Reflections on Free Comic Book Day

Saturday was Free Comic Book day, an event I attended with my brother, sister, cousin, and my cousin's two small children. Its an event that we look forward to and plan for months in advance.

For those unfamiliar, the first Saturday in May the big comic book publishers provide an assortment of specially produced titles for comic book shops to give away. Our particular store allows each customer to pick 3 comics. It's a wonderful thing. Except...There were 50 titles  available this year. Of those titles, the official list counts 20 of them appropriate for all ages. Personally, I'd put that count closer to 15 and at least a half of those are based on either a television show or video game. This means that by the time we arrived at the store mid-afternoon, my cousin's boys were able to pick 1 title from the current list (both rejected DC's Superhero Girls, no matter how much I tried to convince them that it isn't a 'girl' book). They were able to find a couple of titles left over from last year but it was pretty slim pickings. Even we adults had some trouble as we don't prefer graphic violence and heavy swearing.

On the car ride home, while the boys happily ready Angry Birds and Sonic in the back of the car, we lamented the state of super hero comics. The early comics were aimed at children. While the heroes were all adults and fought villains, found themselves in peril, the content was perfectly acceptable for young readers. Now the only super hero comics that are aimed at children feature young heroes and tend to be more humorous.  As soon as the plot takes a serious tone, the content becomes more violent and psychologically dark. 

How did we get from these:

to these:

Consider this our open letter to comic book publishers: we need good superhero comics for kids. Adventure and daring-do without sex, gore, abuse, and copious cursing. 

 

Book review - Spill Zone

Title: Spill Zone
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Genre: dystopia/graphic novel
Similar books: The Castoffs by M.K. Reed
                      Brain Jack by Brian Falkner
Rating:

an intriguing, if mysterious, beginning

Summary (provided by publisher): Three years ago an event destroyed the small city of Poughkeepsie, forever changing reality within its borders. Uncanny manifestations and lethal dangers now await anyone who enters the Spill Zone.
The Spill claimed Addison’s parents and scarred her little sister, Lexa, who hasn’t spoken since. Addison provides for her sister by photographing the Zone's twisted attractions on illicit midnight rides. Art collectors pay top dollar for these bizarre images, but getting close enough for the perfect shot can mean death—or worse.
When an eccentric collector makes a million-dollar offer, Addison breaks her own hard-learned rules of survival and ventures farther than she has ever dared. Within the Spill Zone, Hell awaits—and it seems to be calling Addison's name.

My opinion: It was only a matter of time before someone wrote about what amounts to technology zombies. And if someone had to do it I'm glad it was Scott Westerfeld. He stands the best chance of doing the subject justice. This is a compelling first volume, but it is little more than the barest of introductions. At the end of the book we don't really have a clearer picture of what is going on than we did at the very beginning. All this book really achieves is to introduce us to the characters. Personally, I'll need at least one more volume before I can say for certain exactly how I feel about the series.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

I'm just a touch late for Star Wars Day

Last year, for Star Wars Day, I posted drawings of a Wookie and a young Yoda. This year, I went with Admiral Ackbar.

Book review - Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess

Title: Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess
Author: Shari Green
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Love that Dog by Sharon Creech
                      Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
Rating:

nicely done

Summary (provided by publisher): Sixth grade is coming to an end, and so is life as Macy McMillan knows it. Already a “For Sale” sign mars the front lawn of her beloved house. Soon her mother will upend their perfect little family, adding a stepfather and six-year-old twin stepsisters. To add insult to injury, what is Macy’s final sixth grade assignment? A genealogy project. Well, she’ll put it off—just like those wedding centerpieces she’s supposed to be making. Just when Macy’s mother ought to be understanding, she sends Macy next door to help eighty-six-year-old Iris Gillan, who is also getting ready to move—in her case into an assisted living facility. Iris can’t pack a single box on her own and, worse, she doesn’t know sign language. How is Macy supposed to understand her? But Iris has stories to tell, and she isn’t going to let Macy’s deafness stop her. Soon, through notes and books and cookies, a bond grows between them. And this friendship, odd and unexpected, may be just what Macy needs to face the changes in her life. Shari Green, author of Root Beer Candy and Other Miracles, writes this summer story with the lightest touch, spinning Macy out of her old life and into a new one full of warmth and promise for the future.

My opinion: Some stories are just made for the verse novel format. This is one of them. Pacing is tight and word choice is solid. Some verse novels get so caught up in artistry that the reader isn't clear on what is actually happening. That isn't the case here. I also appreciated that while Macy is deaf, its not the sum total of her character. She's your average middle grade girl who just happens to be deaf. She has social problems at school, struggles to connect with her future step family. Problems that are largely her own fault. She is not dismissed due to her handicap. Rather, she uses that as a reason to push others away. It may not be the first verse novel I'd hand to a young reader but I wouldn't hesitate to give it to a kid who's already read a couple.

More information: Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess releases May 15.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Graphic novel spotlight - Bluffton

Bluffton by Matt Phelan

If you know one of those people who dismiss graphic novels as childish or just about superheroes, this is the book to convince them otherwise. In Bluffton, Phelan captures the joys of summer in childhood, the magic and dark corners of vaudeville, and the hard life of a turn-of-the-century child actor, namely Buster Keaton. This is presented with impeccable pacing and artistry. The color palette is slightly muted, adding to the nostalgic atmosphere of the book. It's worth reading this one just for the art. More than that, though, it's an engrossing story. Perhaps not one that young readers will clamor for but a book that one will appreciate more with each read.

Non-fiction book review - Meatless?

Meatless? by Sarah Elton

Books about vegetarianism usually have an agenda. The author tries to convince you that vegetarianism is the only healthy, morally responsible choice to make. That's what I like about this book: Elton has no agenda. She only presents facts. Young readers will learn about types of vegetarianism and their roles in religion and throughout history. We learn the social and ecological impact of various diets as well as the various motivations behind making a diet switch. The goal here is merely information. The reader is encouraged to review these facts and then make his/her own decision.

More Information: Meatless? releases May 15.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Book review - A Face Like Glass

Title: A Face Like Glass
Author: Frances Hardinge
Genre: fantasy
Similar books: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
                      City of Masks by Mary Hoffman
Rating:

pleasant if a bit long

Summary (provided by publisher): In the underground city of Caverna, the world’s most skilled craftsmen toil in the darkness to create delicacies beyond compare—wines that remove memories, cheeses that make you hallucinate, and perfumes that convince you to trust the wearer, even as they slit your throat. On the surface, the people of Caverna seem ordinary, except for one thing: their faces are as blank as untouched snow. Expressions must be learned, and only the famous Facesmiths can teach a person to express (or fake) joy, despair, or fear—at a steep price. Into this dark and distrustful world comes Neverfell, a girl with no memory of her past and a face so terrifying to those around her that she must wear a mask at all times. Neverfell's expressions are as varied and dynamic as those of the most skilled Facesmiths, except hers are entirely genuine. And that makes her very dangerous indeed . . .

My opinion: The world of this novel is a particularly inventive, complex one. Hardinge has done an amazing job with the world-building. We are presented with myriad cultural rules and a complex political situation. Toss in a strange girl completely unprepared to navigate any of it, a pawn in a game she can't begin to understand, and its a recipe for a fascinating read. All of this world-building, though, means that the pacing is on the slow side, a situation compounded by the complexity of the characters. It must move slowly for the reader to follow the plot, but this can feel like it is dragging. It's a book that takes a fair amount of dedication.

More Information: A Face Like Glass releases May 9.
Adanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.