Babymouse: Monster Mash

Holm, Jennifer. L. Babymouse: Monster Mash. Illustrated by Matthew Holm. Random House, 2008. 96 pages. $6.99. ISBN 9780375843877.

Summary:

It’s Halloween for Babymouse. Of course, that means the perfect Halloween costume and plans to trick-or-treat with her friend Wilson. Babymouse’s mom suggests a Halloween party and though it’s not the scare-fest that she envisions, it still promises to be a fun time. When Felicia Furrypawas hears about the party, she and her popular crowd quickly begin to make all the rules and add to the guest list. As always, Babymouse must navigate the tricky social waters of friendship.

Curriculum Connections:

Like Lunch Lady (Krosozka), the Babymouse series of graphic novels is a great teaching tool for how to read this type of text. Babymouse, as a graphic novel, is a more sophisticated because some of the text is actually inside Babymouse’s head. Babymouse frequently encounters social challenges that could spark text-to-self connections or springboard into a group discussion.

Personal Reflections:

I love the simplicity in the design of the panes and pages in Babymouse books: usually they are black, white, and pink. In this episode, in keeping with the Halloween theme, the colors are black, white, and orange. I also enjoy Babymouse’s flights of fantasy.

Awards:

Books in the series have one Children’s Choice Awards, ALA Notable Children’s Book, 2006, and Gryphon Award, 2006.

Age/Interest Range:

7-12

Genre/Themes:

Realistic Fiction, Friends, Humor, Social Skills, Graphic Novel,

Read-Alikes:

The graphic novels of Ann M. Martin, based on the Babysitters Club series, address similar social issues, but fans of realistic fiction and fallible heroines might also turn to Clementine (Pennypacker) and Judy Moody (McDonald).