Tag: :01FirstSecond

Posted in Middle Grade, Middle School, Non-Fiction, Non-fiction, Tween Reads

Continental Drifter seeks belonging

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Continental Drifter, by Kathy MacLeod, (Apr. 2024, First Second), $14.99, ISBN: 9781250813749

Ages 8-12

Eleven-year-old Kathy lives in Bangkok with her Thai mother, American father, and her sister. The family doesn’t seem to interact much, so Kathy’s looking forward to the family trip to her father’s family in Maine: – with a summer camp trip-within-a-trip included! Feeling like she doesn’t quite fit in with her family and friends in Thailand, she has high hopes for America, but discovers that she doesn’t quite fit in with the blonde-haired, blue-eyed girls who can’t figure out where Thailand is – maybe she’s saying Taiwan wrong? Kathy loves Maine. She loves her extended family; she loves food she can’t get in Thailand, like blueberry pie and clam chowder. She LOVES shopping the the mall. But she feels out of touch within her own family unit, and it doesn’t help how she feels in the world at large. Continental Drifter is MacLeod’s graphic memoir about a child of two cultures searching for belonging, but it’s more than cultural: this family doesn’t interact. Her retired father prefers his alone time, and her high-powered mother runs a business, comes home, and wants her own time. Her older sister is going through adolescence, leaving Kathy to feel unmoored at home; with her friends in Thailand, there are questions about her American half, and when she visits her American family, there are questions about being… not American. MacLeod tells her story without melodrama; we see the lonely girl at the heart of the story, and we see how others in her family have their own loneliness. It’s a moving story that will resonate with readers from immigrant families and readers who may simply feel out of place. Back matter includes an author’s note and photos. Readers who love Remy Lai’s storytelling will Continental Drifter.

Continental Drifter has a starred review from Kirkus. Follow Kathy MacLeod on Instagram for more comics. MacLeod also has archived comics on BK Magazine, which have a slice of life in Bangkok flavor.

Posted in Fiction, Graphic Novels, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads, Young Adult/New Adult

Hungry Ghost takes a deep dive into disordered eating

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Hungry Ghost, by Victoria Ying, (Apr. 2023, First Second), $24.99, ISBN: 9781250766991

Ages 12+

Valerie Chu tries to be the perfect daughter. She’s studious and quiet; she’s an obedient daughter. Her mother’s obsession with food and being thin starts early, when she tells Valerie “don’t eat, just taste” a piece of her own birthday cake; she constantly monitors what Valerie eats. Val’s disordered eating mirrors most cases we hear and read about: she’s focused on being perfect, giving no one any reason to find a flaw. Val’s best friend, Jordan, has no such compulsion: curvy and confident, Jordan enjoys food and she enjoys life, earning Valerie’s mother’s quiet disdain. The two head off on a school trip to Paris where Valerie enjoys the taste of freedom, only to be called home for a family tragedy. As Valerie grieves, she has no time for perfection and her eating disorder is pushed to the side and gains her mother’s notice. Valerie must come to terms with her mother’s toxic ideas on beauty in order to move forward. Brilliantly written and illustrated with a haunting, ethereal beauty, Hungry Ghost is a heartbreaking look at the beginnings of body dysmorphia and how our families can create monsters within us. Back matter includes an author’s note and resources for eating disorders and recovery.

Hungry Ghost received a starred review from Kirkus.

Posted in Animal Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle School, Tween Reads

Reynard’s Tale breathes new life into a literary figure

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Reynard’s Tale, by Ben Hatke, (April 2023, First Second), $22.99, ISBN: 9781250857910

Ages 10+

Foxes have been tricksters in fairy tales and myths for as long as cultural memory can hold. Ben Hatke’s latest work, Reynard’s Tale, takes readers into a wonderful medieval setting to relate a new set of trickster tales starring Reynard the Fox, Isengrim the Wolf, and a series of memorable supporting characters. The short stories all link together: Reynard on the move, Isengrim on the hunt, and Reynard smooth-talking and outfoxing (pun intended) a series of love interests… but the last joke may just be on Reynard. There’s a playful sense of adventure in Hatke’s storytelling, and his ink artwork has a fairytale quality, with Reynard sporting a large hat, a cloak, and boots. If you have animal tale fans, give them this one.

Read more about Reynard at Britannica.com. Listen to audio, watch a dramatic reading, and learn to make a fox bookmark at Oxford’s Bodleian Library’s website.

Posted in Graphic Novels, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Conquering social anxiety through Improv

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Improve : How I Discovered Improv and Conquered Social Anxiety, by Alex Graudins, (Sept. 2022, First Second), $17.99, ISBN: 9781250208231

Ages 14+

Graphic novelist Alex Graudins – you may recognize the name from Science Comics and History Comics – uses her pencils to tell her story in this autobiographical graphic novel. Graudins illustrates her history of social anxiety, often at odds with her desire to be part of the “theatre kids” groups. Intrigued by improv, she signs up for improv classes as a way to work through her anxiety and negative self-talk. As she works with others in the group, she learns to work with the ebb and flow of her anxiety spikes. Part autobiographical study and part improv guide, Graudins explains different routines, made more helpful through illustration, letting readers see skits that explain different improv games, including “One Word at a Time”, where partners create a story through alternating words and “Advance & Expand”, where partners direct each other to move the story along (advance) or provide more detail (expand). Graudins is frank about her struggles with depression as well as the camaraderie and support that her improv groups provide. Graudins’s realistic artwork has a cartoon softness – think Raina Telgemeier and Victoria Jamieson – that puts readers at ease. Back matter includes an author’s note, further reading, and additional improv games make up the back matter.

An excellent addition to YA biography collections. Teens will connect with the graphic delivery and appreciate the honest and creative discussions on anxiety. Visit Alex Graudins’s webpage for more of her artwork and webcomics.

 

Posted in Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade

Prunella and the Cursed Skull Ring is sweetly ghoulish

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Prunella and the Cursed Skull Ring, by Matthew Loux, (Oct. 2022, First Second), $18.99, ISBN: 9781250162618

Ages 8-12

A girl discovers a skull-shaped ring that transforms her into a skeleton girl, earning her the ire of her monster-fearing neighbors in this delightfully weird and macabre story by Time Museum creator Matthew Loux. The town turns on her, including her indifferent mother, who mistakes a lushly groomed dog for her daughter, banishing her and setting Prunella off on a journey to find a way to reverse the curse. She meets other monsters on the way, all of whom readily accept her, and realizes that maybe the so-called “monsters” aren’t the villains after all. Befriending Captain Rip Skeleton and a floating skull named Francis, Prunella quickly becomes a story of friendship and adventure, leaving Prunella with decisions to make at the end of her journey. Cartoony artwork makes for a friendly cast of ogres, skeletons, and ghosts. Prunella is a young girl with a head of ample red hair held with a bow that stays intact through her transformation. Give this one to your Margo Maloo fans. A good purchase for graphic novel collections that like a little dark humor.

Prunella and the Cursed Skull Ring has a starred review from Kirkus.

Posted in Graphic Novels, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

The Greatest Thing takes a real look at adolescence, art, and anxiety

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Greatest Thing, by Sarah Winifred Searle, (Feb. 2022, First Second), $17.99, ISBN: 9781250297235

Ages 13+

A fictionalized memoir, The Greatest Thing follows Winifred as she starts the school year after her two closest friends go to a different school. Winifred is talented, creative, and plagued by anxiety. Uncomfortable with her body, she engages in habits like “tricking” her body into “forgetting it was hungry by making it sick”. When she meets new friends April and Oscar, her world opens up: the three friends love art and also deal with self-esteem and anxiety; together, the three find their voices by creating a zine, Gutterglimmers. Eventually, Winifred – with the help of her supportive mom – seeks help, and starts finding comfort in real life as well as the pages of her zine. Filled with helpful instructions on making a zine, and positive portrayals of nonbinary and pansexual characters, The Greatest Thing provides an honest and raw look into adolescent anxiety and depression, and the role art can play in working through emotions and feelings. If you haven’t purchased this book for your YA graphic novels collections yet, you really should.

Visit Sarah Winifred Searle’s website and seem more of her artwork and learn about more of her books.

Posted in Animal Fiction, Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Middle School, Tween Reads

Marshmallow & Jordan is a gentle friendship story

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Marshmallow & Jordan, by Alina Chau, (Oct. 2021, First Second), $22.99, ISBN: 9781250300607

Ages 8-12

Set in Indonesia, Marhsmallow & Jordan is a story of friendship and finding one’s own way. Jordan is a middle schooler who loves basketball: even an accident that put her in a wheelchair can’t stop her, mostly. She can’t compete with the team like she used to, but still serves as captain. She’s feeling a bit unfulfilled, when she rescues a hurt white baby elephant that she promptly names Marshmallow. The two new friends quickly become attached. Meanwhile, Jordan’s basketball coach recommends she try out for water polo after Marshmallow digs Jordan a pool, letting her take to the water without worrying about her wheelchair weighing her down. The training isn’t easy, but Marshmallow’s loving support and her own determination keeps Jordan focused on practice and success. But Marshmallow is hiding a secret of her own. Rich with warm colors and Indonesian culture and a diverse group of characters, Marshmallow & Jordan is a great middle grade story that works as a book club pick and a realistic fiction piece. Back matter includes a glossary of Indonesian terms, an author’s note, Indonesian facts, and food recommendations.

Visit Alina Chau’s author website for more information about her books, to sign up for her newsletter, and connect to her social media. Read an interview with Alina Chau at SLJ’s Good Comics for Kids, TeachersPayTeachers has free Indonesian activities, including an animal word search from Teach With Mrs. T’s Class and a map of Indonedia from The Harstad Collection. Britannica for Kids has information about water polo.

 

Posted in picture books

Julia’s House comes to the end of its journey with Julia’s House Goes Home

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Julia’s House Goes Home, by Ben Hatke (Oct. 2021, First Second), $18.99, ISBN: 9781250769329

Ages 4-8

The third book in the Julia’s House series will tug at heartstrings. The last time readers saw Julia’s house, in last year’s Julia’s House Moves On,the house had sprouted wings and was flying; Julia’s plans in the literal air. Now, the house lands, but takes a terrible tumble and rolls away, leaving Julia holding only the sign from her door! As she tries to track down the house, she gathers her Lost Creature friends, who’ve all been tossed and tumbled as the house bounced away, but just when she thinks she’s found the house, she makes a distressing discovery. Can she and her friends make things right again? A touching close to the Julia’s House trilogy, Julia’s House Goes Home shows a maturing Julia; a main character who’s gone from always having a plan, to learning that it’s okay to throw your plans out the window and just live in the moment, to having your plans fall apart in front of you – and having your friends be there to catch you when you fall. Readers familiar with Ben Hatke’s books will delight in seeing familiar monster friends and a wink to his 2016 story, Nobody Likes a Goblin. Watercolor artwork gives a moving, wistful, yet comforting feel to the story, and the back endpapers offer a sweet epilogue to sharp-eyed readers. I really loved reading all three books together. It’s a very gentle story that unfolds and invites you in to spend some time with it.

You can follow Ben Hatke’s Instagram for more of his artwork.

Posted in Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Tween Reads

Pepper Page Saves the Universe!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Pepper Page Saves the Universe (Adventures of the Supernova, Book 1), by Landry Q. Walker, (Feb. 2021, First Second), $14.99, ISBN: 9781250216922

Ages 8-12

What happens when a comics superfan discovers that she IS her favorite superhero? That’s what happens to orphaned Pepper Page, a high schooler who loves her Supernova comics more than anything: she can rattle off major storylines, lament retcons and canon versus headcanon and fancanon with the best of us fangirls, but imagine if you woke up one day to find a supreme being telling you that you’re really Wonder Woman, and all these comics have been chronicling your adventures? It’s a little much for Pepper to handle; thank goodness she’s got her cat companion and her two best friends to help out. When they aren’t under a supervillain’s influence, that is. Comics fans will love the nods to comics fan favorites like Peter David and the iconic Jack Kirby; there are tips of the hat to Golden and Silver Age comics throughout the story, and this is just a great new series to get in on right now. Parents and caregivers, read along with your tweens and share your comics knowledge! I know I will. Have Zita the Spacegirl fans? Get them reading this series immediately.

Pepper Page Saves the Universe has a starred review from The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books.

Posted in Animal Fiction, Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Intermediate, Middle Grade

Peter and Ernesto’s next adventure: Sloths In the Night

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Peter and Ernesto: Sloths In the Night, by Graham Annable, (April 2020, First Second), $17.99, ISBN: 9781250211309

Ages 7-10

Peter and Ernesto are on their third adventure! This time, their friend Bernard goes missing, possibly in search of a rumored dragon that lives in a nearby temple; it’s getting dark, though, and the jungle is no place for a sloth to be at night, especially on his own. The friends head out on their own adventure to find Bernard, and possibly, the dragon, and meet a host of hilarious animals along the way.

The Peter and Ernesto books are adorable stories about friendship, embracing differences, and working together. They never disappoint, and are perfect for chapter book readers and middle graders who love a good animal or friendship story. Peter and Ernesto are like Bert and Ernie; Frog and Toad; George and Martha. They’re friends who love one another, differences and all; they push one another outside their comfort zones (with hilarious, sweet results); they embrace all of their friends, together, and they are always thrilled to make new friends. Graham Annable’s cheerful artwork is immediately recognizable: kids will know, as soon as this book shows up on shelves, that this is a new Peter and Ernesto story.

If you haven’t had the fun of experiencing a Peter and Ernesto story yet, treat yourself.