by Aija Mayrock ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 25, 2015
Practical, moving, and deeply kind.
Author Mayrock, a teen who was bullied for many years, offers tips and inspiration to others in her position.
Advice is presented in short, visually appealing chapters. Exercises, lists, drawings, and pull quotes are interleaved with text, and blue, bolded lettering emphasizes key lines. Each chapter opens with a heartfelt "roem"—a term the author has coined for her rap poems—in type that emulates handwriting set on a lined page. Creativity, Mayrock explains, has been one of the most powerful tools in her healing process. Throughout the book, suggestions are helpfully broad-ranging, from nitty-gritty safety tips (if you go to a party, make sure you have a trustworthy ride home) to internal affirmations (bullying is never your fault). One of the most effective chapters invites readers to identify traits bullies target and reframe them as positives; the author describes her own quietness, creativity, and long, thick hair as examples. The author writes transparently from personal experience, and some of the specific emotional impacts or bullying tactics she describes might not be wholly universal. Nevertheless, her advice is varied and her compassion, genuine enough that readers are bound to find plenty of applicable nuggets as well as a wealth of encouragement.
Practical, moving, and deeply kind. (Nonfiction. 10-18)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-86066-6
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2015
Share your opinion of this book
by Dan Santat ; illustrated by Dan Santat ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 28, 2023
Full of laughter and sentiment, this is a nudge for readers to dare to try new things.
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
GET IT
Kirkus Reviews'
Best Books Of 2023
National Book Award Winner
A 1989 summer trip to Europe changes Caldecott Medal winner Santat’s life in this graphic memoir.
Young Dan hasn’t experienced much beyond the small Southern California town he grew up in. He stays out of trouble, helps his parents, and tries to go unnoticed in middle school. That plan gets thwarted when he is made to recite poetry at a school assembly and is humiliated by his peers. When eighth grade is over and his parents send him on a three-week study abroad program, Dan isn’t excited at first. He’s traveling with girls from school whom he has awkward relationships with, his camera breaks, and he feels completely out of place. But with the help of some new friends, a crush, and an encouraging teacher, Dan begins to appreciate and enjoy the journey. Through experiences like his first taste of Fanta, first time hearing French rap, and first time getting lost on his own in a foreign country in the middle of the night, he finally begins to feel comfortable just being himself and embracing the unexpected. This entertaining graphic memoir is a relatable story of self-discovery. Flashbacks to awkward memories are presented in tones of blue that contrast with the full-color artwork through which Santat creates the perfect balance of humor and poignancy. The author’s note and photos offer readers more fun glimpses into his pivotal adventure.
Full of laughter and sentiment, this is a nudge for readers to dare to try new things. (Graphic memoir. 10-14)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-85104-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: Nov. 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2022
Share your opinion of this book
More by Lisa Yee
BOOK REVIEW
by Lisa Yee ; illustrated by Dan Santat
BOOK REVIEW
by Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver ; illustrated by Dan Santat
BOOK REVIEW
by Jake Gyllenhaal & Greta Caruso ; illustrated by Dan Santat
More About This Book
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
by Hyun Sook Kim & Ryan Estrada ; illustrated by Hyung-Ju Ko ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 19, 2020
A tribute to young people’s resistance in the face of oppression.
In 1983 South Korea, Kim was learning to navigate university and student political activism.
The daughter of modest restaurant owners, Kim was apolitical—she just wanted to make her parents proud and be worthy of her tuition expenses. Following an administrator’s advice to avoid trouble and pursue extracurriculars, she joined a folk dance team where she met a fellow student who invited her into a banned book club. Kim was fearful at first, but her thirst for knowledge soon won out. As she learned the truth of her country’s oppressive fascist political environment, Kim became closer to the other book club members while the authorities grew increasingly desperate to identify and punish student dissidents. The kinetic manhwa drawing style skillfully captures the personal and political history of this eye-opening memoir. The disturbing elements of political corruption and loss of human rights are lightened by moving depictions of sweet, funny moments between friends as well as deft political maneuvering by Kim herself when she was eventually questioned by authorities. The art and dialogue complement each other as they express the tension that Kim and her friends felt as they tried to balance school, family, and romance with surviving in a dangerous political environment. References to fake news and a divisive government make this particularly timely; the only thing missing is a list for further reading.
A tribute to young people’s resistance in the face of oppression. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: May 19, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-945820-42-7
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Iron Circus Comics
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
Share your opinion of this book
More About This Book
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.