling and underwear can ruin a class election!

Besides having all of these things happen, Bobby is also trying to deal with the changes that his best friend experienced over the summer. Holly used to be fun ~ she liked to go exploring and rock hunting and do boy things. But just before school starts, Bobby finds out that Holly has become GIRLY! It's common knowledge at Bobby's school that boys and girls don't get along... but will that keep the two friends apart?

Order this from Inkwood Books HERE

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Genre: Young Adult - SciFi
My Rating: 9/10

I have to admit that I am a serious Westerfeld-fan (If you haven't read the Uglies series, get to a bookstore now. It's a MUST for any scifi fan), so when this book came out I immediately grabbed a copy even though I thought it sounded very odd. I had never heard of the 'steampunk' genre and when I did a little research it didn't seem like something I would like... Basically, 'steampunk' literature is set during the time when steam powered machines were common ~ often in Victorian England, but adds in a fantasy or scifi twist. In this book, Westerfeld sets the scene with an event that most people are familiar with - the assassination of Archduke Franz that set in motion events that would cause the start of World War I. The story is told from 2 different points of view - Prince Aleksandar (the current heir to the throne who is now in hiding from the angry masses) and Deryn Sharp (a girl who managed to sneak into the British Air Force by pretending to be a boy).

The story jumps back and forth between the two characters, allowing the reader to see both sides of the upcoming war and hinting that the two will somehow meet. Prince Aleksandar and his loyal crew are Clankers - they have huge walking machines that are powered by steam and loaded with heavy ammunition. As he flees his country, it becomes clear that he will have to find a safe place to regroup and try to recover his kingdom. Meanwhile, Deryn Sharp is flying high in the skies in Leviathan - a Darwinist airship creation which most closely resembles a flying whale. Even though Aleksandar and Deryn seem to have very different views on the war, they will soon be tossed together in an adventure that could change everything.

Besides having a fast-paced story line, the book is also enhanced by the incredibly detailed illustrations by Keith Thompson. Since some of the Clanker and Darwinist creations are quite outlandish, the pictures really help the reader get into the story and add to the amazing world that Westerfeld has created.

Order this from Inkwood Books HERE

The Adventures Of Polo Series by Regis Faller

The Adventures of Polo Series by Regis Faller
Genre: Picture Books - Wordless
My Rating: 10/10

I think that it's only natural for children to be drawn to wordless picture books. The open format gives them a chance to become authors themselves, making up stories that can change each time they 'read' the book. I remember having a few wordless picture books as a child, and I loved 'reading' them to anyone who would listen.

The Adventures of Polo and the other books in this series are perfect for young readers ~ the story is told in a comic format with multiple squares on each page that progress the story along. Polo lives on a small island in the middle of the ocean, but he travels to the most amazing places. The illustrations are bold and filled with color to capture the imagination of readers of all ages. I especially like the story Polo and Lily, where a wild girl appears on his island one day to cause problems and show Polo new worlds. And in Polo and the Dragon, the spunky little dog encounters quite a beast when he least expects it. Other titles to choose from include Polo and the Magic Flute, Polo and the Runaway Book, and Polo and the Magician.

Order one of the Polo adventures from Inkwood Books HERE