Red Ted and the Lost Things

I first saw this book on the Graphic Classroom's site. I knew instantly that I would have to get my hands on this book.

It was such a cute little story, with beautifully done pictures!

One day Ted (the little bear) has been left behind by his owner. A police man puts Ted away with all the other lost items. Ted asks Mr. Crocodile where he is, and is told that is in the place for Lost Things. Ted though, is determined to find his owner agin and devises a plan. Of course Mr. Crocodile does not want to be left behind, so he joins Ted. On their journey, they befriend a cat who helps them located Ted's home.

I hope everyone gets a chance to read this to their young ones! It is such a cute story, and I wish I had a crocodile toy that looked exactly like the one in the story.

My son, who is almost 6 months would look at this book and listen as I read it to him. From what I gather he enjoyed it very much! Of course this book is for older children, the Graphic Classroom says between the ages of

"Rating: Emergent reader and older

Publisher’s Rating: Preschool and older" (Chris Wilson)

Red Ted and the Lost Things by Michael Rosen. Illustrated by Joel Stewart. Candlewick Press, 2009.

Watchmen

I heard about this graphic novel when the movie was just about to come out. I refuse to see any movie unless I have read the book, and even then I am very reluctant to see a movie based upon a book.

With that being said, now that I've read the novel I want to see the movie (which I heard followed the novel very closely).

This graphic novel is set in the 1980's during the cold war. Talk about another World War is one of the frequent topics as well as the deaths of some forgotten masked avengers.

The story opens with a death of a man. The two cops assigned to this case are trying to figure out the obvious: who did it, and why? After they've left a figure moves into the space. His name is Rorscharch and he knew the victim. The victim's name was the Comedian, and he was once part of a group of crime fighters, outlawed with the passing of the Keene Law in 1977. Who would want to kill the Comedian? Is his killing related to the book that Hollis Mason wrote? As the story continues we meet of fellow 'super heros' that have retired like: Nite Owl, Veidt, Jon (who's like superman but not exactly human) and Laurie. Rorscharch believes that someone is trying to wipe out the old super heros - but who and why?

This is my first adult graphic novel (Babymouse and Lunch Lady aside). I found the story line very intriguing and also very slow to get through. I don't know why it took me so long to read this book. I didn't enjoy having to read another comic inside this comic. I read about the first section of it (it dealt with a man stranded on an island back in the 1800's) and I tried to find a connection to the main story but couldn't - so I stopped reading it whenever it appeared. The characters were very interesting and it was enjoyable getting to know them. Often you would read their backstory once you got to know them. I felt sorry for Rorscharach, and Jon (the superman-like one) just annoyed me with his aloofness, although he can't help that. I wonder how the movie will pan out? Who did they get to play those characters?

Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. New York (c) 1987

Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta

Another day and another crime to solve!

Everyone is excited at Thompson Brook School because the author of the Flippy Bunny Books is going to make an appearance. When he arrives he is led to the gym where he'll be doing his presentations. After his presentation he signs a few books, but refuses to sign Hector's because it's ripped. After school Terrence is led by the rest of the Breakfast Club to the soccer tryouts the only problem is the coach hasn't shown up.

The following morning the gang is speaking about the mysterious disappearance of coach - for he never showed up to soccer tryouts. The Lunch Lady grabs Betty and they go into their secret boiler room to find out what's happened to the coach. After their research the Lunch Lady notices that the author forgot his lucky pen and decides to go and return it. When she arrives at his mansion she hands the pen to the butler and returns back to the boiler room where Betty is fast at work doing more research on the author. What they find out is that every time the author makes a guest appearance at a school the gym teacher goes missing. Is it a coincidence or is the author behind the missing coaches?

I still like the last book were the Lunch Lady had to battle the league of evil librarians. In this book the Lunch Lady and Betty take more of a back seat as the breakfast club does more of the crime fighting. I did laugh when the author refused to signed ripped books and then told the lunch ladies he only eats gourmet food.

Graphic Novels in this series:

1. Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute

2. Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians

3. Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta

4. Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown (Recently Out: May 11, 2010)

5. Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit (Spring 2011)

6. Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Frenzy (Spring 2011)

Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. New York (c) 2009

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians

Our crime fighting Lunch Lady is back and this time she going to battle evil librarians!

The day begins as days normally do, but this time there is excitement in the air. The annual Book Fair is about to begin!! All the kids and teachers cannot wait for it to begin! The librarian though is less that excited and snaps at the Breakfast Bunch and the Lunch Lady and her friend Betty to leave immediately because the library is closed.

On the way home, Hector notices he dropped his keys in the library so they all head back to retrieve them. The following day the book fair begins and everyone is happy to look around. After school the Breakfast Bunch decide to do a bit of spying on their own and what they see is something most librarians don't want you to see . . . THEIR EVIL PLANNING SESSION!!!!

Mrs. Page with the help of Edna Bibliosa (her assistant), Vivian Bookwormer, and Jane Shelver begin to formulate a plan that will destroy the new video game system and end with world domination. When the kids go to the lunch ladies the following day to tell them about what they saw the lunch ladies dismiss their silly antics. After all, how can librarians possibly be evil!? The breakfast brunch decide to take matters into their own hands . . . can they stop those librarians in time?

I loved it!! I know some fellow librarians and have a hard time viewing them as evil schemers which made it even more fun to read. I kept picturing them as the evil librarians in the book. One of my favorite parts was when the high school librarian preferred to be called a "media specialist" (about page 22). I also enjoyed how well (or rather not-so-well) the Lunch Lady went undercover. I also enjoyed the evil librarians evil weapons - characters from books that attacked - like the 3 little pigs.

Graphic Novels in this series:

1. Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute

2. Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians

3. Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta

4. Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown (Recently Out: May 11, 2010)

5. Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit (Spring 2011)

6. Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Frenzy (Spring 2011)

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. New York (c) 2009

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute

I first saw this book series advertised on a poster inside a school cafeteria (I was subbing at the time) and instantly I knew I had to read them! Finally, I have.

From the inside flap (I DID NOT WRITE THIS!):

"Hector, Terrence, and Dee have always wondered about their school lunch lady.

What does she do when she isn't dishing out the daily special? Where does she live? Does she have a lot of cats at home?

Little do they know, Lunch Lady doesn't only serve sloppy joes - she serves justice! And she has her eye on a very suspicious substitute teacher who just doesn't seem right . . .

Whatever danger lies ahead, it's no match for LUNCH LADY! Or for the kids who are on to her!"

My thoughts:

What a delightful quick read! You begin the Lunch Lady story with her capturing two bad guys before beginning her day at work. Before lunch is to be served, she and her partner in crime solving head down to the Lunch Lady Bat Cave where her friend shows her a new gadget. This made me think of James Bond whenever he'd go see his friend and get new tech gadgets. However, Lunch Lady's friend looks more like Penny from James Bond.

I love how all of her gadgets are food related - "spatu-copter", "cannoli-oculars", she even has fish stick nunchuks! How cool would it be to have a lunch lady that fought crime and worked at your school?

Graphic Novels in this series:

1. Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute

2. Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians

3. Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta

4. Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown (Recently Out: May 11, 2010)

5. Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit (Spring 2011)

6. Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Frenzy (Spring 2011)

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. New York (c) 2009