A Garfield ® Guide to Online "Friends"

April 1, 2020

Gr 2-5-This fun, comic book-style series explains how to be a good digital citizen. Poor Nermal keeps making bad decisions online: illegally downloading a movie from a "TOTALLY SAFE!" website and getting a virus, oversharing on social media and endangering himself, nearly sharing his gaming password with a stranger online, and posting an unflattering picture of Otto which leads to the octopus getting cyberbullied. Garfield keeps shuffling in to save the day. With the help of Dr. Cybrina, a sassy cat working at the Center for Cyber Safety and Education, and her "Internet Safety Toolbox," Nermal learns how to be a good person on the web. Post-narrative activities include comprehension questions that gauge what readers have learned. VERDICT Sure to be a crowd-pleaser; a first purchase where "Garfield" comic collections circulate well.

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2020
Grades 5-8 This graphic novel-style guide, an entry in the Garfield's Guide to Digital Citizenship series (4 titles), cautions tween readers?without spooking them?about the dangers of giving out personal information online. When Nermal gets stuck while playing Cheesequest 7: Attack of the Cheddar Zombies, an online friend offers him help . . . all he needs in exchange is Nermal's password! But Nermal's friends Garfield and Arlene aren't so sure that's the way to go. With the help of an online security expert, they explain their concerns and help Nermal beat the game themselves. The lively comic gets the point across (someone was indeed trying to hack Nermal's account for all his game points!), and the back matter drives it home: multiple quizzes and essay questions make sure readers, like Nermal, understand how to be safe online.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)