A Review of Lisa Yee's: Batgirl at Super Hero High (audiobook)

My now six-year-old has been asking for a Batgirl birthday party for the last six months, so we've definitely had Batgirl on the brain over here. Her sisters are likewise obsessed with superheroes (my two-year-old is currently walking around in a Wonder Woman dress she put on all by herself), so I knew they'd all be interested in an audio book about Batgirl. And as a mom of three daughters, I'm always on the lookout for suitable "girl power" books that teach good values, portray women and girls as strong and capable, and avoid male-bashing.


Lisa Yee's Batgirl at Super Hero High is about Barbara Gordon, a.k.a Batgirl, trying to fit in at her new school, Super Hero High, find a good balance in her relationship with her overprotective father, and figure out if someone who wasn't born super can truly become a superhero.

The audio book is read by Mae Whitman, and she does a good job. One could wish for a little bit more animation at some points, but on the whole she has a clear, strong voice that is easy to listen to - and believe me, as someone who has quit listening to an audio book because the reader gave characters really annoying voices, this is important.

The story made a good audio book. There are stories that you find yourself flipping back in the book with a "Say what!?!" as you look for that paragraph that contained some key plot point that the author tucked in surreptitiously, but Batgirl follows a direct narrative that is easy to follow.

The story itself: First of all, you need to be aware that Batgirl at Super Hero High is the third book in the Super Hero High series (a fact that I somehow missed). It is clear from the first chapter that previous events are being built on. Although the author didn't really revisit prior material much, I was still able to follow the story just fine. I enjoyed the positive messages conveyed by the book as it dealt with themes of friendship, parent-child relationships, accepting help, and standing alone. Specific messages I appreciated included:

Children can make their parents better people. Children need to understand that they are a positive and treasured part of their parents lives, and that their parents are trying to be their best selves for their children.

Being a hero is more about strong values than awesome powers. Even the villains have awesome powers, but they aren't using them to serve and protect. The supers embrace a strong moral code, and embody principles like courage, conviction, honor, perseverance, compassion, and loyalty.

Interdependence is not dependence. I love the strong message that teamwork is not a weakness on the journey to becoming strong and independent. It's okay to ask for help, and it's okay to offer help, and it's okay to ask for the opportunity to try on your own.

What did I not like? There was one moment in the book that jarred me strongly. Roughly paraphrased, the principal tells Batgirl that Super Hero High is different from regular high school because the supers are going to be leaders, saving lives, and changing the world. I think Susan B. Anthony, Marie Curie, Rosa Parks, and Mother Theresa can all agree that you don't need some special super hero academy to change the world, and in ten years when I have girls in high school, I want them to know they can be strong leaders and change lives for the better in their sphere of influence.

Because I jumped into the series, my next criticism may be unfounded, but there was a lot of name dropping from the DC universe, which can be hard to follow if you're a super hero novice. I found myself thinking, "Yeah...I have no idea who that is," frequently. Also, the mixing of villains and heroes is a little odd - I'm getting a kind of Maleficent vibe from the whole thing, which honestly feels a little unoriginal.

I found the book a light, fun read, and I thought Lisa Yee's portrayal of the villain was really well done, and that the character had a lot of depth. I find myself mildly interested in reading the other stories in the series, especially after the obligatory cliff-hanger at the end of Batgirl.

This book is target to 3rd-7th graders, and I think that's an accurate assessment. My four-year-old didn't like the part "When the bad guy... *insert spoiler here*...which messed everything up for everybody." Which is probably the reaction Ms. Yee was going for, so that was on target, but the girls mostly popped in and out of the room, and didn't listen to a whole lot of the book when it was on. I anticipate they'll like it more when they get a little older, and I may play it again a chapter at a time as we play Legos or something, but for now it wasn't a huge hit with them.

So my recommendation is this: for sure read or listen to the first two books first, but this will be a fun story for any mid-late elementary girl (and maybe boy, although clearly targeting a female demographic) who is interested in super heroes, and it's a good "girl power" novel that won't be incredibly boring for any adult who is reading/listening along with their child.

I received this audiobook from Blogging for Books in exchange for my review. This is my honest opinion about the book. 

A Review Of Christopher Hart's Book, doodletopia Fairies

Christopher Hart’s book doodletopia Fairies is by far my favorite book in the doodletopia series. This may have much to do with the fact that I have always enjoyed fantasy and magical creatures, fairies in particular, so it already had brownie points just for subject matter. It’s been awhile since my last review, but I don’t think I’m imagining that Fairies is more instructional that its predecessors. While still definitely being a guided activity book, there seems to be more actual art education involved.

Hart promises that his book will teach you to “…draw fairy wings, design magical fashions, make flying poses, create charming fairy villages, produce magical effects in your artwork, and more.” p. 7 and jumps right in with his first tip. “Indicating size and scale is another important technique -” p.7 Like, I assume, many others, I often have the most difficulty - when drawing a character - with the side profile. This time, Hart addresses that: “…known as a side view - and “the angle that drives people crazy.” Let’s break down the steps to make it easy to draw.” p. 12. Which he does. Honestly, I think it will continue to be a problem for me, but I’m half a step closer.

In one regard particularly, Hart has held consistent appeal for me, and that is his wit. He is just a funny guy. He continues to joke about his magical ability to imbue his readers with super drawing powers, “Your pencil is your wand. And your eraser is …still just a rubbery thing. But your pencil is a wand.” P.13, and make funny remarks about his characters, “They’re the ones who steal your sunglasses when you’re not looking.” P.7, but I feel like he waxed even more eloquent on this go round. Again, maybe bias owing to my enjoyment of the genre, but Fairies has been funnier to me. My favorite quips?

“Fairies range in age from very young (about 633 years old) to mature (“It would be rude to tell.”)” p. 10

“I flipped through some popular fairy magazines, like Fairy Fitness & Fun, to find insights into what fairies wear. Man, is it tough to read that teensy print” p. 49

“You can create fairy hats from all sorts of things. One of the most popular materials is a flower. Lots of different flowers work. But not dandelions. One good breeze and the hat is gone.” P. 65

“All I’m saying is that the next time you see a tiara on a little kid’s head, be sure to tell them, “That was stolen from a fairy.”” P. 70

“(What time is “yore” anyway? And how does anyone know when it’s a quarter to yore?)” p.                140

One of Hart’s talents is highlighting how positions and shapes impact your impressions of the attitude of the character. In fact, his section headings for “More Fairy Faces” and point blank on the topic: “Oval-Faced Fairies are Fun” p. 18 “Angular-Faced Fairies Are Confident” p. 19 “Round-Faced Fairies are Perfect at Pouting” p. 20 “Young Faces Look Innocent” p. 21. He also has more subtle suggestions for how to convey the characters’ outlook:

“Draw eyes wide, giving her a bubbly appearance.”  p. 10

 “Draw the antennae leaning forward, for a positive look.” P. 35

“Press his arms and legs together for an insecure pose.” P. 43

“These wings may not seem unique at first, but their position is interesting. Both sets of wings are lifted up, which enhances the effect of her cheerful expression.” P. 87

“Notice how the wings are in the “down” position. This placement can be used to show a negative attitude.” P. 108

This book is not a technical drawing book. While there is some flat-out art speak, most of Hart’s advice comes in a far more conversational tone. Topics of art classes are slipped in as a casual aside. I have twenty specific examples of this, but will omit most of them for brevity’s sake. But I will add just a few as supporting evidence. For instance, Hart does not discuss background/foreground, but he does give advice about it: “First draw the ring of flowers, and then the hat. The flowers are the front layer.” p. 68 or “Overlap the mushrooms below her.” p. 97. He doesn’t talk about light sources, but he alludes to it: “Draw a shadow under the fairy to indicate that she’s hovering above the ground.” p. 98. Nor does he talk about diagonal lines being more visually interesting and stimulating than horizontals, but merely suggests, “The horn is such a linear instrument. You either have to position it horizontally or diagonally. I think you’ll find that diagonally is more engaging.” p. 143

He also gets into the physics that make art more convincing, such as being aware of gravity and other forces acting upon your character, such as momentum creating an updraft on a fairy’s wings.

After the promise of malevolent fairies, I was a little disappointed about their treatment in the book. After a promising start (“You may never have actually seen an evil fairy, but you have seen their effects. Why do you think a slice of bread always falls jelly-side down? Evil fairy. Why can you never find your glasses? Evil fairy.” p. 114), just one page of advice - maybe just hints (“Push those eyebrows down - way down!” p. 114), and one page of go to (“Wicked characters drip with evil. So by all means, overdo it!” p. 115)! Maybe there wasn’t a lot to say about it, but I’d have liked to have seen further exploration of the topic.

The girls and I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to anyone whose interests in art and fairies overlap.

I tried to scan my daughter’s adorable artwork, but it turns out she drew too lightly for my scanner, but here’s a page I did.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my review. This is my honest opinion about the book.