  | Hearing things (Toon Into Reading. Level 2) Author: Sears, Ben | |
| Price: $19.58 | ||
Summary:
Tim wants to cheer up his big sister, a teenage musician. Led by his cat Frankie, Tim explores a haunted house and comes back with some spooky sounds for her new song. In graphic novel format.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (07/01/24)
School Library Journal (00/07/24)
Booklist (07/01/24)
The Hornbook (00/09/24)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 07/01/2024 K-Gr 2—Tim is eager to help out his sister Martha, who likes to make scary tunes, when she feels isolated and no longer wants to play music. In a search for unique sounds for Martha to sample and mix, Tim stumbles into the town's haunted house. At first, he hears nothing but silence, but Tim's cat is able to persuade two friendly ghosts to liven up the place and make as many spooky sounds as possible. As Tim explores each room, readers are treated with an appreciation of sounds, complete with onomatopoetic words with thick typeface. Sears's accompanying chunky cartoon style makes the piece very gentle and fun, which pairs well with the softer tone. The simpler word choice also makes this perfect for young kiddos who want a "scary story," but need something a little tamer before jumping into the deep end. VERDICT A pleasant and scary-but-not-too-scary addition.—Peter Blenski - Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 07/01/2024 Siblings Tim and Martha both love sounds: Tim loves collecting them on his tape recorder and Martha loves making scary music. Lonely in their new neighborhood, Martha is ready to give up on her music, sure she’ll never find anyone who will like it—or her. Determined to help, Tim sets out with his cat Frankie to find the perfect spooky sounds to inspire Martha to finish her song. But even the local haunted house is silent. While Tim sulks, Frankie convinces the two resident ghosts to (loudly) haunt the house so Tim can get the sounds he needs to help his sister. Using short sentences, easy sight words, and a limited number of easy-to-follow panels, this graphic novel will work well for most new readers who are ready to level up. The illustrations are more detailed than those usually found in easy readers, and the images of Frankie talking with the ghosts are delightful. For readers looking for a spooky story that’s not at all scary, this book sounds about right. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.
