My book recommendation is Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale.
I'm sure all you Shannon Hale lovers out there have probably already read this, but if by chance you haven't yet, you should definitely give this a try (especially if you've read and enjoyed her previous books). It is a graphic novel. If your dumb like me and don't know what that is, it's kind of like a comic book, but it's also a novel. I was actually a little leery about reading it because of the whole comic book thing. I wasn't sure it would be my cup of tea, but I gave it a try. I'm so glad I did! It is absolutely hilarious, creative, original, and delightful!
The story is a twist on the classic tale of Rapunzel. The twist is it's a western. That's right. A western. What a great twist is that! After finding out that her "mother" (Mother Gothel) is not really her mother and that her real mother is enslaved by the woman that raised her, Rapunzel is locked away in a massive magical tree. The magic in the tree makes her hair grow insanely long, and as we all know, she uses it to escape. She then must brave all kinds dangerous odds in order to save her mother and destroy Mother Gothel's power.
I loved this book because it surprised me- I didn't think I'd like it as much as I did. Second, I loved how strong Rapunzel was. She was no damsel in distress but it wasn't in a "I don't need no man to help me" kind of way. Third, I loved the humor. Fourth, I loved the originality, even though the story has been around forever, and fifth (I could go on all day really), I loved it because I was able to read it with my four year old. We had so much fun reading it together. He loved looking at all the detailed pictures, and he would often pick it up and look at it on his own. It is a very fun book to read with kids, but adults will enjoy it too. This will definitely make its way into my personal library.
If you read it I hope you like it as much as I did.
P.S.- This book was selected by The Today Show's Al Roker for Al's Book Club for Kids.
(I know, everyone loves this book. Don't. Say. Anything. I HATE spoilers. And I hate getting my expectations too high.)
The second in the series. Even though it's written by my cousin, I'm not showing bias when I say it's a really good book!
So this is the 10th in the series. But even though it's been awhile since I've read about this Mma, I was able to pick it up easily. This series is definitely a to-read for everyone. Not only are the mysteries interesting and fun, but the short lessons on life are practical and full of wisdom.
So good! If you haven't read the first three in this series, where have you been?!!!
