On Halo Nightly's eleventh birthday, her Aunt Pandora gives her a collection of jars filled with brightly colored candies. Soon she learns that the candies give her the incredible powers of nature. Halo uses the powers to combat Doozie Hiss, a rival student with superpowered hair. Grade 2-5–Dahl introduces the saccharinely sweet adventures of Halo Nightly, aka Princess Candy. When Halo eats a piece of the candy that was a gift from her Aunt Pandora, she is transformed into a superhero, displaying the powers labeled in Spanish on the candy jar. Little is explained, such as why Halo is given the candy. The colors are bold, with the protagonist's and her nemesis's hair brightly illustrated in pink and fluorescent green. The illustrations are cartoonish with the noses odd-shaped and distracting. The vocabulary is basic enough for low-level readers to read independently, but the plot just doesn't hold together. –Carrie Rogers-Whitehead, Kearns Library, UT Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Giving Capstone early chapter books Among the books I'm sorting for River Valley Elementary are these titles from Capstone Publishing. Monster and Me, a graphic novel by Robert Marsh and illustrated by Tom Percival, is part of the new Monster and Me series from Stone Arch books Graphic Sparks. Another title in the series is Monster in the Outfield. (c)2010 ISBN 9781434215895 $16.99 I like this crazy Monster Dwight who tries to eat everyone whenever Gabby's head is turned. There are many lines and illustrations in this that older readers (grades 2-5) will appreciate. A quick read that is fun. I especially enjoyed the author and the illustrator's bios in the back. Here's the author's (you'll have to get the book to read the illustrator's): Robert Marsh grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, but longed to live somewhere else. He pretended not to live in Omaha by reading lots of books. Every week, Marsha checked out twenty books from the library. Since he didn't have time to read all of those books, he would read the first chapter of each and make up the rest of the story. Marsh now makes up stories for a living and doesn't live in Omaha. Dreams do come true. Sugar Hero in the Princess Candy series. A graphic novel by Michael Dahl and illustrated by Jeff Crowther. A fast reading silly tale to appeal to girls. With names like Doozy Hiss, Halo Nightly, and Mr. Slink, you know this is a comedic take on superheroes. I did wonder if Mr. Nussbaum, the man riding in Mary Jane (the cab), was named after Greg Nussbaum and his educational website. Michael? Also in this series is The Marshmallow Mermaid. I wonder what powers Princess Candy will use in that title. http: //www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/830000283/post/800051280.html?nid=3368-- "Practically Paradise Blog" Halo Nightly lives every child's dream: She gains super-powers after being given magical candy by her Aunt Pandora. Readers who love Fashion Kitty's fun (slightly girl-focused) take on super-heroes will also enjoy Dahl's action-filled plots and Crowther's bright, eye-catching art.-- "A Parent's Guide to the Best Kids' Comics: Choosing Titles Your Children Will Lo" Midnight is a place. A big, dark city. And in one corner of Midnight City in Midnight elementary School... Something weird is going on.Something so scary... Something so hairy... That we can't even look!" What a great beginning of a book for young readers. It is perfect for those who like mysteries or for those who will be reading their first mystery. When Halo Nightly turns eleven, her grandmother gives her a gift that was left to her by her Aunt Pandora. The note attached told her that her Aunt had received it on her 11th birthday. This gift is a box filled with jars of candy that confuses Halo because her Aunt always told her to eat vegetables and fruits. Halo quickly learns that the candies are able to give her super powers. Halo's nemesis in school is Doozie Hiss, and she has super powers in her hair. What happens when Halo sees Doozie stealing the answers in the next Science test? How will she stop this child from leaving with the answers? This is a great story for a young reader! I love it when books like this are written because they can hook a young, new reader into becoming a forever reader. At the end of the book are several pages containing facts about the author and illustrator as well as a glossary. There is also information about candy along with discussion questions and writing prompts. This makes it perfect for classroom libraries. The full-color graphics make an enormous impact on the story. This book is good for both boys and girls. 2010-- "Children's Literature Comprehensive Database" Summary: When Halo receives a birthday present from her Aunt Pandora on her 11th birthday, her life is forever changed. She is given a jar of different colored candies. Soon, she discovers this is no regular candy. Each ones gives her a different power dealing wi