I read this book for my graphic novel class and for a free read Friday. It is very well done. I learned a lot about the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina in New Orleans, details I wasn't aware of before. Don Brown does a great job of presenting facts without a lot of bias. He uses facts and quotes to present the information. The illustrations are sepia toned and provide emotional details not given in the text. The faces are very expressive and even the way Brown draws the bodies shows how devastating the events were for the people of New Orleans.

Free Friday Read

96 pages = $2.00

I'm reading this book as my third Free Read Friday. It was assigned for my graphic novel class. I started reading it today, so it qualifies for both.

It's a graphic novel about the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

The first time I saw them, I thought they were angels.

- first sentence

 

Well, this was a bit quirky. I liked it, but I didn't love it.

Steve is a worrier, and what he worries about most nowadays is his baby brother. His parents are worried too. The baby has things wrong with him, and he isn't strong enough for the operation yet. The wasp queen visits Steve in his dreams and says she can make things better. All Steve has to say is "yes." But, things aren't always what they seem, and the queen may not have the baby's best interests at heart after all.

This book asks us to question what is normal and decide if an imperfect life is still worth living.

This book is nominated for a Sunshine State award, grades 6-8 (2017-18). It might be a bit creepy for kids though. The wasps are scary and there are some life or death situations. Steve doesn't know who to trust or how to protect his brother. He wants to do the right thing and readers will certainly root for him. Steve is scared at times, but he shows true bravery to protect his baby brother.

Just keep in mind, this is a horror story, a fairy tale horror story, but still...

This is my second Free Read Friday book. It has 272 and is worth $6.00

This story is set in a future society where speed and efficiency are the most important things. Every sentence spoken must be ended with the word go. Adverbs are considered unnecessary and a waste of time. Movies are only 15 minutes long and beds are designed so you can sleep standing up. All citizens have a tracking chip that monitors their movements and speed. As people get older and start to slow down, they are placed in reduction colonies.

The main character, Angela is a typically rebellious teenager. She is tired of everything moving so quickly, and she wants to slow down. One day, she stumbles onto a group of rebels who live underground. Their main goal is to slow down. They avoid contractions and delight in unnecessary adverbs. There Angela meets Gladys, a young girl who helps her acclimate to the underground environment. Angela and Gladys develop a relationship and fall in love. But the rebel group is constantly in danger and fighting against the hyper above-ground world.

This is a graphic novel and uses mostly black & white illustrations. Towards the end, color is used to emphasize strong emotions.

I read this novel for my graphic novel class. The story is ok but lacks strong background. Details are missing that support Angela's actions. We don't really understand why she wants to slow down when everyone around her is worried about being faster. Maybe she was just born different, or maybe it comes from her relationship with her grandfather. We aren't really sure. And the motivations of the rebellion are confusing too. Bottom line: it's hard to be invested in characters without a strong backstory. 

I also read this novel for my first Free Read Friday. It has 200 pages, so it is worth $4.00

I started this book today as a choice novel for my Graphic Novel class. Luckily, it can also count as my first Free Read Friday book. :)