Raina Telgemeier is amazing and I wish she had been writing when I was a tween. As it is, I’m happy to be able to give these books to my daughters and enjoy the nostalgia they bring me. Her first two graphic novels are autobiographical, Smile and Sisters. This time around she drew from her life experiences of middle school and doing theater to create an original work titled Drama, and it has lived up to it’s name. In 2015 Drama had the honor of being on the “Most frequently […]
The awkwardness of middle school and dental drama
My previous review was for Sisters a biographical graphic novel about the relationship between the author, Raina Telgemeier, and her younger sister Amara. Before she wrote Sisters, Raina chronicled the difficult and awkward time of middle school through the transition to high school in Smile. Poor Raina, at a time when you can feel your most self conscious she had an extra complication of braces and dental work on a level I had never heard of before. At eleven years old an unfortunate accident knocked out one of Raina’s top […]
This Is It
This is It is a poetic story of a young ballerina and how she explores herself through dance. The author-illustrator, Daria Peoples-Riley, also tells the child to be strong, that when you are you there is nothing you cannot do. The illustrations match the text with their soft colors, yet at the same time, they pop off the page. They are as bold as how the narrator wants the child to be. The publisher description says that this is a book about movement, individuality and […]
That’s nothing like the book! And deeper lessons learned on re-reading decades later
When I found out Disney was adapting A Wrinkle in Time, I knew that I would read it to my daughter before the movie came out. We recently watched the trailer but hadn’t finished the book yet. Once the trailer finished, my daughter turned to me and said, “That’s nothing like the book!” I started laughing and responded, “Get used to that feeling, kiddo”. Later we talked about the challenge of adapting a written work to a visual medium and we both speculated on how Aunt Beast will […]
Trust Me, Hansel and Gretel Are Sweet!: The Story of Hansel and Gretel as Told by the Witch
We all know the story of Hansel and Gretel… or do we? This retake on the popular story takes a softer approach to the classic tale and creates a happy ending for everyone. The bright colors of the illustrations hint at the sweet treat that is the center of the commotion. Over all this book, while a fun read, it is very predictable. The witch is good…. she likes to make food art out of her mashed potatoes and the gingerbread house is just a […]
Better late than never? Maybe not…
7th Grade Revolution is ‘based on true events.’ The book drops us in the story after the 7th grade has revolted, and the students learn of their success. But I’m left with questions. How did they revolt? Why? And why was it successful? Was it some sort of plan by the staff as a learning exercise? And why did it make national news? (This is about the extent of the ‘true events.’) As I read, there were some questions that did get get answered. I […]
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