DC Zoom's New Middle Grade Graphic Novel, 'Dear Justice League' Is Perfect for Fans of the Justice League Super Heroes + Reluctant Readers (Review)

Disclosure: I was sent a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

Full of feats, follies, and colorful illustrations, Dear Justice League gives readers the inside scoop into everyday heroics, no matter who wears the cape!

Buy now in paperback from Amazon for only $9.99

Recently we were sent the new middle grade graphic novel DEAR JUSTICE LEAGUE for review.  My youngest, who has been my reluctant reader, is all about graphic novels, so was super excited when she saw the book arrive in the mail.  Not only was it a graphic novel, but it also featured her favorite DC Super Heroes.  So, it was a win-win for her, as she was super excited to sit and read her new book, and I didn't have to push her to read a book, as she was ready and willing to sit and read it cover to cover. :-)

About this book:

"The greatest heroes in the DC universe, the Justice League, answer mail from their biggest fans -- kids!

  

DEAR JUSTICE LEAGUE is a new middle grade graphic novel from DC that stars DC's most iconic Super Heroes, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and many more.

New York Times bestselling author Michael Northrop and artist Gustavo Duarte team up for their first DC project together to give readers the inside scoop on everyday heroics, no matter who wears the cape!  DEAR JUSTICE LEAGUE flew onto shelves on August 6th, 2019.

Does Superman ever make mistakes?  What was Wonder Woman's eleventh birthday like?  Does Aquaman smell like fish?  In this new middle-grade graphic novel, iconic heroes are asked questions both big and small, and when they are not busy saving the world, the Justice League even finds time to respond.  Their honest and humorous answers will surprise and delight readers of any age, as it turns out that being a superhero is not too different from being a kid."

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My daughter whizzed right through this middle grade graphic novel. She kept coming out to the kitchen to tell me all about what she was reading, and how this was not like any other graphic novel she had read. Not only was the story fun-filled with the super heroes doing what they do best, but my daughter loved how the heroes took time out to answer questions from their biggest fans.  

Some of the questions that were asked and answered where questions my daughter said she would have asked if given the opportunity.  My daughter really loved this graphic novel and hopes that more are released, so that she can start a little collection of them.  But, in the meantime, she has read this graphic novel a handful of times...and, we have only had it for about a week.  I don't see her getting bored with this graphic novel any time soon.

You can learn more about this new middle grade graphic novel by visiting https://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/dear-justice-league.  

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About Michael Northrop:

Michael Northrop is the New York Times bestselling author of Scholastic’s news multi-platform series, TombQuest. His first young adult novel, Gentlemen, earned him a Publishers Weekly Flying Start citation, and his second, Trapped, was an Indie Next List selection. His first middle-grade novel, Plunked, was named one of the best children’s books of the year by the New York Public Library and was selected for NPR’s Backseat Book Club. He is originally from Salisbury, Connecticut, a small town in the foothills of the Berkshire mountains, where he mastered the arts of BB gun shooting, tree climbing, and field goal kicking with only moderate injuries. After graduating from NYU, he worked at Sports Illustrated Kids magazine for 12 years, the last five of those as a baseball editor.

About Gustavo Duarte:

Gustavo Duarte is a Brazilian cartoonist, graphic designer, ad comics creator and currently resides in São Paulo. For the last 20 years, Duarte’s cartoons and illustrations have been published in some of the most popular publications in Brazil. In 2009, Duarte began publishing his own comics like Monsters!, Co & Birds and others. In addition to his own works, Duarte has also written and illustrated comics for major publishers including DC (BIZARRO) and Marvel (Guardians of the Galaxy and Lockjaw), among others.

About DC Zoom:

DC Zoom is a new middle grade graphic novel line from DC and targets readers ages 8-12. The line introduces DC’s most iconic Super Heroes to a new generation of fans with stories told by some of most successful authors from the middle grade publishing space. DC Zoom titles are standalone stories, not part of DC’s ongoing continuity, and completely accessible to new readers who have no previous knowledge of DC characters. The stories focus on friends, family and growing up. The line launched in April 2019.

Disclosure: I was sent a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

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Back to School Must Haves -- #5 A Stylish and Durable Pencil Case from SKRIBLE -- Review and #Giveaway (4 Winners)

Disclosure: I was sent samples from the vendor in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

Hopefully you were able to take advantage of tax-free weekends if they were offered where you live.  I know most people here in CT and MA took advantage last weekend of annual tax-free shopping weekend, to buy last minute school supplies and clothes with their kids.  It is crazy how we spend so much money to outfit our kids with clothes and uniforms, on top of a long list of school supplies they need to buy for themselves as well as for the classroom.  My friend shared her daughter's back to school supply list the other day, and couldn't believe it cost her over $200. And, she had three other children, all of who had their own required school and classroom supplies parents needed to pick and send with their kids for the first day back at school.  I remember growing up, that my mom would buy us a few new outfits and a new pair of shoes, to get us started with school.  She did this so that we could see what the other kids were wearing, as well as knew that stores would be putting fall clothes on sale, to change out inventory for winter essentials.  So, we would go to the stores after school began to get more clothes, which saved our family money.  With three kids in school and one income it was easier on the wallet to wait until after school started to get more school clothes.  And, back then schools didn't send home supply lists for each child as well as the classroom.  Oh, and don't get me started on after school sports and clubs that also carry their own required supplies and clothing, on top of fees.  School nowadays and after school activities can get pricey.  Even homeschooling, I spend a lot on museum memberships, class fees, etc.

When it comes to making sure your kids have everything they need for back to school, I wanted to check and see if your made sure to pick up a pencil case for your kids?  I didn't see this on my friend's school supply list, but recommended this to her, as pencil cases have been lifesavers for my girls, to keep their backpacks organized, and prevent pens and markers to bleed through and ruin their new backpacks.  Also, the pencil case is a great place for me to put dues and money they may need for classes, as well as signed permission slips and homework.  That way they don't have to rummage through their backpacks looking for these important papers, pen or pencil.  Instead, they simple have to reach in their bags and pull out their oh so stylish and durable SKRIBLE pencil case.

Thanks to the owner and creator of these super cool pencil cases for kids, I was recently sent samples of her SKRIBLE pencil cases for my girls to try out and enjoy.  

I opted to have her send me her standard one compartment pencil case, along with her "plus" 2 sided compartment pencil cases for review, with the help of my girls. 

The only difference between the two cases, is that the "plus" pencil cases offer two compartments for storage, for kids who have a lot of school supplies to keep organized and stored neatly.

This is Savannah's new The Believer SKRIBLE Pencil Case

This is Bella's new The Warrior Pencil Case from SKRIBLE

I couldn't get over all the different style options available for both boys and girls.  It was hard for my girls to choose the design they wanted, as they said they were all so pretty.  In the end, they ended up choosing The Warrior and The Believer SKRIBLE pencil cases.  Within a few days of putting in my sample request, the pencil cases arrived at our door.  Who knew that a pencil case would make kids so excited?  Both of my girls were all smiles as I handed them their new pencil cases.  Then, they ran off to grab their backpacks so that they could fill their new pencil cases with their pens, pencils, highlighters, ruler, stapler, etc.  And, when they were all done organizing their school supplies, they were quick to show me how everything fit neatly in their pencil cases.

These fashionable pencil cases have super cool designs that will stand out and make your kids' friends complimenting on them and wanting a SKRIBLE pencil case of their own.  I say this, as my girls showed off their new pencil cases to friends the other day and their friends were quick to ask their moms for a pencil case like my girls had.  Their moms then came and asked me what was the big deal with the pencil case, and where I got it.  I couldn't help but rave about these new SKRIBLE pencil cases, and say they are better than most pencil cases on sale in stores, especially with their molded hard shells that feel soft and the heavy duty zipper which doesn't need soap run across to help with continued opening and closing.  I can't tell you how many pencil cases we have gone through in the past, as the zippers were the first to go.  And, if the zippers didn't break, they were a struggle for my girls to unzip and zip back up.  When this happened, I found my girls would just through their stuff into their bags, which defeated the purposed of using a pencil case to keep your stuff organized in your bag.  And, pens would break and leak everywhere, thus leaving us to throw out the expensive backpacks, and start over again.

I am so happy I had the opportunity to check out the fun new SKRIBLE pencil cases with my girls.  They love them, and I love how they will be keeping my girls' backpacks and school supplies organized.  You can learn more about the SKRIBLE pencil cases, including browsing all their different style designs for boys and girls, by visiting www.SKRIBLE.com.  The single cases retail for only $19.99, while the double cases are just $25.99.  These pencil cases are a steal if you ask me.  Once you see the exceptional quality of these pencil cases up close, you will agree with me.

---GIVEAWAY---

I am so excited to offer four (4) Inspired by Savannah readers a chance to win a SKRIBLE pencil case of their choice.  To enter this giveaway, please complete then entries on the Rafflecopter form below.  Be sure to leave a comment below after visiting www.SKRIBLE.com telling me which pencil case design you would choose if you won, and who it would be for.  

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was sent samples from the vendor in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

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Back to School Must Haves -- #4 Healthy and Wholesome Snacks from ShopRite's Wholesome Pantry Organic Line to Pack in Your Kids' Lunch Boxes (Review)

Disclosure: I was sent samples from the vendor in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

Many families are opting to send their kids to school with a bagged lunch, as school lunches have become expensive, especially if you have multiple kids in school.  And, if you are like me and have a picky eater, it is hard to get kids to eat what is on the menu each day for school.  I know a few of my friends who have complained that they sent their kids to school with lunch menu and because they didn't like what was being served, the kids either threw out the food, or used the money in the vending machines to buy junk food.  So, to keep track of what they are eating, and making sure they are getting a well-balanced lunch, parents find it easier to send their kids to school with foods that they know they will eat.  While my girls don't attend public school, a handful of their homeschool classes  outside the house happen during lunch time and they are required to bring a bagged lunch.  Other classes ask that they bring a snack bag, so that they can take a break during their class time to refuel, and also bond their their fellow classmates and friends.  So, I have been busy stocking up on snack piles for the girls to be able to choose from, when it comes to helping me prepare their lunch and snack bags.

Thanks to ShopRite, their Wholesome Pantry Organic snacking options are not only delicious, but are good for you.  So, I don't have to worry if the girls grab a few snacks from this line when helping put together their lunch and snack bags.  Recently, the folks at ShopRite sent along a sampling of some of their popular Wholesome Pantry Organic summer snacking options, for my family to enjoy.  

These samples were well received by my girls, as they were excited to try out new snacks to add their snack options.  Even my picky eater was excited to try some of the snacks sent.

Look at all the Wholesome Pantry Organic snacks we were sent to review....

• Mango Slices -- These delicious dried mango slices deliver a burst of sweet fruit. Perfect as a treat or add them to salads for textures and flavor.

• Granola Squares Maple Pumpkin Seed with Sea Salt -- All the latest flavor trends in one convenient bar.  Enjoy one for breakfast, toss one in your bag for later, or save one for a scrumptious, end-of-the-day dessert.

• Fruit and Nut Bar: Cranberry Almond -- Sophisticated enough for you, sweet enough for the kids, cranberry and almond are always a winning combination.

• Granola Squares Oats & Honey -- When it comes to crunch time, these delicately sweetened, good-for-you squares will power your day with just the right mix of honey and goodness.

• Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips -- Sweet potato chips deliver the surprise of a salty chip combined with the natural flavor of sweet potatoes. Plus, they hold on tight to even the most intense salsa and dips.

• Cashews -- Enjoy by the handful for a pick-me-up, or add them to salads, stir-frys, and even smoothies.

Don't these all look and sound like tasty snacks options, not just for kids, but also for adults to grab and bring to work to snack on, or throw in your purse or bag, for a mid-morning or late afternoon pick me up.  I have found that with all our car traveling we do to and from classes that are an 1 Hr. + drive each day, that it is good to pack a few extra snacks in the car for when I get hungry, or to hand to my girls in the back seat, when they start getting grouchy from being tired and hungry.  It is better to have healthy and wholesome snacks like these available, than have to make a pit stop at the convenient store to pick up sugary snacks, that are not good for you, and also usually bring a crash once the sugar wears off.

We enjoyed sampling all the Wholesome Pantry Organic snacks that the folks at ShopRite sent our way.  My oldest, the picky eater, surprised me when she said she really enjoyed the Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips.  Now I have another snack option for her.  My youngest loved all the samples sent, especially the Granola Squares Maple Pumpkin Seed with Sea Salt.  I found myself loving the Fruit and Nut Bar: Cranberry Almond, while my husband couldn't get enough of the cashews.  I ended up making a special trip to ShopRite yesterday to stock up on more of these tasty snacks, so that we would have them for end of summer snacks, as well as have ready for when we start packing the girls' lunch and snack bags for school.

You can learn more about the Wholesome Pantry Organic line from ShopRite by visiting www.shoprite.com.  Wholesome Pantry Organic products are USDA Certified Organic and comply with standards set by the USDA National Organic Program.  I know that once you and your family sample the Wholesome Pantry Organic line you'll be hooked, and want to fill your pantry with these great tasting snacking options.

Disclosure: I was sent samples from the vendor in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

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