I've been bad--no posts for three months. I probably won't post again until January, since I'm on vacation starting next week until the end of the year.

Currently, I'm reading our library's new copy of the graphic novel version of The Lightning Thief, based on the book of the same name by Rick Riordan. My husband and daughter, both Percy Jackson fans, have already read it and given it their seal of approval.

Most of what's been added has been replacements or more of series we already own. About the only other thing I've done with the graphic novel collection is weed, and then spend large amounts of time applying book tape to the edges of the front and back covers of paperbacks. A little time and tape will make a book last at least three more months, I figure. A lot of the cover damage to paperbacks comes from them being shoved into backpacks and back on the shelves (by readers, not people paid to reshelf). This way, the Pokemon books (for example) will hold up until the pages start falling out of the binding (which takes a while, Viz is one of the better publishers for PB graphics).

Incredibles and Swans

Two new titles to add to the graphic novel section that just came in:

Swans in Space vol. 2 by Lun Lun Yamamoto (978-1-897376-94-2)

The Incredibles: Family Matters by Mark Waid (978-1-934506-83-7, paperback)

I'm just psyched to get the next Swans, since my test reader (my daughter) liked the first one. The Incredibles leaves me psyched as well, since we've gotten several other Incredibles titles from Boom Studios, and I'm enjoyed them all. Good CLEAN superheros stories that don't read like something scripted for the back of a cereal box. So glad I have some money in the budget (this year at least) for a few things.

3 Books I Just Read

Yeah, I know, boring title. Deal.

Anyway, I got two books on inter-library loan, and one off the shelf here. The two ILL books were to see if they were work buying (or should be teen titles) based on a great core collection list from the Good Comics for Kids people.

Long Tail Kitty by Lark Pien (978-1-934706-44-2) is great, and is going on my "must-buy" lists. Short, sweet, and entirely age-appropriate for younger readers.

Dragon Drive, vol. 1, by Ken-ichi Saura (978-1-4215-1187-0) is a manga based on a video game (and probably an anime, but I'm not sure). I'm afraid this is the kind of thing that makes me avoid manga. It bored me. The characters did not interest me, I really don't like graphic novels where most of the story is taken up by the fighting action, and even the "mystery" part of the plot doesn't inspire me to seek out the rest and read them. On the other hand, the violence contained no obvious bloodshed (it's all fighting-by-proxy) and there weren't even any "pantie shots" that I could see (though the one adult female wore some rather tight and/or short outfits). I'll put it on the "if I have money at the end of October" list and get the first few in the series. I just hope the violence doesn't accelerate.

The off-the-shelf book was just for fun. I finally read a version of Neil Gaimen's Coraline, this one the graphic adaptation by P. Craig Russell (978-0-06-082543-0). Good story. I was expecting creepy at points (this is Gaimen, after all), so I enjoyed it. I suspect this was, at least for me, much better than seeing the movie, since the people (at least, the ones who are really people) are draw more realistically than I've seen in the commercials for the movie.

Whoops.

Summer Reading Program really ate up my time. And, starting next month, we'll be perpetually short a staff member for a few month, between vacations and someone else's maternity leave.

Here's a quick list of new titles added:

City of Spies
Max Finder v.4
Bionicle #8: The Legend of Bara Magna
Black Widow and the Avengers
The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck
a replacement copy of Bakugan Battle Brawlers #1 (cheap binding killed the first)
The Big Adventures of Majoko v.3
Disney's Hero Squad: Ultraheroes Save the Day
Donald Duck and Friends: Double Duck
The Incredibles: City of Incredibles (I actually read that one--fun!)
The Incredibles : Revenge from Below
Lizard Prince v.1 (the second volume is on backorder)
Meet the Muppets (finally! I've been meaning to get that for a long time)
Scooby-Doo in Dead and Let Spy (it's a hardcover the size of a single issue of a comic--should last a long time)
Tiny Tyrant 2: The Lucky Winner (just as funny as the first issue)
Twin Spica 1 (I was crying by the time I finished it--really powerful stuff, I hope the kids can enjoy it)
Wizards of Mickey 1: Mouse Magic

7 of those titles are from Boom! Studios. Since they got the license for Disney properties, they've really been going to town producing quality stuff. Lizard Prince has been on my "when I have money" list for a while. It got bumped up to "ASAP" when I heard that the publisher (CMX) was going under. Black Widow was probably one of the last of the Marvel titles for a while, until they get their supposed new line of kid-friendly titles geared up to graphic novel format (though I have a line on a new Power Pack title...)

I'm sure there are more Pokemon titles coming in from our subscription service, but someone else usually gets to those boxes before I can, so aside from the actual subscription management, I don't really see what comes in when.

Foxtrot

I'm not sure there is any new Foxtrot content being written by Bill Amend. On the good news front, we got a new collection of his old stuff--sort of a "best of" book: Math, Science, and UNIX Underpants: A Themed Foxtrot Collection (9780740791406). Every good nerd joke Amend ever wrote! I got a copy for the branch, too.

Stuff I Got with My Budget

I almost forgot: I added several new titles to the shelves last week! I also replaced a few titles, generally the usual suspects.

The replacements: How Come I'm Always Luigi? (Foxtrot), The 3rd Garfield Treasury, Pokemon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior, and the Garfield Fat Cat 3-Pack Vol. 2.

The new stuff: Amelia Rules 5: The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular by Jimmy Gownley (9781416986102) I love Amelia. This one had me laughing out loud while skimming it in spots, and then going, "yeah, I've been there" in others. I had to pass it to a co-working before processing, since she's also an Amelia fan.

Fairy Idol Kanon 2 and Fairy Idol Kanon 3 by Mera Hakamada (9781897376904 and 9781897376911) More manga for young readers by Udon Kids. It's not a manga that I'd read for fun (Chibi Vampire is about as shojo/girlie as I can stand) but it's not bad. I know if I gave it to my girls, they'd love it. Fairy Idol 1 is still on backorder.

Ninja Baseball Kyuma 1 and Ninja Baseball Kyuma 2 by Shunshin Maeda (9781897376867 and 9781897376874). This is another Udon Kids title. I should probably read it, since it more of a "boy" title, and might therefore hold my attention (yes, my preferences are showing). However, the day I was dealing with this box of stuff, I forgot and sent it straight to the processing pile.

Stone Rabbit 4: Superhero Stampede by Eric Craddock (9780375858772). I didn't really read this one, since I've read and enjoyed the other Stone Rabbit books.

Edit: I forgot I also got Happy Happy Clover 3 in that shipment. A patron requested it, and the other two are always out, so it's a good thing.

Also, today I got The Adventures of Daniel Boom aka Loud Boy: Grow Up! by D.J. Steinberg (978-0-448-44701-8) It looks fun, nice and irreverent without talking down. So much nicer than Stone Arch "lo-hi" books. I'm going to have to make sure we have the other Daniel Boom titles.

Kit Feeny: On the Move

Kit Feeny: On the Move by Michael Townsend (978-0-375-85614-3)

This was on a recent list of recommended books, so I signed off on it when it came up on the ordering list for last month. I didn't realize it had actually come in until recently. Quick summary of the plot: Kit Feeny's family moves, and he misses his best friend greatly. This book reminds me a lot of a boy-oriented version of Babymouse, especially with all the art being in black, white, and orange (like Babymouse's signature pink) and the book being of a similar size. The humor is a bit cruder, but again, that seems to give it more boy appeal. I'm sure it will do well on our shelves.

For Poetry Month...

I'm doing a little display case project. Every day, I'm going to http://gottabook.blogspot.com/ and getting the new poem of the day, printing it out, and putting it in the case, alongside a book by that poet (if we have one). The older poems are getting placed along the walls and sides of the case. It's fun.

One Last Book from the Box and Jack Is Back

Recon Academy: Mixed Signals by Chris Everheart (978-1-4342-1915-2)
Tolerable. I can't figure out what motivates the bad guy, or why the main characters all run around in jumpsuits, however. There was unintentional humor in the use of the phrase "After them, you fools!" on page 53--so cliche I couldn't believe it was being used. The technology aspect was interesting. (I know, no real plot summary, but I can't find the energy).

Calamity Jack by Shannon and Dean Hale (978-1-59990-076-6)
From the pages of Rapunzel's Revenge come the story of Jack, as he and Rapunzel head to the city to make up for some of his past mistakes. He's looking to see his mother again, and discovers things have gone from bad to worse in the time he's been gone. A giant has conned his way into control of the city--the same giant Jack tried to rob some time ago. It was that botched theft that sent him on the run to the West. Rapunzel's influence has caused a desire to reform in Jack, and now he has to make good on his promises... YES!

New Books

Michael Townsend's Amazing Greek Myths of Wonder and Blunders (978-0-8037-3308-4)
This is great. The Greek myths as cartoons. The art is colorful, the characters are expressive, and the violence is quite literally "Censored" with a black box and that word over top like a stamp. (The worst gore I saw in a glance through was some blood at the base of Medusa's neck.) I love it. It's a hardcover shelved with Mythology (Dewey 292.13), since that's what it's all about.

Missile Mouse and the Star Crusher by Jake Parker (978-0-545-11714-2)
Here's another good one, which is no surprise since it's been on my "must-buy" list since I read a review. Nice clean art, hardcover binding, good story with an interesting main character. Missile Mouse is an agent of the Galactic Security Agency, and he's got a bit of trouble with his lack of caution. My favorite bit in the whole book is when his boss is complaining that he's "crashed too many ships...endangered the public welfare...and brought too much attention to the GSA." First I see his crashed ship, then the frame pulls back to show that the ship is crashed on the front steps of a library! Missile Mouse is doing the best he can however, and in the end, his willingness to take risks saves the day.

Capstone Box Time

About a month ago I got a pile of books from our semi-regular box of donations/review copies form Capstone and its related imprints that will be going on the shelf. This time around, the graphic novels were:

Clues in the Attic by Cari Meister (My 1st Graphic Novel series, 978-1-4342-1889-6)
Short, sweet, and I thought the twist at the end was cute. Most of the text is in the form of narration, and actually describes the action in the pictures.

Princess Candy: The Green Queen of Mean by Michael Dahl & Scott Nickel (978-1-4342-1893-3)
I know I reviewed a Princess Candy book sometime last year. This is more of the same.

Pecos Bill, Colossal Cowboy, retold by Sean Tulien (978-1-4342-1896-4)
This is a good, simple retelling of the Pecos Bill legend.

Point-Blank Paintball by Scott Ciencin (978-1-4342-1914-5)
This is part of a line called "Sports Illustrated Kids Graphic Novels". It's laid out like a screen from ESPN or another sports channel for the opening and end parts, though the bulk is standard graphics (which aren't bad). The story's message is a little heavy-handed, but the action is good.

Bike Rider: Wheels of Justice by Donnie Lemke (978-1-4342-1892-6)
This is, for those people old enough to remember it, a complete take-off on the old TV series Knight Rider, down to calling the title "tonight's episode", a main character called Michael Cycle, and an AI in the bike call C.A.T.T. I just couldn't get more than a few pages into it. It's one of those "going on the shelf because it's free and I think there's an audience even if I don't like it". I do wish I could articulate why I don't like it better.

In addition to the graphic novels, there were three fiction books worth mentioning: A Superman title, a Batman title, and a Wonder Woman title. Stone Arch has got some nice series going that put these characters into text to encourage new/reluctant readers. I know we already owned some Superman and Batman books, and when I checked, none were on the shelf (a good sign!).
Batman: Robin's First Flight (978-1-4342-1879-7)
Superman: Deep Space Hijack(978-1-4342-1880-3)
Wonder Woman: Trial of the Amazons (978-1-4342-1883-4)

Quick Follow-up to Last Week

Well, my girls gobbled up Babymouse Burns Rubber that night. They already want the next one. I love having readers in my family. My husband is still enjoying Muppet Robin Hood, though one of the girls commented that the art looked funny (something about Gonzo not looking like Gonzo). I pointed out that these aren't photographs, but artistic interpretation. She seemed happy with that answer.

I've got so much stuff on my desk I still haven't gotten to Missile Mouse, but I want to. The Manga Math Mystery was well done. I should get more of them. Sticky Burr was straight-up cute. I will also be looking for more of those, if there are any.

I got the cataloging issue for the Max Finder Mysteries cleared up, with a great deal of help from the Technical Services people. I love those ladies. I glanced at them. They're cute, but not something I want to read all the way through. Still, I hope they do well.

Now, I've got the semi-annual pile of Stone Arch graphic novels to work though. More on those later, since I'm almost out of time right now.

On my desk to read for fun: Chibi Vampire, vol. 9-11. I've read the other 8, and I'm enjoying the series so far. (I've been trying to broaden my horizons in manga, using recommendation from other online sources.)

New Books!

And here I was, complaining about no money for books, and I found five that another librarian ordered last month (thank you!):

Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (978-0-375-96094-9)
It's an evil author, instead of evil librarians, but it's still fun!

Babymouse Burns Rubber (Babymouse #12) by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (978-0-375-95713-0)
I'm taking this straight home for my daughters to read.

Muppet Robin Hood by Tim Beedle (978-1-934506-79-0)
The Boom! Studio Muppet magazines have been well reviewed. This is a collection of four of them. The story arc should be obvious from the title. Another one I'm taking home. My husband should get a kick out of it, too.

The next three I'll have to read tomorrow (I have to go home very soon):
Sticky Burr: The Prickly Peril by John Lechner (978-0-7636-4580-9)
Manga Math Mysteries #3: The Secret Ghost by Melinda Thielbar (978-0-7613-3855-0)
Missle Mouse: The Star Crusher by Jake Parket (978-0-545-11714-2)

Yay! I can take some titles off my "must-buy" list.

Max Finder Mystery

We have 2 of the 3 Max Finder Mystery Collected Casebooks (1 and 3). I found this out after I read a review of the first one here: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/540000654/post/1810053181.html?nid=4691

This is a good thing. It means I'm a little ahead of the curve. My rant for the day? Both books are listed in the same record in our catalog. This may sound trivial (and really obscure if one isn't a library employee), but it means someone looking for V.3 is going to see a record for V.1, since that's the cover picture on the record. The other issue is if someone tries to put a hold on one title (i.e., an electronic request for staff to pull the book off the shelf and send it to another library), they might get the wrong one. This actually happened to me recently, when I was trying to get another library's copy of Harold and the Purple Crayon for a program. I got some book based off the Harold TV show instead.

Hopefully my ally in the technical services department will be able to get this fixed with our co-op.

Follow the Links

This is how I feel about reading new issues of superhero comics anymore:

http://inkdestroyedmybrush.blogspot.com/2010/02/cross-over-craziness-vs-single-issue.html

No wonder I enjoy graphic novels over newsstand issues anymore. (be sure to follow through to the link inside the above link)

Life at the Library, Updated

Whoa--over a month since the last post. If I want to keep current, I'd better try harder to post.

The problem is I haven't bought anything. I've got a nice long list of things to purchase (the most recent issues of Happy, Happy Clover; Calamity Jack; the next Lunch Lady volume; etc.), but my budget is, as my supervisor puts it, "more of an allowance". I have $800 to spend FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR. My little hand-written list of titles I want is almost $75 by itself. That $800 isn't just for graphic novels, however. I'm also responsible for maintaining parts of the fiction, nonfiction, and picture book collections. That's not just buying new titles, either. That includes replacing any that go missing or fall apart that are worth replacing (I'm talking about you, Garfield and Foxtrot).

Every month, we mark off titles we'd like from review sources like Booklist and Publisher's Weekly. This month, I'm in charge of making the purchases from those sources. I know a few of the titles I'd like are in those lists (i.e., Missile Mouse), but I think my library's juvenile graphic novel collection isn't going to be growing at quite the same rate this year.

Happy New Year

Here's a link to some news (and a small bit of discussion) about The Storm in the Barn. Link found via Good Comics for Kids, which I love to use for reviews/recommendations about what to buy for my library.