Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
No, strange Goodreads search engine, I did not mean “Stathis Psillos.” I meant Zita the Spacegirl!
For me this would be a 4-star book, but given that BOTH my kids, ages 9 and 6, loved it, and the little one, who is a reluctant reader, read it on her own four or five times after I’d read it to her once, FIVE STARS. Gotta give props to the brave, boy-rescuing graphic-novel girlheroes — and this one even has SHORT HAIR, gottenu. The cartooning and action are terrific enough that I think boys would like it too. (NB: My older girl, who read the author’s note, noted that one of Hatke’s three daughters is named Zita…so do the other two think their dad loves them less?)
We’ll have to find that one. Have you seen Owly? Almost no words, yet as enthralling for me as my seven year old.
And as for the name game, what about Alexander of the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day fame? Do you think he was mad his mother, Judith Viorst, wrote all those books about him? I think he got over it.
And what about Dave Thomas – he had 5 kids and named his restaurant chain after the youngest, Wendy. Ouch.