My Boyfriend is a Monster #1: I Love Him to Pieces

My Boyfriend is a Monster #1: I Love Him to Pieces
by Evonne Tsang illus. Janina Goerrissen

Ah, this one was so silly!

So I got the recommendation from a School Library Journal Article that highlighted some graphic novels. I went into it with some trepidation, monster romances not being my typical thing, but I ended up really liking it! It grew on me, you might say (har har).

We open the book in a very normal high school, following Dicey, a cute girl with awesome baseball skills. We watch her do a school project, just kind of getting to know her, and then watch her fall in love with her boyfriend. It takes quite a while for the whole "monster" thing to come up, in fact. At first I was like, "Okay, where's the monsters? Lets get to the good stuff!" But after reading the book, I say it is paced just right.  The slower beginning and everyday feel really let the climax pack a punch. If we had started with monsters, well, it just wouldn't have been as exciting!

Anyway, this one was silly and funny, and . . . also somewhat violent, but not graphic. The style of the art is fairly detailed, and I appreciate that the violence was not detailed. It kept the focus of the book on the characters, and didn't make me want to gag.  

I'd say recommended for 12 plus, have fun with it!

Cybils season! +Hunger Games teaser trailer

Hey everybody! Here is the link to the Cybils site, just in case you want to volunteer to be a judge. I've loved it, three years running.  Crossing my fingers for four.

Also here is a link to the Hunger Games teaser trailer. Just in case you haven't seen it.

Understanding Comics

Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud

So this was really interesting!

Since I have been reading a lot of graphic novels lately, I've been wondering about the technical terms for things. Like "Is there a name for the scribbling over the top of someone's head, to show that they're mad?" Well, I still don't know the answer to that one. But the spaces between panels are called gutters, in case you were wondering.

Anyway, Understanding Comics is less a primer of terms and more a discussion of the question "What is Art?" and how comics fit into art. Graphic novels, webcomics, and picture books all fit into McCloud's definition of "comics." Also lots of other sequential images.

The book itself is written as a comic -- very effective for it's purpose.  It expounds the history of comics according to McCloud and talks about Eastern (especially Japanese) comics vs. Western comics. Their conventions, the things that artists do to get their point across. It delves in to how images can represent the passage of time, and all sorts of other interesting theoretical and practical stuff.

It will definitely be helpful to those (like me) who want to learn more about comics, how to read comics critically, and understand why an artist does something a certain way. More than that, it is consequential as a  commentary on art in general. I'd call it a must for those who want to write comics.

I heard about Understanding Comics from author Gretchen Rubin's blog. She's not even interested in comics, but found it fascinating. I heard McCloud has written two follow-ups. Anybody read them yet? I think I might like to chew on those, next.
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A World Without Heroes

The latest and greatest Brandon Mull book (author of the Fablehaven series and The Candy Shop War) hit the shelves not too long ago. I've read all of Mull's books, and I must say, after I got about halfway into Heroes, I enjoyed this one best. For whatever reason, it wasn't grabbing me from the get-go. Maybe I'd gotten out of the habit of reading. Maybe it's impossible to get into a book when one has only two-to-five-minute snatches of time in which to read. Maybe I wasn't convinced that I was ready to invest myself in learning about and caring about a whole new middle-grade fantasy world (this is the first book in a slated trilogy). In any case, I (eventually) enjoyed the fast-action pacing, the likeable (if somewhat unbelievable) main characters, and the plot twists that kept me guessing until the last chapter.

The book has a very strangely quirky beginning for what turns quickly into a serious story. Jason, age thirteen, works at a zoo. Cleaning by the hippo cage one day, he hears music coming from ... inside one of the hippos? Leaning closer to investigate, he falls in, gets swallowed by the melodious water horse, and ends up in another world, where he suddenly finds himself on a seriously dangerous quest, accompanied by another young "Beyonder," Rachel, to recover all the syllables of the one word that can undo the purely evil magician/dictator who rules it.

I say the characters are slightly unbelievable because they are a little too well-spoken and mature for your average thirteen-year-old. Which is not to say that thirteen-year-olds aren't either of these things. These kids just come across as college professors on occasion.

Still, entertaining book. I'll definitely read the sequel, but I won't be dying for its release.

...Well, whaddaya know, it was!

So I wrote a little story for the aforementioned contest.

The Princess and the Robot

If you like it, register for the site (which is simple, and not spammy) and "heart" it so that I have a chance to win. There are nearly 200 entries, so it is a little daunting, but I only have to get in the top 15 to be considered for the grand prize.

Personally, I think I did a fantastic job. Ashley helped me with the editing.

"Bellissima always gets her way. But when a suitor comes calling during the robotics fair, it could throw a wrench in her plans."

Remember, if I win the awesome prize (books by Shannon Hale and an Amazon Gift Card) I will give the books away here on the blog! :D

Whew! & So this looks fun.

Hey, weren't those guest posts awesome?  Whew, they took more work to put together than I originally thought they would, but of course the hardest work was done by their authors. And it was totally worth it! Many thanks to those who left comments on them. We were featured on the homepage of the Center for Children's books, did you see?

In other news, doesn't this contest look fun? Basically write a less than 1500 word story about a prince or princess and you could win awesome Shannon Hale prizes. Y'all know how I feel about Shannon Hale prizes. So I'm going to enter! And, since I already own the two Shannon Hale titles that are part of the prize, if I win then I will do a giveaway here! I've already got a start on my story...

Alysa

Guest Review: Monkey Truck

Monkey Truck by Michael Slack
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Book Review by Mohammad J. (part of the TAP In series of guest reviews)

Monkey Truck is a superhero that helps the animals in the jungle. The monkey truck has four wheels and is a half monkey, half truck. He is brave.

The monkey truck book is a good book to read to kids ages 2-5 because the words tell what the monkey does.  It has a lot of action pictures that are fun to look at like when the monkey truck does something. Every thing the monkey did was well drawn in the book. All the pictures show a lot of facial expressions.

Note from Alysa: I seem to remember two camps among the students when it came to Monkey Truck -- those who thought it was awesome and those who found it so-so. Mohammad falls into the latter category, I think.  But it is worth mentioning that the text rhymes and the illustrations, which have a kind of Cartoon Network feel, expand the text and give the story fullness. Read and (hopefully) enjoy!