Overall, an engaging introduction for a broad audience to the movements and individuals who fought worldwide for women’s...
An emphasis on major players in the global spread of women’s suffrage distinguishes this volume from others of its ilk.
This chronology outlining the development and eventual success of women’s suffrage movements is subdivided by headings such as “The Trailblazers” and “Women at War.” Each spread is dedicated to a country or region, and it features succinct paragraphs that establish historical context and describe the women who helped advance the franchise in their respective countries. Care has been taken to acknowledge instances in which women suffered violent retaliation for their activism or when intersectional conditions such as race and class resulted in the uneven distribution of voting rights. The highly stylized art in each spread employs a range of bright colors and textures that suggest either some natural landscape or culturally specific item(s) from each featured country. The text’s recurring use of water metaphors (“waves of change,” etc.) echoes the endpapers, which feature a wave pattern in shades of blue overlaid with red check marks. The book itself begins with a colorful, undulating timeline that also serves as a table of contents, and it ends with a more detailed timeline and an index, although, disappointingly, it lacks a bibliography or resources for further reading. Also disappointing is the implication that a Qatari activist’s use of Twitter and Facebook led to a new constitution in 2003, before either existed.
Overall, an engaging introduction for a broad audience to the movements and individuals who fought worldwide for women’s right to vote. (Nonfiction. 8-adult)Pub Date: Nov. 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-62371-964-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Crocodile/Interlink
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
A sincere, genuine, and uplifting book that affirms the importance of being true to yourself.
Middle school drama hits hard in this coming-of-age graphic memoir.
Natural competitor Misty has faced off against the boys for years, always coming out on top, but now they’re moving on without her into the land of full-contact football. Never one to back away from a challenge, Misty resolves to join the team and convinces her best friend, Bree, to join her. While Misty pours herself into practicing, obviously uninterested Bree—who was motivated more by getting to be around boys than doing sports—drifts toward popular queen bee Ava, creating an uneasy dynamic. Feeling estranged from Bree, Misty, who typically doesn’t think much about her appearance, tries to navigate seventh grade—even experimenting with a more traditionally feminine gender expression—while also mastering her newfound talent for tackling and facing hostility from some boys on the team. Readers with uncommon interests will relate to the theme of being the odd one out. Social exclusion and cutting remarks can be traumatic, so it’s therapeutic to see Misty begin to embrace her differences instead of trying to fit in with frenemies who don’t value her. The illustrations are alive with color and rich emotional details, pairing perfectly with the heartfelt storytelling. The husband-and-wife duo’s combined efforts will appeal to fans of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale. Main characters present as White; some background characters read as Black.
A sincere, genuine, and uplifting book that affirms the importance of being true to yourself. (Graphic memoir. 9-13)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-306469-0
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
PERSPECTIVES
Humble, endearing and utterly easy to relate to; don’t miss this one.
The charismatic creator of the Eisner-nominated Amelia Rules! series recounts his beginnings as a cartoonist.
From the very first panel, Gownley’s graphic memoir is refreshingly different. He’s not the archetypal nerd, and he doesn’t retreat to draw due to feelings of loneliness or isolation. Gownley seems to be a smart kid and a talented athlete, and he has a loyal group of friends and a girlfriend. After he falls ill, first with chicken pox and then pneumonia, he falls behind in school and loses his head-of-the-class standing—a condition he is determined to reverse. A long-standing love of comics leads him to write his own, though his first attempt is shot down by his best friend, who suggests he should instead write a comic about their group. He does, and it’s an instant sensation. Gownley’s story is wonderful; his small-town life is so vividly evinced, it’s difficult to not get lost in it. While readers will certainly pick up on the nostalgia, it should be refreshing—if not completely alien—for younger readers to see teens interacting without texting, instead using phones with cords. Eagle-eyed readers will also be able to see the beginnings of his well-loved books about Amelia. He includes an author’s note that shouldn’t be overlooked—just be sure to keep the tissues handy.
Humble, endearing and utterly easy to relate to; don’t miss this one. (author’s note) (Graphic memoir. 10 & up)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-45346-2
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2013
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