Graphic novels, grub, and guys

Librarians know that graphic novels are a wonderful way to entice reluctant readers, especially boys, to crack open a book and get sucked into a story. Keep those graphic novels well stocked in a highly visible spot with plenty of face-out displays and some comfy seating nearby, and They Will Come.

Even better, form a partnership with your local schools and get some volunteers (male, if at all possible) to read cool graphic novels aloud to 4th and 5th grade boys - accompanied by a large projection of each page on a screen or wall - while they're eating lunch at school. Invite the boys to come by your library after school or on the weekend to check out your huge selection of graphic novels. Invite them to a big Guys Read party at the library with plenty of guy games and guy grub. Watch their interest in books - and your circulation - soar! Hopefully, reading scores will rise as well. Dude power!

It can be done, as Alaskan librarian Gary Hill tells us.

In defense of graphic novels

Here are two folks who have recently weighed in on the validity of graphic novels and comics - Alex Simmons from the Graphic Novel Reporter on "Are Comics Like Real Books?" and Julia Keller in today's Los Angeles Times on "Graphic Novels: Reading, but in a Different Way."

Information, entertainment, and great stories come in all different formats. Whether I absorb a story by listening to it or by reading pages of text or by interpreting a combination of words and pictures - to me, it's all good.

Weekly (ha!) graphic novel review - Stone Rabbit series by Erik Craddock

Craddock, Erik. BC Mambo (Stone Rabbit: book 1). Random House, 2009.
Craddock, Erik. Pirate Palooza (Stone Rabbit: book 2). Random House, 2009.

In these full-color graphic novels, Stone Rabbit has a series of action-packed and somewhat incomprehensible adventures.

In BC Mambo, he plummets through a hole in his bathroom floor and ends up in the time of dinosaurs, Neolithic rabbits, a crazed genius Neanderthal, and robots. Barbecue sauce and boogers play crucial roles.

In Pirate Palooza, Stone Rabbit and his friend Andy (a dog, I’m pretty sure) find a pirate peg-leg replacement for their broken coffee table leg at their neighborhood comic bookstore – but it turns out that a ghastly pirate has been imprisoned inside the peg-leg. Let loose, he spirits them off to a ghostly pirate ship, where they fight ghosts and play checkers.

The illustrations are frenetic, kinetic, and quite pleasing – but they do move the action forward a bit more quickly than is advisable for a coherent storyline to develop. Will kids mind? Probably not – this stuff is lots of fun. Reluctant readers might even take the time to read the vocabulary lists at the end of each book – “Rogue (rohg): A dishonest, untrustworthy person who is loyal to no one.”

Not the best graphic novel series out there, but sure to be a crowd pleaser. Recommended for grades 2 – 4.

Weekly Graphic Novel Review - The Stardust Kid by DeMatteis and Ploog

The Stardust Kid by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Ploog. Boom! Studios, 2008.

12-year-old Cody has a good friend named Paul who is not the 13-year-old boy he appears to be. In fact, exactly what he is remains somewhat unclear, but let’s call him a “magical spirit” who has been Cody’s companion (in various forms) since Cody was born.

What was just a fabulous friendship from Cody’s point of view changes suddenly when Paul’s mirror (sort of his evil twin or his other self – it’s complicated) rises up in anger at the nastiness humans have made of the world and seeks to transform everything into her own vision of perfection.

Unfortunately this vision is fairly dreadful, with evil shrubbery and hungry hornets and other scary beasties. Cody, his long-time friend Alana, and their two younger siblings are swept into a bizarre alternate world – where Cody discovers a secret buried deep inside him that saves them all, with some timely help from Alana.

First, my quibbles. There is an awful lot of wordiness in this graphic novel. The narrator (whose identity remains hidden until the end) expounds at great length throughout the book, and in very tiny font, too. If I felt compelled to skip over all the meandering ponderings and get to the action, then kids certainly will as well, and they won’t be missing all that much.

Another huge problem - the plot is a mess. It all might make sense in the minds of its creators, but many events and turns of plot are rather inexplicable and confusing to the reader.

That said, this is a fairly imaginative and compelling book. The full-color artwork is brilliant and almost juicy with plenty of eye-appeal. The characters don’t possess a huge array of expressions but they all possess a distinct look that makes it a cinch to tell them apart (this is sometimes a problem in graphic novels, I’ve found). Cody and his sis are white and Alana and her brother are black, and the creatures are oozy, drippy, convoluted, leaf-infested, and in general quite cool to look at.

The premise – Paul’s origins, the nature of his mirror, Cody’s eventual transformation – is complicated and a tad mystical, and will perhaps go over the heads of younger readers. Those readers who stay tuned will probably just skip all the aforementioned verbiage and let the exuberant artwork and dialogue tell the story.

Grade 5 and up.

Weekly Graphic Novel Review - Magic Trixie Sleeps Over by Jill Thompson

Magic Trixie Sleeps Over by Jill Thompson. Harpertrophy, 2008.

Young witch Trixie has absolutely the coolest and nicest family ever, but Trixie doesn't see it that way. In particular, she's fed up with her futzy bedtime routines - all that teeth-brushing and bathing and such.

When her friends tell her they don't have to do that stuff before bed, Trixie decides to sleep over at each of their houses in turn. Naturally, what at first seems exotic and nifty soon palls - her werewolf friend Loupie Garou plays too rough and eats dog food, her mummy friend Nefi sleeps in a sarcophagus and doesn't eat, her frankenstein-like friend Stitch Patch gets dismantled and put in jars at bedtime, and the vampire twins sleep in the graveyard in a hole they dig themselves. Trixie's warm and inviting house starts to look pretty darn good, and she is more than happy to get back home - even if it does mean having to brush her teeth every night.

The stylish, full-color artwork is appealing and the text is spare yet charming, perfect for both reluctant and eager readers. Trixie's witchy life-style and magical, loving parents will strike a chord with plenty of kids - I know I dig her dad's dashing goatee and her mom's bat-wing hair barrette, and if I just had a magic wand to wave, housework would be so much more fun.

A light and easy romp for readers ages 7 and up.

Weekly graphic novel review: Spiral-Bound by Aaron Renier

Renier, Aaron. Spiral-Bound. Top Shelf Productions, 2005.

Gr 4 and up

In the graphic novel world, this 2005 title is practically a golden oldie by now. It’s a terrific one, though, and well worth spotlighting.

In a small town populated entirely by anthropomorphized animals, a young and shy elephant named Turnip meets an outgoing young dog named Stucky, who urges him to join a sculpture camp where kids can make things out of clay, stone, wood, and metal. Meanwhile, a rabbit girl named Ana becomes a cub reporter for a top-secret underground (literally) newspaper, where her bird friend Emily is the photographer. In 178 densely illustrated pages, Turnip discovers his artist talent, Ana and Emily try to figure out the secret of a fabled monster in the town pond, the grown-ups of the town try to run the sculpture teacher out of town, and Ana gets eaten – or does she?

Renier must have spent a long time on this book. Each of the 178 pages has anywhere from 6 to 13 panels on it, each one featuring close-ups of the very expressive main characters or crowd scenes in the street or local hang-out featuring handfuls or dozens of townsfolk (fish in small water-filled spheres-on-wheels, giraffes with spiked collars, turtles wearing glasses, butterflies in bowler hats). Despite the fact that every character is an animal, the kids look like kids and the grown-ups look like grown-ups – this is achieved not by size and scale (because a young giraffe is pretty big, after all) but by details of dress, facial features, expressions, and body language. Turnip’s eyebrows are thin and often raised in a rather woeful and timid expression, while his dad has bushy eyebrows and the tusks of an adult elephant. Ana the rabbit is a particularly beguilingly drawn character, with her long ears spilling down her back under the bandanna she wears on her head, her scrunched-up leggings, and her exaggerated and very “tween” body language.

And the plots, which all revolve around the mythical monster in the pond? They are intriguing and loads of fun. I guessed the secret of the monster fairly quickly, but there was still a plot twist or two to catch me up short. Turnip’s slow and painful quest toward acknowledging his own creative gift is touching, as is his relationship with his loving but difficult father. In fact, even bit characters are given tiny but deft strokes of detail, enough to bring them to our attention and make the whole book shine all the brighter.

Renier hasn’t produced any more graphic novels that I know of since this one. Let’s hope he’s working on another one right this moment!

Weekly Graphic Novel Review - The Good Neighbors: Kin by Holly Black

The Good Neighbors by Holly Black, illustrated by Ted Naifeh. (Book 1). Graphix/Scholastic, 2008.

Gr. 8 and up

Things are terribly wrong in 16-year-old Rue’s life. Her mother has disappeared under dubious circumstances and her father is an emotional wreck, and when one of her father’s students is found murdered, suspicion falls upon him. If that weren’t bad enough, Rue keeps seeing odd creatures all around – creatures with wings, horns, or pointy ears that seem to be masquerading as “ordinary” teenagers.

It turns out that, thanks to her mother, Rue is half-faerie, and this is the crux of this exhilarating story – what fey teenager (and I’m thinking of a certain little pointy-eared 14-year-old I know, who looked just like a baby goblin when she was born) wouldn’t give almost anything to learn she was a faerie? Rue doesn’t seem too excited about it, but that’s because her world is truly falling apart around her ears. Readers will be thrilled on her behalf, especially as Naifeh’s moody, hip artwork depicts a dangerous and oh-so-fabulous world of un-human creatures. This is an intense and atmospheric ride and will leave readers gasping eagerly for book 2. I hope it comes out soon, as I was as seduced as any elf-addled teenager. More more more!

Weekly Graphic Novel Review: The Legend of Old Salty by Matthew Loux

Loux, Matthew. The Legend of Old Salty. (Salt Water Taffy: The Seaside Adventures of Jack and Benny, v. 1). Oni Press, 2008.

Gr. 3 – 5

This is one of the more appealing and original graphic novels I’ve read in a while. Two brothers, 11-year-old Jack and 8-year-old Benny, are very reluctantly spending a summer with their parents in Chowder Bay, Maine, a picturesque little seaside town. Two things make their television-less sojourn bearable – their introduction to salt-water taffy and a fisherman named Angus O’Neil. Then the taffy store is robbed. Could the perpetrators have anything to do with Angus’ tales of a giant lobster named Old Salty?

Outrageously, they do. Lobsters (big and small), a mysterious figure who always seems to be around at just the right time, and some really odd seagulls all play their parts in this deliciously different story. Jack and Benny find a terrific friend in Angus, who, although strong, brave, and imposing, totally lacks the usual grown-up characteristics of self-consciousness and skepticism – he’s a great guy to have along on an adventure.

The black-and-white artwork is presented in rectangular panels of varying size. Lines vary in width, with bold ones predominating, giving the art a bold and energetic look. The characters don’t have a wide array of facial expressions, but their body language and the exaggerated angle of their mouths always get the point across.

The unpredictability and goofiness of the story and the energy of the art make this a great choice for most young readers, including reluctant readers.

Weekly Graphic Novel Review: Yam: Bite-Size Chunks by Corey Barba

Barba, Corey. Yam: Bite-Size Chunks. Topshelf Productions, 2008.

This graphic novel is made up of a series of completely wordless short episodes, most starring a cute, noseless, androgynous childlike creature named Yam, who is always dressed in what looks like a hooded and footed snowsuit. Yam, occasionally accompanied by its companion Marzipan Cat, has lots of mini-adventures. Yam makes friends with a cupcake, falls into a hole and sprouts as a flower, makes friends with a raincloud, grows a head full of flowers on a bald child, makes friends with flowers – you get the idea. These are all quite sweet, and some of them have funny or clever twists that will make kids laugh.

The first few short episodes are black and white, the next are in full-color, and then there is a lengthy black and white story. Finally, kids are shown how to draw Yam. The drawing style is reminiscent of Japanese manga, with lots of cute curves, adorable inanimate objects, and huge eyes. Several episodes were originally printed in Nickelodeon Magazine, meaning there might already be a fan base for Yam and its cohorts. This book would be wonderful for little kids and grown-ups to share together, perhaps taking turns “reading” the stories, and it’s a nice choice for beginning or reluctant readers as well.

Ages 3 - 7

P.S. Corey has a really fun blog. Illustrators and artists have a definite advantage when it comes to visually interesting blog posts...!

Weekly Graphic Novel Review: Benny and Penny in The Big No-No - and - Luke on the Loose

I am eternally thankful to the folks at TOON Books for creating graphic novels in an independent reader format - or would that be independent readers in a graphic novel format? At any rate, what could be better for a new reader than a book that presents quite a few words to read, but sprinkles them comfortably among pictures in a fun comic book format. It's a simple idea and I'm glad that the TOON folks are presenting it with such quality and aplomb.

In Benny and Penny in The Big No-No! by Geoffrey Hayes (RAW Junior/TOON Books, 2009), big brother Benny and little sister Penny, both mice, are quite indignant about their mysterious new neighbor, who has apparently stolen Benny's pail. There is quite a bit of sibling bickering, wild speculation, and (after the neighbor, a little mole girl, shows up) misunderstanding - but it all ends happily with a muddy water fight. Perfect for ages 3 to 7.

In Luke on the Loose by Harry Bliss (RAW Junior/TOON Books, 2009), a little boy with a mania for chasing pigeons gets away from his dad at a city park and pursues his prey all over New York City, wreaking havoc as he goes. Meanwhile, his frantic parents call the police. Eventually Luke is rescued from a roof (where he has peacefully fallen asleep) by fire fighters. This is madcap and surreal, with Luke performing amazing Matrix-esque leaps to get those pigeons. Luke and his family appear to be African-American, and folks of many colors fill the New York streets. This reminds me a tiny bit of Jennifer Armstrong's Once Upon a Banana, in which the urban setting (and the utter chaos that descends upon it) is more extreme. Fun for ages 3 to 7.

Weekly Graphic Novel Review: Into the Volcano by Don Wood

I’ve been reading all sorts of groovy graphic novels recently, which have inspired me to begin a weekly graphic novel review or post. I’ve written about graphic novels for kids and teens several times before – but now it will be a regular feature.

Into the Volcano by Don Wood (Scholastic/Blue Sky Press, 2008) is taller and wider than the usual graphic novel, allowing plenty of room for the eye-bugging subject matter – a boatful of obsessed people, including two young brothers, who head straight into and underneath an erupting volcano! That Don Wood lives in Hawaii and has intimate knowledge of volcanoes, erupting and otherwise, is clear. His artwork is visceral and detailed, allowing me to imagine in more detail than comfortable exactly what it would be like to be faced with glopping molten lava, earthquake-ridden lava tubes, and huge killer waves – all at the same time.

Oh, and the story is fairly awesome, too. Not the main plotline about the mystery of the strange little settlement underneath the volcano and why a bunch of otherwise normal-seeming people (well, maybe not SO normal-seeming) launch themselves into what might with huge understatement be called a risky situation – frankly, I remained a bit foggy and unconvinced by all that. No, I liked the story of how one of the brothers, Sumo, transforms himself by sheer will and desperation from a whiny, awful little boy into someone with guts and pride.

This is an intense adventure story that will suck readers right in, but it’s also a story about reaching the very brink of your own endurance and then going beyond it because to do otherwise isn’t a choice you can live with.

Highly recommended for grades 2 and up (including adults!).