Soupy Leaves Home

For the next couple of weeks, I will be reviewing books that have been nominated for the Excellence in Graphic Literature Award in the Middle Grades category. First up, Soupy Leaves Home is the tale of a girl named Pearl set in Great Depression-era United States. Her father is abusive, and finding no recourse she runs away from home. Not really knowing what she is doing, she disguises herself as a boy and falls in with a hobo named Ramshackle.

Together the duo look out for each other and tramp all over the country. Along the way, Pearl takes on the name Soupy, and she learns to take care of herself, deal with with railroad bulls, navigate the complex system of hobo life, and also read the signs left by others. Still, as much as they get to know each other, both Soupy and Ramshackle keep important secrets from each other.

I felt that overall, this book was a well crafted piece of historical fiction, with likeable characters and a few parallel plots that tied together well. Probably the strongest part of the book is the characterizations, with Soupy and Ramshackle really standing out. I especially liked spending time with Soupy as she grew and became more confident and capable over time. I do not really want to spoil much, by the end of the book, there are multiple revelations about the main characters, some happy and some sad, with lots of provocative thinking about social class, gender, and gender roles. And none of it is as stuffy as I just made it sound.

This book was a collaboration between writer Cecil Castellucci and artist Jose Pimienta. Castellucci is a prolific writer with many books to her credit, including YA novels and comics like The Plain Janes and Shade the Changing Girl. Pimienta has drawn a number of other comics, and his best known work is probably The Leg, a kooky piece of historical fiction starring Santa Anna's amputated leg(!). Castelluci speaks more about her work on this book in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews summed up, "A compelling graphic offering that explores relevant gender roles and self-identity through a historical lens." Stephanie Cooke wrote that it's "a book that will resonate in everyone’s heart and you’ll be happy that you checked it out." And I agree strongly with Eric Kallenborn's observation that "the last act of the book is powerful and emotive."

Soupy Leaves Home was published by Dark Horse, and they offer a preview and more information about it here.

Comics Squad: Lunch!

This second volume of Comics Squad features some pretty heavy hitters in its line-up. Most of the stories within are humorous, but a few are actually pretty serious. In all, I liked the range of stories and art styles, and I felt this book would be a great introduction to comics for many young readers. Or, because it features so many established creators and characters, it would be a great read for more ardent comics fans as well.

I felt that the standout story was by Cece Bell, about a young girl who is very picky about her meals and particular about her lunch routine. I would like to say that she learns to branch out from her ways, but instead I was treated to one of the weirdest manifestations of nut allergies I have seen.

Other standout stories come from the Holm siblings who gave us another fun and funny Babymouse tale.

I also really enjoyed Jason Shiga's take on a choose-your-own-adventure story that reads like a kid's version of Meanwhile. Though I have to admit in the end I kind of had to cheat on the premise, because I could not get the darn tubes to match up with the stories (I blame operator error). And it is worth noting that this story had some funny bits but not a happy ending.

Humor is also mostly absent from the short Hazardous Tales entry from Nathan Hale, but I still appreciated his version of a peculiar World War II naval battle. He makes great nonfiction, and it is good to see such work rounding out this collection.

Among the other tales here include Jeffrey Brown's "Cave Soup" featuring Lucy & Andy Neanderthal, which acts as an introduction to a forthcoming book (series?) and a look at Lunch Lady when she was just a kid. The only real clunker in the bunch was the Peanuts piece, which made me a bit sad. There are so many good Schulz stories, but this one was a studio-created one that I found insipid. More an 8-page commercial for Snoopy than a story really.

Almost every review I have read about it had great things to say about this book. Andy and Gwen commented that "The eight stories collected in the anthology are relatively short, making them ideal for reluctant readers or for readers who are new to comics." Kirkus Reviews summed it up as "One rotten apple aside, a second helping of tasty treats." The Mayor of Bookopolis called it "the ultimate 'sampler platter' of graphic novels."

Comics Squad: Lunch! was published by Random House, and they have some more information about it here.

The Plain Janes

The Plain Janes was the first offering in DC Comics' short-lived Minx imprint, which produced graphic novels aimed at teenage girls who read YA literature. It was written by Cecil Castellucci, a Renaissance woman who writes YA novels, records music in bands and as a solo artist, and directs indie films. Her first novel, Boy Proof won a number of accolades from the Young Adult Library Services Association. This graphic novel was drawn by Jim Rugg, an accomplished artist and writer best known for his retro, hip, and dynamic works Afrodisiac and Street Angel.

The Plain Janes tells the story of Jane, a young girl who survives a bomb attack in fictional Metro City. She and her parents are scarred by the experience and decide to move out to the safer environs of the suburbs. Jane is forced to fit in and make friends after the first month of high school, a situation that frustrates her. She brushes off advances to hang out with the "cool" kids and opts to try to befriend the most interesting girls in her class: Jayne (a brainiac), Jane (who is into theater), and Polly Jane (an athlete).

Eventually, she manages to build some bridges by organizing a series of pranks to liven up a boring town. Together the girls anonymously perpetrate acts of art around town under the guise of P.L.A.I.N. (People Loving Art In Neighborhoods), and the quartet attracts quite a bit of attention. These high jinks also attract the disapproving eye of the local authorities, and the students at school experience the consequences of curfews and other sanctions that result from attempts to identify and curtail P.L.A.I.N.

Reviews of The Plain Janes have been largely positive. Leroy Douresseaux wrote that it was "a treat that left me wanting more." Michael Lorah admits the book is not perfect but still finds it has "engaging storytelling" and "charming characters." A.E. Sparrow gushed that it "is an absolutely wonderful read no matter your gender or preference in reading material."

For more about the creation of this book, Matt Brady has two separate interviews with Castellucci and Rugg at Newsarama.

An extended pdf preview is available from DC Comics.