Two books I recently read to help cleanse the palette some more (I was still working on a horror book I thought was Young Adult, but would lean a bit more adult, and therefore, more graphic , so maybe it was “new adult?” But regardless it was a lot to take and I needed “happy time” to clean my brain) and to see if one of them was good for the nephew. I picked up (as an online reader copy) Willa and Wade and the Way-Up-There and in book form, The Chilling Ice Rink Escapade. Are they Shakespere? No (but then again, if you believe the literary rumors, Shakespeare wasn’t Shakespere), but they were fun. They reminded me that there is still some happy stuff and there is still a pup (and grown up) called Scooby Doo.
Yes, The Chilling Ice Rink Escapade is part of a Batman and Scooby-Doo! Mystery novel/tie-in series. This one is by Michael Anthony Steele and illustrated by Darío Brizuela. If you love Scooby Doo and gang, you should read this book. However, if you are a Batman fan, this is less focused on him, but he and Robin make important appearances. The kicker is that there is a “round up” at the end that allows you and your child/the child to analyze the story, by asking questions like, Why did Fred want Batman’s approval? Therefore it is fun and educational.
Willa and Wade and the Way-Up-There by Judith Henderson with illustrations by Sara Sarhangpour is a cute story about the joy of friendship and having a good day. It is a modern day Frog and Toad or like Piggie and Elephant tales. Things are simple overall with the text meant for a younger audience (to read to or reading solo), there is little to the details and colors and overall the theme is easy. This does not mean it is bad, just not a “deep dish pizza” but a thin crust with sauce and cheese. It is quirky, classical and modern.