Anya's Ghost

Bibliographic Information: Brosgol, V. (2011). Anya’s ghost. New York: First Second. ISBN: 978-1-59643-713-5

Plot Summary: Anya is the daughter of a single, overbearing, Russian immigrant mother who uses child support to pay for Anya’s attendance at a not-so-prestigious private school, but Anya doesn’t appreciate this, or her culture, especially the greasy beef cutlets, or “kotletli”, that her rotund mother and little brother seem to enjoy so much. Anya prefers salads and nonfat yogurt, cigarettes, and has successfully suppressed her accent as a means to assimilate to American life. Though she has stripped off her nerdy immigrant identity for a fresher, more stylistic appearance, she still pines for the unattainable football star, boyfriend to none other than the popular blonde. After an argument with her only friend, Anya storms off into the woods where she falls into a well and discovers the ghost of girl who saves Anya from a similar fate. When she is finally rescued after two days, the ghost, Emily, follows her, and they soon become friends. Anya promises to avenge Emily’s murder and give the girl a proper burial, until Anya finds out about a dark secret. Now Anya not only has to deal with avoiding gym class and going to parties,  but she has to avoid a similar fate as the ghost who haunts her.

Critical Evaluation: Although Brosgol’s debut graphic novel falls into the supernatural realm, Anya’s Ghost is a contemporary and rather realistic story of a teenage girl struggling with her identity.  Anya’s attempt to fit in with her peers by dressing like them and even working fervently to lose her Russian accent brings conformity to the forefront—a theme that will resonate with teens. Questions of love and especially the dangers of infatuation are raised by the truth behind Emily’s death.

The illustrations are boldly inked in grayscale and evoke an ethereal, B-movie quality. Readers will gain insight into the value of culture, and especially friendship. “Hanging with the right crowd,” is a theme emphasized as Anya constantly misconstrues the character of her peers—especially Emily and her crush. Anya eventually learns to value the other Russian immigrant student, Dima, who is ostracized for his nerdy, immigrant ways, but proves a useful resource in times of need. Teens will love the supernatural elements infused with humor and witty dialogue.

Reader’s Annotation: Anya’s new best friend helps her with fashion, cheating on tests, and pursuing her love interest, but her friend is also a ghost that ends up haunting her. Anya learns the hard way what it means to be friends forever.

Author Information: Gale’s Contemporary Authors Online states that “Vera Brosgol was born in Moscow, in the former Soviet Union, and is based in Portland, Oregon. When she was five years old, she moved to the United States. Brosgol is an illustrator at Laika Entertainment House. Her work has been included in anthologies released by Flight Comics, and she wrote a Web-based comic titled Return to Sender, which was active from 2002 to 2005. Her film Snow-bo won the Best Animated Film by a Northwestern Filmmaker from the Film Society of Portland and the "Podcast Darkly" award at the Channel Frederator Awards. Her first graphic novel, Anya's Ghost, was released in 2011.”

Genre: Fiction

Subjects: Friendship, immigrants, assimilation, ghosts

Curriculum Ties: N/A

Booktalking Ideas: Draw a well on poster paper, stand behind it, and call for help to the teens. Introduce Anya’s character and her struggle with fitting in.

Reading Level/Interest Age: 12+

Challenge Issues/Defense: Due to mild sexual content, depictions of the paranormal, and underage cigarette-use, this material may be challenged. If so, refer to:

1.     The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy, Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection documents.

2.     The California Department of Education District Selection Policies, Reading Lists, and Resources for Recommended Literature: Pre-K-12.

3.     A hard copy of the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights.

4.     Mixed book reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly.

5.     If necessary, The San Francisco Public Library’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form.

Reason for Selection: It's beautiful to look at, charming to read, and has won numerous honors.

Watchmen

Bibliographic Information: Moore, A., & Gibbons, D. (Illustrator). (1986). Watchmen. New York: DC. ISBN: 9780930289232

Plot Summary: The “Watchmen” are a group of masked vigilantes who emerged in the 1930’s to fight crime, but ultimately ended up effecting historical events by working for the government in wars. The story begins in 1985 New York City, after masked crime fighters have been outlawed. Most of the Watchmen are now in retirement, with the exception of Dr. Manhattan (the result of a science experiment gone awry and the only Watchman to have superpowers), the Comedian (works for the government) and Rorschach (who fights crime despite being outlawed).  Rorschach tries to solve the mystery behind the Comedians murder, and is worried that someone wants the Watchmen all dead. Rorschach warns all of the watchmen in retirement that their lives are in danger. Meanwhile, Dr. Manhattan (who is the super-weapon and only protection the United States has against the soviet union declaring war) is criticized by the media for causing cancer in those that surround him. Feeling guilty and remorseful for the damage he’s caused, Dr. Manhattan leaves Earth and questions his existence on Mars. His girlfriend meets him there and convinces him to come back.

            Another vigilante, Ozymandias, was behind the conspiracy to exile Dr. Manhattan, and plans to fake an alien invasion that will kill half of New York City, but ultimately prevent war with the Soviets. Rorschach finds out this truth, and wants to tell everyone on Earth, but Dr. Manhattan decides that the human race is better off not knowing, and kills Rorschach. The story ends with some journalists looking for new material to write about, and they find Rorschach’s journal.

Critical Evaluation: Watchmen is the first graphic novel of the superhero genre that delves into the psychology behind these masked crime-fighters. The world is set in a realistic 1980’s America at grips with war and explores how superheroes might actually affect the real world. Moore tells the story from multiple perspectives, giving insight into the reasons that each vigilante chooses to either quit the crime-fighting cause, become agents of science and law, or become an outlaw. The resounding question throughout the story is, “Who watches the watchmen?” If masked superheroes are looking out for humanity, who is looking out for them? This question points out that even the most powerful, successful, and famous people are merely human, and subject to all kinds of emotions and problems.

Reader’s Annotation: What if superheroes were just average people, dressed up as vigilantes? Watchmen explores the human psyche through a war-stricken American dystopia.

Author Information: Wikipedia states, “Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced series including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell. Frequently described as the best graphic novel writer in history, he has also been described as ‘one of the most important British writers of the last fifty years’. He has occasionally used such pseudonyms as Curt Vile, Jill de Ray, and Translucia Baboon.

Moore started out writing for British underground and alternative fanzines in the late 1970s before achieving success publishing comic strips in such magazines as 2000 AD and Warrior. He was subsequently picked up by the American DC Comics, and as "the first comics writer living in Britain to do prominent work in America", he worked on big name characters such as Batman (Batman: The Killing Joke) and Superman(Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?), substantially developed the character Swamp Thing, and penned original titles such as Watchmen. During that decade, Moore helped to bring about greater social respectability for the medium in the United States and United Kingdom. He prefers the term ‘comic’ to ‘graphic novel.’”

Genre: Science Fiction, Superhero, Dystopian

Subjects: superheroes, war, America, alternate reality

Curriculum Ties: War and Politics

Booktalking Ideas: How does the author portray “superheroes”?

The format of Watchmen includes meta-fiction, or multiple narratives—something new for the genre at the time. Does this sophisticated storytelling push the comic book genre into the larger canon of literature?

Reading Level/Interest Age: 16+

Challenge Issues/Defense: Due to profanity, violence, depictions of war and sex, this book may be challenged. If so, refer to:

1.     The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy, Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection documents.

2.     The California Department of Education District Selection Policies, Reading Lists, and Resources for Recommended Literature: Pre-K-12.

3.     A hard copy of the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights.

4.     Mixed book reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly.

5.     Book selection rationale.

6.     If necessary, The San Francisco Public Library’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form.

Reason for Selection: Superb artwork, masterful storytelling, and memorable characters make this one of the best graphic novels, and novels in general.  During my years as a bookseller, I turned several teens onto Alan Moore, and they always thanked me. This is just one of those stories that sticks with you, no matter how old you are.

Americus

Bibliographic Information: Reed, M.K. (2011). Americus. New York: First Second. ISBN: 978-1-59643-768-5

Plot Summary: When the latest installment of the widely popular fantasy book series, The Chronicles of Apathea Ravenchilde, is released, Neil and Danny can’t wait to get their hands on it at their small town Americus library. Danny gets it first, but when his conservative mother catches him reading it, she tears it up in front of the librarian and demands that such filth be removed from the library. Danny defends himself and decides to announce that he is gay, to which his enraged mother sends him to military school.

            Now faced with entering high school alone, Neil escapes through reading the Ravenchilde book, and gets a job as a library page. Though he’s a quiet boy who keeps to himself, he is the only one that the youth librarian, Charlotte, believes can help her defend the book series from the angry mob of conservative parents. Snippets from the story of Apathea are interwoven into Neil’s struggles with high school and censorship, and symbolize what he’s going through. As he makes connections with Apathea’s own struggles, Neil is able to help reveal the value of the book to young readers like him, and ultimately fights the good fight towards intellectual freedom.

Critical Evaluation: Overall, this story reaffirms the values of many avid readers, teachers, and librarians: everyone has the right to read what they want, and no one has the right to deny that a book be unavailable to somebody else. Unfortunately, to center a story on this kind of conflict, the author had to rely on one-dimensional stereotypes of conservative Christians, and even to some extent, the more liberal characters as well. The dichotomy of views is exaggerated, diminishing the depth of characters. However, I can’t say the author was completely focused on demonizing her antagonist: there are small and subtle clues to Danny’s mother’s frustrations. In one scene, she looks longingly at a family portrait and sighs. You can tell that her real anger is probably a product of her son being gay, which she has harnessed and used to fight something she might gain control over: a book a series. Not all of the right-wing characters are deemed as evil either; Danny’s father emits the strong silent type of resentment towards his wife, and Danny’s younger sister shows signs of open-mindedness.  

            One can’t help but admire the relationship Neil has with his own divorced mother, who is very smart, loving and accepting of anything Neil wants to read. The relationship between the librarian and Neil is great, too, showing that adults and teens can fight together for a greater good.

            The illustrations are very expressive and charged with passion in some scenes, and the cuts to the Ravenchilde book are fluid and effective in tying together the two narratives. While I feel adults may enjoy this book a bit more than teens, there is still an underlying coming-of-age story here, and Neil is a dynamic and interesting character to follow. I especially related to Neil’s discovery of punk rock music—an aspect many teens will love.

Reader’s Annotation: Neil, an avid reader, helps fight the conservatives in his small town who want to ban his favorite book series from the local library.

Author Information: Gale’s Contemporary Authors Online states, “M.K. Reed is a freelance writer, editor, and cartoonist, whose first graphic novel is Americus, illustrated by Jonathan Hill. "The book," explained Tim O'Shea on the Comic Book Resources Web site, "is about 'Neil Barton, a teenager growing up in Oklahoma, and his fight to keep his favorite fantasy series, The Chronicles of Apathea Ravenchilde, in his public library.'"

Critics praised Reed's accomplishment in Americus. "Not only does Reed have a knack for the teenage vernacular and an easygoing sense of humor, but more importantly, she gives an empowering message about freedom of speech, the importance of escapism and imagination," wrote Gavin Lees on the Graphic Eye Web site. "She practically grips them by the collar and says the words we could all have done with hearing at that age: You are not alone." "The heart of this tale is that stories have the power to illuminate lives," declared Barbara M. Moon in School Library Journal. "Reciprocally, stories are enriched by the reader's experiences."

Genre: Graphic Novel, Fiction

Subjects: censorship, libraries, reading, high school

Curriculum Ties: Bill of Rights, Intellectual freedom, censorship

Booktalking Ideas: Ask teens what their favorite books are. Tell them that the old book you are holding in your hands is their favorite book. Tear the book up in front of them. Open a discussion about censorship and describe how Americus, can help them explore this issue in a comical and upbeat way.

Reading Level/Interest Age: 12+

Challenge Issues/Defense: Due to strong negative stereotypes of Christians and conservatives, and discussions of censorship, this book may be challenged. If so, refer to:

1.     The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy, Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection documents.

2.     The California Department of Education District Selection Policies, Reading Lists, and Resources for Recommended Literature: Pre-K-12.

3.     A hard copy of the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights.

4.     Mixed book reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly.

5.     Book selection rationale.

6.     If necessary, The San Francisco Public Library’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form.

Reason for Selection: As a librarian, this story of intellectual freedom hits close to home, and I think its important to teach teens about the topic early on. 

Resistance

Bibliographic Information: Jablonski, C. & Purvis, L. (Illustrator). (2010). Resistance. New York: First Second. ISBN: 978-1596432918

Plot Summary: Set in Vichy, France during the middle of World War II, the first in Jabonski’s trilogy is a fictional account about a French family’s experience with the French Resistance.  Paul and Marie Tessier’s father has taken prisoner by the German army, but when their friend Henri’s parents cannot be found and Henri subsequently goes into hiding, Paul and Marie decide something must be done and attempt to get recruited by the French Resistance—where they hope to find their friend’s parents as well their father.  To provide a bit of context to the historical events, Jabonski gives a brief introduction to the Nazi occupation of France as well as author’s notes providing information on WWII, anti-Semitism, and the Resistance.

Critical Evaluation: The most unique aspect of Resistance is the varying illustrations that are presented.  The protagonist is an artist, always within reach of his sketchbook and pen. The illustrations switch between the actual narrative and Paul’s drawings of the events he is witnessing and participating in. In his drawings we see horrific treatment of Jews by Germans. Though stories about the WWII are always difficult to read, telling it from an adolescent perspective is refreshing.

Reader’s Annotation: Paul and Marie want to keep their Jewish friendsafe in hiding, but tension is rising with German forces and though they believe in the French Resistance, they are scared for their own family’s lives.

Author Information: From the author’s website, http://www.carlajablonski.com/, it states, “Carla Jablonski is the author and editor of dozens of best-selling books for middle-grade and young adult readers. "I kind of do it all -- adaptations, branching books (Choose Your Own Adventure style), serious novels for teenagers, fantasy, and now, graphic novels."

Her most recent book, Resistance, the first of a graphic novel trilogy (illustrated by Leland Purvis) is A SYDNEY TAYLOR SILVER MEDAL winner. Book 2 in the series, Defiance, will be available in July. Two of her books for teens, Thicker than Water and Silent Echoes, were selected for the prestigious NYPL "Books for the Teen Age" list. She is the author of the six-book series, The Books of Magic, based on Neil Gaiman's comic classic of the same name.  

Her books are sold in many countries, and she always gets a kick seeing her titles in other languages. "My favorite is the Thai version of Books of Magic," she says. "The alphabet is so beautiful, and I find it funny that my own words are completely unrecognizable to me!" 

In addition to writing and editing books for YA readers, she is at work on several books for adults, and is also an actress, a playwright and a trapeze performer. These pursuits have allowed her to do a lot of traveling, particularly to Scotland, and she's met many wonderful and amazing people. "The trapeze thing is definitely what surprises most people -- even people who know me, and especially myself!"

Genre: Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction

Subjects: WWII, Holocaust, Jews, French resistance, Nazis

Curriculum Ties: World War II, French Resistance

Booktalking Ideas: How far would you go to protect someone from something you believe is wrong?

Reading Level/Interest Age: 12+

Challenge Issues/Defense: Due to depictions of violence, this book may be challenged. If so, refer to:

1.     The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy, Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection documents.

2.     The California Department of Education District Selection Policies, Reading Lists, and Resources for Recommended Literature: Pre-K-12.

3.     A hard copy of the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights.

4.     Mixed book reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly.

5.     Book selection rationale.

6.     If necessary, The San Francisco Public Library’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form.

Reason for Selection: This is a fantastic introduction to WWII themes for YA’s.

American Born Chinese

 Bibliographic Information: Yang, G.L. (2006). American born Chinese. New York: First Second. ISBN: 9781596433731

Plot Summary: Simultaneous stories revolve around three characters: the Monkey King, who masters Kung Fu in order to become a god; Jin Wang, a Chinese-American teen who struggles with his identity and acceptance of his heritage; and Danny, a blonde teen who faces the annual visits and embarrassment from his distant Chinese cousin, Chin-Kee. The central character, Jin, begins his story as his family is moving from an apartment in the city to a house in the suburbs. One day, a Chinese herbalist tells Jin he can be anything he wants to be, so long as he forfeits his soul. Unsure of what this exactly means, Jin attends his first day at his new school, where his teacher botches his name, and students ridicule him with Chinese stereotypes. Not even the Japanese girl, the only other Asian in his class, pays him any attention, and he is socially isolated until Wei-Chen arrives from Taiwan. Though Jin’s initial impulse is to beat him up, the boys become best friends when they learn of their mutual love for transformers toys. Jin falls in love with a Caucasian girl, gets a perm to impress her, and takes her on a date to the movies, but his romantic pursuit is thwarted by her friend who asks Jin not to date her anymore. Feeling frustrated, Jin acts out in aggression and kisses Wei-Chen’s girlfriend. Jin is left to mend not only his friendship, but his identity.

Critical Evaluation: Through these seemingly different characters comes a humorous tale about trying to fit in, accepting one’s heritage, and finding one’s identity. Transformation is the primary theme throughout this story, starting with the Monkey King trying to transform into a god, and Jin’s interest in transformer toys as a child. Chin-Kee is a character who embodies all of the negative stereotypes about Chinese people, and his presence, although difficult to read sometimes, is used to humorously address these issues, making readers aware of how ridiculous and false such stereotypes are. The fable of the Monkey King counterbalances Chin-Kee, by representing a genuine Chinese tradition. Like Yin and Yang, the stories don’t oppose each other, but complement each other, and come together to reveal that Danny is really Jin reflecting all of his own insecurities about being Chinese-American, and the Monkey King’s son is actually Wei-Chen, sent to Earth for his test of virtue. The friends reunite at the end, both transformed, but in different ways—showing that being Chinese-American isn’t a single identity, but multiple ones, just like that of any individual.

Reader’s Annotation: Jin Wang wants to fit in at his new school, the Monkey King wants to become a god, and Danny wants to avoid his embarrassing Chinese cousin. Each character wants to transform in some way, but little do they know just how interwoven their stories are.

Author Information:  Gale’s Contemporary Authors Online states, “Gene Luen Yang is an educator and a graphic novelist. He teaches computer science classes at a Roman Catholic high school in Oakland, California. In a Booklist interview, Yang explained his initial interest in comics: ‘I bought my first comic in the fifth grade, and I started drawing them shortly thereafter with a friend. Then in seventh grade, we both got interested in girls, and comics became really uncool. So I stopped drawing them, and I also stopped reading them. In high school, I took a comics class, and I started getting really heavily into them again.’ 

Genre: Graphic Novel, Fiction

Subjects: Identity, heritage, immigration, stereotypes

Curriculum Ties: Immigration

Booktalking Ideas: Use the fable of the Monkey King to introduce the theme of identity and transformation, then tie it into the immigrant experience in the U.S. What does it mean to be Chinese-American vs. just American?

Reading Level/Interest Age: 12+

Challenge Issues/Defense: Due to racist caricatures of Chinese stereotypes, this book may be challenged. If so, refer to:

1.     The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy, Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection documents.

2.     The California Department of Education District Selection Policies, Reading Lists, and Resources for Recommended Literature: Pre-K-12.

3.     A hard copy of the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights.

4.     Mixed book reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly.

5.     Book selection rationale.

6.     If necessary, The San Francisco Public Library’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form.

Reason for Selection: This is a Printz Award winning book that offers a glimpse that few YA novels offer: what its like to grow up as an Asian American.