Diary of a Wimpy Kid

This is another one of those books that I have seen around for so long and have witnessed kids get super excited about them, but I haven't made the time to read them yet. After reading this first one, though, I can see why they're so popular. This book is written in a diary style (obviously) and incoporates narrative and drawings into the story's plot. Greg, a slightly nerdy sixth grader wants desperately to be cool and normal, but keeps getting put into situations where he is seen as anything but. Between his awkward parents, mean big brother, annoying little brother, and socially inept best friend, Greg epitomizes the sixth grade experience that so many middle schoolers are either experiencing, afraid of experiencing, or have already experienced. Hilarious and unpredictable, you can't help but cringe and shake your head as you see this poor child's first semester of middle school take place. The fact that a lot of the book is made up of pictures also helps you breeze right through it quickly, despite your reading level. Struggling readers would also find comfort in the pictures, as they do a great job of explaining what the text describes. I highly recommend this book, and can't wait to read the other ones. (A quick note: I categorized this book as a graphic novel, even though it technically isn't; it's about as close to a graphic novel as you can get, though, so there it is.)

Maus I: A Survivor's Tale

Like many of the books on my list, I've been waiting to read this book for a long time. After hearing about it in a class a couple of years ago, I put it on said list - and then soon after bought it - but haven't had an opportunity to read it until now. Also, I have so many books on this list that it's hard to choose sometimes. But all of that said, I knew I would love this book and I was not disappointed. Not only am I excited to add a graphic novel to my library, but I always appreciate a new perspective on World War II and on the Holocaust specifically. Maus I: A Survivor's Tale offers both of these. Gritty and painfully honest, Art Spiegelman's account of his father's experiences in Europe as a Jew during World War II and the rise of the Nazi Party takes place alongside Spiegelman's present-day relationship with his father. Both story lines captivate and endear the reader; you can't help but read for fear of what will happen to war-era Vladek but also for curiosity of what the next interaction between Art and current Vladek will look like. You sympathize with the characters - both in the past and in the present - and you become increasingly more horrified as the Nazis gain more control. One of the most interesting elements of this particular graphic novel, though, is the way Spiegelman chose to draw each of the characters. Jews are depicted as mice while the Germans/Nazis appear as cats. The image of these animals, who are timeless enemies, pitted as enemies in this real life piece of history will stick with struggling readers in an unforgettable way. I highly recommend this book for teachers of Language Arts and History who are trying to communicate the Holocaust from a unique perspective and a reader-friendly format. Stay tuned for my review of the sequel.

Smile

I finally got the opportunity to dive into my very first graphic novel this weekend. After hearing lots and seeing the interest that kids have in them as a genre, I've been pretty interested in trying them out for a while but hadn't really made the time. A kid in one of my classes read this one last week and loved it; he would bring it to me every day and tell me what was happening and show me all the bloody pictures that he thought were awesome. He had my interest level pretty high, but then when the Book Fair came and I saw it there, I figured it was probably fate and I should get it. Despite the fact that it's about 215 pages long, I managed to read this entire book on Saturday night in about an hour and a half or so (yes, I know that it's a graphic novel written for pre-teens and I am a grown adult, but let me savor this accomplishment). I am officially a fan of graphic novels, and of this one in particular. It's an autobiography, which is pretty cool, and follows the author through her middle school years as she battles the normal issues and turmoils of those ages while also dealing with repeated and prolonged dental surgeries that come as a result of an accident that happens towards the beginning of the book. Middle schoolers should find this book really interesting because A.) it's a graphic novel, and they're pretty much all about them these days, B.) it's got a lot of blood and graphic dental trauma (makes it much more interesting and cool for boys who typically wouldn't choose a story about a girl), and C.) it's a true story that describes someone's real life struggles and issues and horrors that came with being in middle school. There's something very comforting about reading about other people discovering that their friends are cruel and switching crushes from day to day and realizing their crush doesn't know they exist and dealing with the trauma of awkward phases that inevitably happen in middle school. All of that is extremely relevant to kids this age, and this book provides a realistic and comforting view of all of it. I highly recommend this one.