Horace Splattly is a series of six children's books written by Lawrence David and illustrated by Barry Gott, published between 2002 and 2004 by Puffin Books. The eponymous Horace Splattly becomes the superhero The Cupcaked Crusader whenever he eats cupcakes baked by his sister.
The series has frequently been compared with Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants series, [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] but not always positively. [6]
Initially the books were praised. Of the first book, the School Library Journal said that it had a "quick pace and silly characters" [2] and Kirkus Reviews that "this caped crusader rises hilariously to meet each challenge." [4] Kirkus later wrote that the second book "provides plenty of creative twists, danger, and excitement". [3]
But by the third book of the series, responses to the new volume had become more negative. School Library Journal said that it "never makes the absurd seem believable" and also criticized the characters. [6] Kirkus complained that "the premise is wearing thin", but did add that it still had "enough gags and zany twists in the tale to keep fans turning the pages", [5] and the Midwest Book Review thought that it was a "whimsical, zany adventure". [7]
Several reviewers have praised Barry Gott for his illustrations. The Midwest Book Review called them "fun", [7] Kirkus Reviews said that they "capture the general sense of goofiness perfectly" [4] and the School Library Journal said the "[h]umorous illustrations add to the lighthearted tone". [2]
Captain Underpants is an illustrated children's novel series by American author and illustrator Dav Pilkey. The series revolves around two fourth-graders, George Beard and Harold Hutchins, living in Piqua, Ohio, and Captain Underpants, an aptly named superhero from one of the boys' homemade comic books, who accidentally becomes real when George and Harold hypnotize their ill-tempered principal, Mr. Krupp. Soon after, Mr. Krupp gains superpowers by drinking alien juices in the third book.
Midwest Book Review, established in 1976, produces nine book-review publications per month.
Saint George and the Dragon is a book written by Margaret Hodges and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. Released by Little, Brown, it was the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1985. The text is adapted from Edmund Spenser's epic poem The Faerie Queene.
Elisa Kleven is an American children's writer and illustrator of 30 books. She grew up in Los Angeles and currently resides near San Francisco. Her titles have been Booklist editor's choices, and PBS and Rainbow Book selections.
John J. Robinson was an American author, best known as the author of Born in Blood: The Lost Secrets of Freemasonry. He is also credited as being the "founding visionary" of the Masonic Information Center run by the Masonic Service Association of North America. He was a member of the Medieval Academy of America, the Organization of American Historians, and the Royal Over-Seas League of London.
Minnie and Moo: Will You Be My Valentine? is a children's picture book in the Minnie and Moo series by Denys Cazet, first published in 2003.
Adele Griffin is a young adult fiction author, writing numerous novels for young adults, most recently The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone, as well as the Vampire Island and Witch Twins series. Her novels Sons of Liberty and Where I Want to Be were both National Book Award finalists.
Epic Horse is a historical fiction series by author Victoria Holmes. There are three books in the series each following a new heroine and setting. The idea was first thought of when Holmes worked for Working Partners and came up of a historical fiction story. Each book has separate inspirations and influences on the time period and characters.
The Lucinda Pierce Mystery series, by American non-fiction author and novelist Diane Fanning, debuted in 2008 with The Trophy Exchange. The four-part series, released by Severn House in the UK and US, features Virginia Homicide Detective Lucinda Pierce as she follows the evidence and investigates murders. Known for her non-fiction true crime books, Publishers Weekly described the series as "double duty for Fanning."
The Bluford Series is a widely read collection of contemporary American young adult novels set in the fictional inner-city high school of Bluford High in Southern California. Bluford is named for Guion "Guy" Bluford, the first African-American astronaut. The series was created and published by Townsend Press and was co-distributed by Scholastic. As part of an effort to promote reading in underfunded school districts, Townsend Press originally made the Bluford Series available to schools for a dollar each. As of 2016, about 11 million Bluford Series novels were in print.
Jinx is the first novel in a middle-grades children's fantasy trilogy by Sage Blackwood, published by Harper Collins in 2013. Set in a sentient primeval forest called The Urwald, the novel follows the adventures of a boy named Jinx who is abandoned in the forest and rescued by the wizard Simon Magus. Jinx grows up in Simon's house. After the wizard does a spell on Jinx that causes him to lose his ability to see others' emotions, Jinx runs away to seek help from the evil Bonemaster.
Allen Drury's University series is a trio of novels written by political novelist Allen Drury between 1990 and 1998, which follow a group of university fraternity brothers for a span of over 60 years from 1938 to 2001. Drury graduated from Stanford University in 1939, and his experiences there provided the basis for the series. The novels are set in a different fictional timeline from Drury's 1959 novel Advise and Consent, which earned him a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Wink Poppy Midnight is a young adult mystery novel written by April Genevieve Tucholke and published on March 22, 2016 by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Books.
Flossie & the Fox is a 1986 picture book by Pat McKissack about a girl, Flossie, who takes some eggs to a neighbor, meets a fox on the way and manages to outwit it.
Ain't Nobody a Stranger to Me is a 2007 picture book by Ann Grifalconi and illustrator Jerry Pinkney about an old man telling his granddaughter of he and his young family's journey to freedom with assistance from the Underground Railroad.
Melissa Sweet is an American illustrator and writer of children's books. She has won several awards for her illustrations, most notably a Caldecott Honor in 2009 for A River of Words and in 2015 for The Right Word, both by Jen Bryant. Sweet is represented by Rebecca Sherman at Writers House.
Wolf in the Snow is a 2017 wordless picture book by Matthew Cordell. The book was favorably received by critics and won the 2018 Caldecott Award. The story has drawn comparisons to fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood. The nearly wordless book tells the story of a girl and wolf who each get lost in the snowstorm. Cordell used distinctive illustration techniques for the girl and the wolf.
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut is a 2017 picture book by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James. The book, Barnes' first picture book, is a poem describing a boy's feelings and experience while getting a haircut. James, who was not the first choice to be the illustrator, wanted the oil color illustrations to have the feel of fine art.
Friday Barnes, Girl Detective is a 2014 Children's novel by R. A. Spratt. It is about an 11 year old girl, Friday, who uses her detecting skills to solve mysteries at her boarding school.
Prince & Knight is a 2018 children's picture book authored by Daniel Haack and illustrated by Stevie Lewis. It was originally published in English by Little Bee Books, formerly an imprint of the Bonnier Group and now an independent entity, and was distributed by Simon & Schuster. A French language version, Le prince et le chevalier, was published in 2019 by Scholastic Canada.
