The Cardboard Kingdom: Roar of the Beast

I was super-impressed and loved The Cardboard Kingdom, which I feel is a watershed book in the world of graphic novels for younger readers. This sequel, Roar of the Beast maybe lacks the varied emotional impact of that book, but it offers a more unified and complex narrative. Both books are superlative, and arguing which is better is sort of like arguing whether The Godfather or The Godfather II is better, which is to say that you cannot go wrong with either.

The main plot in this book is that there is great unrest in the neighborhood. Some of the kids are doubting/rethinking their characters, some bullied by older teens, and there seems to be a great beast roaming around at night wreaking havoc and spreading fear.

Overall, I think it is a great exploration of emotional issues that young people may experience, and how messy friendships and navigating the many changes of growing up and dealing with relationships can be. It does not downplay the complexity of what people do or feel, and not everyone makes the best choices for themselves, which I think reflects reality. It was a very moving book, and one I think that will resonate with a great many readers, both young and old. This is a graphic novel that I feel belongs in every upper elementary/middle school library.

This book was drawn by Chad Sell, and co-written with nine other authors, Vid Alliger, Manuel Betancourt, Michael Cole, David DeMeo, Jay Fuller-Ng, Cloud Jacobs, Barbara Perez Marquez, Molly Muldoon, and Katie Schenkel.

All of the reviews I have read of this book comment on its excellence. Charles Hatfield called it "that rare sequel that outshines its original." Kirkus Reviews wrote, "Continuing his collaboration with a group of different writers, Sell weaves together an engaging, endearing ensemble cast with a diverse range of gender identities and gender presentations, races, ethnicities, and body shapes." Juanita Giles wrote about how well this books captures the sensations and uncertainties of growing up and opined that it "not only reminds us of what it was like to go through that transition, but just how real even imagined problems can be at that age."

The Cardboard Kingdom: Roar of the Beast was published by Random House Graphic, and they offer a preview and more info about it here.

Crush

Crush is the follow-up to Brave, and I loved it for a few reasons. First, it features relatable situations and vivid characters. The protagonist here is Jorge, a large young man who is good at basketball and acts as a sort of guardian for a bunch of kids at school. He frequently uses his size as a peacekeeper, stopping bullies from harassing others.

Exhibit A

For his efforts, he receives grudging respect from members of the football team. However, the star quarterback secretly goads classmates to harass and tease others, all the while giving respect to Jorge and calling him "sheriff." Jorge recognizes what's going on to some extent, and he wants nothing to do with those kids. Still, he finds that this rejection comes with consequences, as they find a way to bully him that has some pretty drastic results for his reputation.

Second, this book is quite sweet in how it captures the tenor of a young person's developing a crush on someone. Jorge realizes after a while that he has feelings for Jazmine, a young woman in the drama club. She's got a boyfriend though, and he has always taken solace in having two strong lifelong friends Liv and Garrett, but he struggles with the changing dynamics among all their relationships. Her has always been a solid citizen and depending on a certain level of consistency, but he finds that life is taking some interesting curves and he's not sure he is comfortable with the whole enterprise. Even though my years in junior high were long ago, I could definitely relate to many of the feelings Jorge has to deal with here.

Third, the storytelling in this book is excellent. The characters are well designed in terms of their roles and their visuals. The action is compelling, and the gags pay off well. The situations they deal with seem very authentic and contemporary, with real stakes. And perhaps best of all, the book does not require the reader to have read any of the others. Each entry in the series stands alone and is rewarding on its own merits. At the same, knowledgeable readers will enjoy seeing certain characters pop up again, making this a book that plays well to a large audience. This is a fun, moving book, much like the other books in this series. I would certainly expect them to be a staple in school or class libraries.

This book's creator Svetlana Chmakova is a celebrated comics artist who has won a slew of awards and accolades for her works. In addition to the Berrybrook Middle School series, she also has published Dramacon, set at a comics convention, and the supernatural themed series Nightschool. She speaks about her work on Crush in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book were glowing. Esther Keller at School Library Journal called it "a must have—and one of our picks for the top ten graphic novels of 2018!" Carrie McClain summed it up as "an adventure for the tween/preteen age group that carries all the feels and makes the ordinary seem extraordinary by how relatable it is." Sarah concluded her review, "I love the manga stylings of Chmakova. I love her diverse cast of characters and her socially conscious narratives, which support the growth of young girls. I know this one isn’t technically out yet, I know that the author just had a baby, but GAAHHH I want more!!"

Crush was published by Yen Press, and they provide more info about it here.

A review copy was provided by the publisher.

Brave

I have been reviewing books that have been nominated for the Excellence in Graphic Literature Award in the Middle Grades category, and the winners will be announced this weekend. Today's book received an Honorable Mention, and it is a sequel to Awkward, which I reviewed last month. This book is also set at Berrybrook Middle School, but it shifts to focus on a new protagonist Jensen, who is also a member of the Art Club. He's a bit oblivious about a lot of things, and gets stuck in his own head a lot.

The irony!

He's failing math class and needs tutoring. He goes through his school day like it's a series of video game levels he has to pass, so he's not so cognizant of the frequent bullying and harassment he faces. Also, he sort of fades into the background so much that he might not be so much anyone's actual friend. He learns a lot about himself over the course of the book, from reflecting, from his friends, and from his teachers, but none of it seems forced or artificial like an afterschool special might.

What I love about this book are two things: Its characters and situations are vibrant and relatable to me. It has been a long while since I was in junior high (what they called it back then), and there were scenes in this book that really brought me back. There are many life and social issues that readers can take in and think about because they are presented so realistically and dynamically. Also, this book is full of a diverse cast of characters who feel genuine. Second, although this is the second book in a series, it's instantly accessible to new readers. There are passing references to familiar characters and events that past readers would get, but none of them are essential to the plot so new readers don't feel like they are missing something. I think that is a tough trick to pull off, and I am impressed by the overall quality of this book. It's fantastic, and I feel it should be a super-popular choice for middle school students.

This book's creator Svetlana Chmakova is a celebrated comics artist who has won a slew of awards and accolades for her works. Along with this Berrybrook Middle School series, she also has published Dramacon, set at a comics convention and the supernatural themed series Nightschool. For those interested in her work and career, this article is a good one to check out.

The reviews I have read of this book have been universally glowing. Kirin at the Islamic School Librarian wrote that it offered a "good message, that is more self empowering than preachy." Matthew Burbridge opined, "I consider BRAVE one of this year’s must-reads for anybody who has a difficult time understanding the problems and pain that bullying can cause." Esther Keller called the artwork "magnificent" and added that the book "really captures so many realities of middle school life, as if Chmakova just left there herself."

Brave was published by Yen Press, and they offer a preview here. The next installment in the series, called Crush, comes out soon.

Moose

Originally published as a series of 14 mini-comics by Oily Comics, Moose tells the story of Joe, a put upon high school student who has to face a relentless, sadistic bully aptly named Jason.

Joe goes to great length to avoid Jason, walking to school instead of taking the bus, eating lunch in closets, trying to stay out of his way, and getting detention for his troubles, but Jason goes to equally great lengths to find Joe and dish out his violence. I found those parts with their confrontations to be especially unsettling and horrific, but there is also a certain brutal realism in how this tale is paced and artistically rendered.

Sporadically, Joe finds solace from this cycle in nature, and there are a few excellent wordless scenes where we are privy to him connecting with nature and having some wondrous, if also scary, experiences.

Joe fantasizes about taking vengeance on Jason, but he really does not think he has has much recourse. I don't want to spoil the way this book ends, but something occurs that gives Joe the upper hand suddenly, and how he uses this opportunity is pretty gut-wrenching. I really liked how gray everyone in this story is eventually painted, with the "good guys" not always seeming so good, nor the bad ones as bad (or at least they have their own troubles, I guess I might say). For what could easily be a two-dimensional story there is some real complexity and depth.

As you can tell from the excerpts, the artwork is pretty stark, with seemingly simple lines packing much emotional punch and also an economy of motion. I felt that the storytelling was excellent in heightening drama, setting scenes, and establishing personalities. Like another Oily Comic I read, TEOTFW, Moose was a visceral and moving reading experience for me.

Moose is the creation of Max De Radiguès, a Belgian comics artist who tweets updates about his works here. He was a 2009 Fellow at the Center for Cartoon Studies, and his newest projects are called Bastard and Rough Age. He speaks more about his comics work, inspirations, and creative process in this interview.

There are sparse reviews for this book as of yet, but the ones I have read have been positive. Alec Berry called it "a well-crafted, chilling read." Rob Clough praised the book, stating that "De Radigues' trembling but clear line and angular character design is perfectly matched to the subject matter." Clough also added that the "characters, though simply-rendered, are lively and bursting with emotion."

This collected volume of Moose was published by Conundrum Press. They have more info about the book here. Because of the brutal language and violence in this book, I would recommend it for mature readers.

Power Lunch: First Course

Power Lunch: First Course is an interesting take on superheroes for younger readers. It stars a boy named Joey who is the new kid in school and looks a little bit like Clark Kent. He as strange dietary restrictions, and is only allowed to eat foods that are white. He meets and befriends Jerome, who used to be the new, weird kid and looks a little like Jimmy Olsen. He is bullied by a taller boy named Bug, and one of the main plots of the book is about how the duo deal with him.

 

The plot twists when Joey eats some trail mix (which is not white) and manifests superpowers. It turns out that whenever he eats other foods, he gains different sets of powers. These powers comes in handy when dealing with a bully, but they also might give him a leg up when he tries out for the soccer team (see what I did there? HA!). That last bit raises an ethical quandary about using his abilities, which will get taken up in the second book, aptly named Seconds.

For the most part, I found this book pretty enjoyable. The artwork is clear and bright, and I feel that the story is pitched well to children without being condescending. Its depictions of bullying seemed realistic and upsetting, which is appropriate. But there was one aspect that also bothered me about the ending. It seemed abrupt to me and also troubled me because Joey decides to use his powers to scare the bully into behaving. I know that the message may be to take up for yourself and also to stand by your friends, but I also was left with the impression that Joey is sort of a bully himself with how he handled the situation. Maybe this point also gets addressed in the sequel, but I felt it was a strange way to end things here.

This book is a collaboration between writer J. Torres and artist Dean Trippe. Torres has written a number of comics aimed at younger audiences, including the Jinx series and Alison Dare stories, as well as the autobiographical The Copybook Tales, and a number of titles for the big two comic book companies. Trippe is known for his webcomic Butterfly, his work with the website Project: Rooftop, and his autobiographical comic about dealing with sexual abuse Something Terrible.

The reviews I read about this book pointed to its positive qualities but also brought up some reservations. Jamais Jochim praised the art and pacing but also wrote, "This is a young man learning to use his abilities in at least marginally selfish ways, and it feels just a little off," but added, "This is a good start to a series; here’s hoping it gets better." Eric enjoyed the plot and artwork and also commented that the book had "a great approach to the real issue of bullies that embraces a non-violent, but assertive response." Stephen Theaker offer these thoughts, "Older kids may find the lack of substance underwhelming; younger children might be upset by the bullying scenes. To get a kid’s-eye view, I asked my daughters to take a look, but it failed their first test: 'Is there a girl in it?'”

Power Lunch is published by Oni Press. Comic Book Resources offers a preview here. 

Stuck in the Middle: Seventeen Comics from an Unpleasant Age

Middle school can be an awkward age for some, and this anthology captures much of what can be a turbulent time. The stories range across many themes, including:

Raging hormones

Physical changes

Fashion choices

Schoolyard scuttlebutt

Eternal questions

Figuring out what to do with your life

Coping with school

Dealing with cruelty

Being cruel to others

Relationships

And awkward social situations

The creators in this book include a good range of well established creators, including Dan Clowes, Ariel Schrag, Lauren Weinstein, Joe Matt, Aaron Renier, and Dash Shaw. As you can tell from the images, they vary stylistically, as do the stories, some being funny, others instructive, still others sad or dramatic. The standouts for me are

• Schrag's "Plan on the Number 7 Bus," about the dangers of teens trying to get around on public transportation while gossiping. 
• Cole Johnson's "Tina Roti," full of dark humor observations about a girl dealing with ennui while trying to fit in at a new school.
• Shaw's "Crater Face," a gross and touching look at a boy trying to deal with acne and girls.
• Gabrielle Bell's "Hit Me," a compelling and bittersweet tale about figuring out ways to deal with bullies, parents, and people in general.
• Renier's "Simple Machines," an ultimately uplifting story about a boy dealing with ADD, school, and life.
• Schrag's "Shit," another gross story about friendship and a weekend trip on a houseboat, highlighting the pitfalls of using its toilet.

I felt that there was so much in this book to enjoy, laugh at, and/or sympathize with. The stories are obviously heart-felt and well crafted by creators who know what they are doing. Even though some of the tales are excerpts from larger works, I still feel that the glimpses we see into those worlds are worth exploring.

This anthology has received much support and praise. It was named one of the New York Public Library's Books for the Teen Age in 2008. It received a starred review from Booklist. Ned Vizzini remarked that it was "excellent, and the variety of the art ensures that the reader never gets bored." The reviewer at Publishers Weekly wrote, "This collection should help those in the midst of similar social travails realize that they, too, will someday look back and laugh at it all."

This anthology is a black and white kaleidoscope cast on the experiences of adolescents, and all of the stories smack of realism and moments that many can relate to. As a consequence, they deal with issues that teens deal with, including questioning authority, sex, drug use, drinking, and trying to make and keep friendships. These features have made this book somewhat controversial in some places and likely to be targeted for bans. There is some mature language throughout as well, though nothing worse than can be found in a YA novel or students' lives.

Stuck in the Middle was published by Viking.