Book Nook: Max & Charlie

My younger daughter really likes graphic-novel-style books. As a relatively new genre for younger children, though, it can be hard to find ones that are age-appropriate for her to read, but still interesting enough to keep her engaged. So I was happy to have the chance to review Max & Charlie.

This book takes place in an imagined New York City with a young boy named Charlie and his puppy Max and Charlie becomes a reluctant hero in this fantastical adventure that occurs when he falls asleep on a park bench and dreams his dog runs off.

The illustrations in this book are very eye-catching - full of color, and the color scheme really emphasizes the adventure and whimsical nature of the fantasy. The story is a little challenging for younger kids to follow, with longer dialogue sections that teach Charlie about decision making and changing the world. Although the illustrations and overall plot were better for my younger daughter, it's my older daughter who actually is more the target audience (grades 4-8) for the book. There's enough here to please many groups of people - kids who like the action of a graphic novel, older kids who like more involved dialogue, and parents who like it when their kids learn something from the book they're reading.