the road is life
78 LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION March 2007R E V
I E
W S heroes find that trusting the
wrong person (or in this case,
fox) can lead to unlikely allies
when least expected. Drawing
on the stories of “Twelve
Dancing Princesses” and “The
Three B illy Goats Gruff,” the
story is told in alternating per-
spectives interspersed with the
Griffson brothers’ lyrics about
the adventure and morning
talk show updates about what is happening in the real world. Readers interested in music and pop culture, as well as fantasy readers who are willing to suspend some disbelief, will enjoy the adven-ture. Recommended. Melissa Bergin, Library Media Specialist/NBCT, Niskayuna (New York) High School Graphic Novels
Diggle, Andy
Silent Dragon
2006. 144pp. $19.99 pbk. W ildstorm (DC Comics). 1-4012-1104-6. Grade 9 & Up 9-12 A futuristic Tokyo with old world sensibili-ties is the backdrop of this crime action graphic novel. Renjiro, an advisor to the powerful B lack Dragon C lan leader, lives a life of a samurai with honor and loyalty, but his secret love of his lord’s wife becomes his downfall. The government regime brings Renjiro back to life after he is beheaded, and gives him the opportunity for revenge. Not trusted by either the B lack Dragon C lan or the Regime, Renjiro must play both sides against one another in order to survive and possibly conquer both. This short graphic novel is well-written up until the ending which plays Renjiro out of character just a little bit. The colored artwork ranges from muted tones to vibrant oranges and reds. The technology is filled with cyborg bodies, flying motorcycles, and mecha samurai figures. The only fault with the art-work is that the male characters sometimes look too similar, causing some confusion. Overall, this stand-alone title would do well with many different types of graphic novel readers—manga fans will enjoy the old meets new Tokyo even with the American graphic novel storytelling style. Recommended. Kristin Fletcher-Spear, Teen Librarian, Foothills Branch Library, Glendale, Arizona
Kusakawa, Nari
The Recipe for Gertrude
2006. 200pp. $9.99 pbk. CMX Manga (DC Comics). 1-4012-1110-0. Grades 6-9
6-89-12 The first volume of this manga series introduces Gertrude, a man-made demon, and Sahara, the normal girl who befriends him. Gertrude is searching for the recipe that created him so he can destroy it. Since he was made out of different demons’ parts, he is very powerful. The reader discovers where the recipe is hidden and that his creator from long ago is still alive. This has an interesting concept, but thus far is a run-of-the-mill manga. The panel work ranges from standard square panels to panel manipula-
tion with overlapping, diagonal, and other unique panel shapes to aid in the storytelling. B ut the
artwork clutters the panels making it harder for
the reader to easily decipher the action. Additional
Selection. Kristin Fletcher-Spear, Teen Librarian, Foothills Branch Library, Glendale, Arizona
Adler, David A. Satchel Paige Don’t Look Back Illustrated by Terry W idener. 2007. 32pp. $16 hc. Harcourt. 0-15-205585-1. Grades 2-4K-5 The great American baseball legend gets star treatment in a new collaboration by this author-illustrator team. David Adler’s telling is straight-forward but not heavy-handed as he describes the racism Satchel Paige confronted, his childhood truancy, and the theft that put him into reform school for five years. Stories about Paige’s unique tal-ent for showmanship are included. Playing in the Negro B aseball Leagues for 25 years before he was recruited into the American League at the incredible age of 42, Paige continued playing for nearly another 20 years. The over-sized limbs on the players in the illustrations suit the larger-than-life story of this one-of-a-kind athlete. A timeline that extends the story and a description of sources are included. C ollections that include Satchel Paige by Lesa C line-Ransome (Simon & Schuster, 2000) may choose to skip this version. Additional Selection. Carol S. Surges, Library Media Specialist, McKinley Elementary, Wauwatosa, W isconsin American Rebels Worth, Richard Jack Kerouac: The Road Is Life 2006. 160pp. $27.93 hc. Enslow Publishers, Inc. 0-7660-2448-2. Grades 7-126-89-12 Jack K erouac was an icon of, and even named, the restless “B eat Generation” of the late 1950s and the 1960s. His writing, which was mostly completed in a stream-of-consciousness style, included poetry, stories, and novels that told of his travels across America, of his studies of vari-ous philosophies, and of life. His most famous work was On the Road (Penguin C lassics, 2002), originally published in 1957. While many students today may not be familiar with K erouac, they will know beat-niks, the rock music, and other references. C olor
photographs provide a look at important figures of the time.
Additional Selection.
Linda K. Rebstock, Library Media Adjunct Faculty, Missouri Baptist University, St. Louis [Editor’s Note: Other rebels profiled in the series are James Dean, Jimi Hendrix, and K urt C obain.]Authors T eens Love Reed, Jennifer Paula Danziger: Voice of Teen Troubles 2006. 104pp. $31.93 lb. Enslow Publishers, Inc. 0-7660-2444-X. Grades 4-12K-56-89-12 This addition to the Authors Teens Love series features one of the most vibrant Y A writers of our time. Throughout the book, Reed emphasizes Danziger’s zest for life and how it reveals itself in her works and in her relationships with her readers and fellow writers. Danziger’s major works are discussed in detail and in the context of events and issues in her personal life. Readers of this biography will feel as if they are truly getting to know the author and are in for a richer experience in the future when reading her books. Additional materials include “In Her Own Words,” a collection of quotes, a chronology, list of awards, sources for further reading, and very detailed chapter notes. Glossary. Recommended. Michelle Glatt, Librarian, Chiddix Junior High School, Normal, Illinois