Category: Children’s

Potatoes For Pirate Pearl by Jennifer Concepcion & Chloe Burgett

The best time to enjoy tales of pirates is when you’re a kid, when it’s all about the romance of the high seas, with no thought as to the terror, rapine and death left in the wake of these often exceedingly violent criminals. I mean, who doesn’t dream of sailing away from their troubles, swaggering …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/09/27/potatoes-for-pirate-pearl-by-jennifer-concepcion-chloe-burgett/

Vivian Van Tassel And The Secret Of Midnight Lake by Michael Witwer

Vivian Van Tassel is an angry young teen. Part of this is justified: her mom recently died and she blames herself. But as we quickly learn, Vivian has had a temper for a while (and as a parent, I’m genuinely concerned that she’s never been in therapy for this, either before or after what happened …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/09/25/vivian-van-tassel-and-the-secret-of-midnight-lake-by-michael-witwer/

How To Make A Peanut Butter Sandwich In 17 Easy Steps by Bambi Edlund

Children are, at once, natural simplifiers and complete over-complicaters, so books like this charming title are totally up their alley, as our anthropomorphic cast uses the power of teamwork to make sure that they’re all fed and happy. Bambi Edlund opens her picture book with a list of all the things you’ll need to make …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/09/15/how-to-make-a-peanut-butter-sandwich-in-17-easy-steps-by-bambi-edlund/

The Queen’s Favourite Witch #2: The Lost King by Benjamin Dickson & Rachael Smith

The first volume of The Queen’s Favorite Witch turned out to be an unexpected surprise, combining historical fact with an empowering tale of believing in yourself, and ending with a shocking twist. I’m genuinely impressed with how Benjamin Dickson and Rachael Smith have continued this series with a book that, while not as big on …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/08/31/the-queens-favourite-witch-2-the-lost-king-by-benjamin-dickson-rachael-smith/

Dino Lab by Anson Montgomery

a Choose Your Own Adventure in the Dragonlark series for younger readers, so no death endings (tho the one pterodactyl ending was pretty ominous, IMO!) I love the CYOA company’s kid’s line, which makes the classic game books that much more accessible, to both younger readers and the squeamish. I’m a big fan of interactive …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/08/28/dino-lab-by-anson-montgomery/

Ballet Bunnies #1: The New Class by Swapna Reddy & Binny Talib

I came home last night to discover that someone had stuffed my Little Free Library with ten assorted children’s books to go with the adult mysteries I usually carry. I wonder if I’m the only person who arranges strictly by size when it comes to their LFLs? I wasn’t a huge fan of how my …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/08/18/ballet-bunnies-1-the-new-class-by-swapna-reddy-binny-talib/

Yahgz: The Craynobi Tales 1 by Art Baltazar

I adore Art Baltazar’s artwork, with its bright neon colors and cute, expressive characters. Little wonder that his Tiny Titans comics have become a New York Times bestseller, showcasing his excellent interpretations of DC Comics stalwarts. His original creations lack that household familiarity, but are just as worthy of checking out, especially for young readers …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/08/07/yahgz-the-craynobi-tales-1-by-art-baltazar/

Big Shot (Diary Of A Wimpy Kid #16) by Jeff Kinney

Jms really wanted to read this installment of the Diary Of A Wimpy Kid series together, and I was happy to continue the sports theme here and oblige! I’m actually really glad we got a chance to, and for more reasons than just one. In Big Shot, our hero Greg Heffley details his various disastrous …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/07/28/big-shot-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-16-by-jeff-kinney/

Fuzzy Baseball Vol. 5: Baseballoween by John Steven Gurney

Between watching Arsenal play in person (twice!) and the Women’s World Cup, it has been a satisfyingly sports-mad week for me. Why not keep the streak going with this adorable graphic novel featuring anthropomorphic animals getting together to play baseball? The Fernwood Valley Fuzzies are enjoying the start of their off-season before they figure out …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/07/26/fuzzy-baseball-vol-5-baseballoween-by-john-steven-gurney/

The Meltdown (Diary Of A Wimpy Kid #13) by Jeff Kinney

My eldest child has had his computer taken away from him this summer so he’s been spending a lot of free time not only re-reading his Diary Of A Wimpy Kid books, but also pestering me about my opinions of them. I’ve been trying to get him to read some new books, to no avail, …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/07/17/the-meltdown-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-13-by-jeff-kinney/