Conspiracy Girl

Conspiracy Girl Karen Chacek & Abraham Balcazar 2 / 5	Published January 13, 2015 First Sentence "Nina Complot was born on the sixth day of the sixth month and surprised quite a few people with her arrival."
Publisher's Description: See that flock of birds over there? Looks pretty normal, right? But Nina sees right through their mangy feathers and divines their plot to end the world in a nuclear ball of white noise. What to do? Save the world armed only with a box of cereal? Perhaps.
Dear Reader, What the heck?! This book was SO WEIRD. I don't even know what to say about it! It began amusingly enough, with a crazy extended family freaking out in the hospital when a girl was born instead of a boy. But then the second part of the book (it was broken into two very uneven sections) was just ODD. I don't even know what to make of it, and I don't think any number of re-readings would help! I am thinking maybe it's a cultural-difference sort of thing? As the author is Mexican. But, seriously. I want people to read it just because I want someone to talk to about it, to see if there is more to "get" about the book! The only saving grace for me was the AMAZING artistry - the illustrations in the book, despite being done only in green, black, and white, made the book palatable (and raised it from a less-than-one star to a "2" for me). I was cracking up at the amazing level of detail that Balcazar included in each picture - you could honestly spend ten minutes examining each page for all of its wonderful and understated inclusions. Please - if anyone else has read the book, DO let me know! I will take you 10 minutes and it's just...WEIRD. I don't know any other way to describe it. Yours, Arianna

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The Yeti Files: Meet the Bigfeet

The Yeti Files: Meet the Bigfeet Kevin Sherry 4/5	Published September 2014 First Sentence "Hi there!"
Publisher's Description: A hilarious new chapter book series from the bestselling author/illustrator of I'M THE BIGGEST THING IN THE OCEAN. Blizz Richards is a great guy, a caring boss, and a loyal friend. Oh, yeah...he's also a yeti! He's made it his life's mission to study cryptids like him, hidden animals who have taken a powerful oath to never be seen by the outside world. So when a photo of Cousin Brian becomes a media sensation, Brian can't handle the guilt and disappears. But it's time for the annual Bigfoot family reunion, and it won't be the same without him. Luckily, Blizz and his devoted team are on the case. Can they find their furry friend before their secret gets out for good? In Kevin Sherry's hilarious new illustrated series, you'll meet a wide array of weird and wacky cryptids, from goblins and Goatman to skunk apes and Sasquatch--animals that you don't believe exist. And it's up to Blizz to keep it that way!
Dear Reader, I Loved the drawings and the fonts. The characters are designed really well. The inside of a Yeti is fantastic (the anatomy of one). This book is informative? (Even for an imaginary creature). I guess I'd say the information given is from folklore and who doesn't love learning about that? The Yeti, that mythical creature (what they call a cryptid – a hidden animal whose existence was never proven), I think it’s time for him to be in the spotlight. Move over gnomes and cats, the Yeti is here to stampede all over you. I wonder if all those Bigfoot shows on T.V. have sparked an interest with the wee little ones? No matter the case, I can see the bigfoot/yeti being the next big thing. What will this graphic novel for kids include? How about a Yeti cave that resembles the “bat” cave from Batman (chock full of fun gadgets and goodies)? Yep, it’s got that. What about a Yeti family reunion? Definitely. The book even has a little “on the edge of your seat” drama. Don’t want to give it away… that wouldn't be much fun. I can just imagine most kids who read this will become obsessed with “looking for bigfoot”. Although, would that be so bad? It would be a fun outdoor activity! My favorite character in all of this, Gunthar, (super annoying and loves anything that bothers Alexander the Elf) I adore him. The Author/Illustrator is very talented and has a great idea brewing with this. I can see this becoming a big series (Bad Kitty-esque?). Need a good gift for a kid? Want them to read more? This is pretty perfect. Happy Reading, AmberBug P.S. - This book was sent to me by the publisher for my honest review.

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