Knights of the Kitchen Table is the first book in the Time Warp Trio series. For his birthday, Joe receives a book from his uncle. It transports him and his two best friends into the distant past, to the era of knights and dragons, giants and magicians. Short, funny, and a teensy bit educational. I had mixed feelings about Swing It, Sunny, the second volume in a graphic novel series. Vignettes centered more around fads and pop culture from the 1970s. (Remember this? Remember when?) I wanted to know more about the characters. Hoping for more in Bk3. In Mascot, we meet Noah, who lost his father in the same accident that put him in a wheelchair. A little about family, a little about friendship, a little about neighbors. I liked Noah’s sharp wit (and sympathetic streak) and Dee-Dub’s unassuming genius (and trove of information). My favorite part may have been Noah’s several turn-abouts, when his opinions (and assumptions) about people underwent a radical shift.
C. J. Milbrandt 