November 20, 2009
New graphic novels with heart
I've been on a little graphic novel kick lately and had to share the latest ones that I've really enjoyed. They are quite different, but similar in the way that they are both thought-provoking and moving.
The first one is titled The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yang, illustrated by Derek Kirk Kim.
Yang is also the author of the influential and award-winning graphic novel American Born Chinese.
The Eternal Smile is actually a collection of 3 short stories, each with a fantasy-meets-reality spin. The first short story is "Duncan's Kingdom." Without giving away too much, it begins with a medieval knight named Duncan who is fighting frog creatures to woo a princess. The story in reality is so much more, and in 55 pages, you see Duncan's world unravel and learn how things are not what they seem. But in a really cool way.
"Gran'pa Greenbax and the Eternal Smile" looks at a frog with a Scrooge complex, Gran'pa Greenbax, and how far he will go to fulfil his dreams of wealth beyond belief. This story investigates evangelical hypocrisy, greed, wish fulfilment, religion and reality television by poking fun at these unlikeable characters and making us look inward as well.
"Urgent Request" was my favorite story of the three. Cubicle worker Janet Oh receives one of those awful spam e-mails asking her to send money to the prince of Nigeria. In return, she will receive a cut of his riches when he can pay her back. Common sense dictates that we deny the request, but what happens when you follow the fantasy? The simple grayscale artwork compliments the story of Janet and her prince and the passive behavior she exhibits. You will want to wring her neck at some points, but that fits with her character growing until the end. It was a charming story.
A Family Secret by Eric Heuvel.
There is a sea of Holocaust literature out there, and much of it is excellent. In order to stand out, a new work needs to have either a unique angle or excellent quality. I felt that A Family Secret had both elements. The unique angle in this case was the combination of a graphic novel format and the voice of a girl from Holland. Although Maus is known as the benchmark Holocaust graphic novel, this story is definitely more appropriate for a YA audience.
The story is told mainly as a a series of flashbacks from a grandmother to her grandson. Helena Van Dort's wartime experience is documented in her journal and left in her attic for her grandson Jeroen to discover many years later. Here Helena's family secret is more of an omission from her history rather than something she's trying to hide.
The details of her childhood in Nazi occupied Holland are emotional as she struggles with her family to do what is right and stay safe. There are strong family rifts over how to handle their loyalty to the Nazis and to their family friends who are Jewish. Her father is a policeman, forced to join the party, and later seen as a collaborator. One of her brothers joins the German army while the other joins the Dutch resistance. Helena herself ties herself to the resistance and never forgets when her Jewish best friend was taken away from her.
The story is well told and the artwork is very skillful. The Dutch view of the war is not often covered - with the exception of the famous story of Anne Frank. There are also references to Helena's relatives in Japanese-occupied Indonesia, which I found interesting. A dark time in history rediscovered and retold in an ultimately hopeful way.
Enjoy!
Sharon Long
Teen Services Librarian
Posted by egoldberg at 3:04 PM | Comments (0)
November 12, 2009
Marcelo in the Real World
Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork.
Marcelo, (pronounced MarSELLo and NOT MarCHelo) is a 17-year-old boy with high-functioning Asperger's syndrome. He literally marches to the beat of his own music - that is, the music he hears in his head - and is quite comfortable with the life he is used to. He is sheltered and content in many ways by attending a special-needs school called Paterson, where he even has the opportunity to work with ponies. However, his father is less than content with coddling Marcelo and strikes up a deal: Marcelo can choose to work at Paterson with the ponies in the summer and attend regular public high school in the fall or he can work at his father's law firm in the mailroom over the summer and go back to Paterson in the fall. Marcelo bravely decides to take on the mailroom to force himself out of his comfort zone and into the "real world".
Marcelo is a likeable character, written with such care and research that his personality and heart shine through his disability. His Asperger's syndrome is, in many ways, his gift. He has a "special interest" in religion and classical music and engages in theological discussions with his friend the rabbi. He also has the ability to uncover the truth of a situation and follow his moral compass, even if there are difficult consequences.
Through his experiences at the law firm and from the friendship he develops with his co-worker Jasmine, Marcelo slowly starts to blossom. He finds a place in the real world, and as the reader, I found myself wanting to protect him. But you can't. Ultimately that is what's great about growing up: you become stronger when you force yourself to do something that scares you. Even if you fail, you have succeeded in the sense that you have put yourself out there and conquered a fear.
This book has an uplifting message but doesn't sugar coat the evil that can exist in the everyday actions of people. Overall, Marcelo in the Real World is a really well-written and highly recommended book. I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up winning some awards next year.
Sharon Long
Teen Services Librarian
Posted by egoldberg at 4:42 PM | Comments (0)
November 4, 2009
Prophecy of the Sisters
There's a new book that has been haunting me lately - Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink. From the publisher's description:
"In late nineteenth-century New York state, wealthy sixteen-year-old twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe find that they are on opposite sides of an ancient prophecy that has destroyed their parents and seeks to do even more harm."
This first book in a planned triilogy has all the right makings for a spooky fall tale. Let's see: a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other since the dawn of time? Check. A chilly gothic setting with old-fashioned and formal language? Check. The fate of a legion of lost souls hanging in the balance? Check. Yes, it fulfills many spooktacular requirements.
What I really enjoyed was how well-developed the characters are and the many plot twists that kept the novel from being stale and clichéd. Even though the book centers around a battle between good vs. evil, the main characters are not so black and white. Lia has a good heart, yet was born into a role she does not wish to fulfill. Alice seems evil from the beginning, but you sympathize with the fact that she ultimately cannot help her calling. The supporting characters, such as Lia's friends Sonia and Luisa, infuse some warmth and humor into the story and are instantly likeable.
Although the first book spends a lot of time world-building to set the stage for more action to follow, it is a world I very much enjoyed visiting and hope to return. This is definitely a book to curl up with under a fluffy blanket on a cool autumn night.
Sharon Long
Posted by egoldberg at 9:50 AM | Comments (0)
October 30, 2009
This is What I Want to Tell You - Book Review
This is What I Want to Tell You by Heather Duffy Stone
Book review by: Anam Tariq
Nadio and Noelle are fraternal twins; add in Keeley, heir childhood friend and you get a perfect family. But when Keeley goes to Oxford, one summer vacation, everything changes. Noelle begins to feel lonely, afraid of being left behind, that she begins to hang out with shady characters to fill the gap in her heart. However, once Keeley arrives back from her trip, she too is different, in that she isn't open about her trip. In fact she's afraid to speak about her experience. Nadio is at a loss, as to what to do...how should he protect his sister and in the meantime protect his new found love with Keeley?
This is What I Want to Tell You, by Heather Duffy Stone, is a great teen novel portraying elements of love, loneliness, and desperation. Not to mention that High School life is always hectic. The novel is told in two points of views - Noelle and Nadio, giving an insight to Noelle's and Nadio's life and emotions. "Why don't people ever see the way other kinds of love can wreck you? What about the way being left out of love can wreck you?"
Posted by egoldberg at 8:30 AM | Comments (0)
October 23, 2009
Famous first words
"There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife." - Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book
Some books have an opening line that just hooks you and draws you in. In the spirit of the season, I wanted to post some creepy favorites.
1 - "3 May. Bistritz--Left Munich at 8.35 P.M. on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6.46, but train was an hour late."
2 - "You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings."
3 - "It was a dark and stormy night."
4 - "When shall we three meet again?
In thunder, lightning or in rain?"
5 - "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."
6 - "Coraline discovered the door a little while after they moved into the house."
7 - "I'd never given much thought to how I would die--though I'd had reason enough in the last few months--but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this."
8 - "My name is Darren Shan. I'm a half-vampire."
9 - "My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973."
10 - "Once upon a time, not so long ago a monster came to the small town of Castle Rock."
Can you guess the books?
Here are the answers:
1 - Dracula, Bram Stoker
2 - Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus, Mary Shelley
3 - A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle
4 - Macbeth, William Shakespeare
5 - 1984, George Orwell
6 - Coraline, Neil Gaiman
7 - Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
8 - Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, Darren Shan
9 - The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold
10 - Cujo, Stephen King
Posted by egoldberg at 2:34 PM | Comments (0)