Graphic Novel Club

Since this is the Graphic Novel Club, I feel as though when I communicate in written form with the boys, I should be doing so in graphic format.  That alone has really helped me to appreciate and understand the complexity of anything written in a graphic way.  It takes me such a loooong time to create these kinds of images, I couldn't imagine writing a whole book like this.

This club is the Black-Eyed Susan graphic novel division so it exposes the boys (and me) to quality graphic novels which makes a big difference.  All graphic novels are not created equal, and reading a well conceived and well constructed  graphic novel is a pleasure.

Review: Centaur Rising

Centaur Rising by Jane Yolen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Arianne's family own and live on a horse farm. Shortly after a spectacular Perseid meteor shower, the family discovers one of their mares is pregnant. One year later there is a birth, but it's a birth that must be kept secret at all costs. This is the point that the story both becomes interesting and takes a deep dive into fantasy. I liked the comparisons the author draws between the young disabled son and the farm's newest addition. This book takes place in the 1960s, and at times that was a bit hard to remember since the characters all seem so contemporary. I remember learning about Thalidomide and watching the TV show Mr. Ed, but I'm not sure our younger readers will understand the references.

View all my reviews

Review: Fuzzy Mud

Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tamaya and Marshall attend a private school. All is well until a new boy enrolls and starts to bully them. In order to escape the bully they take a short cut through the woods, and discover a secret that a producer of an alternate fuel source hoped to keep hidden. Suddenly dealing with this secret is a much bigger problem than dealing with the bully. Sachar's book is full of action with main characters that are believable. An excellent middle grade read.

View all my reviews

Review: Passenger on the Pearl: The True Story of Emily Edmonson's Flight from Slavery

Passenger on the Pearl: The True Story of Emily Edmonson's Flight from Slavery by Winifred Conkling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very engaging non fiction narrative about a family's fight against slavery. The sub title suggests this is only Emily Edmonson's story, but it dealt in fact with her entire family. The best way to make real what seems too horrific to believe is to but a human face on it. It's the strategy that Henry Ward Beecher used with his congregation when raising funds to free the Edmonson sisters, and it's what the author did in educating young people about slavery and it's many costs. The story alone reads as though it could be fiction, but the information is documented and source notes are provided. Primary sources are also sprinkled through out the book. Well worth a read.

View all my reviews