Teacher Review
I read this book in the mindset of a teacher reviewer and not just reviewing as a reader. What I mean by that is that I see my fifth grade students pick up this series over and over and over. It's so loved in Texas, the first book is a part of our Bluebonnet Awards for this year. When I mentioned I had the third book for review, the kids could not jump on the opportunity fast enough (which you will read about here on October 25), but that made me realize, Max Brallier has done something to kids across the US that allowed them to continually be excited about reading. Here are a few things I noticed about The Last Kids on Earth and the Nightmare King and why I feel this series is so successful.
First of all, as a teacher, any book that merges graphics and writing together has me sold. Graphic novels are so huge right now, and that transition into reading chapter books is made possible by writing like Max's in The Last Kids on Earth. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the connections that students can make into their lives through a fantasy novel such as this. I had one girl describe this series to me as "realistic, fantasy, almost non-fiction," because she believes that if there was a time when she was living in a post apocalyptic world she would be acting just as Jack and his friends.
The Last Kids on Earth and the Nightmare King begins with Jack and his friends overhearing a radio transmission looking for survivors. At that moment, they begin to fill with excitement realizing they may not truly be the "last kids" or only people left for that matter. Hope starts to trickle in of finding their families...except for Jack, who is an orphan with zero family to return to. The plot leads on where Jack decides he is going to show his friends how much fun it is to be in Wakefield, and to be the last kids. They have the freedom to do what they want, when they want, (which is highly appealing to any and all of my students who feel like this is truly the life they want to live..), and they have the coolest treehouse. The story continues with Jack preparing for a huge adventure and then begins to be hunted by the Nightmare King, who in hindsight is showing the last kids nightmares of what the future of Wakefield could hold. Jack starts to realize that it's not all sunshine and rainbows being the last kids and that life may be a little more difficult in a post apocalyptic world than he had thought.
The Last Kids on Earth and the Nightmare King is adventure PACKED, action PACKED, AND super hilarious. My students are all about monsters, zombies, fighting action, and all-things fantasy. This story is recommended by me, the teacher, to any and all students who enjoy just a good story, who want a series to get hooked on, and who love adventure, action, zombies, and tests on friendship.
SCHEDULE:
Week One:
October 3 – Teachers Who Read – Teacher Review
October 4 – The Play Connection: Kids Creative Chaos – Review
October 5 – Pink Polka Dot Books – Full series Review
October 6 – Mundie Moms Book Reviews – Author Interview & Review
Week Two:
October 23 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – Review
October 24 – Artsy Momma– Featured Review in Book List
October 25 – Teachers Who Read – Students Review
October 26 – Gravity Bread – Review
BOOK DESCRIPTION
When Jack and his friends find a one-way radio broadcasting live updates, they realize they might not be the last kids on Earth after all. June, Quint, and Dirk are thrilled because this means they could get to see their parents again someday, but Jack is bummed. Living in a tree house with his best friends, racing through town on tricked-out Go-Karts, playing tug-of-war with monsters, successfully battling the Destroyer of Worlds--it's the happiest he's ever been, and he doesn't want it to end. If Jack can make his friends understand how fun it is here, maybe they'll never want to leave him. And if he teams up with the probably extremely evil King Wretch monster--a monster who's capable of giving him visions, even predicting the future--maybe he can do just that...
AUTHOR BIO
Max Brallier (www.maxbrallier.com) is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books and games, including the first two books in The Last Kids on Earth series. He is the creator and writer of Galactic Hot Dogs, an ongoing middle-grade web serial and book series with Aladdin. He writes for licensed properties including Adventure Time, Regular Show, and Uncle Grandpa. Under the pen name Jack Chabert, he is the creator and author of the Eerie Elementary series for Scholastic Books. In the olden days, he worked in the marketing department at St. Martin's Press. Max lives in New York City with his wife.
Oh my! I was just wondering about such a show for kids only and here I am going through this post. I watch ‘the walking dead’ almost every day and my kids come and sit with me. Every time I stop it because that is some explicit content and don’t want them to watch it but at times they really enjoy what they see. This show will be perfect for them. I am glad we have people like Andy Yeatman and him that work so well on the kids’ content.
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