Title: The Silence of Our Friends
Author: Mark Long and Jim Demonakos
Genre: historical fiction/graphic novel
Similar books: March by John Lewis
In Real Life by Cory Doctorow
Rating:
 |
| one to think about |
Summary (provided by publisher): This semi-autobiographical tale is set in 1967. A white family from a notoriously racist neighborhood in the suburbs and a black family from its poorest ward cross Houston's color line, overcoming humiliation, degradation, and violence to win the freedom of five black college students unjustly charged with the murder of a policeman.
The Silence of Our Friends follows events through the point of view of young Mark Long, whose father is a reporter covering the story. Semi-fictionalized, this story has its roots solidly in very real events. With art from the brilliant Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole) bringing the tale to heart-wrenching life, The Silence of Our Friends is a new and important entry in the body of civil rights literature.
My opinion: While this book presents a complete plot, it feels almost like a vignette. We see character development, the influence of each event on the next. It's not all clear cut, though. Not 100% good guys fighting bad guys. We see various types and degrees of prejudice. Some plots are never fully explored and some characters are flat. It's beautifully rendered, though, and leaves the reader with plenty to consider.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
I had grand crafting intentions this week. Intentions that were in NO WAY achieved. Instead, I dragged out a spool of rainbow polyester floss and a chunk of a worn out polo shirt and stitched a doodle of a t-rex.
Title: Ellie, Engineer
Author: Jackson Pearce
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Secret Coders series by Gene Luen Yang
The Amazing Crafty Cat by Charise Mericle Harper
Rating:
 |
| way to go, Pearce |
Summary (provided by publisher): Ellie is an engineer. With a tool belt strapped over her favorite skirt (who says you can't wear a dress and have two kinds of screwdrivers handy, just in case?), she invents and builds amazing creations in her backyard workshop. Together with her best friend Kit, Ellie can make anything. As Kit's birthday nears, Ellie doesn't know what gift to make until the girls overhear Kit's mom talking about her present--the dog Kit always wanted! Ellie plans to make an amazing doghouse, but her plans grow so elaborate that she has to enlist help from the neighbor boys and crafty girls, even though the two groups don't get along. Will Ellie be able to pull off her biggest project yet, all while keeping a secret from Kit?
Illustrated with Ellie's sketches and plans, and including backmatter with a fun how-to guide to tools, this is a STEM- and friendship-powered story full of fun!
My opinion: This is a book with a clear agenda, but it's one I can fully support. It's a book about engineering, as one might imagine. We see Ellie's full process, from concept to design, to the actual construction and accompanying troubleshooting. More important is the depiction of gender roles. Ellie loves to build things. She also loves pink, dresses, ballet, and glitter body wash. She can be an engineer and still be traditionally girly. Kit, on the other hand, love all things feminine. She doesn't like to be dirty and participates in beauty pageants. Neither is depicted as "right". We meet a neighborhood boy who loves bugs, soccer, pretty much all things traditionally masculine, but also adores tea parties. All of this along with messages about friendship, secrets, and control. A solid story for young readers.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
Matilda
Readers know, the difference between the book and the movie can be startling. It is delightful, then, to come across a film that remains true to the events and intent of the novel. And that's the case here. There are, of course, differences. It has been somewhat modernized and some changes were needed for the story to work in an American setting. Most of these changes, though, are superficial. The heart of the story, an extraordinary child finding ways to win out over despicable adults, remains. The real key to this movie is the casting. Mara Wilson is wonderful as Matilda of course, but who doesn't love DeVito and Perlman as the Wormwood parents and Pam Ferris blows us away as the Trunchbull. While I will always love the book, I can help but rewatch this underappreciated movie a couple of times a year.
Title: Wolfie and Fly: Band on the Run
Author: Cary Fagan
Genre: early chapter book
Similar books: Captain Pug by Laura James
My Vida Loca by Jacqueline Jules
Rating:
 |
| cute |
Summary (provided by publisher): A classic story of imagination, friendship, rock bands and high-speed helicopter chases. For fans of Ivy & Bean, Judy Moody or Nate the Great.
Everyone's favorite odd couple is back. Our heroine, Renata Wolfman (Wolfie) does everything by herself. Friends just get in the way, and she only has time for facts and reading. But friendship finds her in the form of Livingston Flott (Fly), the slightly weird and wordy boy from next door. This time, Fly has convinced Wolfie to join him in his one-man band. Before they know it, they're playing live onstage in front of a stadium of screaming fans. But these fans are about to get out of control--and Wolfie and Fly have to make a daring escape!
Even though Wolfie thinks she'd rather be at home reading by herself, playing the drums in a rock band is actually pretty fun. Maybe there is something to this friend thing...
My opinion: Band on the Run is a sequel, a fact I did not realize until I was nearly finished with the book. Characterization is a bit sparse, but I had attributed that to the age of the intended audience. Even with the short length of this novel, we get a pretty clear picture of the motivations and base personalities of these kids. It's a fun story of imagination and doing things outside your comfort zone.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
Sometimes the house can feel a little bleak in the post-Christmas weeks, when all of the decorations have come down and the weather is still cold and snowy. Its the perfect excuse to craft new posters and other home decor.
This Marvel canvas kit had stickers for the details, but I decided to do the whole thing with paint. You'll also notice that Captain America's face was an unsettling shade of pink, originally, so I altered that as well.
The Thrilling Adventure Hour by Ben Acker, Ben Blacker, et al.
Anyone who's ever listened to the Thrilling Adventure Hour podcast can attest to it's brilliance and sharp humor. Given that the show is designed to mimic old radio shows, one might not expect it to work as well in comic book form. Not only does the book maintain the tongue-in-cheek humor of the show (and includes the most popular characters) it takes on elements of classic comics. Namely, the inherent humor of the ads (in this case, psuedo ads for fake sponsors of the show). If you're a fan of spoofs and radio plays, give this book a try.
