Tag: graphic-novel

Smile (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience*: None.

Opinion: Do not recommend.

Synopsis: A perfect example of why book screening is really important in today’s day and age, Smile looks innocuous with it’s brace-faced smile emoji. What readers might not be aware of is how crushes are a central theme of this book, and therefore one that I didn’t feel comfortable keeping in my library.

Advisories: name-calling/teasing, romantic interests/crushes (major theme), mixed gender interactions (i.e. school dance, parties), cruel pranks, kissing, and more

Details:

I feel like Raina Telgemeier books are hit-or-miss when it comes to being appropriate for our readers. I love that she has made several books on real-life struggles that she had growing up. Many readers will be able to relate with the challenges of middle school and beyond. I can imagine so many readers find resonance and healing by reading her words. Unfortunately, many of her books however contain themes that many in our community feel are not appropriate such as a heavy emphasis on romantic interests/crushes as well as the introduction of LGBTQ+ characters and romance.

In this instance, this is a book that I couldn’t deem appropriate for our readers. While I love all that Telgemeier shares about her experience with a life-altering dental injury, I couldn’t justify recommending this book considering the other major theme: crushes/romantic interests. Page after page discusses different character’s romantic interests, their dreams of their first kiss, and even depicts a scene of playing “Spin the Bottle” at a mixed-gender party.

It’s a shame because there are some good elements here. I really appreciated how Telgemeier portrays the impacts of school bullies, even those who claim to be “friends.” I love how in the end, main character Raina stands up for herself and finds a new circle of friends, who actually build her up rather than tearing her down and making her the victim of their cruel pranks. Middle school and the beginning of high school are such trying times for so many. I think that readers will definitely empathize with Raina’s experience and hopefully take away that they would never want to be responsible for someone else feeling how she did.

Despite the benefits here, the crushes/romantic elements were too much for me and I didn’t feel like I could justify recommending this book to others, or encouraging my middle schooler to read it.

Things I Liked:

  • depicting the harms of bullying/teasing
  • sharing the feelings related to having an injury that impacts your physical appearance
  • standing up to bullies (p. 191)
  • finding your own way and friends, instead of trying to fit in with the crowd (p. 206-7)

Detailed Advisories:

  • reference to Easter (p. 4)
  • blood depicted (p. 9)
  • mild crude language– jerk (p. 27)
  • name-calling (p. 29, 53)
  • girls expressing desire to hang out with boys (p. 51)
  • main character expressing that she wishes boys liked her (p. 52)
  • romantic interests/crushes (recurring) (p. 60-1, 79, 83, 131-2, 135)
  • teasing (p. 83, 185)
  • discussion about the tooth fair (p. 99-101)
  • dating/girlfriends-boyfriends (p. 112, 114, 155
  • gender interactions – school dance, parties (p. 119-20, 158-62, 209-12)
  • kissing (p. 132, 158-9)
  • cruel pranks (p. 136-139, 186-7)
  • bare midrift & “tube top” (p. 138)
  • flirting (p. 156)

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, the intended audience indicated by the author/publisher is Middle School.

Sanity & Tallulah (Graphic Novel)

Book 1 of the Sanity & Tallulah Series* by Molly Brown

* This review is ONLY for the book described in this post, NOT the series in its entirety.

Recommended Audience: Middle School and Up

Opinion: Recommended w/ Advisories

Synopsis: This action-packed graphic novel would be a great find for science fiction lovers ages 10 years+. Readers tag along as best friends Tallulah and Sanity work to figure out who–or what–is wreaking havoc on their beloved space station. Could it be Sanity’s recently-escaped science experiment–a cuddly three-headed kitten–or something else? While there aren’t many overt moral lessons, the story is entertaining and enriching. If your reader enjoyed the cat-chasing antics of novel Grounded by Aisha Saeed, they’ll likely enjoy this book as well.

Advisories: lying, sneaking around, one LGBT+ inference, moderate crude language

Details:

This was a fun, engaging read filled with action and fun sci-fi STEM jargon. Sanity and Tallulah are best friends and partners-in-adventure living on a futuristic space station. When someone, or something, starts causing damage throughout the station, they suspect it might be Sanity’s latest science experiment: a three-headed kitten that has escaped from the lab! The two girls quest to find their fugitive furry friend without getting in to too much trouble along the way.

This was a captivating graphic novel that I would encourage my Middle Schooler to read. Engaging storytelling, strong female leads, STEM representation, and opportunities for critical thinking make this book of value for readers. I would recommend it for even younger grades if it weren’t for the moderate crude language (damn, hell, etc.) and higher-level sci-fi concepts and vocabulary that might leave them a bit lost. The illustrations’ limited color scheme and frequent transitions from dark to light palettes left something to be desired for me, however. If I were to put this on my shelf at home or in an Islamic school library, I’d censor the one LGBT+ inference found on p. 157.

Things I Liked:

  • engaging, fast-paced storytelling
  • diverse cast of characters
  • STEM/sci-fi related themes and vocabulary
  • strong female friendship
  • fun adventure with an element of mystery

Detailed Advisories:

  • sneaking around/trespassing (recurring) (p. 25, 32, 119)
  • death of pets (p. 56-57)
  • lying (p. 59)
  • moderate crude language (heck, damn, jerk, hell) (p. 125, 130-1, 143, 145, 179, 222)
  • one LGBT+ inference — male character says he had a crush on another male character in grade school (p. 157)
  • dead animals (p. 166)

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.

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.

Bounce Back (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience: None.

Opinion: Do not recommend.

Synopsis: This graphic novel did not offer much in way of neither entertainment nor moral value. While the book does not contain egregiously questionable content, nor is it plentiful, the fact that the story itself was hardly engaging and the moral takeaways were minimal made this book a ‘pass’ for me.

Advisories: bullying/teasing, mild crude language, dating, kissing, and more

Note: I write this review with the caveat that I am far from a connoisseur when it comes to manga. I don’t read much of it, and I don’t particularly seek it out. A manga fan might have an entirely different opinion on this book.

Details:

This manga-style graphic novel has readers following along as Lilico, a middle school girl from Osaka who loves basketball, migrates from Japan to the United States. Lilico struggles to adjust to her new home and has to deal with harsh bullies as she tries to find her way. Lilico’s talent in basketball paves a path for her to gain popularity, but at what cost? Lilico must remind herself what it means to be a good friend and find ways to build bridges between peer groups.

This book fell flat for me. I found the melodrama of the book to be off-putting, but I recognize this can be a trait of manga. I felt that Lilico’s strategies to gain friends and repair relationships were weak at best and not strategies I would want my own children to employ. In order to win over her bully, Lilico basically proves herself on the basketball court and becomes a major asset to the girls basketball team. In order to build bridges between two rivals, she encourages Nala to design and create a team mascot costume for the school. I don’t like that in both scenarios, the characters had to offer some type of service/skill in order to curry favor with those who were treating them badly.

Sometimes if the moral takeaways and overall value of the book in one fashion or another is compelling enough, I can forgive some indiscretions in terms of questionable content. Ultimately, this book did not meet that threshold for me therefore I do not recommend it.

Things I Liked:

  • Lilico learned to stand up for herself against bullies but not in a particularly compelling way — she basically proved her value to them via her basketball talent
  • Lilico mended her friendship with Nala
  • Learning about Japanese culture (food, school experiences, clothing, beliefs, etc.)

Advisory Details:

  • references to being someone else in a “past life” (p. 15)
  • bullying, teasing (recurring)
  • mild crude language — shut up, crap
  • “guardian spirit” character that possesses a cat and assists Lilico (introduced on p. 50 and recurring thereafter)
  • boy and girls hanging out unsupervised in a character’s bedroom (p. 58)
  • eating pork (p. 85)
  • reference to a specific food believed to bring good luck (p.86)
  • boy and girls sleeping over together (p. 88)
  • reference to getting a boyfriend, crushes (p. 94, 139)
  • fan-girling over bands (p. 139)
  • dating (p. 176-7, 190-2)
  • boy-girl hugging (p. 218)
  • boy-girl kissing (p. 255)

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.

Awkward (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience: Middle School +

Opinion: Recommended

Rival school clubs learn to work together after weeks of contention. Readers get to experience doing the right thing when faced with a moral dilemma, putting aside differences to work together, standing up to bullies, and more.

Advisories for mild crude language (e.g. pissed, jerk, idiot), mean-spirited jeering and name-calling (e.g. losers, dork), one reference to the ‘B-word’

Details:

At first glance of the cover, I automatically assumed that this book would have an overarching romance theme. Surprisingly, it doesn’t at all. The story revolves around two students, Penelope and Jaime, and their respective rival art and science clubs. Complete with middle school angst and melodrama, this book is quite humorous and overall wholesome. Aside from the name-calling and pranks, there’s really little to point out in terms of morally questionable content. However, if you wish to avoid stories that have a boy-girl friendship, this will be a book you would want to skip.

I think that middle school readers and up (perhaps even a mature 5th grader) will really enjoy this book. I love that the author relayed the message that art and science don’t have to be exclusive, and that in fact many famous people have been adept at both (p.188-190). Of course, I wish that the author had expanded the examples she gave beyond the Renaissance and Leonardo Da Vinci, but we’re not there yet. The scene where students stood up to the class bullies was a delight (p.208).

Things I Liked:

  • diversity of characters — the brilliant science teacher is a fierce woman of color, Jaime’s mom is in an electric wheelchair, and the newspaper staff reporter is a hijabi
  • resolution of conflict – ultimately the rival science and art clubs work together to achieve something great
  • doing the right thing – when faced with a moral dilemma, main character Penelope makes the right choice
  • consequences for the constant bickering and fighting between the two clubs
  • comedic elements – there were many comedic elements that didn’t come at the expense of character’s feelings

Advisories:

  • a vague inference to mammals having breasts (p.41) — I honestly think this would fly over most kids’ heads unless they’re familiar with mammals, and even then, it’s not really that bad
  • name-calling/teasing throughout (e.g. dork, nerd, losers)
  • mild crude language (e.g. pissed [p.93], stupid)
  • a character’s parent referring to the character’s mom as her “lazy BXXXX mother” (p. 104) — this is literally how it is written (with the X’s as it appears). I honestly don’t see why the author felt the need to include this. They could’ve got the same sentiment across without throwing in the expletive, even if it is written in a covert way.

Growing Pangs (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience: Middle School and Up

Opinion: Definitely Recommend!

This is a squeaky clean book that portrays the reality of a young girl with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The book offers opportunities for readers to learn about OCD, see how Katie navigates changing friendships, and more!

I was grasping at straws for advisories on this one: a few incidences of mild crude language (e.g. sucks), a few pop culture references, and a mention of girls being too young to drink an alcoholic beverage.

Details:

The first thought I had after reading this graphic novel is “Tell me she has more books like this one!” It was so wholesome, and 99.9% squeaky clean. I came to find that the author does have a few other books, not all will be suitable for our audiences, but that’s a story for another day.

Regarding this book, I definitely recommend it! The plot is based off of the author’s real-life experiences as a homeschooled Middle Schooler living with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. At first, Katie doesn’t have a diagnosis and doesn’t understand why she feels the need to engage in her compulsions. She refers to her intrusive thoughts as “buzzing” and anthropomorphizes the thoughts as bees swarming around her. It isn’t until the very last bit of the book that the reader learns what these buzzing bees represent. This may be confusing and upsetting for younger readers not familiar with OCD. I would imagine that some young readers might even conjecture that Katie is experiencing whispers from the shayateen. Therefore, I would recommend this book for Middle School or older. If a younger reader wanted to read this book, a guided discussion about OCD would be a sufficient prelude for them to dive in.

As a book reviewer who seeks out books that have very little questionable content that are still relevant and engaging for our youth, I was relieved to find that this book fit the bill. Katie is a wholesome homeschooled girl who attends co-op and church with her family. She loves reading and is excited to be casted into a musical theatre production of Madeline. I can imagine many of the audience reading this may also homeschool, so it is nice to have a book that many of our children will relate to. Katie has to navigate changing friend circles and the jealousies that can come with that. I like how the author relays that many people have their own unique invisible struggles and that Katie is not alone in this way. She has a good relationship with her parents–not one moment of back-talk or disrespect! When Katie finally talks with them about her “buzzing” thoughts, they were supportive and quick to get her the help she needed. While the book ends abruptly with Katie entering a psychologist’s office, the Author’s Note provides clarity and conclusions that the book doesn’t.

Advisories: mile crude language (e.g. suck[s]), occasional pop culture references (Weezer, Harry Potter, *NSync), the girls say they’re “too young” to drink Mint Juleps (alcoholic beverage)