Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel

4^th Grade and Up

Doug TenNapel is the author and illustrator of several graphic novels but in this blog, I will only be reviewing the two I enjoyed the most.

Garth is as good as dead…the only problem is he’s still alive.

When Frank Gallows, a washed-up ghost wrangler accidentally zaps Garth Halle into the ghost world, Garth discovers he has special powers in that world.

Soon he finds himself on the run from the evil ruler of Ghostopolis, who wants to use Garth’s newfound abilities to tighten his grip on the spirit world. After Garth meets Cecil, his grandfather’s ghost, the two search for a way to get Garth back home, nearly losing hope until Frank Gallows shows up to fix his mistake.

Great artwork and an even greater story: it has action, humor, heart and, best of all: GHOSTS!

But this story doesn’t have just ghosts. It also includes mummies, will-o-the-wisps, goblins, skeleton horses, zombies and bogeymen. Pretty much all your favorite horror monsters shown in a different light.

Anyone remember the Nickelodeon classic Danny Phantom?

Danny Phantomis about a 14-year-old boy who, after an accident in his parents’ lab, obtains ghost powers. If you love that show and ghosts in general, you’ll love this graphic novel.

Tune in next week for another of my favorite graphic novels by Doug TenNapel.

This weeks’ Weird but True Fact about Ghosts

Nearly half of Americans say they believe in ghosts, according to a news poll.

The Dumbest Idea Ever! by Jimmy Gownley

For all beginning artists 

Renowned comics creator Jimmy Gownley shares his adventures as he grows from an eager-to-please boy into a teenage comic book artist. This is the real-life story of how the DUMBEST idea ever became the BEST thing that ever happened to him.

As I read this book I actually got so overwhelmed that I had to keep putting the book down to calm myself.

After reading Jimmy Gownley’s life story, ‘Amelia Rules’ makes a lot more sense. It’s kind of like he poured his whole self into the characters. Or maybe not like that. The way his stories and drawings are, they are just too amazing to explain in mere words. 

As part of Jimmy Gownley’s job, he goes around the country speaking at schools and libraries and conventions. I know if I had seen one of his speeches as a kid I would have been inspired. A relative of mine asked me to speak at his schools’ career day and I talked to three classes about my comics, doing animations, and owning a service dog. After the second talk, I found out that I was one of the most popular speakers there. I thought it was because of my service dog, Dude, but then I learned there was also a policeman with a police dog speaking too, and apparently, we were more popular than them. I didn’t really understand that since Dude just sat there the whole time while I spoke. I think I gave the kids hope that, ‘Yes. You can make a living drawing cartoons.’ A couple of kids actually showed me some of their drawing that they had drawn on the spot, they were all pretty good. About a week later, I got a ton of thank you letters from the students and they were all filled with drawings. Most of the drawings were of me and my dog.

As a cartoonist myself, this story really got to me and reading Jimmy Gownley’s origin story made me think on my origin story. I always loved to draw as a little kid (mostly stick figures) but I really started to take off when I discovered Calvin and Hobbes. It was in 5^thgrade that I decided I wanted to be a cartoonist. I started out by drawing my own spoof of ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ which I called ‘Halle and Carrie’, Halle being a human girl and Carrie being a kangaroo (I have no idea why a kangaroo). I had to start somewhere. And my origin story is still in progress. I’ve just finished writing my own children’s book featuring my own characters. It was a long stressful journey but I did it. I’m getting back from the publisher a week from today. Here’s what the front and back cover is going to look like.

I’ve already started drawing a sequel which will probably be published next year if I’m lucky.

I love the idea of making a graphic novel based on your life experiences. I wish I could do that but I don’t remember enough details to make it interesting enough. Although the story of how I got hit by a golf cart is pretty interesting. I’m hoping to put that story in one of my comics someday. 

And for any artists out there, who are reading this, keep drawing. Even if you just start off drawing stick figures, that’s a good start, you can only get better.

This weeks’ Weird but True Fact about Comics

Artist Charles M. Schulz created nearly 18,000 “Peanuts” comic strips.

'Amelia Rules' Graphic Novel Series by Jimmy Gownley

I figured I’d start with the best first in my list of great graphic novels. 

And yes, the correct term is ‘graphic novels’, not comic books.

 And whoever said that graphic novels aren’t real books never read these.

For kids and adults who are still kids at heart

Meet Amelia Louise McBride.

She’s 9 years old, a former New Yorker who’s now living in a small town after her parents decided to get divorced, and dealing with everything from being the new kid in school to getting her first kiss. But you know what? She’s got her mom and her aunt Tanner (who happens to be an ex-rock star) and her friends Reggie, Rhonda, and Pajamaman, and everything’s going to be okay. 

Except, of course, when it isn’t.

I found out about this series at Barnes and Nobles and I am so glad I did because they changed my life. I’ve read many graphic novels but these were my first and they are still the best.

The art is amazing and the story plot is even more amazing. Through all 8 books we watch Amelia grow from a 9-year-old kid to an 11-year-old tween. The first three books are more about being a kid and doing fun kid things, after that you see Amelia and all the other characters begin to grow more into themselves. These stories are wild, crazy, funny, but also shows that life is hard, that it isn’t simple or fair. 

Since I started reading these books, it’s been my dream to write my own graphic novel with my own characters. Unfortunately, that’s probably never going to happen. I have a hard time coming up with a complete story and I have a hard time finishing things. I’m surprised I’ve been able to keep this blog going for so long.

I actually read the 3^rdbook first by mistake and in my opinion, it’s the best one. ‘Superheroes’ has more humor and more heart than any other graphic novel I’ve ever read before or since. 

‘Her Permanent Record(Book 8)’ was written back in 2012 and I don’t know if Jimmy Gownley plans to continue the series but I reallyhope he does. It’s hard to put into words just how great these books are. You’ll just have to read them and see for yourselves. I think everyone should read these books whether they’re a kid or an adult.  

I found this video on YouTube of Jimmy Gownley revealing the origins of Amelia Rules and I would like to share it with you because finding out where the idea for a story came from is cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjQp9IBO530&t=76s

Before I wrap up this review, I would like to share a quote from each book:

The Whole World’s Crazy: “Anytime you find magic in this world, you have to fight hard to keep it.” - Tanner

What Makes You Happy: “Was that a flying ninja?” - Amelia

Superheroes: “Everyday, you sit in class, and the clock seems to stand still. Then, one day you look behind you…and you wonder where all the time went.” - Amelia

When the Past is a Present: “Who are we? Why are we here? What can we do to freak out some poor, random, convenience store clerk?

The Tweenage Guide to Not be Unpopular: “We are visitors from the future! A future without war! Or pollution! Or gangsta rap.” – Amelia and Rhonda

True Things (Adults Don’t Want Kids to Know): “I think the reason people have kids is so they can pass their own brand of crazy on to a new generation.” – Tanner Clark

The Meaning of Life and Other Stuff: “All that matters is that we’re in this together now…forever…and no matter what trials, what challenges, what evil is thrown at us…they will never tear us apart.” - Reggie

Her Permanent Record: “Life is tough, Tanner! And sometimes crap happens that you don’t like! But you don’t run! You act like a grown-up!” – Amelia 

Well, that’s it for this review. Tune in next week for another graphic novel by Jimmy Gownley.

This weeks’ Weird but True Fact

Until 2011, the Comics Code Authority made rules about what could appear in comic books. Werewolves, vampires, and zombies were not allowed.

The World's Greatest Chocolate-Covered Pork Chops by Ryan K. Sager

4^thGrade and Up

Twelve-year-old chef Zoey Kate’s Fried Banana Fondue is delectable, her Maple Cinnamon Crab Fajitas are divine, and her Chocolate-Covered Pork Chops are to die for. Zoey is the best cook in town and she wants everyone to know it. She’s on a mission to start her own restaurant, but quickly learns that the restaurant industry is competitive . . . and dangerous. There are people who see Zoey as a threat, and they’ll use any means necessary to make sure that she fails.

This book drew me in like ice cream on a hot day. From the very first page, I immediately fell in love with Zoey’s character. She is a force to be reckoned with and oozes confidence. 

Zoey’s dishes, to me, sound disgusting. Then again, I’m not that adventurous when it comes to food. I’m 24-years-old and my favorite lunch is still peanut butter sandwiches. It’s pretty much the perfect food if you don’t have a peanut allergy. I do love the description on how Zoey prepares her food. You can picture her flying around the kitchen like a tornado. 

The only thing that I didn’t like about this book is how Zoey treats her friend Dallin. She kind of treats him more like a tool than a friend.

This is the perfect book for fans of cooking shows like Master Chef Junior. I’ve been meaning to watch this show for a while but I have two problems with it. 1) I don’t like Gordon Ramsay that much. He’s always yelling at people and telling them what they’re doing wrong. And 2) Cooking shows make me hungry. 

If you like this book and Master Chef Junior, I highly recommend checking out this Disney Channel Original Movie. Eddie’s Million Dollar Cook-Off is about a boy named Eddie who has to choose between helping his baseball team win the finals or competing in an important cook-off. This is one of my favorite Disney Channel movies mostly because it features not one but two food fights. Being in a food fight is something I’ve always wanted to do. Next to shoving a pie in someone’s face.

This weeks’ Weird but True Fact about Chef Hats

The 100 pleats on a chef’s hat are said to represent all the ways you can cook an egg.

Word of Mouse by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein

2^th Grade and Up

What makes Isaiah so unique? First, his fur is as blue as the sky--which until recently was something he'd never seen, but had read all about. That's right--Isaiah can read, and write. He can also talk to humans...if any of them are willing to listen! 

After a dramatic escape from a mysterious laboratory, Isaiah is separated from his "mischief" (which is the word for a mouse family), and has to use his special skills to survive in the dangerous outdoors, and hopefully find his missing family. But in a world of cruel cats, hungry owls, and terrified people, it's hard for a young, lone mouse to make it alone. When he meets an equally unusual and lonely human girl named Hailey, the two soon learn that true friendship can transcend all barriers.

This story is extremely sweet and the illustrations make the story all the more better. Anyone who enjoys the movie Mouse Huntor the book Stuart Little, this is the story for you.

I’ve always thought mice were interesting creatures. Every time I went to the pet store as a kid I loved watching the little white mice run on their wheel. There would always be three or more mice trying to use the wheel at the same time and one mouse would always be facing the opposite direction as the others and would end up spinning around and around before being flung off, so cute. I like mice but only when they’re inside a pet cage, they just look so sweet and innocent. But if I saw one in the wild I’d probably freak out, I don’t know where that mouse has been.

This story reminded me of my original favorite blue mouse, Tutter from Disney Channel’s Playhouse Disney show Bear in the Big Blue House. See picture below:

This show premiered back in 1997 and was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid. You can still find some episodes on YouTube and I highly recommend checking them out.

This weeks’ Weird but True Fact about Mice

Mice can have up to 105 babies a year.

The Secret Horses of Briar Hill by Megan Shepherd

5^thGrade to 7^thGrade

There are winged horses that live in the mirrors of Briar Hill hospital. In the mirrors that line its grand hallways, which once belonged to a princess. In those that reflect the elegant rooms, now filled with sick children. It is her secret.

One morning, when Emmaline climbs over the wall of the hospital’s abandoned gardens, she discovers something incredible: a white horse with broken wings has left the mirror-world and entered her own.

Tucked into the garden’s once-gleaming sundial, Emmaline finds a letter from the Horse Lord. He is hiding the wounded white horse, named Foxfire, from a dark and sinister force—a Black Horse who hunts by colorless moonlight. If Emmaline is to keep the Black Horse from finding her new friend, she must collect colorful objects with which to blind him. But where can Emmaline find color when her world is filled with gray?

A fantastic story set during World War II. This book was written in 2016 but feels like it’s been around longer, like it could’ve been one of the old classics children’s books.

All the children at Briar Hill hospital are there for the same disease, a disease that Emmaline calls ‘still-waters’. ‘Still-waters’ is a respiratory disease called tuberculosis and was one of the most common diseases to have during WWII. 

To learn more about tuberculosis and how this story came to be, read the Authors’ Note at the end of this book.

This weeks’ Weird but True Fact about Horses

The V-shaped part on the underside of a horse’s hoof is called the frog.

The Extincts by Veronica Cossanteli

3^rd Grade to 5^th Grade

George is looking for a job to raise money for a new bike, so when he sees a Help Wantedad for Wormestall Farm, he goes for it. The ad is searching for the Right Person, and George very much hopes that’s him. Before long, he’s involved in a madcap adventure involving creatures both (supposedly) extinct and (previously-thought-to-be) mythological, a new friend, and a maniacal taxidermist who wants the animals of Wormestall Farm in her own private collection…stuffed, of course.

As soon as I read that this farm had not just extinct animals but cryptic animals as well, I knew I had to read this book. I wish this book existed back when I was a kid. I was obsessed with mythical and supernatural creatures when I was younger. I made an alphabetical list of them that I updated frequently.

There are seven different kinds of extinct animals mentioned in this story and I had fun looking them up online. Be sure to check out the glossary at the back of this book to learn more about the animals living at Wormestall Farm.

The only thing that would have made this story even better is if it had a Tasmanian tiger as one of the extinct animals. I learned about this animal on Wild Kratts. See picture below:

Just look at those stripes! And that mouth! I wish these animals were still around.

This weeks’ Weird but True Fact about Cloning

Bringing extinct animals back to life through cloning is possible only for animals that have left cells or DNA that scientists can use in the lab.