Miss Communication

Babymouse: Tales from the Locker #2

by Jennifer L. Holm, Matthew Holm (Illustrator)

Watch out, middle school! In her second foray out of graphic novels and into middle grade, Babymouse has a smartphone, and she's not afraid to use it. . . .Ping! Ping! The sound of texting is in the air. Everyone at middle school has a cell phone. Babymouse just has to get one, too.But having a phone is a lot of work! Building up a following on SoFamous, learning text lingo, keeping up with all the important koala videos . . . Babymouse is ready to tear her whiskers out. Why does it suddenly feel like she has no friends? Somehow, Babymouse needs to figure out how to stop worrying and love her smartphone . . . if Locker doesn't eat it first.Highly illustrated with black-and-white art throughout and a dozen or so comic pages, this is the perfect showcase for bestselling authors Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm's signature humor. Middle school may never be the same!           

Genres: Middle Grade, Graphic Novels, Animals, Childrens, Fiction, Chapter Books, Comics

202 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 24, 2018

About the author

Jennifer L. Holm is a USA TODAY and NEW YORK TIMES-bestselling children's author with more than 9.8 million books in print She is the recipient of three Newbery Honors for her novels OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA, PENNY FROM HEAVEN, and TURTLE IN PARADISE and a Scott O'Dell Award for her novel FULL OF BEANS.

Jennifer collaborates with her brother, Matthew Holm, on three bestselling graphic novel series -- the Eisner Award-winning Babymouse series, the SUNNY series, and the Squish series. SQUISH is now an animated tv series on YouTube!

For more information, visit her website at www.jenniferholm.com.

Reviews

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great little book to give middle-schoolers before or when they get their first cell phone! Babymouse is such a mess, she loses her cell phone, doesn't know how to order coffee, gets lost on the way to Gramp's house, and borrows money from Squeak. There are underlying meanings here, be responsible, not talking and texting to people you don't know, and not using the phone in class.

Quite cute with the coupling of graphics and paragraphs. It had a pretty good plot...

4 stars

Happy Reading!

[Mary Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be great for middle-grade readers- especially for those who are just getting their first cell phones. It’s a great, age-appropriate reminder for tweens that technology and social media can become all-consuming and stressful if they let it. There were also subtle reminders about not talking to strangers online and that fun can be had with friends and no devices to be seen. A funny, clever plot that has a deeper meaning, which is great! I’m loving this new Babymouse: Tales From The Locker series.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can definitely see students who are fans of Dork Diaries and Dear Dumb Diary also being fans of this new series from Jenni Holm.

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving these new Babymouse chapter books.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 for this one! Like several other reviewers, I am enjoying this middle grade Babymouse series, and this second outing seems even stronger than the first one. The images capture an older Babymouse in all her whiskered glory, and the plot concerning her desperate need to fit in and be popular by having a smart phone is true to life. Although her parents have their doubts about Babymouse's ability to take good care of the phone and follow their rules, they agree to buy one after she manages to carry the television remote control around for 48 hours without damaging it. The Whiz Bang Mini is everything Babymouse ever dreamed of in a phone, but she quickly realizes that it is smaller than the ones some of her classmates have and they have even newer models. Not only will she need to master text lingo and download useful apps, but she needs to build up a following. From figuring out how to use SoFamous and PA2ME to learning which sort of beverage to order at the coffee shop, Babymouse gets things terribly wrong until she finally realizes that face to face communication and the help of her real friends have their own place in her life when she desperately needs help with a school assignment. And when a measure of fame comes, it is certainly not in the form she expects it to arrive, thanks to her nemesis Felicia Furrpaws. This book offers quite a lot of food for thought about our current obsession with smart phones and online popularity, even featuring scenes in which everyone is glued to their phones rather than interested in talking to those around them. I wish all my students and colleagues would read this book. While it is quite humorous, it also contains several pointed lessons and might encourage some readers to ask themselves why an online presence seems more important to them than one that takes place in real time.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute Babymouse book in which Babymouse learns a lesson of the perils of getting too involved in social media and being popular online and begins to ignore the things going on in the real world around her. Overall the book was cute but still did not live up to the original Babymouse series. This series is definitely more in depth and gives a lot more information and detail but I miss the comical graphic novel style of the original Babymouse books. My biggest concern with this book though was the inconsistency from the first book. In this book Babymouse wants a Whiz Bang phone because she doesn’t have one or anything like it but everyone else does and she wants to be just like everyone else, but in the first book Babymouse already has a Whiz Bang that they use to film the movie which is supposed to have texting/communication abilities on it. So even if her original Whiz Bang is technically not a phone, it could still be used for much of the stuff her friends are doing on their phones. I would have understood if Babymouse wanted a new and upgraded Whiz Bang because her friends all had newer versions because it could be argued that her Whiz Bang is the original one she got for Christmas in the original series and could therefore be quite a few years old. That’s not how the book is written though. It’s as if Babymouse’s original Whiz Bang is completely forgotten. I hate when authors write a series and completely ignore or change elements throughout the series just to make things fit into the new idea they have for the next book. This book could have completely been adapted to better align with things from the first book without at all taking away from the plot of this book. Overall this book was interesting and a cute read. I just wish it had been done a little better.

[Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

I never expected this, but Babymouse is starting to act more like Nikki Maxwell, who is obsessed with Parisian aesthetics and French words.
The writing style reminds me of when I used to write simple stories about conflicts in friendships as a kid: Very immature and out-of-touch. The technology in this book imitates the late 2000s/early 2010s, similar to other middle-grade books. It's uncreative and unrealistic, even though Babymouse's feelings can be accurate. I feel like the book could have achieved the same moral by writing a realistic relationship middle-schoolers have with social media, not by making everyone only glued to their phones. I feel like the book doesn't show the effects of excessive screen time during or outside school, besides Babymouse's addiction to popularity and fame, which was already a part of her. It doesn't show any changes in the student's behavior, except them talking about strange apps. I know it was supposed to show how reliant people can get with apps. I wonder why Babymouse didn't turn to her friends so she could take photos for PA2Me... by the end, there were some issues that were left unresolved. The Rome paper read like she wrote it after getting a phone, even though she submitted the first one she wrote, not the one she lost.
I also think this book inaccurately shows Babymouse as an out-of-the-loop outcast, even though she has many friends. Even though Babymouse was always naive, craved popularity, and didn't want to work hard, I feel like it was shown in a worse way than the original series did; The author's voice is seeping through Babymouse's character and voice.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Babymouse Tales from the Locker: Miss Communication by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm, 191 pages. Random House, 2018. $14. Content: Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: G.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

A new phone has come out and Baby Mouse feels left out because all her friends have one. Baby Mouse pleas with her parents for the new Whiz Bang and they finally agree to let her get one. Baby Mouse is ecstatic and can’t wait to use it. But, knowing Baby Mouse, will the Whiz Bag survive it’s new owner? This is Baby Mouse’s journey with social media and adolescents.

I enjoyed this book because Baby Mouse is an enjoyable character and is full of laughs. I think that the author did a good job of connecting the story to modern day dilemmas. The pictures were cute, and the story was fun. This book has more text than previous Babymouse graphic novels, but is still full of expressive illustrations.

Student Reviewer, I. Peterson, 9th grade.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...

[John Yingling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Babymouse books is a sheer delight, and this title is no exception. I really connect with her triumphs and her failures. This book is an important voice in the ongoing battle for tweens and teens to fit in, to be accepted, and to be up to date with each and every new electronic device that is put on the market. The story is humorous to be sure, but it's a sobering look at how desperate we are to join the crowd and do whatever everyone else is doing. Jennifer Holm is my favorite juvenile author, and this book reinforces my opinion of her.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of the early graphic novels with BabyMouse might find as they grow up, so has BabyMouse. She's in middle school now and facing the typical challenges of teens right now, including the struggles of navigating a digital world. She wants a phone so badly so she can be cool, but quickly realizes it is a rat race to keep up with the coolness. An engaging cautionary tale for tweens and teens who are finding social media does not contribute to happiness the way they might think. A blended format of graphic novel and text that I think kids will love.

[Mari Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

l loved this grown up Babymouse middle school installment even better than the first. This one is full of great lessons on the evils :) of technology and our dependence on it. It also manages to poke fun at the pretentious coffee shop drinks kids are obsessed with and the many, some ridiculous, apps that are out there. Very fun and even more sarcastically biting than the first. Recommended for grades 5-8.

[Jack Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the Holm's intended audience, Babymouse's experience with navigating her first cell phone is the perfect reminder to not let social media either consume your life, or let it make you prioritize things that may not matter as much as you expected in the end. While the humor was still on point with the follow-up to Lights, Camera, Middle School, I felt Babymouse striving to become popular got too repetitive, leaving some sub plots in the dust.

[Mary Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one as much (maybe even more) than the first Tales from the Locker. I thought the humor was clever and the plot was spot on for our current culture of social media. I think students will really connect with Babymouse’s struggles! And...let’s be honest...can you ever go wrong with reading Babymouse?

[Read Ribbet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second book in the Babymouse graphic narrative series with the characters of the Babymouse graphic novels. Now Babymouse is in middle school trying to fit in where context requires competency with cell phones which Babymouse struggles with. Funny narrative with ample graphic support. Perfect accessible and acceptable text.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Babymouse returns in her second mis-adventures detailing her attempts the be popular and fit in with the cool kids in middle school. She opts to get a cell phone to elevate her popularity, but soon discovers through trial and error, that sometimes what seems the easy way is not all that it's cracked up to be.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A place we've all been in our lifetime. Both with middle school and new phones. I have always been a fan of Babymouse. My daughter and I used to read them. I keep up with them and this one brought back first phone memories. I was less adventurous with mine but losing pictures was a bad thing that happened. Thanks for taking us back to simpler times and memories to be shared.

[Dan Hyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. Babymouse is in middle school. My girls who are in second grade enjoy it, even though some of the concepts are a bit beyond them. Nothing scary or inappropriate for kids. This particular volume is about dealing with social media.

[Mely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this aloud with my 9-year old. She loved it and asked me to rate it 5 stars. I thought it was cute and had me some moments of chuckling while reading it with her. Babymouse is a great character. These middle school books are a nice transition from the earlier series.

[Mompop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun!

Do you have a cellphone addiction? Don't know?

Go to: https://www.psychguides.com/guides/si... for the clues

[Stefanie Foard · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I read a digital ARC of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss.

[Awjtf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Babymouse!

[Jonna VanWienen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Babymouse! This sequel is even better. This is a timely book and is so true to the dilemmas that our kids face today. Kids will LOVE it!

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Babymouse NEVER disappoints -- LOLs and relevance. Readers will experience Babymouse's humorous middle school social media drama and learn some great digital citizenship and safety info as a bonus.

[Anna Chang 8E · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was really funny because Babymouse wanted a phone really badly and she got one. But she ended up getting one not so popular and she lost it. It is really funny and I would recommend it to others.

[Booknerdreads Grace Haddad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to love the comics as a kid! This story is so cute!

[sophia Manza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baby Mouse has just got to get a phone!📱🙉🙉🙉

[Lisa D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Mary Lee P · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and chaotic read. The message was brilliantly delivered, and I would recommend this to all parents and children who are interested in getting a smart phone!

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was all about first cell phones and social media that I found to be quite amusing.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Communication by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm is the second volume in the Babymouse: Tales from the Locker series. It's a graphic novel hybrid with more emphasis on text than the original series. And that's a good thing.

Babymouse is in middle school and all her friends have smartphones. She doesn't even have a flip phone. After lots of begging and scheming, her parents relent and get her a smartphone. Babymouse and apps — not a good combo.


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