MINNIE AND MOO: WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE; Denys Cazet; Easy Reader; HarperCollins; 2006, 48pp. Our favorite cows, Minnie and Moo, overhear the farmer say he doesn't have money to pay his bills, and immediately visualize his becoming depressed, holing up indoors, and neglecting the farm, until all is lost. Moo decides the bank has lots of extra money--all they need to do is ask for some to save the farm, but the bank probably won't give money to cows so they dress up in some trench coats they find in the barn, and ride into town on the tractor, carrying an old violin case to put the money in. Thus attired, Minnie and Moo bear an unfortunate resemblance to the dreaded Bazooka Sisters, wanted dead or alive. "'The bank just wants people to feel good about themselves. Even if you're dead,' said Moo, 'it's nice to know you're still wanted.'" Minnie and Moo's adventures after they accidentally rob the bank are the stuff of legend and best left for readers to discover for themselves. As is usual with Denys Cazet's unfailingly charming books, big laughs are to be had for children and adults
A Game of Noctis By Deva Fagan New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2024. Fiction. 310 pages. On the island of Dantessa, social standings and wealth are determined by your place in the Great Game. If you keep on winning, you can reap treasures, power, and security for yourself and your family; but if you lose too many games, you'll be exiled to Pawn Island and a life of servitude. That's what happens to 12-year-old Pia's grandfather. Due to poor vision, he struggles to see the games, but also can't afford new eyeglasses without winning. When his score falls to zero, he is sent away. Desperate to bring him back, Pia joins a ragtag group of misfits to form a team for the annual game of Noctis. The game requires contestants to perform dangerous challenges in front of a live audience, and no one outside the wealthy Diamond District has ever won. Each member of Pia's team, the Seafoxes, has their own reason to compete, but if they're going to win they'll h...
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