#cybils

[vulpixbookpix]

Navigating With You by Jeremy Whitley

4.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you Netgalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

Neesha and Gabby are the new kids at school. Despite Neesha's attempts to start off as a "loner," Gabby manages to talk her into eating lunch together and being lab partners. They eventually start talking and realize that they read the same manga when they were younger. The two decide to find the volumes to read together, which prove to be a bit difficult as they're out of print and hard to find.

Their friendship blossoms as they spend the school year searching for the manga volume by volume. While they read the adventures of Navigator Nozomi, a romance starts to bloom between the two of them.

I enjoyed the scenes of the manga incorporated into the story. It helped to see how Gabby and Neesha could've interpreted parts of it differently while they were reading. Neesha is a young girl who feels like she has to fight all the wrongs in the world, and possibly the world itself if it tries to say that she can't do something due to her disability. Gabby, on the other hand, seems to be able to go with the flow and brush off a lot--until she doesn't.

The graphic novel itself deals with characters struggling with PTSD, the world not being accessible to all, and, overall, family and friends who accept you and are supportive. This was a great read.

[vulpixbookpix]

Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol

5 out of 5 stars

Jane recently lost her parents and learned that she cannot inherit the estate due to being a young woman. She can get married in less than a week or… all of the inheritance will go to her male cousin who is awful. Jane is disheartened by this because she feels like she doesn't fit the beauty standards of the village. No one will marry her because she is too short and round. However, she comes up with a plan to propose to Peter, the handsome fishmonger's son who definitely doesn't fit in with his family either.

In the midst of describing her plan to Peter, he is enchanted by a mermaid and whisked away underneath the ocean floor. Determined not to lose her home to her foul cousin, Jane delves into the depths with the help of some items from a village witch. She crosses paths with different creatures--some helpful and others yet another hurdle to overcome. While she's trekking to save Peter, Jane starts to understand that looks aren't everything; that your actions and the way you treat people are what truly matter. And then she kicks ass.

I really liked this book. Not only because of the wonderfully colorful panels and the Hero plot being plopped onto Jane's shoulders, but also because of how Jane overcame the ideas that bullies put into her head. And, there's mermaids and selkies! It's a great rendition of the mythos of the sea.

[vulpixbookpix]

The Monster and the Maze by Maple Lam

3 out of 5 stars

Just got done reading this from the library. It was really cute! It was a great introduction to gods of Chinese and Greek myth. They had a handy little description of everyone in the back of the book. I definitely would’ve picked this up as a kid because I read all the mythology I could. I think kids who like Avatar: The Last Airbender would like this as well. Sun Wukong reminded me of Aang a little bit!

[vulpixbookpix]

Continental Drifter by Kathy MacLeod

4 out of 5 stars

Kathy anxiously counts down the days until her and her family travel from Thailand where they live to America where she feels like she fits in more. But, when she gets to America, she realizes that her blended family doesn't fit in there either. Surely, she thinks, going to summer camp will be better? She can make friends there and not be "different." Unfortunately, Kathy still sticks out. People confuse her for the only other Asian girl there (who is actually Chinese and not Thai). She can't seem to find friendship because most of the other girls have been friends for years before this. Just as she feels like this was a big mistake, Kathy finally finds the courage to reach out and talk to a group of girls who welcome her. This autobiographical graphic novel deals with starting to become aware of your differences from others and not knowing your place in the world. It is about a blended family and the awkward situations that arise from it--like meeting your adult half-brother who hardly talks to your dad for the first time. It's about not being able to connect with your mother and, while you're sure she loves you, you're not sure why she doesn't seem to express it. This was a wonderful Middle Grade read that could help a young reader realize that there are different cultures and communities out there, but those people feel the same feelings that they might about not fitting in and coming across as awkward. The art style was rather simplistic, but I think that helps with getting the message across of Kathy's feelings.

[vulpixbookpix]

Anzu and the Realm of Darkness: A Graphic Novel by Mai K. Nguyen

5 out of 5 stars

Anzu used to be proud of her Japanese heritage, especially when her grandmother was alive, but as she has gotten older, kids have started to make fun of her for being different. So, as her family moves to a new town, she's decided that she's going to get rid of her manga and tell everyone her name is Anne (which is the name her bullies at her old school called her). She goes exploring to get out of the new house--and away from her parents trying to get her to celebrate Obon. While exploring, she comes across a dog who tries to take the necklace that her grandmother gave her. Anzu chases the dog down and, somehow, follows him through a gate to the Spirit World. There, Anzu encounters Izanami no Mikoto, Queen of Yomi, who seems to want to help her, but does she really want to just keep Anzu trapped in the spirit realm instead? I loved the art style, not just the panels themselves, but I loved seeing the different kinds of spirits/ demons. The back of the book has a quick guide to the Kami and Yokai of Japanese folklore that are seen. This was also a great read because it showed how Anzu was struggling to find pride and joy in her heritage after being bullied. It gave the message of how brave it was to just be yourself and how you should also be kind to yourself.

[vulpixbookpix]

Safe Passage by G. Neri, David Brame (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

This is a harrowing, yet compelling story of how gang violence in Chicago affects the SouthSide and how people have tried to create "Safe Passage" for kids to get to school without getting beaten up or shot at--which isn't something that kids should be worrying about to begin with. On the one-year anniversary of the death of Darius's mother, his friend, Booger, talks him into skipping school to go track down where an armored truck has gotten into a wreck. People are posting videos of money flying all over the place and Booger gets the great idea that they can gather up a lot of the money and no one would be the wiser. At first, Darius is all for it because he caught a glimpse of the second eviction notice on the kitchen table, where his stepdad is also scouring the newspapers to try and find a job. Booger decides to post the empty bank bag they found on social media and it goes viral. Which... they quickly realize isn't the kind of attention they want when they have to cross several gang territories to get back home. Unfortunately, Darius's little sister, Cissy, follows them instead of going to school, which puts her in danger as well. The art is strictly black and white, which really works for focusing on the plot and not the setting / surroundings. It especially works when blood appears in the panels for those who may be a little squeamish. The story puts the reader in the turmoil of the characters growing up in a violent area, but also shows how kids notice the misfortunes that fall upon the adults as well, despite the attempts to pretend that everything is okay by the grown-ups. I feel like it also touches on how a person shouldn't post everything they do on social media because it can wind up blowing up in their faces or how there are fake personas everywhere (like in the case of "White Mike.") Just an overall great read.

[vulpixbookpix]

No Rules Tonight: A Graphic Novel by Kim Hyun Sook

4 out of 5 stars

The author of Banned Book Club has come out with another graphic novel that focuses on her life in a regime that focused on censorship. Hyun Sook has become part of an acting group where they put on plays that criticize the government (but it's the government of 100s of years ago, so somehow that makes it okay in the eyes of South Korea's leaders). The group often goes camping on Christmas Eve--the one time when curfew is extended for people to celebrate. On the camping trip, the group often let loose in ways that they absolutely cannot while in public unless they want to get arrested and beaten for disobeying the strict laws. Hyun Sook manages to express that, even during fascism where fear reigns, there is still laughter and hope. I think this is a perfect book for the current political sphere in the U.S. where censorship laws are spiking and there's calls for putting librarians and teachers in jail for "indoctrination." I think it's good to highlight the past and the history of censorship to show that it will eventually crumble.

[roesolo]

CYBILS Awards: Last Call for Judges!

CYBILS Awards: Last Call for Judges! @cybilsawards

Hi all! Regular readers may know that I’m a big fan of the CYBILS Awards – Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers Literary Awards – and that I have been lucky to be picked as a judge for almost 10 years now. The application period for 2022 judges is open, and will be until this coming Monday, September 12th. If you have an interest in kidlit and you have the time, I highly recommend applying. It’s…

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