All Blog Posts Tagged 'graphic novel' (17)

the plain janes (graphic novels challenge #2)

the outcast crowd - the new girl, the smart girl, the jock girl, and the wannabe actress. in this graphic novel by cecil castellucci and jim rugg, all of these high school "rejects" are named jane. when main jane, who the story follows, lived in the city, a bomb went off where she was hanging out… Continue

Added by erin on July 9, 2008 at 6:30am — No Comments

castle waiting (graphic novel challenge #1)

my first graphic novel! i was not sure how this was going to go. sure, i read the comics in the washington post but haven't read anything like this before. linda medly's castle waiting is a compliation of the stories of several characters who have all ended up at castle waiting. the story be… Continue

Added by erin on June 30, 2008 at 4:01pm — No Comments

The Case of Madeleine Smith by Rick Geary

Reading The Case of Madeleine Smith is like watching a 19th Century Law and Order - only, apparently, this isn't just "ripped from the headlines" - her story actually WAS the headlines. This graphic novel traces the true story of an upper class woman who allegedly poisoned her lower class gentleman lover - in a case study type format. It felt well researched and the comic-book format makes the history so accessible. It also puts the time in which these people are living into context in a way tha… Continue

Added by Corinne on June 13, 2008 at 9:38pm — No Comments

Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things by Ted Naifeh

Courtney's move to the richy suburbs does not make her happy - especially when she sees the eerie house she has to live in and loony uncle she has to live with. And like other teenage girls I've known (myself included) she just does not seem to fit in anywhere - not with her parents, not with the other kids at school. Things are afoot, however. Courtney comes to find that nasty sorts of creatures lurk in and around her new home - and as Courtney faces her fear of those monsters in the night, sh… Continue

Added by Corinne on June 13, 2008 at 9:31pm — No Comments

Days Like This by J. Torres and Scott Chantler

Times were a changin. Pop music was coming into its own and new bands were springing up like dandelions. This graphic novel is set in the thick of this time period and reads a bit like a sitcom. Several different plot lines with some drama but no real depth. It's a quick look at the music industry and one girl band's rise to fame. Fun, but not particularly thoughtful or life changing. Continue

Added by Corinne on May 11, 2008 at 7:24pm — No Comments

Polly the Pirate by Ted Naifeh

It be hard not to talk like a pirate after devouring this treasure. Polly's an obedient boarding school student until her unknown past comes to find her. The plot was engaging and more fleshed out than other middle-grade graphic novels I've read. The art work felt almost Victorian - incredible "houseboats" and intricate landscapes. I really liked this one; I will say, however, that it took me a while before I could quickly translate in my head from pirate-with-a-Brooklyn-accent back to the Queen… Continue

Added by Corinne on May 11, 2008 at 7:20pm — No Comments

In the Shadow of No Towers by Art Spiegelman

The author of this graphic novel (really a collection of full page spreads - a HUGE book) was in NYC on Sept 11th. Spiegelman was in the thick of the horror and his strips go from telling the first-hand story of his experiences that day to a more political commentary on the decisions America's leaders made following the attacks. It's hard to place any judgment on someone who lived through something so devastating - but his comics get a bit disturbing as he works through his discontent. He often… Continue

Added by Corinne on May 11, 2008 at 7:17pm — No Comments

Owly: The Way Home & The Bittersweet Summer by Andy Runton

Owly. I have yet to meet a more lovable, empathetic, warm-and-fuzzy graphic novel character. His mild adventures take him around his forest home as he makes new animal friends and helps them along the way. The theme of friendship is so cleverly played out as Owly interacts with Worm and the Hummingbirds, without ever getting sappy or slow. The wordless format is perfect for older children who might be struggling with text - and yet, for myself, I liked how it made me imagine my own text in my he… Continue

Added by Corinne on May 11, 2008 at 7:15pm — No Comments

The Fixer: A Story From Sarajevo by Joe Sacco

I guess when you read the subtitle "A Story From Sarajevo" you should know that this not a pretty story. It's the story of Neven, whom the author meets in Sarajevo. Neven is a man who is willing to sell his war stories to the press and get them the "inside" story - he's a crass, chain smoking veteran of an incredibly complicated war. The way the story is told, I never completely believed anything Neven said - which probably exactly the point. Journalists are constantly having to decide whether w… Continue

Added by Corinne on May 11, 2008 at 7:14pm — No Comments

Good as Lily by Derek Kirk Kim and Jesse Hamm

This is another Minx graphic novel - a story of a girl who ends up spending some time with her 6 year old, 29 year old and 80 year old self. While the plot is a bit cliche, I did start thinking that it would be nice to put some things about my past self to rest and get a little glimpse of what could be (with some good advice, of course). You get a bit of the cultural identity issues (she's Korean American), a bit of the high school romantic drama, some high school theater and a cranky old grandm… Continue

Added by Corinne on April 28, 2008 at 11:13am — No Comments

Re-Gifters by Mike Carey, Sonny Liew, Marc Hempel

This graphic novel was a quick read. Jen is Korean-American living in South Central L.A. There's two basic story lines - Jen is preparing to be in a national martial arts competition and Jen is in love with a popular boy at school. The story lines are intertwined because said boy is also in the competition and Jen has a seriously hard time finding her "ki" (universal energy, or spirit) because of her infatuation with him. I didn't like the art as much in this one as I have in other graphic nove… Continue

Added by Corinne on April 28, 2008 at 11:11am — No Comments

The Yellow Jar by Patrick Atangan

This book is truly a work of art. Atangan's art is amazing - nearly every frame could be an 18th century Japanese woodblock print. The style of his drawings transports you to ancient Japan where you first follow the story of a fisherman's quest to save his wife (whom he found inside the yellow jar of the title) from a demon warrior. The second story is of a gardener who mistakes two beautiful flowers for weeds and learns his lesson in the end. I liked the stories themselves because they are fam… Continue

Added by Corinne on April 23, 2008 at 11:39am — No Comments

The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

In this graphic novel, our "main" Jane goes through a traumatic experience in the city and her parents move her out to the suburbs. As she finds her way in a new school, she makes choices about the friends she wants to have and slowly she wins over the other Janes at the "reject" table in the cafeteria. The Janes begin creating neighborhood art projects on the sly, designed to make the world a brighter place - but the adults around them view it as some kind of teen conspiracy...more In this grap… Continue

Added by Corinne on April 23, 2008 at 11:36am — No Comments

The Courageous Princess by Rod Espinosa

I don't feel like I am able to judge this graphic novel very well. It's the first "manga" I've ever read - although I watched several different manga movies when I was a child, so the look of all the characters is comfortingly familiar to me. The dialogue was just so cheesy, and I don't know if that's just what you get with manga or if this happened to be a cheesy one. Mabelrose is quite a courageous princess, after she figures out that no prince is going to fall for her on her beauty (or lack)… Continue

Added by Corinne on April 23, 2008 at 11:34am — No Comments

Robot Dreams by Sara Varon

This graphic novel was such a pleasure to peruse. Even with no text, it was a poignant tale of friendships found and lost and found again. I had so many memories (mostly from junior high) going through my mind as robot was left behind, thinking of all the different ways things COULD have gone. And as Dog was searching for new friends that were a good fit - I'm STILL doing that. I think readers from grade school and up and get something out of this book. Continue

Added by Corinne on April 23, 2008 at 11:33am — No Comments

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

My first review of a book with no text. The Arrival is an artistic and other-wordly look at the journey from the "old" world to the "new." We follow one man as he leaves his home and family behind and travels to a foreign country. The new country seems like a different planet - you can sense his wonder and frustration at feeling so ignorant, but you rejoice with him as he find people to guide him and "tell" him their own immigration stories. The drawings are breathtaking and haunting - especiall… Continue

Added by Corinne on April 23, 2008 at 11:33am — No Comments

American Born Chinese by Gene Yang

I've never read a graphic novel before - I got this one from the library when I read about the author coming to town. I wasn't sure what to expect - but I found it really readable. I think anyone who has lived through adolescence can identify with a lot of the feelings of the main character - whether you are of the majority race in your community or not. I think Yang presents a really interesting look at how hard we look to find ourselves and be comfortable in our own skin. I liked that the draw… Continue

Added by Corinne on April 23, 2008 at 11:30am — No Comments