Next Stop

I got Next Stop by Debbie Fong from the library for my daughter, but it caught my eye and my interest, so I decided to read it too. The book description says, "Pia is a soft-spoken middle schooler whose life is turned upside down after the loss of her younger brother, followed by her parents’ decision to move to a new town. In an effort to get her mind off of the troubles at home, Pia goes on a bus tour with a family friend, stopping at weird and wacky roadside attractions. The final destination: a mysterious underground lake. The locals say it has magical powers; Pia won’t admit she believes in it, but she’s holding on to hope that the waters may hold the answer to mending her broken family."

This was a quick and engaging read. The flashback style of the book (telling the current story but frequently flashing back to past events) kept me engaged and interested in seeing Pia's full backstory. The book definitely had some sad and heavy things in it, but the author kept the book light enough that it's a good read for 8-12. The story was fun and unique with some entertaining characters. Good read.

* * (2/3 = Liked it)

Freestyle

I read Freestyle by Gale Galligan while with my daughter in line to meet Gale Galligan and get the book signed. :) The book description says, "Cory's dance crew is getting ready for a major competition. It's the last one before they graduate eighth grade and go their separate ways to high schools all over New York City, so they have to make it count! The group starts to have problems as their crew captain gets increasingly intense about nailing the routine, and things go from bad to worse when Cory's parents ground him for not taking his grades seriously. He gets stuck with a new tutor, Sunna, who he dismisses as a boring nerd… until he catches her secretly practicing cool yo-yo tricks. Cory wants to learn the art of yo-yo, and as his friendship with Sunna grows, he ends up missing practice and bailing on his crew -- and they are not happy about it. With mounting pressure coming from all sides, how is Cory supposed to balance the expectations of his parents, school, dance, and his new friend?"

This was a good read with great illustrations that really told the story. It was fun to read this right after hearing Gale Galligan talk about her process as a graphic novelist. I liked the story and the messages on friendship and being yourself.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Hey, Kiddo

I got a copy of Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction by Jarrett J. Krosoczka that someone was giving away and decided to give it a read. It's a graphic novel format memoir of author/illustrator Jarrett Krosoczka. The book description reads, "In kindergarten, Jarrett Krosoczka's teacher asks him to draw his family, with a mommy and a daddy. But Jarrett's family is much more complicated than that. His mom is an addict, in and out of rehab, and in and out of Jarrett's life. His father is a mystery -- Jarrett doesn't know where to find him, or even what his name is. Jarrett lives with his grandparents -- two very loud, very loving, very opinionated people who had thought they were through with raising children until Jarrett came along.Jarrett goes through his childhood trying to make his non-normal life as normal as possible, finding a way to express himself through drawing even as so little is being said to him about what's going on. Only as a teenager can Jarrett begin to piece together the truth of his family, reckoning with his mother and tracking down his father."

This was a good read. I was really amazed by all that Jarrett went through as a kid and how he sorted through a lot of difficulties to make the life he has now. I originally read it to see if it'd be a good book for my daughter to read (since she loves graphic novels), but it has quite a bit of bad language, so I don't think I'll recommend it to her at this point. But I thought it was an engaging, meaningful book, and I liked the lesson of the power of adults who love and believe in you even when you don't have that in your birth parents.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

They Called Us Enemy

I read They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker for my graphic novel class. It tells the true story of actor and activist George Takei's childhood in the 1940s when he and his family were put in internment camps for being Japanese Americans. The book follows the difficult choices his parents had to make, his father's leadership and compassion during trying times, and the family's strength in enduring injustice.

I loved this book so much! Telling this story in a graphic novel format made the book so much more powerful than it would have been if written any other way. The story was powerful and engaging and helps readers better understand this period of US history. The illustrations depicted the emotions of the characters very well, and I so admired the strength of this family.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Maus I

I read Maus I: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman for my graphic novel class. It shares the experiences of the author's father, Vladek, a Jew who endured hiding and concentration camps during the Holocaust. The book begins with Vladek’s experiences before the war, including how he met his wife, and then follows his experiences as his life became in danger.

This was a great read and powerful story. This book was written in 1986--I didn't even know graphic novels were a thing back then. (I had a misconception that graphic novels were new but learned differently during my class this semester.) The illustrations are black and white but symbolic in that the Jews are portrayed as mice and Nazis as cats. This book had me engaged, though I struggled with telling characters apart at times since I'm realizing that I'm not super observant with illustrations. This book did have some bad language, so take note that it's an adult book. As a side note, this book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992, which is pretty amazing. (It's the first and only graphic novel to win that award.)

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

March: Book One

I read March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell for my graphic novel class. It tells of Congressman John Lewis and the true story of his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. The story begins in the modern day, with Congressman Lewis speaking to two young boys who come visit his office. The stories of his past are introduced as stories he tells the boys.

This was a pretty amazing book! I loved the way the book was written and reading the stories and experiences shared. It really made the Civil Rights Movement seem more real to see someone living in our day and age who had such a central role in the events in the 60s. I think this makes it a powerful book for children and young adults who are learning about this time of history. This will be a good one for my daughter Emmeline in a couple years.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

The Arrival

I read The Arrival by Shaun Tan for my graphic novel class. Written entirely in pictures (no words), this book shows a man leaving his wife and daughter to immigrate to a new country. As he repeatedly faces the unfamiliar, he meets helpful people along the way who each faced difficult times in their pasts as well and share their experiences. With the use of an invented alphabet and unfamiliar locations and animals, the author/illustrator portrays settings that could represent any location.

This was such a great book! At the beginning, I was kind of confused and worried I was missing something because I kept seeing fantastical creatures and settings and didn't really understand. But as I kept reading, I understood what the author was trying to portray. The illustrations really articulated the feelings of immigrants and showed the goodness of people in taking care of each other. I really related to this book because it brought out the feelings I felt when we lived in Japan--just the feeling of being in a new, unfamiliar place where everything is different and confusing. Even though this is listed as a young adult book, I think it's one my 10-year-old daughter could read and understand.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Green River Killer

I read Green River Killer by Jeff Jensen and Jonathan Case for the graphic novel course I'm taking this semester (for my MLIS). This book follows Tom Jensen (the father of the author), the lead detective on the case of the Green River Killer, a serial killer in Seattle in the 1980s. When the killer, Gary Leon Ridgway, was eventually caught, Detective Jensen spent time with him doing interviews before Ridgway was convicted of killing 48 women and girls.

I picked this book from the list provided by the professor because I have always been interested in true crime and thought I'd enjoy the story. It did end up being very fascinating, and it made me interested in learning more about the case afterward. The book is definitely adult content because this guy was a creepy murderer and rapist, and there are lots of pictures of dead bodies and gruesome things. There were two things I didn't love about the book--1) It jumped back and forth in time (originally when killings happening and then once they caught the killer), and I sometimes got confused. 2) I sometimes had trouble telling certain characters apart because their appearances were similar, which led to me having to do lots of double takes. But overall I enjoyed the read.

* * (2/3 = Liked it)

Illegal

I was looking for new graphic novels for my daughter to read and saw on a list Illegal by Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin, and Giovanni Rigano and got it from the library. It follows Ebo and his brother Kwame who leave Ghana as refugees, looking to get to Europe to reunite with their sister.

This was a powerful book that gave a glimpse into the terribly unfair and difficult circumstances faced by refugees. I think it would be a little too much for my 10-year-old right now since she's pretty sensitive, and this book had some hard deaths. But I think it's a great book for teens and helps readers remember the real issues faced by people around the world every day.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

When Stars are Scattered

I randomly saw the front cover of When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed when scrolling through Amazon or my Kindle or something, and it caught my eye--particularly because Victoria Jamieson is the author of Roller Girl, a graphic novel that Emmeline and I both loved. When Stars are Scattered is a graphic novel based on the real experiences of Somali refugee Omar Mohamed. It follows Omar's 15 years living in a refugee camp in Kenya. The book describes Omar's protective relationship with his nonverbal brother, his questions about what happened to his mother, and his opportunity to attend school.

This was an AMAZING book. Emmeline read it first and loved it, and then I read it next and loved it too. It was a powerful story in portraying what it is like to be a refugee, and it was just incredible to follow the experiences Omar had. I loved the "from the author" sections at the end where I learned how this book came to be AND what happened to Omar after the end of the book. This is a very approachable book for children to learn about the refugee experience. The story is amazing, but Victoria Jamieson is also a very talented storyteller and artist. Great read, highly recommended.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

White Bird

I heard that R.J. Palacio wrote another Wonder story--a graphic novel called White Bird--so I checked it out from the library. This book elaborates on the Julian chapter of the original book and tells Grandmere's story as a young Jewish girl during the Holocaust.

This was a beautiful, powerful read. I loved the graphic novel format for the book, and the author did a great job telling the story. I read in the afterward that this book was meant to be an introduction to the Holocaust for children. Emmeline would not be emotionally ready for this book now (age 9), but I would love for her to read it in a couple years. I'd highly recommend this read!

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Pashmina

I saw Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani recommended when I was working on a school assignment last semester (gathering top books for children). It is a graphic novel about teenager Priyanka Das. The inside of the cover reads, "Priyanka Das has so many unanswered questions: Why did her mother abandon her home in India years ago? What was it like there? And most importantly, who is her father, and why did her mom leave him behind? But Pri’s mom avoids these questions―the topic of India is permanently closed. For Pri, her mother's homeland can only exist in her imagination. That is, until she find a mysterious pashmina tucked away in a forgotten suitcase. When she wraps herself in it, she is transported to a place more vivid and colorful than any guidebook or Bollywood film. But is this the real India? And what is that shadow lurking in the background? To learn the truth, Pri must travel farther than she’s ever dared and find the family she never knew."

This was a fun read. I was able to get through the book in like 20 minutes (an advantage of graphic novels!), but it was still a deep story with a lot to it. The illustrations were great, the characters were relatable, and the story was engaging. I also love that this is an Indian-American author/illustrator creating a book about that same culture, making the book very authentic and giving a diverse voice that's not often represented in children's literature (especially graphic novels).

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Roller Girl

I've started working on reading the 2016 Newbery winners, and Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson was one of the honor winners. It is a graphic novel about 12-year-old Astrid who goes to a roller derby bout with her mom and a friend and realizes that she has found something she will love. Roller derby camp ends up not being as easy as she expected, and things begin changing with her friends. The inside of the dust jacket reads, "There are bumps and bruises as Astrid learns who she is...and what it takes to be a strong, tough roller girl."

I really loved this book. I think it made it even better that a year or two ago, I went to a roller derby bout because my friend/neighbor plays roller derby. The story was engaging, the characters--especially Astrid--were real and believable, the pictures were descriptive and expressive, etc. I just loved the progression of the story as well as the life lessons Astrid learned about friendship and endurance. Normally I don't love graphic novels because they aren't long enough to engage me or they feel choppy, but this one was awesome. I'm a fan.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

El Deafo

I saw El Deafo by CeCe Bell on the list of Newbery Honor winners for 2015, so I checked it out from the library.  This book tells the story of CeCe, a young girl who becomes deaf when she's four. With her huge Phonic Ear hearing aid and friends that never seem to last, CeCe experiences a lot of loneliness. But she imagines herself as a super hero (El Deafo) and doesn't give up on finding a friend who will like her for who she is.

This was a neat book. When I got it from the library, I was surprised to see that it was a graphic novel. I wasn't sure if I still wanted to read it, but after glancing through the first few pages, it caught my attention. It was an engaging story with lots of characters to love and hate. At the end, I realized that this book is a memoir based on the author's actual childhood--which made it even cooler. I really liked the "Note from the Author" at the end and her concluding words: "Our differences are our superpowers."

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)