Growing up from graphic novels.
Have a graphic novel lover? Ever wish you could get your kid to read a book with more words than pictures?
I understand the graphic novel appeal because I love graphic novels myself. They are quick, often have beautiful illustrations, and pack a different punch than what can be done in a chapter book. (The main character of my Eagleboy series is a comic book creator himself, after all.) But as a parent, I sometimes want my kid to take just a teensy. tiny. babystep to the Land of Many Words.
Because there are so many stories to love. And not all of them are in graphic novel format. Am I right?
In Babymouse Tales from the Locker: Miss Communication, Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm have taken that step for you. Your kid may already have been a long-time fan of Jennifer L. Holm’s Babymouse series of graphic novels and the sassy, silly mouse. But whether your kid’s devoured every book, or you’ve never heard of her, you’re going to love this book.
Babymouse: Tales from the Locker is series of short middle grade reads featuring your favorite mouse more grown up. That’s right, Babymouse has gone to middle school! And while this series isn’t in graphic novel format like the original Babymouse books, they are still heavy on graphics and humor, perfect for older elementary age or even middle school readers (or adults!) who want low commitment and a lot of laughs.
This is a new series to me (I know, I know, I’m slow to the show here), and my first foray into the Babymouse world was Babymouse Tales from the Locker: Miss Communication. This book follows Babymouse’s laugh-out-loud antics as she gets her first phone and the stress that results from the care and cost of having a phone, navigating the many apps, and dealing with social media.
My daughter and I read this book together. (When I say read, I mean my daughter kept reading me the funny bits until I just had to read over her shoulder.) As we read, she gave me a lot of “looks” and at the end, informed me that she would be “a lot more responsible than Babymouse” if I would get her a phone. Both of us were laughing throughout the story, but only one of us was laughing at that point. (Sorry, girl, you’re not gettin’ a phone yet.)
Bottom Line: Babymouse Tales from the Locker: Miss Communication offers a step from graphic novel to chapter book with a lot of hilarity and some very good reasons why having a phone is a big responsibility. You can definitely use this as a jumping-off point to talk about phone responsibilities or you can just enjoy the ride.
Love other Babymouse: Tales from the Locker books? Let me know!