Matilda

 

Matilda by Roald Dahl, 240 pgs.

What a fun book. My daughter started reading this one night, finished it in a day, and declared it as her favorite book of all time. I've seen most of the early movie versions of of Dahl's books but I'm just starting to read them now and really wished I'd experienced them as a kid. Matilda is one of those kids who is born to neglectful, awful parents and who don't encourage her natural abilities so she develops them herself. I love that this is basically a kid experience some massive trauma and ends up developing a superpower as a result to counteract all the bad people in her life. Books that feature kids who develop a power over grown-ups is always a good read, it's nice to see mean adults get their comeuppance at the hands of someone so small. Kids and adults. 

Barb The Last Berzerker Series

 Barb the Last Berzerker Series: Book 1, 2 & 3 by Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson, 784 pgs. (total)

This is a really fun, easy-to-read-graphic series that follows a plucky, courageous heroine in a wacky, make-believe land. Barb is the last Berzerker, basically modeled off vikings and knights who go around protecting fairies and gnomes from goofy monsters. On her quest, Barb befriends a Yeti named Porkchop who becomes her sidekick. The dialogue is snappy and frequently funny without being smarmy. The world of Bailiwick comes under fire from the evil wizard Witch Head and it's up to Barb and her cast of zany monsters to save the world. Along the way,  Barb makes good choices to save people others won't save, stop bullying in all its monster forms, and show mercy and kindness to all. My daughter loved this series so I had to read it too and it's really great, a lot of great lessons and jokes for 1st-3rd grade kids. Recommended for kids and parents.  

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh!

 Don't' Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh! by Mo Willems, 40 pgs. 

Is Mo Willems an evil genius? A marketing guru? Or did he just hit the jackpot with his charming doodles? Either way, this is a fun addition to the Pigeon series. Many of Willems' books demand repeated reading and this one will surely become a seasonal classic in due time. I spent so much time reading these books to my daughter, now that she's sort of aged out of them, it's hard for me to put them down as an adult. As always, Willems writes with two audiences in mind: child and parent, so there is much to love for both. Happy holidays! 

Things To Do When You're Goth in the Country

Things To Do When You're Goth in the Country by Chavisa Woods (2017) 221 pages

This book is comprised of eight thought-provoking short stories that often center on young gay and transsexual persons, usually in a rural setting. One, called A New Mohawk, is told by a transman who has discovered that his mohawk has become a miniature replica of a wall between Israel and Palestine. He can hear the rockets going between the territories, and whenever a person is mortally wounded by the fighting, the tiny being falls off his head onto the floor and dies. Heady stuff, indeed. Some other stories have similar kinds of magical happenings. In others, drugs might fuel the weirdness.