Kid Konnection: Lights, Camera, Middle School!

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week I'm going to share with you a middle grade book starring the popular character Babymouse.

Summary: ABOUT LIGHTS, CAMERA, MIDDLE SCHOOL!

It’s a new kind of book for Babymouse! Fans of Dork Diaries, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and James Patterson’s Middle School books, this is going to be epic. . . .

For Babymouse, middle school is like a monster movie. You can never be sure who’s a friend and who’s an enemy, and the halls are filled with mean-girl zombies. Instead of brains, the zombies hunger for stuff—the perfect wedge sandals or the right shade of sparkly lip gloss—and they expect everyone to be just like them.

But Babymouse doesn’t want to fit in—she wants to stand out! So she joins the film club to write and direct a sweeping cinematic epic. Will making the film of her dreams turn into a nightmare?

Thanks to Babymouse, middle school gets schooled in this hilarious new series from bestselling authors Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm. -- Random House

I love Babymouse, so I was thrilled to learn that this character is now starring in middle grade graphic novels. LIGHTS, CAMERA, MIDDLE SCHOOL! is the first book in the BABYMOUSE TALES FROM THE LOCKER series by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm, and it's sure to be a hit. This book encompasses everything fans have come to know and love about Babymouse, namely adorable illustration and lots of humor!

Babymouse is discovering that middle school isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's kind of like a scary monster movie with the spooky creatures in the halls and zombie girls; and Babymouse feels like she has to run for her life! There is a lot of pressure to fit in, but Babymouse would rather stand-out. (Isn't that just typical for Babymouse?)

Like most animals, Babymouse is trying to find a sport or club that she wants to join. After a great deal of consideration, she decides to join the film club. She is tasked with writing and directing a movie that will be viewed by her entire class. Needless to say, Babymouse is thrilled to have this responsibility; however, she quickly learns that it's not easy to be in charge. She has a diva starring in her movie, budget constraints, and more! Will making a movie prove to be even more difficult than navigating middle school?

I loved LIGHTS, CAMERA, MIDDLE SCHOOL!, but of course, I did. It's written by none other than the sister/brother duo Jennifer and Matthew Holm. They are absolutely amazing, and together, they create some very entertaining novels. I think Mr. Holm's illustrations are the perfect complement to Ms. Holm's text. and I love how much humor they incorporate into the books with both their writing and drawings.

I think LIGHTS, CAMERA, MIDDLE SCHOOL! is an ideal read for middle grade readers, especially those who like graphic novels with short chapters. The story is definitely entertaining, namely due to the humor; and even the most reluctant of readers will like this book. The text is relatively large and there are illustrations on every page, so it's not intimidating in the least. In fact, it's a great introduction for readers ready to embark on early chapter books.

I'm going to put my mom hat on for the next paragraph! I loved that there were some valuable lessons included in Babymouse's story. Babymouse learned so many things about socializing, organizing, and managing, but she also learned a great deal about herself. I have a feeling that many kids will relate to Babymouse and her attempts to stand out in a crowd... and find herself along the way!

LIGHTS, CAMERA, MIDDLE SCHOOL! is a terrific addition to the Babymouse library as well as a great start to a new series. Fans of the Dork Diaries and Wimpy Kid books will love this book. Highly recommended!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this book.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!