This chapter book meanders from topic to topic without a central goal for the protagonist. The title is misleading though the book is loosely organizeThis chapter book meanders from topic to topic without a central goal for the protagonist. The title is misleading though the book is loosely organized around friendship, but it does not maintain this focus enough to tie all the tangents together. While the ending is heartwarming, it is not earned by the protagonist, so it is not deeply felt by the reader.
The humor is based on JoJo's misunderstandings which, when strung together one after another, make her seem clueless and unintelligent. This book, which is the series introduction, is so focused on trying to be funny that the reader doesn't get a strong sense of what daily life is like on this reservation through the eyes of a child, which feels like such a missed opportunity....more
A fifteen-year-old budding writer gets a mysterious call on her cell phone while traveling on a plane with her family to relStory: 2 stars Art: 4 stars
A fifteen-year-old budding writer gets a mysterious call on her cell phone while traveling on a plane with her family to relocate to a new town. Somehow from this call she is imbued with some sort of superpowers, though they don't actually manifest until two months later when she calls the strange number for some unknown reason. Lin's superhero persona intercepts a robbery at the town's photocopy shop. Meanwhile, the photocopy shop manager, who hates the superhero for accidentally breaking his glasses, is dating a girl who is struggling with the accidental death of her beloved horse. In moments of grief, Horse Girl has over-shared on her blog. As far as I know, the owner of a blog can delete it at any time. But in exchange for deleting the blog that Horse Girl is embarrassed about, a coder who calls himself /me sends her after the superhero, via the photocopy shop manager. Confused enough yet? The coder /me is the same person who endowed Lin with superpowers.
The pacing is too fast, leaving so many unanswered questions. The coder /me is woefully underdeveloped. Too many characters have no real stake in the story. The plot has holes and the characters don't fit well together. The whole thing feels disjointed.
But the illustrator did a good job. The art and panel layout are sophisticated. The mainly black-and-white art is accented with pink only for the superhero persona, which works well visually....more
A young boy who has difficulty learning how to read initially tries to hide at school, then realizes he can use his artistic skills to express himselfA young boy who has difficulty learning how to read initially tries to hide at school, then realizes he can use his artistic skills to express himself. The courage he gains from art helps him persevere in school despite his learning difficulties. Includes both an author's note and an illustrator's note about dyslexia and learning disabilities, though there is no mention within the text of the story about the boy transposing letters or having trouble discerning which letter is which.
The teacher praises the boy for drawing an imaginary story off the top of his head, a fantasy about magical flowers and dragons, when the assignment was to write a "true" story (in other words, a nonfiction account of something that actually happened). While I can understand the teacher assisting the student to complete an assignment in a nontraditional fashion, the teacher does not reach out to help the struggling student and the boy does not follow the instructions of the assignment....more
Proof that literature exists to soothe the human soul. A hospitalized terminally ill child has to summon the courage to face an operation that might sProof that literature exists to soothe the human soul. A hospitalized terminally ill child has to summon the courage to face an operation that might save his life, and the fact that it might not. His nurse teaches the boy to reach into himself for his spirit animal, who turns out to be a fierce lion. The boy is at first afraid of the lion, but the nurse gives him her "don't-run stone" and her determination. The ending is truly touching and I dare anyone to read it without shedding tears.
This book is an interesting mix of story text with mostly wordless graphic sequences interspersed. The nightmarish quality of the art reflects the true anguish of the boy's waking reality. The muted tones used in the art embrace the somber tone of the subject matter, but the actual colors change as the boy changes. A masterful melding of text and art that I have already read more than once. ...more
Some of the poems are quite good ("Project" is exceptional) but this middle grade novel-in-verse left out the novel part. There is no overarching themSome of the poems are quite good ("Project" is exceptional) but this middle grade novel-in-verse left out the novel part. There is no overarching theme or throughline. The poems are not organized around a central conflict, so they read more like a collection of poems about the same group of characters rather than a novel. There's coping with the parents' divorce, dad's anger management issues, the sibling relationship, a bully at school, shifting friendships, and a seriously ill close friend all thrown into the mix, which means that none of these plot threads get the attention they deserve. ...more
A full-color graphic novel for emerging readers. There's an introduction explaining how to read a graphic novel. The story is a simple, but engaging, A full-color graphic novel for emerging readers. There's an introduction explaining how to read a graphic novel. The story is a simple, but engaging, mystery of lost collectible cards. Young readers will have fun figuring out the answer alongside the two friends in the book. The art is basic with bright colors, and provides additional clues. ...more
Beginner biography of Helen Keller, aimed at lower elementary students. Focuses heavily on Helen's pivotal relationship with Annie Sullivan. Text is aBeginner biography of Helen Keller, aimed at lower elementary students. Focuses heavily on Helen's pivotal relationship with Annie Sullivan. Text is augmented by both illustrations and photographs from the time period. Contains a glossary and index, but no sources are cited. ...more
Pearl wants to build a sandcastle, so she programs her robot Pascal to help her. She uses conditional statements and looping, which introduces coding Pearl wants to build a sandcastle, so she programs her robot Pascal to help her. She uses conditional statements and looping, which introduces coding logic to children. Even more importantly, Pearl demonstrates the trial-and-error and perseverance necessary to create something of value, whether it be computer software, a sandcastle kingdom, or something else entirely. ...more
A cumulative story that also has a circular structure. The message of this picture book, that everyone needs a pet, is sure to capture the hearts of aA cumulative story that also has a circular structure. The message of this picture book, that everyone needs a pet, is sure to capture the hearts of animal lovers. The humor of the exaggerated plot and mismatched animal pairs will have children giggling over this new favorite story. The multicultural family is a plus. The illustrations are positively adorable and extend the text in all the right ways. ...more
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