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Binky the Space Cat and Binky to the Rescue by Ashley Spires

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Binky is a space cat, although no one else in his household knows it. He’s received his official letter from F.U.R.S.T. (Felines of the Universe Ready for Space Travel), which means he is ready to venture outside of the house and into outer space (known simply as “outside” to the rest of us). Binky’s goal as a space cat is to protect his family – a woman and her son – from the aliens that encroach upon their home (also known as the space station). You and I may call the aliens bugs or insects, but Binky knows better.

In Binky the Space Cat, Binky begins his tenure as a space cat by building a space ship. His family ventures into space all the time, and Binky knows he must protect them from the aliens that live out there. The only way to do that is to build a space ship and go out exploring. He also must undergo a lot of self-directed training for his trip. His faithful companion Tim, a stuffed mouse, is with him constantly. Binky’s project goes fairly well for some time, but when he nears the launch date, he realizes something that changes all of his plans.

Binky the Space Cat

In Binky to the Rescue, Binky falls out a window into outer space. He is rescued by his family, but when he is brought back inside, he realizes Tim has been left outside – right underneath an alien warship! Binky mounts a rescue, all the while being thwarted by his family who insist on keeping him inside the space station.

The stories are told mostly with captions rather than dialogue. Binky is not a talking cat – he meows and sobs and munches and makes other noises, which means he is much more of a “real life” cat than his feline counterparts in other stories. It wasn’t what I was expecting – I’m so used to talking animals by now that I’m surprised when they don’t talk – but it made for a nice change. Spires’ narration is witty and sly and just right for kids, who should get a real kick out of Binky’s misunderstanding of common everyday items as things from outer space.

Because Binky doesn’t speak, he communicates a lot through his facial expressions. All of his emotions are crystal clear and highly amusing. In fact, I’d say Spires excels more at the illustration aspect of storytelling than the writing, although she’s no slouch at writing either. As a bonus, these books are full-color, something I almost always require in a graphic novel before I’ll even consider picking it up.

Binky to the Rescue
Possibly my favorite review of this series of books is the one from School Library Journal, which calls it “sweet and clever, and for those who disdain sweet and clever, there is also farting.” The books are perhaps not as clever as I had wished – I tend to get my hopes up sometimes – but they’re clever enough to keep me reading and enjoying. Plus, Spires includes plenty of details in the illustrations that can be picked up on a re-read (in my case, I discovered at least one new fart, helpfully pointed out to me by my boyfriend). Binky’s a winner – and there’s a third adventure due out on September 1.

Books borrowed from my local library.

Reviews Twitter-style

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I’ve been able to read a ton of things lately, but typing up in-depth reviews for everything I read is impossible. So, here’s a few books I’ve dove into recently and my thoughts on them, Twitter-style. Of course, they’re a little longer than 140 characters, but these are short and to the point.

Where Things Come Back bu John Corey Whaley: This quiet contemporary gem is a story about small town life. Told through dual, seemingly unrelated narratives, this layered and nuanced story introduces us to Cullen, whose brother Gabriel has just disappeared. While everyone searches high and low for Gabriel, Cullen begins his own mourning process. At the same time, we meet an academic hell bent on finding meaning in faith who is so driven by uncorking the mysteries of life and the afterlife, that he becomes delusional and destructive. Both narratives tie together over a man named John Barling, who has come to Lily, Arkansas and claims he has rediscovered the elusive Lazarus Woodpecker. This story of faith and belief is one that will appeal to those who like sharp story telling and more literary works. Faith, family, and small-town politics are all at play and all given even-handed, fair treatment, and Cullen’s voice in this story is knockout: it’s rich, authentic, and full of emotion that begs the reader to feel things right along with him. I suspect this is the kind of book that might see some Morris attention this year because it really is that good.

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell: This historical fiction, set in 1899, follows Amelia van den Broek as she’s sent from her home in rural Maine to live with her cousin Zora’s family in wealthy and stylish Balitmore. The goal, of course, is for her to court a suitable man and settle down but things go a bit awry. See, Amelia can see the future, and as much as it becomes a fun parlor trick that bemuses the girls in Zora’s social circle, it becomes a burden when the futures start to play out in ways that ruin lives. This is a well-paced story that exudes the historical setting, right down to the language and lush, sometimes extravagant, settings. It’s a clean story, too, and one that will appeal to a wide range of young adult readers. I’m eager to go back and read Mitchell’s first novel, Shadowed Summer, and I am happy to say that this book left me eager to read the next book in this series. It was that engaging and fresh that, when I finished, I anticipated future installments in Amelia’s story.

Kiss & Tell by MariNaomi: This graphic novel is one for fans of Julia Wertz. Naomi’s written a memoir that follows all of the relationships she’s been through. Rather than focus only on the romantic aspects of them, she broaches other things that worked or didn’t work in the relationship. She begins with her youngest relationships — those little kisses and “I like you” sort of things that happen in elementary school — then delves into the later relationships. Although I liked the concept, the book was a little too long for me and felt uneven, as there was a lot of emphasis on those very early relationships and not enough on the later relationships, which had more depth and made for more interesting reading. For a first novel, though, it was a good effort, and it has piqued my interest in future stories from MariNaomi. This book would be fine for older teens and definitely adult readers, and it’s completely LGBTQ friendly. Be prepared for reading and seeing what happens in real, honest relationships. That is to say, there is nudity and it’s unflinching at times (and sometimes in a really funny way, too).

The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt: This story was uneven for me, as it’s set in the 1980s for no good reason (actually, I think anyone knows the big reason books are set in this time period frequently is that it’s often a way to avoid technology and because it’s a time period that many authors are comfortable with, having experienced it themselves). Likewise, I found it a bit jarring to read a story told through the eyes of an 18-year-old about being 13, as it was a little too self-reflective. That said, Reinhardt’s style continues to grow on me, as she’s a slow reveal storyteller, and her writing is tight. Drew is an interesting character, and I loved the setting in a cheese shop. Perhaps my favorite part of the story was the use of her father’s notebooks as a way to discover who she is and a way to figure out how to be her own person. I loved seeing how much Drew related to the father she didn’t know through his life lists, and I loved how, despite not wanting to be a list keeper herself, she is, and we as readers get to see her become a strong, independent person.

Dark Souls by Paula Morris: Morris’s debut novel Ruined is one of my favorite books to book talk because it has a mix of so many good elements — it’s a ghost story, it’s got a great setting in New Orleans and builds upon the lore of the city to enhance the ghost story, and it’s a story about a girl fitting in as an outsider. It’s clean and well paced, and it’s one of my perennial book talk picks. I was thrilled to get to read Morris’s second novel, also a ghost story, but this one was set in York, England, following a horrific accident that led Miranda to discover she had a power to see things that don’t really exist. The setting and lore upon which this story is built wasn’t as strong nor memorable as it was in Ruined, and I found the story to drag in more than one place. The romantic elements fell flat and were uninteresting to me, and even after finishing what should have been a really enjoyable supernatural story, I found myself disappointed. That said, I think fans of Ruined will like this one, and it’s appropriate for younger and older teen readers who want a spooky story that doesn’t rely on witchcraft or paranormal romance. It’s a true ghost story.

Round Robin, Taste Tested Review: Bake Sale by Sara Varon

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Today, we’re bringing you something a little bit different — it’s a round robin review of a graphic novel, but it’s a little more than that. It’s also a taste tested review. See, today’s book, Bake Sale, by Sara Varon is about a cupcake who runs a bake shop and included in the book are actual recipes from his shop. So we thought it was only fair to review the book by also each trying out one of the sweet treats.
Kelly Says…

I have been looking forward to the next Sara Varon book for a long time. Robot Dreams is probably my favorite graphic novel (you can read Kim’s review here), as it tackles the theme of friendship in a unique way. Bake Sale, too, is a story of friendship between Cupcake and Eggplant, and it’s geared toward upper elementary and middle school students.

Cupcake owns a bakery, and he’s the only one manning it. He makes his living by doing what he loves, and he has regular outings with best friend Eggplant. We’re dropped in the story when Eggplant announces he’ll be going on a trip to Turkey to visit his family, including his aunt, who is a world-renowned baker. It’s not just any world-renowned baker though, it’s Turkish Delight, who is Cupcake’s ultimate idol.
Over the course of the story, Cupcake begins imagining what it would be like to meet his idol. In the course of thinking about this, he begins stumbling at his job and disappoints some of his customers. But when Cupcake finally says something to Eggplant about his envy that Turkish Delight is related to him, Eggplant insists than Cupcake come along with him to Turkey and meet her. Cupcake laments about not having the money to do that, but he decides that if he worked extra hard — selling his baked goods all over the city and on weekends when the shop’s not open and trying his hand at some new recipes — he’d be able to raise the money. And he does!
Unfortunately, something happens in the story and causes his plans to be derailed, and Cupcake no longer has the opportunity to go to Turkey. At least, that’s what he thinks.
I don’t want to explain much more because this is really quite a simple storyline. The book’s strength is in the concept and in the art. I’m a big fan of the soft color palette that doesn’t fall into a too cliche or too sweet pastel. It’s appealing and approachable, and it works with the story to strengthen it. Each of the characters in this story is unique, and the way that Varon has given each of these foods such a distinct look enhances them. Since we don’t get to “meet” many of the characters through the text of the book, we rely almost entirely on the images, and fortunately, it works quite well. The one weakness to the book, though, is that I found the font used for the story to be too curly and cutesy, to the point that it becomes unreadable at times. I found this especially true in differentiating “a” from “2” in more than one place. I wish a simpler font had been chosen, as it would have also made the illustrations do more of the work, which they could have easily done.
The story itself, as I mentioned, is quite simple, and it’s nothing entirely new or fresh. But for the age group it’s intended for, and with the strength in the illustration, it never comes off as boring or dull. It’s a friendship story with a nice lesson at the end, and any reader will appreciate this. I found the ending to this one to be pretty polar opposite that of Robot Dreams, which I enjoyed. Taken together, Varon’s two stories of friendship give readers insight into the idea that friendship comes in many forms. I think this book, especially when it comes to its illustrations, will appeal greatly to fans of Raina Telgemeier’s Smile.
One of the bonuses in this book is that Varon’s included recipes for some of the treats Cupcake makes in his shop. There are a couple peppered in the story itself, but the bulk are in an appendix at the end of the book. And what would a fair review of this book be without having tried out at least one of the recipes?
I give you Raspberry Bars, followed step-by-step via the instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 and mix together 2 cups of flour with 2 sticks of melted butter until it turns into a nice dough.
Press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass pan. The recipe suggests using wax paper to do it, but I just did it with my clean hands. Easier. That goes into the oven for about 15-18 minutes. Pop it out and let it cool.
While it cools, cut up 2 sticks of room temperate butter into small squares. Mix together 2 1/4 cups flour and 1 1/2 cups unpacked brown sugar, then press the butter in using either a pastry press or a fork (or frankly, I used my hands) until you have a crumbly topping.
Drop a cup of raspberry preserves onto the now cool dough. Leave room along the edges for it to spread out. On top of that, put your crumbly mix of flour, butter, and brown sugar. It’ll look like this:
Put it in the oven for 20 minutes or so, until the top is nice and crisp. Then, you will get to enjoy something like this:
And yes, it was delicious. My husband took a bite and loved it, and even though I’m not a baked sweets person, I thought it was really good, too. We talked about how adaptable this recipe could be, too. I’m a big fan of fig, and that would have made a great filling, as would adding a bit of lemon zest to the top and filling.
Although this book is marketed toward younger readers who might not be all that kitchen savvy, I think these recipes are simple enough that it would be easy to get an adult to help and make them possible. What a cool little addition to the book — something that definitely could take this from being a book in a library collection to a book that inspires an entire library program.

Kimberly Says

Bake Sale is a sweet little book (pun intended). It’s a gentle story of friendship with a very simple storyline. This simplicity is reflected in the names of the characters (all are named for what they are – Cupcake, Eggplant, Potato, Turkish Delight) as well as the illustrations. Varon uses a lot of pastels, but doesn’t let it get too precious. She relies a lot on basic shapes – circles, squares, etc. The result is a book clearly meant for children, but not done childishly (if that makes sense).
The recipes in the back are equally simple. I chose to make the peppermint brownies, which involves combining your basic brownie ingredients plus peppermint extract and letting it bake twenty-five minutes in the oven. There’s also an optional frosting you can whip up in a few minutes – again, it’s the basic ingredients (butter, milk, powdered sugar) plus peppermint extract (and some food coloring if you wish). Adult supervision will be required for children, since they’ll need to use the oven and the electric mixer, but it’s a good beginner recipe. There’s nothing fancy here, but the results are tasty and demonstrate that you don’t need to go to a whole lot of effort to create something delicious.

I wasn’t as enamored of Bake Sale as I was with Robot Dreams. I think Robot Dreams accomplished more with its art and imparted greater meaning. It also holds up to re-readings much better. This is not to say Bake Sale isn’t a worthy book. It’s meant for a younger audience and it’s successful in that regard. And like Kelly mentioned, it’s a program in itself – what librarian could resist?

Review copies received from the publisher. Bake Sale will be available to purchase August 30.

Bad Island by Doug TenNapel

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Reese’s dad is forcing his family to go on a boating trip together. This is the last thing Reese wants to do. In fact, Reese has been so upset with his family lately that he’s planning on running away. Now that his dad is dragging him on the family vacation, his plans have to be postponed.

Despite a forecast of clear skies, the sea is choppy and unfriendly. The family’s boat is wrecked, leaving Reese, his parents, and his little sister stranded on a strange island. Luckily, Reese’s father made sure they were prepared for something like this, so they have the supplies to survive, but they still need to find a way off the island. Oh, and they need to somehow avoid being killed by the strange creatures that are hunting them – creatures no one in the family has ever seen before, in real life or in pictures. Accomplishing these goals requires that the four of them work together, not such an easy task for a bickering family.

I appreciated two things most about Bad Island: the creative story and Reese’s family. The narrative is actually divided into two alternating parts. One part follows Reese and his family’s adventures on the island, and the other involves a robot-like creature, his rebellion against his own father, and a possible war against invaders. The two stories are, of course, connected. When all is revealed near the end, I was surprised and gratified by TenNapel’s bizarre and interesting explanation.

It should come as no surprise that Reese and his family do figure out how to work together to save themselves from the island’s creatures and find a way off the island. TenNapel portrays this emotional journey in a moving way, but he doesn’t hit you over the head with it. Best of all, both Reese and his father grow throughout the course of the story. Character growth shouldn’t be just the province of the young protagonist, and it’s nice to see the two contentious family members come together and grow in respect for each other.

I’ve read TenNapel’s other graphic novel for kids, Ghostopolis, and enjoyed it, although I wasn’t especially impressed. Bad Island is a distinct improvement. Ghostopolis was full of gross-out humor that didn’t necessarily add to the story. Bad Island keeps some of that humor that TenNapel (and his readers, no doubt) are so fond of, but it’s toned down slightly and seems much less random.

For example, a thread TenNapel carries throughout Bad Island involves Reese’s sister’s pet snake, which meets an unhappy end during the shipwreck and which she insists on keeping around, despite its growing stench. TenNapel very funnily illustrates this snake with exes for eyes and brown smoke around its body to illustrate the smell – but it’s not just a running gag. The snake, despite being dead, has a part to play in the story.

The art here is wonderful. It’s just the kind of art I love to see in graphic novels – firm lines, bold colors, clear facial expressions, and well-executed action full of energy. The natural environment of the island is a feast for the eyes and the various creatures pulled from TenNapel’s imagination are a delight to pore over. This is a winner.

Copy borrowed from my local library.

Empire State by Jason Shiga

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Jason Shiga’s graphic novel for kids, Meanwhile, is a genius piece of comic wizardry. If you haven’t taken a look at it yet, you really should. The best way to describe it is a “choose your own adventure” comic, but it’s so cleverly done that it eclipses all of those cheesy stories you read as a kid yourself. 
But this post isn’t about Meanwhile. It’s about Empire State, Shiga’s graphic novel for adults, which I picked up solely due to my love for Meanwhile.
Jimmy is a twenty-five year old library assistant living in Oakland. He lives with his mom, signs over all of his paychecks to her, and has aspirations to being a web designer. The bright spot in his life is his best friend Sara. She’s forthright, sarcastic, funny, and has dreams of her own. Namely, she wants to be a part of the publishing world in New York City.
Sara decides to follow her dream, haring off to the Big Apple and leaving Jimmy behind. Jimmy, who has harbored a not so secret crush on Sara for ages, writes her a letter describing his feelings and suggesting a rendezvous at the top of the Empire State Building. Without waiting for a reply, he tells his mother he’s going to apply for a job at Google and buys a bus ticket to NYC.
The highlight of Empire State for me was the dialogue between Jimmy and Sara. This is a witty book, but it’s subtle. Jimmy and Sara talk about how she finds boyfriends on JDate and makes out with the fat ones out of pity, how ridiculous hipsters are, how Jimmy has no idea what all the different words mean when ordering coffee. In order to pick up on all of the nuances of the dialogue, re-reading is necessary, because some things can be missed in the course of a normal conversation between the two. 
When Jimmy gets to New York and meets up with Sara, things don’t happen as he hoped – but they don’t happen as I expected, either. It’s all very understated and much quieter than comics normally are. It works.
Empire State alternates between the present (Jimmy’s trip to NYC and the meeting that ensues) and the past (Jimmy and Sara’s friendship in Oakland and his decision to pursue her when she leaves). Shiga uses blue shades for the present and pinks for the past. It gives the book kind of a dreamy quality. If you don’t know this right off the bat, the story can be a bit confusing at first, but perseverance pays off.
Empire State is semi-autobiographical, inspired by a by a cross-country bus trip Shiga himself took from California to New York. The bus trip is actually a very small part of the story (it is pretty funny, though, since it involves a couple of newly-released prison inmates as Jimmy’s co-riders). The emphasis is on the relationship – romance? friendship? something else? – between Jimmy and Sara, and the story shines most when both occupy the page together.
Copy borrowed from my local library.