A lovely, quick read.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young woman in possession of a keen mind must be in want of a husband….
This graphic work of historical fiction, translated from the Italian, examines the life of beloved author Jane Austen. The story begins with spreads from the end of Jane’s life as she writes to her sister, Cassandra, remembering their time together as children, progressing into womanhood, and recounting how she cultivated, with the support of her father, her love of reading and writing. Thanks to her successful readings among the local gentry, she crosses paths with Thomas Lefroy, here presented as an abiding love interest, at a neighbor’s home, where they have a gruff first meeting that anyone familiar with Austen’s novels will recognize. Young readers new to Austen will enjoy speculating on their romance and will admire Jane’s strength in an era that gave women very few options. A loose black-and-white illustration style gives a nice fluidity to the story and fits Jane’s personality, although the addition of color would have made it feel more complete. Detailed backmatter fills in some of the holes in the story and helps readers sort fact from fiction. The author shows faith in younger readers by including some challenging vocabulary that may have them reaching for dictionaries. However, the illustrations and context clues make the work accessible.
A lovely, quick read. (biographical notes, timeline) (Graphic novel. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5415-2366-1
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
Bravery shows up almost as often as buffoonery in these satiric bits and bobs.
More free-range juvenilia from the much-missed creator of Discworld.
Following up on The Dragons at Crumbling Castle, and Other Stories (2015), these 14 tales were likewise originally published in the 1960s and ’70s in the Bucks Free Press and reappear here with fresh titles and, as Pratchett puts it in his posthumous introduction, a few added “bits and bobs.” Mostly set in either the contemporary town of Blackbury or the “Wild West” (i.e., Welsh) hamlet of Llandanffwnfafegettupagogo, the tales tend toward silly upsets. These range from the mysterious transformation of local residents into Elizabethans to the exploits of Police Constable Bryn Bunyan, “fastest truncheon west of the River Severn,” at the O.K. Sheep Dip and elsewhere. In several episodes, adventurers, usually diminutive, intrepidly set out in such odd vehicles as a passing airship, a walnut submarine, or a human-sized lorry (this last forming the kernel of a later novel, Truckers). Aside from “An Ant Called 4179003” who settles in with an errant bee (both males, read into that what you will), the casts are all filled with standard, mundane or magical white, British types.
Bravery shows up almost as often as buffoonery in these satiric bits and bobs. (Fantasy/short stories. 10-12)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-06-265311-6
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016
A cancer story that struggles to evoke either laughter or tears
This Irish import’s 12-year-old narrator laughs to keep from crying.
Aspiring to become a professional comedian, Philip Wright enjoys entertaining his single mother and biggest fan, Kathy, while daily attempting to capture the attention of his art-class crush, “dark-haired goddess” Lucy Wells. When Kathy bursts into tears and locks herself in the bathroom after one of his jokes, Philip thinks he’s lost his touch. Prodded by her best friend, Kathy finally tells Philip that she has breast cancer that will require surgery, chemo, and radiation. Philip is initially enraged at how much this news will affect his world, never mind the impossibility of saying “breast” to his friends and teachers. When he finally faces the reality that he could lose his mom, Philip starts behaving like she matters. This novel has a rather slow beginning, with humor that feels too calculated to succeed, including an extended lisping riff, making fun of his Spanish best friend’s name (Angel, which Philip shortens to “Ang”), and the occasional reference to poo. The author also fails to explain how this family suffers no economic hardships while its only breadwinner cannot work. Nevertheless, middle-grade readers will identify with Philip’s conflicts with his best friend and his antics to win Lucy’s affections. Ang aside, the primary characters all appear to be Irish; absence of racial cues indicates that the default is white.
A cancer story that struggles to evoke either laughter or tears . (Fiction. 10-12)Pub Date: March 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-55451-880-7
Page Count: 170
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
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