THE MISFITS
James Howe, . . S&S/Aladdin, $5.99 (288pp) ISBN 978-0-689-83956-6
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Reviewed on: 05/19/2003
Genre: Children's
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- THE MISFITSJames HoweWhat do a 12-year-old student who moonlights as a tie salesman, a tall, outspoken girl, a gay middle schooler and a kid branded as a hooligan have in common? Best friends for years, they've Continue reading »
- HORACE AND MORRIS JOIN THE CHORUS (BUT WHAT ABOUT DOLORES?)James HoweIn this sympathetic follow-up to Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores, Howe and Walrod depict a girl mouse's frustrated singing attempts and leaven it with Continue reading »
- HORACE AND MORRIS BUT MOSTLY DOLORESJames Howe"Walrod makes a showstopping debut with her visual accompaniment to Howe's lighthearted prose. Together they invent an enchanting mouse trio that pokes fun at the way gender roles Continue reading »
- KADDISH FOR GRANDPA IN JESUS' NAME AMENJames HoweFive-year-old Emily's family is Jewish but her grandfather is Christian (Emily's father converted). When Grandpa dies, narrator Emily attends church for the first time, for Grandpa's Continue reading »
- Totally JoeJames HoweDelivering trenchant messages about tolerance, self-knowledge and the vacuity of teenage popularity, Howe's ultimately uplifting tale marks the welcome return of the Gang of Five (though there Continue reading »
- James HoweJames HoweIn a starred review, PW wrote, "In this sympathetic follow-up to Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores , Howe and Walrod Continue reading »
- Houndsley and CatinaJames HoweThe importance of friendship and of appreciating one's true talents lay at the heart of this appealing collaboration introducing a canine-feline pair. Howe's Continue reading »
- Horace and Morris Say Cheese (Which Makes Dolores Sneeze!)James HoweFood allergies get an understanding appraisal in Howe and Walrod's third picture book starring Horace, Morris and Dolores. The three school-age mice naturally adore cheese: “They ate Continue reading »
- BrontorinaJames HoweHowe (Bunnicula) pens a humorous and inspiring tale about a big dinosaur with a big dream: "[I]n my heart," Brontorina says, "I am a ballerina." Thoughtful, white-haired instructor Madame Lucille is Continue reading »
- I Wish I Were a ButterflyJames HoweAfter the frog at the pond's edge tells him that he's ugly, the cricket of Swampswallow Pond loses his zest for life and for singing. The glowworm and the ladybug try to persuade the cricket that Continue reading »
- The WatcherJames HoweIn this intense psychological drama, Howe (Bunnicula) delves into the minds of three troubled teens whose lives converge at a seaside resort. Twelve-year-old Evan and lifeguard Chris arrive at the Continue reading »
- There's a Dragon in My Sleeping BagJames HoweIn this sequel to There's a Monster Under My Bed, one brother invents a dragon to play with, the other invents a camel. ""A clever variation on the imaginary friend theme,"" said PW. Ages 4-7. Continue reading »
- Bunnicula Strikes Again!James HoweThe Monroe animals prove themselves up to scratch in this sublimely silly Bunnicula caper (following Return to Howliday Inn). Newcomers will quickly catch on to the series' premise: Chester the cat Continue reading »
- Eat Your Poison, Dear: A Sebastian Barth MysteryJames HoweAs original and well constructed as Howe's Stage Fright and What Eric Knew, this is the third in the series that stars the smart teenager Sebastian Barth. In the cafeteria at Pembroke Middle School, Continue reading »
- Morgans ZooJames HoweZookeeper Morgan seems distressed, and the animal residents of the zoo are worried about him; when the news spreads that the zoo will be closed, a brother and sister team rally support for the cause. Continue reading »
- Nighty NightmareJames HoweIn this further witty adventure of the Bunnicula crowd, Harold and Howie find themselves out in the woods on the one night of the year that evil spirits come out to prey. Ages 8-12. Continue reading »
- Return to Howliday InnJames HoweHowe here brings back the amusingly articulate cast of animal characters introduced in Bunnicula and later featured in Howliday Inn , The Celery Stalks at Midnight and Nighty-Nightmare . The author Continue reading »
- Rabbit-Cadabra!James HoweThe latest Bunnicula picture book sustains that series' well-known comedy-of-errors combination of slapstick and intrigue. Once again the other animals in the Monroe household suspect impending Continue reading »
- There's a Dragon in My Sleeping BagJames HoweHowe and Rose, who together produced There's a Monster Under My Bed, serve up a clever variation on the imaginary-friend theme. In this case, there are two imaginary friends-one for Alex and the Continue reading »
- What Eric KnewJames HoweGraduates of the Bunnicula books can move on to the adventures of young sleuth Sebastian Barth. In the first of these mysteries Sebastian investigates the strange accidents that befall a noted Continue reading »
- When You Go to KindergartenJames HoweAided by copious upbeat photographs, the creator of Bunnicula examines ``an exciting part of growing up.'' Ages 4-up. Continue reading »
- Stage FrightJames HoweGraduates of the Bunnicula books can move on to the adventures of young sleuth Sebastian Barth. In the first of these mysteries Sebastian investigates the strange accidents that befall a noted Continue reading »
- A Night Without StarsJames HoweDeparting from the high comedy of the Bunnicula books, Howe pens a ""gripping"" novel about an 11-year-old girl hospitalized for a defective heart, said PW in a boxed review. Ages 8-12. Continue reading »
- Nighty-NightmareJames HoweIn this campsite adventure, part of the Bunnicula series, ""humor is brilliantly blended with vampire lore,"" said PW. Ages 8-12. Continue reading »
- Hay Un Dragon En Mi Bolsa de Dormir = There's a Dragon in My Sleeping BagJames HoweIn this sequel to There's a Monster Under My Bed, one brother invents a dragon to play with, the other invents a camel. ""A clever variation on the imaginary friend theme,"" said PW. Ages 4-7. Continue reading »
- Horace and Morris But Mostly DoloresJames Howe, Lou FancherThree young mice--Horace, Morris and Dolores--go everywhere together; they are ""the greatest of friends, the truest of friends, the now-and-forever-I'm-yours sort of friends."" Walrod makes a Continue reading »
- Rabbit-CadabraJames Howe""Garnished with winsome puns and indulgent irony [this Bunnicula caper] sustains the series' well-known comedy-of-errors combination of slapstick and intrigue,"" said PW. Ages 5-up. Continue reading »
- The WatcherJames HoweThe lives of three troubled teens converge at a seaside resort; PW called the work ""a blend of allegory and stark realism [that] offers a host of ironies for readers to explore."" Ages 12-up. (June) Continue reading »
- Invasion of the Mind Swappers from Asteroid 6!James HoweThere's nothing like a series to keep kids turning pages. Bunnicula's family is back, and Uncle Harold steps aside to let Howie, the family dachshund, tell all in It Came from Beneath the Bed!, Continue reading »
- Eat Your Poison, DearJames HoweSuper sleuth Sebastian Barth must find out whether the school food is just a little worse than usual or the students are being poisoned, in this addition to Howe's mystery series. Ages 10-up. Continue reading »
- Stage FrightJames HoweAnother entertaining mystery about Sebastian Barth. Ages 913. Continue reading »
- When U Go to KindergtnJames Howe, Betsy ImersheinHowe, who wrote The Hospital Book, puts the first year of school into a clear context that is at once familiar and reassuring to would-be kindergartners. Using various schools, teachers, classrooms Continue reading »
- Babes in ToylandJames HoweThe popular operetta of the early 20th century was most recently a movie from Walt Disney. Now Howe (of Bunnicula fame) has written a hilariously villainous adaptation of the story. Alan loves Continue reading »
- What Eric KnewJames HoweSebastian Barth is a teenage sleuth, worried about the mysterious coded messages he's been receiving from his friend Eric, who has moved away. PW termed this story ""a tense adventure with Continue reading »
- The Fright Before ChristmasJames HoweBunnicula characters Harold and Chester are back, in a colorful picture-book format. Once again the ungainly dog, Harold, narrates the story and lends to it his particular canine perspective. Howie, Continue reading »
- The Fright Before ChristmasJames HoweHarold, Chester and Bunnicula return in the tale of Howie the dachshund puppy's first Christmas: Will Howie escape the clutches of that ``big fat man in a red suit?'' PW enjoyed the story's lively Continue reading »
- Harold & Chester in Scared Silly: A Halloween TreatJames HoweThis story, narrated in first person by Harold the dog (of Bunnicula fame), concerns a cat, a dachshund, a rabbit--and, of course, a scary Halloween night. The animals know all day a storm is coming Continue reading »
- Harold & Chester in Hot FudgeJames HoweHarold, Chester, Howie and Bunnicula, the menagerie who debuted in Bunnicula , return in a mouth-watering caper. Mr. Monroe is making his famous fudge (recipe included). Of course Harold and Howie Continue reading »
- Harold & Chester in Creepy-Crawly BirthdayJames HoweHeaded by Chester the cat and Harold the dog, the Bunnicula gang returns in fine form in one of Howe's characteristically antic adventures. This time, Toby's birthday has arrived and the household Continue reading »
- Stage FrightJames HoweThirteen-year-old sleuth Sebastian Barth returns to tackle--in his inimitable style--the case of a popular movie star who falls prey to several threatening ``accidents.'' Ages 9-12. Continue reading »
- Pinky and Rex Get MarriedJames Howe, Melissa SweetThese first chapter books star inseparable, irrepressible friends--one named for his favorite color, the other for her fascination with dinosaurs--who visit the museum in the first title and hold a Continue reading »
- Dew Drop DeadJames HoweThe fourth mystery by the creator of Bunnicula to star 13-year-old sleuth Sebastian Barth addresses a timely topic, as a homeless man is suspected of murder. Ages 8-12. Continue reading »
- Bunnicula Escapes!: A Pop-Up AdventureJames HoweThe vampire bunny goes 3-D in this peppy pop-up. The Monroe family is sampling the attractions at the county fair while Harold the dog, Chester the cat, Howard the puppy and Bunnicula wait in the Continue reading »
- Creepy-Crawly BirthdayJames HoweThe Bunnicula gang--Chester the cat, Harold the dog and Howie the dachshund puppy--will have youngsters rooting for many happy returns in this singular celebration. Ages 6-9. Continue reading »
- Return to Howliday InnJames HoweAbout the latest romp starring the inimitable Bunnicula gang, PW noted, ``The author generously peppers this caper with his trademark puns and snappy one-liners. Howe's fans will find this as Continue reading »
- Rabbit-Cadabra!James HoweThe fanged rabbit Bunnicula participates in The Amazing Karlovsky's magic act in this agreeably wacky tale; instructions for a magic trick and punch-out paper props are included. Ages 6-9. Continue reading »
- The Fright Before ChristmasJames HoweThe Bunnicula gang returns for a Halloween-like Christmas Eve. PW called this humorous outing ""delightful"" and ""enticing."" Ages 5-up. (Sept.) Continue reading »
- Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of MysteryJames Howe, Deborah HoweLeading a trio of titles with milestone celebrations, Bunnicula 25th Anniversary Edition by Deborah and James Howe, illus. by Alan Daniel, boasts a new foreword by James Howe to commemorate the 1979 Continue reading »
- Addie on the InsideJames HoweWritten in narrative verse that has the rhythm and punch of spoken-word poetry, this companion to The Misfits and Totally Joe intimately conveys the internal conflicts of seventh-grader Addie, whose Continue reading »
- Otter and Odder: A Love StoryJames HoweLove at first sight befalls a hungry otter and the fish he intends to eat for dinner. Soul-searching ensues. “I am in love with my food source,” the dismayed otter admits, gazing into Myrtle’s Continue reading »
- Also Known as ElvisJames HoweThis thoughtful conclusion to the Misfits series begins with Skeezie as an adult, an expectant father reflecting on his summer between seventh and eighth grade. Skeezie's letters to his young self, Continue reading »
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