Sunday Salon --Looking Forward ~ Looking Back... This Week In Books

With the frantic Holiday season behind me, I thought I'd return to our weekly roundup.

ON THE NIGHTSTAND:

	100% Pure Fake: Gross Out Your Friends and Family with 25 Great Special Effects! by Lyn Thomas Definitely Kid-Pleasin' Fun here. I mean where else can you find an oatmeal recipe that makes it look like you're eating poop. Or get instructions for making a shrunken head from an apple! Reading Level - 4th Grade
	The Odyssey: a graphic novel by Gareth Hinds An absolutely brilliant retelling of the ancient classic. Hinds subtle drawings are interesting, and he misses none of the nuances. Reading Level - first month, 5th Grade (AR 5.1) This one is true to the tale and shows Odysseus being 'unfaithful' to Penelope; so might not be appropriate for younger children.
	The Amulet of Samarkand (A Bartimaeus Graphic Novel) by Gareth Hinds This graphic novel does a better than average job of retelling the story of an apprentice magician and the ancient Djinn he's conjured. Reading Level - 5th grade
	Another Whole Nother Story by Cuthbert Soup A continuation of the adventures of the Cheeseman family. It was funny but lacking in a compelling story until the very end. I'd still try this out on humor loving young readers. But it wasn't my cuppa tea. Funny but not enough of an engaging story. Reading Level - 9th month of 5th grade (AR 5.9)