  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 12/01/2016 The popular but perhaps lesser-known Squirrel Girl comics leap into the realm of the novel thanks to the considerable talent of wife-and-husband team Shannon and Dean Hale. Doreen Green, a peppy 14-year-old with a gorgeous tail (tactfully concealed) and secret squirrel powers, is doing her best to make friends—both human and squirrel—in her new New Jersey town, but it isn’t easy. She’s been dismissed by the popular girls and local LARPers, but Doreen finds a BFF in hearing-impaired classmate Ana Sofía. When Doreen notices that someone is mistreating the town’s wildlife, her tail comes out and she springs into action as Squirrel Girl, with Ana Sofía running logistics. Shifting narration opens the story to Doreen’s, Ana Sofía’s, and, most entertainingly, Tippy-Toe the squirrel’s perspectives. Doreen’s upbeat attitude and naïveté make her seem several years younger than 14, but middle-school readers will latch on to her enthusiasm and heroic instincts. Fun, funny, and action-packed, this first Squirrel Girl adventure will win plenty of fans. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Marvel anything draws a crowd. Add these best-selling authors and a book tour into the mix and they’ll go nuts. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. School Library Journal - 02/01/2017 Gr 4–7—Before becoming a full-fledged superhero with legions of squirrels at her side and defeating iconic Marvel villains such as Thanos and Galactus, Doreen Green was an ordinary teen who just happened to have a tail and the proportional strength of a squirrel. Though not quite an origin tale, this prequel to the popular graphic novel series provides the backstory for how Doreen became the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. After moving with her parents from California to New Jersey, Doreen begins to realize that she can use her powers for good, and within a short period of time Doreen's alter ego becomes immensely popular to the point that she attracts her own arch nemesis. Doreen must find a way to cope with high school life, keep her superhero identity a secret, and defeat the diabolical son of Hydra agents. Squirrel Girl's signature humor, ability to think through situations before using her incredible strength, and desire to help others have been successfully incorporated. While the narrative is not told in the first person, there are one-line remarks from Squirrel Girl on the bottom of each page reminiscent of the format Ryan North uses to make comments throughout the graphic novels. VERDICT New readers and fans of the "Squirrel Girl" graphic novels will not be disappointed with this fun and engaging middle grade title starring a strong, positive, and utterly likable heroine.—Marissa Lieberman, East Orange Public Library, NJ - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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