Super Pancake and the Mini Muffin Mayhem by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Abhi Alwar - OPTIONAL

Super Pancake and the Mini Muffin Mayhem by Megan Wagner Lloyd, illustrated by Abhi Alwar, 170 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Knopf (Random House), 2024 $17 

Language: G (0 swears) Mature Content: G Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Peggy Pancake is back and she is trying to balance being a super hero with everyday life. Her parents have signed her up for babysitting during spring break to teach her responsibility, but babysitting the five Mini Muffins will take everything Peggy has, even her super powers. 

The art is colorful and engaging and even though the main characters are breakfast foods, they are relatable in their attempts to wrangle five little muffin kids. The plot is fairly predictable but a fun ride, and it's nice that Peggy actually likes her parents and brother. 

Michelle in the Middle

Fetch: Book Two-The Rescue by Mike Sizemore, Dave Kennedy, Pete Kennedy, and Jance Chiang - ADVISABLE

Fetch: Book Two-The Rescue by Mike Sizemore, Dave Kennedy, Pete Kennedy, and Jance Chiang, 104 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Storm King Comics, 2024. $15 

Language: G (0 swears) Mature Content: PG (the well endowed siren only wears long hair) Violence: PG (mythological violence) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Continuing her hunt for her dog, Danni is a twelve-year old girl making her way through Hades with her little brother and their guide, Odysseus. They face new enemies and find new friends in their adventures. 

Readers will want to read these two books in order. This wraps up the story while leaving a gateway for further adventures. The art is stunning and the mythology fun. The ending concludes well. Danni's little brother, Sammy, is somewhere on the spectrum, which gives this story more depth. Nice read. Danni and Sammy are white and Hades is black. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Fetch: Book One-The Journey by Mike Sizemore, Dave Kennedy, Pete Kennedy, and Janice Chiang - ADVISABLE

Fetch: Book One-The Journey by Mike Sizemore, Dave Kennedy, Pete Kennedy, and Janice Chiang, 104 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Storm King Comics 2023 $15 

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (fighting skeletons, mythological creatures) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

12yo Danni is mourning the loss of her dog when she gets an old Greek Mythology book from a new teacher. The book helps her find the entrance to Hades, the Greek underworld, where Danni thinks she can find her dog and bring him back. Danni's younger brother shows up unexpectedly and together they find a guide to help them through the underworld: Odysseus. 

The illustrations are colorful and beautiful. Danni seems a bit young to be undaunted by killer skeletons , Medusa, and a cyclops. but she takes it in stride. It may help readers to have a background in Greek mythology, though this may spark that interest. The plot works surprisingly well, it's just really short. Danni and her brother are white and Hades is black. 

Michelle in the Middle