The Tryout

by Christina Soontornvat

Love this completely accurate portrayal of middle school in the south. Soontornvat is on fire right now--all her books are winners. Anyone who has ever lived through middle school will find something to relate to in this book!

 

When Stars are Scattered

 

by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

The only reason I picked this up was because I heard so many glowing reviews--I'm not really a graphic novel person, and I'm ashamed to say the subject matter didn't really sound all that riveting at first glance. Boy, was I wrong.

A true story, told by Omar, a young boy growing up in a Somali refugee camp in Kenya. His parents casualties of a war-torn country, he and his brother are sent to live in the camps and given a sort of surrogate mother to watch after them. Hassan has special needs, so when Omar is offered the rare opportunity to go to school, he's torn about leaving his brother who depends on him. That's just one of the gut-wrenching, inspiring, and unbelievable stories this book has to tell. I loved this. Not be be hyperbolic, but this one could easily go into the "life-changing" category.

Hey, Kiddo

by Jarrett Krosoczka

This couldn't have been an easy book to write. Jarrett's childhood is truly tragic on so many levels. The image of him curled up asleep in front of his grandparents' bedroom door because he was afraid was absolutely heartbreaking. As is often the case in situations like this, the "good guys" in the child's life may not be what others would consider to be positive influences. His portrayal of his grandmother, while mostly flattering, also gives an honest depiction of her darker side that sort of explains why this family is what it is. Kroscoczka doesn't seem to pull any punches. It was a hard story for me to read, and as much as I try, I struggle with a graphic format and it dragged a bit at times. But this book isn't for me. It's for the kids (lots of them) who are living this way right now. It's for the ones who might think they don't have a chance to escape their circumstances. And I love that it's a story told in pictures, which might make the message a bit more accessible to some kids.

El Deafo

by Cece Bell

When Cece was four, she had a serious bout with meningitis, and unfortunately lost much of her hearing. She chronicles the process by which her four year old self realizes she can't hear. It's equally fascinating and heartbreaking. But the majority of her story focuses on her upper elementary years, where she goes through a revolving door of friends, casting off those who talk to her too loudly, try to teach her sign language, and more. (Who can blame, her, though!?) One day, she realizes that the Phonic Ear, her fancy hearing aid, allows her to hear her teacher peeing in the bathroom, and she dubs herself El Deafo, creating for herself an alter ego with super hearing super powers!

This is the first graphic novel I've ever read where I forgot I was reading a graphic novel. The story and the images flowed beautifully. I alternately shook my head at Cece and cheered for her, but mostly, I laughed. A sweetly funny story with a real and flawed protagonist.The picture of Cece in elementary school at the end of the book would melt anyone's heart!

My Milk Toof

by Inhae Lee

This book is not normally something I would pick up, but the cover was so cute I just couldn't resist. Ickle and Lardee are milk teeth (or teef, as they are called in the book.) Milk teeth are the same thing as baby teeth. The author says these are two of her little milk teef, come back to live with her. The book is basically a series of photos with a simple story, that revolves around these two little guys completing household tasks, like taking a phone message, and caring for houseplants. A fast little read, that's just pure fun!

Yotsuba&!

by Kiyohiko Azuma

Summary: When Yotsuba moves to a new town, she is so strange, she kind of becomes the neighborhood entertainment. From mispronouncing everything, to being scared of an air conditioner, Yotsuba's antics are a mystery to everyone.

My thoughts: Yotsuba is a cute and funny little girl. If you like graphic novels, you'll love her sweet nature and innocent goof-ups! (Recommended to me by Kim Christenson!)

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

by Marjane Satrapi

Summary: Persepolis is an autobiography (true story of the author's life) about her childhood in Iran during the Iran-Iraq war. The events she witnesses are truly shocking, and this is an interesting inside view on a part of our world that many of us know very little about.

My thoughts: This book deals with very serious topics, and is a high school book. If you like Maus, by Art Spiegelman, check this one out at the public library.

Amulet: Book One, The Stonekeeper

by Kazu Kibuishi

Summary: As Emily and her parents travel to pick up her little brother, they have a horrible accident. Kibuishi illustrates a gut-wrenching scene of terror as Emily's father, trapped inside their car, slides off a cliff to his death. When Emily, her mother, and brother Navin move to a quiet home to start over, their mother is almost immediately eaten by a terrible tentacled creature. Emily finds an amulet that is supposed to help her and Navin find and save their mother, but it may not be all that it appears.

My thoughts: The opening scene of this graphic novel is dramatically illustrated and extremely haunting. If you like Bone, you'll love this book.

The Arrival

by Shaun Tan

Summary: This is an immigration story that is told entirely in pictures. That's right--this book has no words. The pictures at first invoke a feeling of a historical time period, but the reader soon notices the strange creatures running around that look nothing like anything from our world. The main character is befriended by a dog-sized alien creature, who helps him navigate this strange new world. This man has left his family to find work here, and the reader experiences his joys and his failures all depicted through beautiful artwork.

My thoughts: The Arrival took me much longer to "read" than I thought it would. I assumed I would flip through each page quickly. After all, it's just pictures. The pictures are so rich and complex, however, that you want to linger on every page. A beautiful and original story, that you almost sort of write yourself!