The Misadventures of Salem Hyde: Book One: Spelling Trouble

The Misadventures of Salem Hyde:  Book One:  Spelling Trouble

Frank Cammuso

ISBN:  9781419708046

This is the second graphic novel format Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee I read, but, unlike The Great American Dust Bowl, this book is completely fictional.  At first I thought I would have a hard time getting into the format, but once I started reading, I found that I completed the book very quickly.  It was entertaining, it was cute, and it was just plain fun.

Summary

Salem Hyde is a young witch who is just learning to control her powers.  Neither of her parents are witches, although her aunt is.  In an effort to help her learn to control her powers, they enlist the help of an animal companion, Mr. Percival J. Whamsford, III.  Salem is disappointed to have an unoriginal cat as her companion (she wanted a unicorn), but she soon finds that she has bigger problems to worry about.  Salem inadvertently signs herself up for the school spelling bee.  She thinks it will be no problem – after all, she’s a witch and knows plenty of spells.  But spelling and casting spells are not the same thing, and Salem is going to need some serious help to get out of the trouble she’s caused.

What I Liked

Salem is an immediately loveable and relatable character.  She’s cute, she’s confident, and she’s adorably mistaken about her magical abilities.  I immediately loved the attitude that she brought to the story – she believes in herself and her magical powers even when she miserably fails Whammy’s tests.  Plus, the plays on words throughout the book are hilarious – simple enough that young audiences can appreciate them, but with enough depth that adults find them enjoyable as well.  Cammuso even goes so far as to include literary references like Moby Dick into the story, which makes it more than just a simple tale of a girl and her cat.  Overall, Salem struggles with a very real problem:  learning to be the best version of who she is.  Even if we aren’t all witches, we can certainly relate to her dilemma.

What I Didn’t Like

Although the illustrations are cute and add so much detail to the story, I have to admit that I didn’t like that the only color used throughout the book was green.  I would have loved to see Salem’s vibrant personality illustrated with a few more colors.  Overall, though, that’s not a large enough complaint to discourage me from recommending the book, nor do I anticipate it being a negative factor for most readers.

Overall Feeling

This book is a complete hit!  It has something that will appeal to just about any reader – a cute story, an adorable protagonist, magic, humor, and real-life lessons.  It is obvious from Book One that Salem and Whammy will have more adventures in the future, and the reader ends the first story wanting to immediately pick up the next installment.  Cammuso does a brilliant job of addressing a lesson that we all must learn at some point – how to be the best versions of ourselves, in spite of our flaws.  This story is sure to find a place in the hearts of most readers, and I would recommend it without hesitation for anyone looking for a great read.

The Great American Dust Bowl

The Great American Dust Bowl

Don Brown

ISBN:  9780547815503

This is the second title I have read for the 2015-2016 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominees.  Continuing down the list in alphabetically order, this is the next title.  I was actually pleased to have a nonfiction title (and more of a picture book) after reading a full chapter book.  It also gave me a better idea about the diversity of titles that are included each year on the nomination list.

Summary

The biggest storm of the Dust Bowl happened on April 14, 1935.  But, as Brown points out, the events that led to the Dust Bowl started far earlier.  The text, reading in an almost graphic novel format, presents a summary of the events leading up the Dust Bowl, from the shifting of the earth’s plates, through World War I, and on into the series of droughts and dusters that shaped the Dust Bowl.

What I Liked

As a nonfiction title, this book obviously presented a lot of facts.  I liked that the author presented the facts as simply as possible, but also in ways that are understandable to the reader.  For example, Brown describes the duster of May 1934 as filled with enough dust to fill 1500 modern supertankers.  Not only does the reader suddenly understand the vast amount of dust described, the simple visuals accompanying the text reinforce the points.  Overall, the book presents much factual information in a concise, understandable format.  Further, Brown hooks the reader from the very first sentence of the book.  The word choice immediately intrigues the reader and encourages you to read further.

What I Didn’t Like

Overall, I enjoyed the book.  However, I felt that the illustrations could have done more to support the text, at least as it relates to the families depicted.  On their own, the illustrations do a wonderful job of depicting the terror and hardship of the dust storms.  However, since the author chose to use a graphic format with the characters periodically adding their own thoughts to the narration, I would have liked to see perhaps a bit more character development throughout the story.  For instance, having the same family describe the impact of the Dust Bowl on their farm to allow the reader to form a stronger connection.  Overall, though, the way the author presents information does not detract from the text or the overall goal of the book, and the comments that are provided are beneficial for providing more personal context to the historical events described.

Overall Feeling

I enjoyed reading this book.  As a nonfiction title, it presents a lot of information without being overwhelming, and yet there is no doubt as to the historical accuracy and the amount of research that the author put into the work.  I think this book provides a great factual overview to the topic, and includes a surprising amount of information for its relatively short format.  I would recommend it not only as an interesting read, but also as a very useful resource in understanding this period in American history.