Liz left high school and went straight to Iraq. Her town was a dead end, her mother in prison, her grandmother as selfish as ever, and the military was an escape. There was good and bad, but through it all, she had Ender, a Military Working Dog that she trained and worked alongside. When a bomb abruptly ends her tour of duty, however, she finds herself back in her miserable hometown where even the few friends she used to have can no longer relate to her, no matter how hard they try. But when she has a run-in with an aggressive stray dog, Liz finds a new sense of purpose. She knows that Brutus could learn to be a great companion if only he were given a chance and the right kind of training. Unfortunately, he is on doggy death row. Desperate to save Brutus, Liz takes a job at the animal shelter and begins building her relationship with him–and with the people in her life.
A powerful story of a young woman whose connection to animals helps her rebuild her life after the trauma of war. The characters and relationships are complex and the subject matter heavy. Some of the more complicated action sequences were difficult to follow without any accompanying text due to the chaotic, dark and occasionally unclear black and white illustrations. But the story overall still came across powerfully in the text and artwork. I highly recommend it to mature teen fans of graphic novels and realistic fiction.
This entry was posted in Fiction, Graphic Novel Format, YA Fiction, YA Realistic Fiction, Young Adult.
Bera was perfectly happy living alone on her island, farming pumpkins for the king. She never intended to have an adventure. But when she sees the human baby in the clutches of the malevolent mermaids, she just has to step in and rescue it. And when she discovers that the baby is being hunted by an evil witch who intends to turn it into a monster, she feels compelled to venture off of her Island in search of a hero who can return the baby to its village. But her search for a hero quickly becomes a quest more exciting and dangerous than she ever dreamed.
This graphic novel will delight readers with its unlikely heroine on an unexpected adventure. There are moments of humor, suspense, and action in a fairly straightforward plot. This book will likely appeal most to readers in grades 3-5.
This entry was posted in Graphic Novel Format, J Adventure, J Fantasy, J Fiction, Juvenile.
Liz is a tomboy. Not the kind of tomboy that you see on TV with braided pigtails and overalls, but the kind of girl who gets mistaken for a boy due to the way she dresses and acts and the activities that she enjoys. In fact, Liz wishes she were a boy because then she wouldn't have to deal with all of the double standards applied to her because she is a girl. She is secretly pleased when people mistake her for a boy. Unfortunately, being a tomboy seems to have doomed her romantic life. By recounting the story of her childhood, Liz Prince explorers the idea of what it means to be a girl in a world of conflicting gender expectations.
Although brief sections of this graphic memoir read a little bit like a sociology text, the sense of humor of the author and her relatable story about growing up, trying to fit in, facing bullying, and discovering her identity is an engaging read. I recommend it to teens who enjoy graphic novels, memoirs, or realistic fiction.
This entry was posted in Graphic Novel Format, YA Nonfiction, YAY Memoir, Young Adult.
Mirka dreams of battling dragons. She loves to read stories of knights and monsters, even though such Gentile books are forbidden in Hereville. When a chance encounter with a talking pig earns her a favor from a witch, Mirka seizes the opportunity to embark on a quest for her very own sword. But her task becomes more challenging when she realizes the troubles her siblings now face from being in the family of a crazy pig girl.
This story combines humor, fairytales, family problems, and Jewish culture into an enjoyable graphic novel. Readers will learn dozens of Yiddish words as they plunge into Mirka's unique fantastical yet realistic world. I would recommend this book to middle grade readers who enjoy graphic novels, spunky heroines, and both fantasy and realistic fiction.