The Cartoonists Club

 

Today's graphic novel is also one from a powerhouse duo of creators: Raina Telgemeier has done hugely successful work on The Babysitters Club series as well as Smile and several other books while Scott McCloud literally wrote the book on how to read comics, Understanding Comics, and has been publishing comics works since the 1990s. Here they put their talents together to make a wonderful, and much-needed, book The Cartoonists Club. 

The story here brings together four middle schoolers: Makayla, who loves to write stories, Howard, who is a prolific artist but whose dad frowns upon art as a serious enterprise, Lynda, who is constantly drawing but also critiquing her own work harshly, and Art, who is a creative type looking to try pretty much anything. Together, with the guidance of school librarian Ms. Fatima, they form a club and being making comics. They even get the chance to exhibit their work at a local library comics convention. 

All these questions, and more, answered!

This story is told in a very charming way, and it is easy to fall in love with the characters, who are vibrant and relatable. But what I feel is most helpful is how much information is folded into the narrative in an organic way that speaks to what goes into designing and making comics. This book is a lot of fun and not at all didactic in tone. I have worked with many different groups of people over the years, from elementary students all the way up to graduate students, teaching them how to make their own comics, and this book especially fills a vacuum for explaining the rudimentary mechanics of comics-making for younger readers. That it does so in an engaging and highly readable way is simply amazing, and I plan to use this book with students I work with as soon as possible.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been glowing, and I would be surprised if it did not clean up come awards season. In a starred entry, Kirkus Reviews called it "highly imaginative and cleverly conceived." Sean Kleefeld wrote that the book "is simply the best bits of both creators, fused together in about as seamless a manner as possible." In another starred entry, Publishers Weekly opined, "Creative prompts, tips, instructions, and definitions feature throughout, delivered in a cheeky tone that seamlessly integrates heartfelt narrative with approachable how-to guides."

The Cartoonists Club was published by Scholastic Graphix, and they offer more info about it here. They also offer the first two chapters as a free preview here.

Guts

For YA graphic novel fans, Raina Telgemeier is a superstar author. Her books like Smile and Drama are omnipresent in schools, bookstores, libraries, and book club catalogs. She is also a multiple award winner, and her works are consistently at the top of sales charts. Her two prior memoirs dealt with her relationships, mainly with friends and family. They have been some of her strongest and most well received books, and this third one Guts gets even more personal and insightful as she tackles a personal demon that many avoid discussing: dealing with anxiety.

It starts with a seeming bout of illness and nausea, but over time Raina gradually learns that her gastrointestinal and mental states have profound effects on each other. This manifests in bouts of self-doubt, confusion, and isolating herself, all of which form a negative feedback loop. Increasingly unsure of how to deal, and with some support from her parents, she eventually starts seeing a therapist who helps her recognize and deal with the circumstances,

Much of what makes this book successful is just how frank and candid it is about the issues, and it certainly benefits from Telgemeier's time getting perspective on her own life. Additionally, the clean and vibrant illustrations help convey the whole enterprise in a powerful and direct way. This is a book of powerful emotions and feelings, and it conveys them all seamlessly. Perhaps the best comparison I have seen for her style is with Lynn Johnston, the creator of the long-running comic strip For Better, For Worse. That strip could transition from drama to humor to poignant moments and still pack a wallop, just like Telgemeier's works can. Part of what I think makes Telgemeier's work so popular, in my opinion, is that she flat out makes high-octane comics.

All of the reviews I have seen about this book have been positive. Kirkus Reviews concluded, "With young readers diagnosed with anxiety in ever increasing numbers, this book offers a necessary mirror to many." Michael Cavna remarked that one of the big positives about this book was that it "should prove to be a conversation-starter between children and adults." Scott Stossel stated that "this book’s warmth, humanity and humor — it ends with a sonorous and well-earned fart — provides a balm more soul-soothing than any pill." Irene Velentzas wrote, "It is Telgemeier’s mastery of the comics form that lends work like Guts its universal appeal, its widespread popularity, and makes her work highly deserving of sustained attention and further critical inquiry."

Guts was published by Scholastic, and they offer a PDF preview and more here.

Comics Squad: Recess!

For most students, recess is the most fun part of the day, and I have to say that this compilation is totally fun for younger readers. It features some fantastical stories, like the one that stars an anthropomorphic cupcake named Jimmy Sprinkles and another featuring a talking squirrel ("The Magic Acorn"). There are also more realistic stories about kids dealing with indoor recess on a stormy day ("The Rainy Day Monitor") or the time crunch for getting a book report written ("300 Words"). Because of the consistent humor and quality of the various stories, I feel this book would be great to hook new comics readers or to entertain more experienced comics fans who are into some of the characters/creators contained within.

The creators here are all on top of their game, and I really dug most of the tales.My two favorites were  by current National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Gene Yang ("The Super-Secret Ninja Club") and Dav (Captain Underpants) Pilkey ("Book 'em, Dogman"). The former is about a group of kooky young boys who wear black t-shirts on their heads and the latter a police-dog contending against a cat who tries to steal the world's books. But there are also some familiar favorites, like an entry from the Babymouse and Lunch Lady series. Like those two series, this book's artwork is black, white, and one other color (orange). You can see what that looks like with this page by Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman:

All of the reviews I have read for this book sing its praises. Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review and called it "a very funny collection." Kirkus Reviews also gave it a starred review, stating that it was "lively, upbeat and all-around-awesome." Andy Wolverton wrote that it was "the perfect book to give to young readers who already enjoy comics/graphic novels as well as to those who might be a bit hesitant to read them."

Comics Squad: Recess! was published by Random House Kids, and they have links, a video preview, and more information here.

Sisters

"Be careful what you wish for" is a widespread idiom that plays out in Sisters, a memoir by Raina Telgemeier that is a "companion" to her wildly success Smile. The book details a family road trip that is full of annoyances, wonder, and travails. It also contains lots of flashback scenes marked by the sepia toned backgrounds, like pages from a yellowed book. From those, we see that Raina really, really, really wanted a sister.

Well, after she gets one she finds that things are not all that swell. Her little sister Amara likes throwing her toys. They bicker over art supplies and space to draw and play. They have to share a bedroom, which creates more tension, and their personalities just don't seem to mesh all that much. Just take a look at this scene from the road to see what I am talking about.

What I really enjoyed about this book is how well it captures a whole bunch of small but very relatable moments. As an older sibling myself, I can remember many similar situations and scuffles with my sisters. Also, the characters are nuanced in ways that they are all realistic and very human, not completely good or bad. I liked that there were many shades of grey. The artwork is clean, well paced, bright, and it conveys much emotion and energy. Sisters is an all around enjoyable and well-made graphic novel.

Raina Telgemeier has been nominated for Eisner and Ignatz Awards, and she won an Eisner for Smile. She has also created the YA graphic novel Drama and drawn four adaptations of The Babysitter's Club books, which have garnered accolades from the Young Adult Library Services Association and the American Library Association.  Telgemeier talks about her inspiration behind Sisters in this interview. Or if you would rather read an interview with her about the book, you can go here.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been very positive. Brigid Alverson commented that the author "wraps some larger truths in the minutiae of everyday life, creating a story that many readers will be able to relate to, in its bitter moments as well as its warmer ones." Maya Van Wagenen wrote, "Telgemeier uses her expressive, cartoon-style drawings to bring context and emotion to the minimal text, which is almost entirely dialogue. I love her work, not because it is exotic or unusual, but because she writes stories we have all lived, and tells them in a way that feels uncomfortable yet transcendent." Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review and summed it up as "A wonderfully charming tale of family and sisters that anyone can bond with."

Sisters was published by Scholastic, and they have information about the book here. They have posted a video preview of the book here.

Drama

I really enjoyed Raina Telgemeier's last book, the multiple award winning Smile, so I was very much looking forward to reading this book, Drama. It focuses on the goings on in a middle school theater club. The title has at least two meanings, the first being that the story focuses on the technical aspects of putting on a school musical. The main character is Callie, the set designer of the show, and we get to see her several challenges, including working within a budget, making and moving sets, and getting a special effects cannon to work. I was in one musical in high school, and I have to say that I could relate to these aspects of the book.

The second meaning of the title has to do with the interpersonal relationships between cast members and the school at large. Not only do we get to see the politics of a demanding leading lady and how all the other actors have to deal with various obstacles, we also get a look into Callie's relationships and crushes. There are a couple of brothers, Greg and Matt, with whom she has grown up, who clumsily court her. Life gets further complicated when newcomers Justin and Jesse come to this school. Justin comes out as gay to Callie pretty early on, and he is very interested in being a performer in the show. Justin is more reserved and a wildcard, and Callie starts hanging out with him and develops feelings.  I don't mean to make Callie just seem boy crazy, because she is more complex than just that, but she is caught up in the vortex of figuring out how romance works. Overall, I felt that Telgemeier did an excellent job getting at how confusing, awkward, and hopeful middle school relationships (in terms of both romance and friendship) can be.

As you can see from the excerpts above, Telgemeier's art style is very attractive and colorful. I feel that it is deceptively simple looking, as she is able to convey much emotion and action with relatively few lines. Also, she is adept at varying her presentations at times, with some scenes being more large montages and other more focused on specific exchanges. My one quibble really is that at times I felt there was a little too much exposition in the text, but those instances were few.

I understand that some of the personal issues of sexuality that come up in this book have made it  controversial in some places, to the point of it being removed from libraries, but I did not feel that there was anything prurient here and that these situations seemed very realistic and human. I feel more and more issues of sexuality are coming to the fore in young people's lives, and those are better discussed than ignored or shunned. That certainly seems to be the tenor of this group of young people who discussed the book as part of the YALSA Hub Challenge. Eti also has a well detailed defense of the book in this blog post.

Drama has received its share of accolades and was named a Stonewall Honor Book and a Harvey Award Nominee. Ada Calhoun had many positive comments about the story and artwork: "Telgemeier’s momentum-building visual style veers from leisurely montages during rehearsals to dramatic moments like the sharp half-page describing a disaster on show night." Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review and summed up, "With the clear, stylish art, the strongly appealing characters and just the right pinch of drama, this book will undoubtedly make readers stand up and cheer." Publishers Weekly also gave it a starred review and concluded, "Telgemeier’s manga-infused art has some moments of heartache, but the generally cheerful and affirming story should be eagerly devoured by her many fans."

There is a book trailer and much more info on the author's official page. A preview is available here from the book's publisher, Scholastic.

Smile

This charming tale recounts the time in Raina's life in San Francisco from sixth until 10th grade. In this space of time lots happens, but the thread that goes through much of it is surprisingly dentistry and orthodontics. After Raina knocks out her two front teeth, she has to go through a number of procedures, including extractions and root canals, and ends up wearing braces and a headgear at night. She takes these events pretty hard and they affect her social life when she thinks she is weird or nerdy because of her dental issues.

As time goes by she participates in the Girl Scouts, gets her ears pierced, has crushes on boys, and learns to navigate life in high school. Also, she and her friends share some growing pains and their relationships get strained by teasing, pranks, and pettiness. Art becomes an outlet for her, and she begins taking more interest in being an animator after being blown away by The Little Mermaid.

The book's creator Raina Telgemeier has been nominated for Eisner and Ignatz Awards. She has drawn four adaptations of The Babysitter's Club books, which have garnered accolades from the Young Adult Library Services Association and the American Library Association. This interview with the Daily Crosshatch provides insight into her work and life.

A Boston Globe-Hornbook Award Honor title and New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice, Smile is a well regarded work. Kirkus Reviews named it one of their Best for Teens 2010 books, calling it "irresistible, funny and touching." Elizabeth Bird praised Telgemeier, noting that she "has a knack for synthesizing the preadolescent experience in a visual medium." Chris Bolton writes that what sets the book apart from others is the humanity brought to the work.

An excerpt, preview video, and an interactive comics maker are all available here from the book's publisher Scholastic.