Greenhouse of Horror by Liv Livingston

 I'm starting the week with a little fun...and a few spooks? Today's read is the third in a graphic novel series for chapter book readers. Nope, I haven't read the first two, but when has that stopped me from diving into an interesting read? I really don't know what to expect with this one, so let's just find out what it holds!

GREENHOUSE OF HORROR

Spirited, Book #3

by Liv Livingston

Illustrated by Glass House Graphics

Little Simon

Chapter Book Paranormal  /

Graphic Novel

144 pages

ages 6 to 9

Liv’s class visits the greenhouse and encounters some strange plants in book three of the Spirited graphic novel chapter book series.

Liv’s science class has a new botany finding the plant that best represents them. Mrs. Arber, the ghost caring for (and haunting) the Gloomsdale Botanical Gardens, comes in to give a helping hand. In a town full of ghosts, Liv isn’t even sure she knows who she is, but when she meets a new ghost friend, she discovers that maybe she’s not the only one feeling like the odd-ghoul-out.

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON     /      B&N

MY TIDBITS

Ghosts and gloomy plants pack tons of surprises, which are sure to delight more than just paranormal fans.

Liv is the only 100% human girl in Gloomsdale, a town of ghosts and a few other paranormal creatures. To say she doesn't really fit in is an understatement, and it gets to her sometimes. Since she's still somewhat new to the town, she hasn't really found her place and wonders if she ever will. The ghosts, while fairly friendly, still enjoy poking fun at her inability to do anything ghostly. And having them 'accidentally' float through her is just plain awful! When the teacher announces the annual gardening class project, she's sure things will end with a new disaster.

This is such a sweet read! There's a lovely balance between spooky creepiness, school drama, and enjoyable humor, which draws in. The nod towards darker gothic adds a hint of creepy possibilities, but instead of heading into spookiness, the setting creates unexpected and unique situations to bring more than a few smiles. Still, this read addresses problems many readers face in their own lives and will have them rooting for Liv the entire way through.

There are messages surrounding friendship and embracing your own uniqueness mixed into the ghostly surroundings. These are clear but drift right along into the story as Liv discovers more about the interesting town and its residents. It stays very much at the level of the intended age group and brings across enough familiar aspects to let readers settle right in. 

Bright and bold graphics carry the tale, while the text offers just enough difficulty to push readers' skills a teeny-tiny bit while letting the enjoyable atmosphere of the story still capture with every scene. It's an enjoyable story which promises tons more fun to come.

And here she is...

Liv Livingston likes cats, hot drinks, and walking through the woods with her friends that may or may not be ghosts. Unfortunately, she cannot walk through walls. She lives in New York.

Today's read... The Revenge of Dr. von Naysayer by Ada Hopper

Some days, it's just time for some ridiculous, adventurous fun, and today's read promises to do exactly that. Set for the higher end of chapter book readers, today's read is the tenth in a series. Nope, I have not read any of the other books in this one before (because why would I do something like that?) It swings around science fiction and invention fun, while packing tons of illustrations (yes, I did take a quick peek).

REVENGE OF DR. VON NAYSAYER

The Data Set #10

by Ada Hopper

Illustrated by Glass House Graphics & Rafael Kirschner

Little Simon

Chapter Book Science Fiction

128 pages

ages 5 to 9

In the tenth DATA Set adventure, the kids must choose sides in the battle between Dr. Bunsen and Dr. Von Naysayer!

Dr. Bunsen goes up against his ultimate nemesis, Dr. Von Naysayer to settle their long-standing feud, once and for all. May the best mad scientist win!

With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the DATA Set chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.

GOODREADS   /    BOOK DEPOSITORY    /    AMAZON   /    B&N

MY TIDBITS

Inventions and adventure take a quirky and high-tension twist in a story with many surprises and humor, too.

The DATA Set kids pay a visit to Dr. Bunsen's secret lab, but he's no where to be found...just his usual mess. When he does appear and invites them to the Invention Convention, they are amazed to see him presented on a main banner. Right next to it is the banner of his ex-partner, Dr. Von Naysayer. The kids wonder about this but are too drawn in by the amazing inventions around them to give it much thought. When the presentations on the stage begin, Dr. Von Naysayer displays a plasma orb, which is a huge break-through on energy sourcing. Everyone is awed by the electricity and light it produces...until everything goes dark. When the lights return, the Data Set kids are trapped in the orb and Dr. Von Naysayer's evil plan unfolds.

This is the tenth book in the series, but it was no problem to settle right into the adventure. There are mentions of situations from the earlier books, but these do not create any holes. So, this can be read as a stand alone.

Those readers, who are well-grounded in their words, but not quite ready to dive into a heavier, middle grade novel, will enjoy this one. The font and spacing is larger sized, allowing for reading ease. The vocabulary urges readers to push forward while still remaining enjoyable and at the right level. There are illustrations on every page, which keep boredom away and add to the sense of adventure, while making the imaginative scenes easier to visualize and understand. Not that this tale could ever be considered boring.

Science fiction and inventions mix with the imagination to open up a whole realm of possibilities, and these do defy logic. While reading, it seems as if there's no rhyme or reason as to why things happen as they do, but the huge leaps of imagination, which keep the plot very unexpected and surprising, slap right back together with an interesting and unexpected twist at the end. 

Of course, there are wholesome messages, too. This read is much more grounded in that direction then it first appears. While there are very dangerous situations, evil intentions, and high-stakes to keep readers on the edge of their seats, the resolution to the disagreement between the two scientists does a sudden 180`, which while making perfect sense, leaves a sense of whiplash. This isn't bad just unexpected.

Readers who crave adventure, action, and invention fantasy (without forgetting a big dose of humor) are in for some very imaginative fun.

And here she is...

Ada Hopper has been extremely inventive ever since she was little. There was nothing that a rubber band and some tweezers couldn’t fix, no question that couldn’t be answered by scouring the library, and no way she wasn’t escaping over that backyard fence! Ada loves reading and writing because of all the fantastical worlds a good book can bring you to. When not working, Ada enjoys karaoke, spending time with her family, and going on the occasional adventure or two.