It’s Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard, illustrated by James Marshall and Mike and David take a trip back to their childhood, OK not their childhood but at least the era of their childhood. While neither read it as kids, but one of them may have read it to their kids. You must listen to find out.

The book is kind of clever, silly, fun, and even a bit dated, but in a good way like a good old classic. Is Miss Nelson missing? Will they ever find her? And if so, will she be changed or will she be the same Miss Nelson who we fell in love with a little bit from the very beginning? Intrigue and suspense. Just read it to find out.

This book has everything. There’s a lovely teacher, horribly behaving kids, really fun illustrations, mathematics, sharks (very unpleasant), and Mars. It’s a fun read especially to read with and to young kids.

And Dad Jokes. Many Dad Jokes.

If you liked this episode, check out these:

Underground by David Macaulay

Lisa Desimini, one of our fun illustrator/author conversations

Shrek because of fun illustrations and the hairs of our chinny chin chins

Future episodes: No, David and The Stupids

And now a word from our sponsors. (Well, not really sponsors (yet), just places we love to get books from and hope that you'll go to if you need one (and get them to sponsor us while you're there).)

Books in Stock in Wooster, OH

A House with Books in Keller, TX
River Forest Public Library, River Forest, IL
Grapevine Public Library, Grapevine, TX
Keller Public Library, Keller, TX

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Have a great library or independent book store you love? Let us know!

Email us at dadsonbooks@gmail.com

It’s only our second graphic novel, and boy was it graphic! And novel. And second! It’s The Secret Coders written by Gene Luen Yang and illustrated by Mike Holmes, the first in a six-book educational graphic novel collection.

Mike and David bring on the cowbell for the first time. And the last?

It's educational. (Just a little. Just a bit of coding. It’s basic. Not Basic.) It’s a mystery! The Mystery of the Black Squirrel? Nope. The Murder Grounds of the Dead Horse? Neigh. But there is mystery. And intrigue. And subterfuge. If anyone knows what that last one means, please email us.

And the story? A mother drops her daughter off at a creepy, haunted-looking boarding school. It’s her first day. At a new school. It won’t be her last... Well actually, we don’t know that for sure as the entire book takes place in one day. And there are six books. Hmmm. 6 days? Consecutive days?

Mike and David are huge fans of Gene Luen Yang's protagonist Hopper, a relatable, feisty yet vulnerable girl and her new friend Eni. (Oh, don't forget the little turtle robot dude). They stumble upon a mystery, seek to solve it, make some discoveries, which only creates more questions. Only five more books to figure it all out.

Graphic novel awesomeness, from illustrator Mike Holmes. The illustrations are classic with different points of view and perspectives, shadows, light, foreboding, four bearings, intriguingly coded chapter headings, meaningful captions like, “This is when we started changing into what we would actually become.” Whoa...

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! Mike and David, shockingly, take a detour down memory lane to their first data memories. David talks about programming in Basic on a TRS 80 and storing the data on a cassette. Mike is all, “Hold my beer.” His dad brought home a stack of WHAT? Wait for it... Punch cards! What's that about hanging chads?...

And the Dan jokes? There’s a plenty. And about computers. But you'll have to be patient. They take a while to process.

If you liked this episode, check out these:

Our first (and other) graphic novel: El Deafo by Cece Bell

R. L. Stine’s Monster Slime, another good mystery and available as a graphic novel

Our author interview with Dan Gutman

Amelia and the Babysitter because we mentioned it. And it’s a fun take on babysitting. Again with the whatever.

Future Episodes: More graphic novels!!

And now a word from our sponsors. (Well, not really sponsors (yet), just places we love to get books from and hope that you'll go to if you need one (and get them to sponsor us while you're there).

Books in Stock in Wooster, OH

A House with Books in Keller, TX
River Forest Public Library, River Forest, IL
Grapevine Public Library, Grapevine, TX
Keller Public Library, Keller, TX

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Have a great library or independent book store you love? Let us know!

Email us at dadsonbooks@gmail.com

In this episode, Mike and David decided to go to another B2 BB episode, a.k.a. Back to Board Books with I Want my Hat Back by Jon Klassen. It’s a cute, fun book and David figured out that it was a SPOILER ALERT!—bear. Whaaaaat? I know right!!

There all kinds of fun animal illustrations: animals being curious and animals being nice and even animals being helpful. And the mystery of the missing hat which, of course, the bear wants back! And FOREshadowing? ForeSHAdowing you ask? There’s all kinds of foreshadoWING. With foreshadowing here, and foreshadowing there, here a foreshadowing, there a foreshadowing, everywhere a ForeSHAdowing, FOREshadowing. And like old McDonald, it's a really fun book with illustrations that are not as simple and straightforward as you think. You’ve been warned! And wasn’t too hard to find Dad Jokes for this one. Animals everywhere! And FORESHADOWING...

If you liked this episode, check out these:

One of our favorite books starring animals? The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton

A parade of really cool animals? Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Earsby Verna Aardema

For Dad Jokes and other fun stuff, check out our two part discussion with the hilarious and talented Alan Katz and his book The Funniest Joke Book Ever for Kids

Future Episodes: Eric Carle books!!

And now a word from our sponsors. (Well, not really sponsors (yet), just places we love to get books from and hope that you'll go to if you need one (and get them to sponsors us while you're there).

Books in Stock in Wooster, OH

A House with Books in Keller, TX
River Forest Public Library, River Forest, IL
Grapevine Public Library, Grapevine, TX
Keller Public Library, Keller, TX

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Have a great library or independent book store you love? Let us know!

Email us at dadsonbooks@gmail.com