The Wallflower - Lesson 1 - My Fair BishonenADV Films
Four absurdly pretty boys, or bishonen, are forced into doing a make-over on their benefactor's goth niece. Simple enough plot, but an endlessly complicated task since she is totally not into it. This is a very silly, fun anime which makes fun of Japanese bishonen and horror genres...while at the same time making some very deep points about self esteem in girls and how self perception makes them their own worst enemies. Some implied nudity, heaps of sexual tension, but not much that should give legitimate offense. Quite enjoyable entertainment.
John Grandits
Jessie is a girl who is not afraid to try new things. But blue lipstick just doesn't stick, and blue hair turns out to be a disaster. Luckily she has lots of creative outlets...she plays cello, makes her own clothes, and writes great wacky poems. For a book about a supposed non-conformist, Jessie has pretty standard troubles (annoying little brother, volleyball practice, school bus blues). This book has terrific examples of concrete poetry, but is not at all as edgy as it postures. Should appeal to middle school girls dreaming of high school.
Hope Larson
Summer camp is one of those experiences so weighed down with expectations as to render it almost unbearable. Whether or not one has attended before it has attained such a idealized state in our imaginations that one knows up front it is nearly impossible that it will be as fun as we hope. Plus, there is the potential of homesickness, the difficulty of forming trustworthy friendships in such a short time period, and if there are boys around...the added possibility of romance is almost too much to even think about. Hope Larson captures all this and more in this sweet graphic novel that takes place in that tender time between middle school and high school, childhood and adulthood. With just right doses of angst and magic, Chiggers is an all too brief get-away with terrific how-to craft bits thrown in to make a perfect summer story.
Highly recommended for middle school and up.
Kiyohiko Azuma
Azumanga Daioh follows a group of girls through their four years of high school. Like many friendships theirs often seems to be built upon proximity as much as anything else, most of what they have in common is the classroom they share. From child genius, to prematurely grown buxom shy girl, to thoroughly obnoxious attention seekers the personalities are strong, butting up against each other for much humor. The teaching staff isn't much better...a creepy lecherous male teacher, a leeching lush of a homeroom teacher, and an insecure p.e. teacher who can't say no to her friend. My favorite subplot involves a girl who loves cats, but is constantly attacked by them when she tries to pet them on the way to school.
Overall a very weird series, that gives a fun glimpse of life in Japan, and lots of laughs. Probably best for high school and up.
Brad Barkley & Heather Hepler
Cal is a girl without a home for her heart, dragged around the country by her artist mother, out of touch with her father back home in Texas. Eliot has lost his father, too, in a way...when he hit his head and found God, then dragged Eliot and his mother out to the backwoods of North Caroline to start a fat camp for Christians. These two teens find each other in a bookstore in the small town Cal and her mother have settled in where the summer Renaissance Faire is giving them work, where Eliot goes to get away from his increasingly strained family. Though their families have turned their lives upside down, they discover happiness in each other...at least until Cal's mom starts showing signs that it is time to pack up and leave again.
Quirky, sweet and a bit simple, this book may feel a bit unrealistic to adult readers...but it captures so many of the little elements of falling in love that any romantic should find a soft spot in their heart for this innocent pleaser. Suitable for 8th grade and up.
Volume 1: Shellshocked
Volume 2: Road Trip
Keith Giffen and John Rogers
Like many unwitting superheros, Jamie didn't ask to become the Blue Beetle. He had no idea that picking up that weird scarab would lead to so much trouble. If he did, he probably would have never touched the thing. Now a local gang made up of thugs with powers is menacing him, the Justice League is enlisting him to save the world without telling him what is going on, and that scarab thing is trying to crawl into his spine. Not good!
The first couple Blue Beetles are dead, the last big one such a jerk that he has maybe soiled the name for good, and nobody seems to want to give teenage Jaime straight information about what the heck is going on. Is this magic taking over his life, or maybe aliens? Can a kid fight crime and keep up his GPA, while maintaining his secret identity?
I was delighted to read these volumes, written by the brilliant and witty team of Rogers and Giffen (who has worked on some of my favorite superheros stuff ever such as I Can't Believe Its Not the Justice League), and brings a very human touch to iconic characters. Also great about these books is that they star Latino teens, bringing some always welcomed diversity to the comics world. I also love that these volumes make a piece of the DC universe accessible and fun for teens, without dumbing anything down. Great stuff. Highly recommended for 8th grade and up.
Ellen Schreiber
Pretty, cute, yet still social outcast goth girl Raven has finally met the boyfriend of her dreams...a vampire! Alexander is good looking, kind, thoughtful, and romantic. He takes her for picnics in the graveyard and brings her roses! What more could a girl want? Unfortunately, it turns out he has relatives who are not so nice...half human, half vampire who are seeking a secret he possesses. What terrible things will they do to get what they want?
Though many teen girls who fantasize about having a vampire boyfriend might really dig this book, it bothered me for a number of reasons. Partially, it is a spin-off from a fiction series, and while it hints at how the characters met, it doesn't really provide enough for it to comfortably stand alone. And it has flashbacks to when Alexander was a little kid vampire, which so does not jive with any vampire lore I've ever encountered. And the fact that he has relatives who are half vampire and half human...well, I'm sure this series appeals to a lot of people who like a soft, squeaky clean, pretty version of vampires, but I personally find it rather annoying. That said, the art is fairly good manga-style with a goth flair that many teens will enjoy...its just total fluff.
Last Friday I was fortunate to have Libba and Shannon at my branch. Here is a funny photo taken by a fan (of the authors, not me), showing off our accidental coordination of black boots, black cardigans, and dresses. Great minds...? We had a ton of fun!
Audrey, Wait!Robin Benway
Audrey had enough. Evan had been a decent enough boyfriend while it had lasted, but she was done with him. She was tired about him obsessing about his band, and she was ready to move on. So she dumped him. And then he finally got around to writing a song about her, like he had been promising for so long. And wouldn't it just be Audrey's luck that it is a really good song. About her dumping him. So good that everyone loves it. Not just in their town. But everywhere.
What happens when you suddenly become famous, for all the wrong reasons? How can you carry on a normal life, when your picture is on the cover of magazines, crowds start showing up at your after-school job, and random band dudes are hitting you up as a muse?
A super fun, fast read that will have you laughing out loud and singing along. Highly recommended for high school readers. Some references to sex and drugs may make this less appropriate for middle school collections.
Austin Grossman
What drives a man to become a supervillain? How does a genius turn evil? And if they are so darn smart, why can't they ever seem to get things right? Doctor Impossible has had plenty of time in prison to brew over these questions. He knows he brilliant plots seem to be always doomed to failure, but he can't help himself. He just wants to show them all! And surely, if he just keeps working at it, one of these days his plots to take over the world will work, right?
Readers who love superhero comics will adore this hilarious book. Told in alternating viewpoints of an evil genius super villain and a new superhero cyborg woman who is trying to find her way, it is laugh out loud funny and occasionally poignant. Perfectly suitable for high school readers, and a ton of fun.
Jessica Abel
So many people have romantic notions of vampires, imagining that their lives must be ones of dark glamor and sophistication. But what if that just isn't true? What if instead, vampires have come to the new world to live the American dream, creating slaves to work awful jobs that no one else wants? Unfortunate Dave becomes one of the living dead when he applies for a night job at a convenience store. Now he is stuck selling beer and cigarettes to the living, and fermented blood and clot jerk to fellow vampires. Not wanting to kill anyone, his expired plasma diet leaves him weak and powerless. How can he ever hope to get out of this dead end job and win the heart of the cute goth girl he has a crush on?
Due to violence and some adult themes this title is best suited to older teens and young adults, but most vampire fans will find it to be a fun contemporary twist on the old stories.
Kozue Amano
In this dreamy and lighthearted manga, a young girl travels from Earth to her new home on Mars, which has had its ice caps melted and is now a largely watery planet called Aqua. Here Akari hopes to become a gondolier in the city of New Venice. She becomes an apprentice to a company run by a large cat, and makes friends with another student. While there are small dramas and mysteries woven in, overall this is a very breezy story, well suited for girls seeking a light distraction with nice scenery.
Holly Black
Kaye isn't your typical 16 year old. She's dropped out of school to help pay the rent, while her mother struggles to succeed as a rocker. She has more friends backstage at clubs than in her own decade. And she used to be able to see faeries when she was a child. Now, due to hard times, Kaye and her mom have moved back to their hometown and in with her grandmother. Immediately things start going wrong. Kaye's best friend is happy to see her, until her boyfriend suddenly becomes obsessed with Kaye. And after a night out partying Kaye finds a beautiful stranger in the woods...shot through with an arrow like a tree branch. She saves him, and discovers that he is not at all human. Suddenly, her magical childhood friends reappear...to convince her to help play a deadly trick on some faerie royalty.
Black's partying, smoking, high-school drop out heroine will be a breath of fresh air to readers who are tired of perfect characters who just happen to have everything go right for them. This is a dark tale with death, abuse, and lots of terrible things happening to innocent people and creatures. All of this is built up to create a dark frame for what is at heart a pretty sappy love story. Tough acting teen girls who are closet romantics will love it.
Faiza Guene
Doria is a teen struggling to figure out what to make of her life. Her father has abandoned her and her mother in the projects outside of Paris and returned to Morocco to remarry with hopes of getting a son. Her mother is illiterate and working a terrible job cleaning hotels, and Doria is failing at a school where even the teachers have some serious bad attitudes. In a community where she is surrounded by drug dealers, gamblers, incompetent social workers, gossips, and fathers who are either absent or repressive, what hope can she find for a better life?
A great book for giving teens a better understanding of the realities of immigrant life the world over, this may also appeal to teens who want to read urban lit, but are looking for something a little different. To realize the struggle of teens in ghettos is the same the world over may be an eye opener for teens who are used to the American hip hop dominated views of urban poverty. Written by someone who grew up in the projects, the voice is authentic and fresh.
Jay Asher
Not long after a girl he had a crush on kills herself, Clay comes home to find a package waiting on his doorstep. Inside he discovers seven tapes, with the sides numbered one to thirteen. He puts in the first tape to discover the voice of Hannah, telling the story of why she decided to kill herself. She lists thirteen reasons, and thirteen people who each must be sent the tapes...or else a duplicate set will be made public. Clay can't imagine why he has been sent these, he can't image what he might have done to hurt the girl he liked so much. Compelled to listen, he spends the night with headphones on, going to the places that make up her story.
Suspenseful and emotional, teens will eat up this sad tale of a lost teen, which examines the multitude of ways in which kids can be failed by both their peers and the adults in their lives...and how deeply seemingly small words and actions can hurt people.
Carl Deuker
Chance and his dad are barely making ends meet. Ever since his Mom took off, Chance has had to live with his dad on a very cramped, small sailboat. While they don't have a ton of expenses, they don't have much money either, as Chance's dad is an alcoholic who can't keep a job. Chance is painfully aware of their poverty. He has quick the track team at school, as he can't afford nice shoes and gear. He doesn't socialize much, as he can barely afford to go to coffee shop. Then one day a shady character offers him an easy job. All he has to do is pick up a package on his run, hidden away right where he stops to stretch each day. Easy money, as long as he doesn't ask questions. But how can he not, when he begins to suspect he may be aiding terrorists?
Taking place in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, this high school thriller gives readers lots to chew on (drug running, terrorism, homelessness, poverty) in a fairly digestible package. Suitable for middle school and up.
Peter Sis
When Peter was a little boy, he discovered he loved to draw. At home, he drew everything and anything he wanted. But when he got to school, he found he could only draw what he was told. And as he grew older, he found that expression in Communist Czechoslovak was oppressively restricted. As a teen in the 1960's he discovered rock and roll, The Beatles, and a whole world opening up for youth. But soon these hopes too were crushed, and he realized if he ever truly wanted to be happy, he would have to escape.
And incredibly accessible and informative picture book that will appeal to teens and anyone else needing an understanding of the Cold War and how suppression of freedom of expression can damage a society. Recommended both for school and public library collections.
Elena Dorfman
For those unfamiliar with the world of anime conventions, this book may be surprising. But those of us who know the utter devotion and love that fans put into these events, particularly the wonderful costumes, this a terrific collection. While costumes are often elaborate the ones featured here are mostly homemade which can be inspirational to those who aspire to do this themselves. But the portraits also come off as a bit touching, too. For all the imagination and fun the (mostly) teens put into these costumes, they still come off as often awkward and very much human.
The foam binding won't last long in most collections, but if you are looking for a book to really win over the hearts of your anime fans, you can't go wrong with this one. Only thing to possibly alarm parents is some bad drag, and one boy exposing his underwear under a skirt. With any luck Aperture will make a sturdier binding for library circulation...this would be a fun one to booktalk.
Gene Yang
Gordon Yamamoto is a big, slightly dumb guy, who has a tradition with his best friend of picking out a freshman each year to be King of the Geeks. What honors does this include? Getting Gordon's underwear super-glued to their head, and dumped upside down in a garage can, plus a whole lot of unwanted attention. Good clean fun, right? Gordon doesn't think much of it (or anything else) until one day something strange happens. Gordon has been having weird dreams about his nose, and is feeling like he might be going crazy. So when a voice inside his nose tells him to put the cable from the TV inside it, well, he does it. And is ordered by aliens to go to the house of the King of the Geeks where he gets zapped and gains the memories and knowledge of the poor kid he has been torturing. And then things start to get really wild, with animal crackers coming to life, magic donuts, and home-made bombs all a part of the story.
A surprisingly sweet tale of understanding, empathy, and the things one does in high school to feel powerful. This book may be no American Born Chinese, but it is well done with lots of heart and creativity that makes it entertaining and moving.
James St. James
Billy Bloom finds himself in a difficult situation. Flung thousands of miles away from the home he has known, his beloved mother and supportive friends, now he is to start school at a private school in conservative Florida. What to do, or more importantly, what to wear? Billy decides to just be himself and see what happens. But Billy is not one who blends well into new environments. He is over the top flamboyant, sparkling, creative, and loud. He likes to dress in ensembles that scream Swamp Queen or She Hulk. He is a one-of-a-kind teen drag queen, and a drama queen to boot. Bullied from day one, he bears it as best he can until one day a "prank" goes terribly wrong and Billy ends up in the hospital. Much to his surprise, who has saved him, and sat by his bed every day waiting for him to come out of his coma? No other than his crush, the gorgeous football star Flip Kelly. Is this the most hopeless romance on earth? Is Billy doomed to be loathed and rejected? Or can he rise above it all and become the Homecoming (drag) Queen?
An unlikely tale of self-acceptance and creativity, reading Freak Show is like speeding down a steep hill in a shopping cart...at times both thrilling and scary, and always feels like it might tip over and crash. When you reach the end in one piece you are pleasantly surprised the whole crazy thing worked out after all, and you are glad you gave it a whirl. While the story may seem at times over the top, and the voice of the narrator intensely outrageous, this is a book that will sing to those kids who want to be so much more than society's strict norms suggest is acceptable. Recommended for high school and up.
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