The Misadventures of Salem Hyde: Book Two: Big Birthday Bash

by Frank Cammuso

Overview

Young witch Salem Hyde is stubborn, impulsive, and loves flying. Her cat companion, Whammy, is nervous, careful, and loves staying on the ground. Somehow, though, they’re best friends. In this second book in the series, Salem is invited to a birthday party, and she wants to make sure everything goes perfectly. But from the invitations to the presents, party games, and spells gone awry, nothing happens exactly the way it should, and she’ll need Whammy’s help to sort it all out.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781613126233
Publisher:	Abrams, Harry N., Inc.
Publication date:	05/20/2014
Series:	Misadventures of Salem Hyde , #2
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	24 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	7 - 9 Years

About the Author

Frank Cammuso is an Eisner-nominated cartoonist, the creator of the popular middle school graphic novel series Knights of the Lunch Table, and the illustrator of several beginning-reader graphic books, including Otto’s Orange Day. He lives in Syracuse, New York.

Editorial Reviews

05/01/2014
Gr 2–4—A follow-up to Cammuso's first Salem Hyde misadventure, this title will further amuse fans of the author's slapstick storytelling. Salem has magical powers and is able to transform herself into different sizes. As the book opens, her cat Whammy relaxes outside in a reclining chair and hears Salem's cry for help. The young witch's magic has turned her into a giant. She is forced to hide behind a water tower, and her dad passes her on his way home. Salem leaves a huge shoe in the road to get home safely before him. In another vignette, at a birthday party, Salem's gift to her friend is to make all the gifts enormous, but she discovers she has only succeeded in making all the partygoers small. Large squawking birds arrive, set to take off with children. Squirrels make the children fraught with fear. Afraid she has ruined the party, she apologizes to the birthday boy, and realizes her mistake is his favorite birthday gift. Salem Hyde is a whimsical character. The bright two-color pink and black illustrations convey the spunky heroine's energy. Dark shadows lend volume and height where needed. Frames, wide and magnified in varying degrees, are filled with action and high jinks. For fans of Cammuso's previous work, including Otto's Orange Day (Toon, 2008).—Lisa Gieskes, Richland County Public Library, Columbia, SC

School Library Journal

2014-03-12
With giant spectacles and even more spunk, budding witch Salem Hyde is back, determined to give her friend the best birthday ever. Tempestuous Salem is a flurry of a girl, always acting first and thinking second. Luckily, her feline companion, Whammy, is there to help keep her grounded and help her use—or, more often, help her undo her use of—her nascent magical powers. When Salem is invited to her friend Edgar's big birthday bash, she's beyond excited. However, right from the start, her adversary, the know-it-all Shelly, is determined to upstage her at every turn. Salem decides she'll give Edgar the best and biggest present ever—with disastrous, magical results. Salem and Whammy are perfect foils, with her whirlwind liveliness balanced by his (semi) calm wisdom. Cammuso keeps the jokes flowing throughout the volume and adroitly weaves them in and out of each narrative section, coming full circle by the end. Line-based art reminiscent of Calvin and Hobbes sets an immediate mood, and the characters' dramatic facial expressions make a winning complement to the steady stream of chuckle-worthy antics. This volume makes a fine jumping-in point for the series, but readers should also make sure to check out the excellent series opener, Spelling Trouble (2013). With lots of laughs and lots of heart, this sophomore offering doesn't disappoint. (Graphic fantasy. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews