Middle Grades – Illuminated Pages

Dear Rosie (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience*: None.

Opinion: Do not recommend.

Synopsis: The concept behind this graphic novel–learning to cope with the grief of a close friend passing away–had so much potential but ultimately did not deliver. The story line was weak and had just enough questionable content to push it from the “neutral” to the “do not recommend” category.

Advisories: mild crude language, engaging in dangerous/illegal behavior, reference to online boyfriend, etc.

Details:

While I was perusing books at the library, this one caught my eye; I was excited to see a book about coping with grief after losing a friend. The concept had so much potential. Unfortunately the book fell flat. Main character Millie desperately misses her late friend Rosie. When she finds a notebook that has a symbol she associates with Rosie, Millie tries to find out how the notebook is connected to her friend.

During this anticlimactic quest, Millie and her friends end up trespassing and vandalizing property (adding graffiti to an abandoned property). Later in the book, when Millie’s friend is feeling overwhelmed with grief, she attempts to runaway but chickens out. Honestly, the behaviors depicted were in my opinion dangerous, and I would not want my Middle Schooler to engage in anything similar. While I appreciated that this may truly depict how some tweens and teenagers cope with loss, I didn’t feel like it’s something readers would really benefit from, nor would I want them to emulate these behaviors.

Ultimately, there were very few takeaways that I felt would be beneficial for readers and too many negative behaviors portrayed. I didn’t feel like the storyline was particularly engaging or compelling either. While there’s not a ton of questionable content, the book just didn’t offer much and I wouldn’t recommend it.

Things I Liked:

portrayal of friendship
depiction of main character working in family business

Detailed Advisories:

toilet humor: farting (p. 5)
mild crude language: stupid, jerk (p. 36, 103, 179)
name-calling: loser (p.45)
belittling someone for their old/damaged phone (p. 51)
disrespect to authority figure (teacher) (p.101)
reference to online boyfriend (p. 113-5)
trespassing (p. 124, 152-4)
running away (p. 168)
vandalism (p. 183-4)

Advisories Note: This list of advisories is not exhaustive and may not capture every instance of questionable content, but rather is intended to give an overall sense of the content of the book.

*Note: While we do not recommend this book to anyone, the intended audience indicated by the author/publisher is Middle Grades.

My Side Of The Mountain

Recommended Audience: Middle Grades +

Opinion: Recommended

Rating: 8.5/10 — I enjoyed this book, it was entertaining and fun to read.

Synopsis: Sam runs away to the mountains from his family’s crowded apartment, with just five small items. There he must rely upon himself and the great outdoors to survive.

Lessons Learned: Skills used in nature and the bond made between nature and a boy.

Advisories: In this book there is nothing of concern except for guns mentioned to shoot deer

Note: This list of advisories is not exhaustive and may not capture every instance of questionable content, but rather is intended to give an overall sense of the content of the book.

Art Club (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience: Middle Grades (Ages 8 – 11) and Up

Opinion: Recommended!

Synopsis: This graphic novel by Rashad Doucet was a delightful read with so much to offer readers! It features Dale Donavan, a comic book and video game loving kid who dreams of a career making comic books of his own one day. Dale’s tenacity and passion for art are captivating as he founds an afterschool Art Club. Dale and his club mates prove that hard work, creativity, and a can-do attitude are a winning formula for success, even in the face of adversity. Respectful, resilient, and creative, Dale is a great role model for readers. Engaging and colorful graphics throughout will capture young and old audiences alike.

Advisories: mild crude language (sucks, blows, jerk, stupid), sneaking around behind parent’s back (w/ consequences and remorse), art creation including drawing human-like characters

Details:

I loved this book! Honestly, there was so much to love, it’s hard to even know where to start. There are so many strong qualities exhibited in this book that I would love for young readers to emulate: respect for authority/elders, empathy, integrity, grit, and so much more! In particular, I really appreciated how the author portrayed moments of resilience for multiple characters in the face of challenges and criticism. There were many incidences throughout the book wherein Dale and the other members of the Art Club need to stay strong in the face of many who question the benefit of an Art Club or a career in the arts. Club Advisor Miss Ja’nae helps the students navigate these tough times with words of comfort and wisdom. When Dale has to stand up to a harsh authority figure (Mr. Ruffins, the Vice Principal), he does so with respect and grace.

Dale’s relationships with his family and friends are incredibly endearing. He is a good friend who occasionally makes mistakes. He makes efforts to repair friendships that he has hurt. Readers learn that even though sometimes characters seem to “have it all,” they are dealing with their own struggles and emotions. Dale’s fond memories of his late grandmother, who was the first one to introduce him to comic books, warmed my heart. He has a loving relationship with his grandfather, who teaches him life lessons of hard-work and responsibility.

I would recommend this book for Middle Grades and up given that it’s an overall very clean read with accessible content for younger readers. I love that a diverse set of characters were portrayed including an articulate, well-rounded main character of color. Readers will walk away from this book with a lot to reflect upon when it comes to pursuing dreams while also ensuring that they can pay their bills in doing so! So many positive messages make this a book I definitely recommend.

Things I Liked:

Dale interacting lovingly and respectfully with his grandfather in his multi-generational household
portrayal of respect for authority and elders, even when they are unkind
information about art and art history presented in a tangible way for younger readers (p.139)
characters shown receiving criticism and feedback regarding their art pieces; readers will get to appreciate how this process works and how to receive feedback that is hard to hear

Advisories:

reference to Halloween (p. 18)
mild crude language (e.g. sucked, blows, stupid, jerk) (p. 55, 57, 96, 143, 173, 189, 197)
sneaking around behind parent’s back, consequences and remorse are presented for these actions however (p. 91, 135)

Note: This list of advisories is not exhaustive and may not capture every instance of questionable content, but rather is intended to give an overall sense of the content of the book.

The Breakaways (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience: NONE

Opinion: NOT recommended.

Advisories: bullying, harassment, LGBT+ characters, LGBT+ romance, transgenderism

Details:

If you are someone who prioritizes mainstream Islamic values (which you likely are, since you’re on this website), this is not the book for you or your children. The overall plot offers nothing positive whatsoever. There is constant bullying and harassment between all the characters. They are all on a soccer team that they couldn’t care less about and ultimately decide that the best thing to do would be to completely abandon the team altogether mid-game. Not exactly the values I’m looking to instill in my kids.

Furthermore, there are very pro-LGBT+ messages conveyed in the book. A character comes out as trans (female to male) which the other characters affirm and support, and then said character proceeds to kiss another girl. Yet another character comes out as a lesbian and the other character is happy for her.

I was further shocked to learn the target audience for this book is middle grades (ages 8 – 11)! These seemed like really adult themes for young children! The only thing I liked about this book is the hijabi soccer player in the illustrations.

NOTE: As an observant Muslim book reviewer, it is important to me to uphold our Islamic values as it relates to many issues, including LGBT+ topics. However, these values are not to be misconstrued as hatred or condoning of disrespect, harassment, or violence to individuals associated with this demographic.

The Leak (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience: Ages 9+

Opinion: Recommended with Advisories.

– Recommended for many strong positive messages regarding journalistic integrity, ethics, awareness about the Flint Water Crisis, and more!

– Advisories for a depicted kissing scene and talks about dating.

Details:
I love when a graphic novel talks about real world issues in a way that makes them tangible for young readers. This book does that. It tells a fictional tale of a city that has polluted water and Ruth, a budding journalist who investigates the matter. I love that the book shows how a young person with determination can really make a big impact; a great message for young readers! The book touches on the real-world water pollution situation in Flint, Michigan. There are many more lessons to take away from this book such as having integrity in what we say and write, that there are consequences for actions that we take even if we think we are serving the better good, that we shouldn’t take advantage of others to serve our agendas, and so much more.

Regarding advisories, the book has sporadic discussions about dating and crushes, and the kissing that is depicted between the main character and her crush on pages 207-208. Also, it mentions in the beginning that Ruth’s older college-aged brother will be moving in with his girlfriend, but ultimately that doesn’t end up working out in the end anyways (they break up after moving in together) so there may be a lesson there too. I believe that despite these few advisories, this book is definitely worth reading and your reader will benefit from having read the book. As an added bonus, there are multiple hijabis in the illustrations which was a lovely treat.

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