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Category Archives: Graphic novels

The author visit that almost wasn’t

TheAuthorVisitThatAlmostWasnt

Libraries are built on partnerships and collaborations and there isn’t one more adored than our high school library’s partnership with the New York State Writers Institute on the University at Albany campus. Their forward-thinking lineup has always been headline-making even before we entered the mix.

Our work together is why our students met Jason Reynolds a mere month after All American Boys was published with co-writer Brendan Kiely. It’s why our students met Nic Stone a few months after Dear Martin was published. And yesterday, it’s how at 4:50PM on a Friday afternoon, our students were able to meet co-writer of Rise of the Black Panther comics, Evan Narcisse.

Now, the next question surely is why it took place at 4:50PM and what in the world are 45 teens doing in their high school library at that time? I have an answer for you.

Because our kids are amazing. Anime Club meets every Friday and we were already planning to have a two hour meeting anyway. So on Thursday when we heard that Evan’s flight situation was less than ideal and we had to cancel his school appearance, we were still hoping for an after school visit drop in. Text updates were exchanged frequently but I still had no real answer to give to our kids.

4:45PM– Anime Club is winding down. Our video gaming stations were still smoking, there was still anime playing in the lab, and there were still colored pencils and drawing pens scattered around the tables. And in walked Mark, Paul, and Evan. Chaos ensued as Evan barely made it to our circulation desk before he was rushed for autographs. We inched our way to the tables, but no one would sit. They wanted to huddle around him like sardines packed in a can– tightly and without room to breath.

4:50PM– Questions are flying and Evan’s returning answers as quickly as he can in his vividly-colored suit. Scraps of paper, iPhones, and hoodies are being passed around for signatures as questions continue.

5:20PM– A few handfuls of kids have left, but there’s still a cadre asking questions (taking notes) and listening intently. Laughs. Illustrations shared. Smiles.

5:40PM– I’m eyeing the clock because I have to be downtown for a gala event beginning at 6PM put on by a non-profit fund that supports what we do in the library and district projects at large. Four kids remain. Questions that were prepared days in advance are being asked by Maxine, a prolifically talented artist. Briola is still taking notes as a writer herself asking for advice. Pictures are taken. Hugs are given. A brief bathroom break. Then a goodbye.

5:45PM– I’ve stepped into the backroom and changed into my fancy dress and heels. Author visit accomplished. I’ll have to gush over the pictures later but the warmth of another successful albeit brief author visit is in the books and all because of the New York State Writers Institute.

Did I mention that this partnership has brought its fair share of smiles? Yesterday and less than two weeks ago when they put on their inaugural book festival that included a dance party kickoff that included members of our Book and Anime Clubs as well as author presentations, panels, and signings on a beautiful Saturday. We appreciate their willingness to partner with us and bring these opportunities to our students on a Friday night or any other day of the week!

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on October 13, 2018 in Authors, Graphic novels

Four for Friday

28 Sep

FourForFridayCanva

With school being back full-swing, I’m still reading plenty but finding the time to sit down and share some of them hasn’t happened… until now. So, here’s four fantastic books for a Friday night!

FourforFriday

Number one: Another Day in the Death of America: A Chronicle of Ten Short Lives by Gary Younge picks one day, November 23, 2013 and researches, interviews, and writes about the lives of ten young people aged 18 and under and how they lost their lives to gun violence with a side of commentary on guns in America- so raw and emotional with plenty of thoughtful, discussion-worthy sidebars.

Number two: Bygone Badass Broads: 52 Forgotten Women Who Changed the World by Mackenzi Lee has the best feminist voice to share a nonfiction story collection of these 52 women from across the globe from all time periods. Lee’s humor and contemporary lens might make it dated years from now with her vocabulary and word choice, but it’s an unforgettable and beautiful collective biography with no shortage of combined entertainment and research.

Number three: Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison is visually stunning and as she states, it started with sketches she did during Black History Month and took on a life of it’s own and then eventually became this gem. Highlighting historical and contemporary black women and how they led the way is through an illustration and one-page biography for the two-page spreads.

Number four: Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden keeps the classic story alive. And while it took a few pages to get used to our carrot-topped Anne with an E and Matthew’s long hair it finds its pace and story and pays homage to Green Gables and those that live (or come to live) there.

Go in to the weekend knowing you have some books to put on hold. Or if you can’t wait, purchase!

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on September 28, 2018 in Adult, Childrens, Cover Love, Fiction, Graphic novels, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Young Adult

Sandwiches! Part II

14 Jun

Copy of Sandwiches Part II

In many of the social psychology and business books that I enjoy reading (Grit by Duckworth, The Power of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath, The Power of When by Michael Breus, The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin) use an element of self-reflection to understand how your personality plays in to the scheme of things. Like your Myers-Briggs score, it’s true that a leopard doesn’t change its spots and I have been and will always be a rule follower, an upholder, a person with both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for how I conduct my life.

It’s why when so many fell off the Edublogs year-long blogging challenge within a few weeks to months, I completed it. It’s why I enjoy a Book Riot month-long bookstagram challenge. So when I set my mind to making every sandwich in the Deering and Lentz graphic cookbook Sandwiches! I knew I’d have fun and see it through. And I’ve brought my kids along for the ride. They’re enjoying the loads of factoids along with the preparation while my husband is feeling stifled by the fact that we try to adhere as closely as possible to what’s in the book. Though there is room for experimentation!

Here are the images from the next set of sandwiches we’ve made: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert ones, oh my!

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on June 14, 2018 in Blogging, Cover Love, Graphic novels, Miscellaneous

Five for Friday

08 Jun

Five for Friday

Last night was the last book group meeting of the year that I facilitate through a local cooperative. With the size of the group and timing, we can usually share 1-3 books each, but I realized I’ve read so many fantastic books lately that I had a hard time choosing. So, it’s perfect for a five for Friday (and the last Friday of the school year with only one more school day left)!

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Shamblers aka zombies are being made out of the Civil War dead in an alternative history where African Americans are still oppressed. Jane is at a combat school for African American girls where she will learn to use the tools of combat to keep people safe from shamblers. But her cheeky attitude to “remaining in her place” gets her into trouble with the powerful leaders and she’s sent away to a town out west that is off. It’s her job, along with a band of others, to discover the truth and take down these leaders while searching for answers about her mother and Red Jack. It’s an adventurous, action-oriented, imaginative story that is as intense as it is funny, ambitious, and unique.

Illegal by Eoin Colfer with Andrew Donkin and Giovanni Rigano (illustrator)

The graphic novel format does justice to the story of a fictional boy, Ebo, who along with his brother leave their homeland to cross the desert and eventually the Mediterranean to find their sister and peace. Colfer and Donkin’s storytelling and Rigano’s artwork create an emotional platform for sharing an immigrant’s journey with several scenes eliciting the same response I had to several scenes in Don Brown’s Drowned City about Hurricane Katrina. Multiple copies on order for it’s future release.

Be Prepared by Vera Brogsol

So, quick story: I’m currently doing the Book Riot Riotgrams challenge for June and Thursday’s post needed to be “ice cream/sweet treat”. Literally the day before, I read and adored Brogsol’s new graphic memoir, Be Prepared, in which she includes the Stewart’s Shops sign as she’s driving to summer camp. Stewart’s is a community-minded convenience store in our area that has amazing ice cream. So, what was a librarian to do?

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Go to Stewart’s, get a seasonal flavor (Mounds of Coconut) ice cream cone, and ask a Stewart’s employee to take a picture of me with the ice cream, Brogsol’s book, and the Stewart’s logo in the background. Mission accomplished (and the ice cream was delicious). But the book itself is everything that is right with sharing the universal experiences of tweendom. The awkwardness of making friends. The prospect of not having them and how we earn them, and who is worth our time, all while sharing pieces of her Russian culture as a Russian summer camp. The olive-toned colors bring out the story in a way that makes the expressive characters pop and readers enjoy the beauty of nature.

Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka

Hearing him speak this past week about the experience of writing his life’s story and turning it into a graphic novel was powerful. And while I have yet to watch the TED talk that inspired the graphic novel, it details his upbringing with his grandparents after they took him from his heroin-addicted mother (he never knew his father until later) and how he became an artist with their often tumultuous support. Yet, my favorite scene is when he pays homage to Jack Gantos (who I adore and we had the pleasure of hosting in our schools) as an impetus for his own craft. It’s raw and really real.

Teen Trailblazers: 30 Fearless Girls Who Changed the World Before They Were 20 by Jennifer Calvert and Vesna Asanovic (illustrator)

Add this to the stack of new informational nonfiction that highlight the stories of women who have accomplished something great in their lives in order to recognize the value of women throughout history. While some of them are starting to blend together, Calvert’s focuses on women who accomplished this even before they turned twenty years old is themed. The easy-to-read format features little-known and well-known women that inspire the next generation of kids to take charge in changing the culture when and where it’s needed. And it’s currency cannot be neglected since one of the women featured is Emma Gonzalez from Parkland High School in the aftermath of the school shooting in her school just several months ago.

Which one are you picking up first?

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on June 8, 2018 in Authors, Childrens, Cover Love, Fiction, Graphic novels, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Upcoming Releases, Young Adult

Sandwiches! Part I

27 May

Sandwiches Part I

About two weeks ago, I sat down to my snack-based lunch at work where I use this time less to “have lunch” but more to read and unplug for a brief time from the hundred interactions per hour as a high school librarian.

Usually I focus this reading time on nonfiction, manga, or graphic novels, so I had pulled Sandwiches!: More Than You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Making and Eating America’s Favorite Food by Alison Deering and illustrated by Bob Lentz. I’ll admit that the title was intriguing but the cover was absolutely magical. It’s bright colors, big sandwich, and cool font is the epitome of great advertising through cover design. As I hunkered down for the next thirty minutes, I was giggling, huh!-ing, and flipping through the pages like mad learning about the first known reference to a club sandwich to why the rise in supermarkets post-WWII led to the popularity of the BLT because tomatoes and lettuce became produce available all year round (58). I also ick-ed my way through some of the recommendations for customizing some of them. I shouted over to our technology guy to ask if he had heard of a name associated with a classic Italian submarine sandwich hero/hoagie/grinder that is apparently used by upstate New Yorkers (sadly he nor I have heard of that term EVER– so if you live in upstate New York and have used the term wedge, I want you to contact me!).

But herein lies the reason this book got a triple-five star rating from me. I learned stuff. It was about food. It was graphic. It was entertaining. It had a vivid pictorial style that grounded the book while keeping readers engaged. Readers can tell the author and illustrator had fun working on this project if from nothing else than their bios at the end where they add their favorite sandwich and how to make it. I resolved then and there to make every sandwich in the book and document it on my Instagram. Luckily, Deering and Lentz really did their research because I have sandwiches for breakfast, lunch, dinner, AND dessert (umm, the ice cream SANDWICH people!) So thank you.

I’ll share just a few of the pictures and sandwiches so far, including my first post committing to making every sandwich. I received quite a few comments about friends wanting to come over after that! And it was apropos that the first sandwich was made when a friend who appreciates good food (and good books) was visiting. You’ll see several posts throughout the next few months sharing my culinary journey paying homage to “America’s favorite food”.

Have you ever been inspired to do, create, or build something after reading a book? Please share in the comments!

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on May 27, 2018 in Authors, Cover Love, Graphic novels, Middle grade

#PresentationMode

18 May

PresentationMode

Yesterday was a good day. An early morning run, then a walk with the dog. A new dress for a presentation with a group of fabulous ladies: two school library system directors, one reading specialist and professor, and two school librarians (me included). It was a day designed to discuss books and empowering our readers at every level.

With a keynote that shared how our varying perspectives of how we interpret what we read and what we seek out is usually a very conscious decision. We bring an experience to any book we read that is different from the person sitting next to us and we should be conscious of that and respect the reader. And the message of her keynote led perfectly into my presentation that went next about young adult books since I chose to focus on names: who we are as individuals and striking up a conversation simply by getting to know someone by asking their name.

I covered names of my author crushes (James L. Swanson, Caitlin Doughty, Rae Carson to name a few), fabulous names for books (The Hate U Give, Dumplin’, Puddin’), moms (Allegedly, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter), dads (The Inexplicable Logic of My Life, My Brother’s Husband), girls (The Nowhere Girls, What Girls Are Made Of), boys (The Prince and the Dressmaker, Words on Bathroom Walls), and a whole lot of series, niche student readers, and popular titles with my students. Could I have talked the whole day away? Of course, but there were wonderful conversations interspersed in my my presentation about topics and challenges presented in books, getting books in the hands of readers using their subtopics as a way to diversify their options, and why series books are magic. You can find my presentation and the booklist here.

And once I was finished, the day was just warming up because then it moved on to middle grade titles and then elementary titles. But I’m at the high school, why would I need to hear about middle grade and elementary titles? Librarians should always know what’s new, popular, and discuss-able at every level in part because librarianship means finding the right book for the right reader or the reader’s needs. It might be a teenager wanting a book to read with their cousin, it could be a teacher wanting to use a picture book in their middle school classroom, and any host of possibilities in between.

It’s no secret that readers advisory is my favorite part of librarianship so a day like yesterday was just as good as spending the day booktalking. The next opportunity to share about books to professionals will be with the effervescent Stacey Rattner, my partner-in-crime aka The Leaping Librarian, in July and our theme is #getbooked.

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on May 18, 2018 in Authors, Childrens, Events, Fiction, Graphic novels, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Poetry, Short Story, Verse, Young Adult

Are you ready for this conversation?

14 May

AreYouReady

2017-02-14 15.14.12-2 There is no greater purpose for me than when someone, anyone, approaches me to ask for a book recommendation. Be it a student, a faculty member, or my own mother. Multiply this love by one thousand when I’m asked to present to others about books and reading.

This week I’ll be presenting with some of my favorite people: people who love books and spread the love and their appreciation for what books can do. Specifically children. But where do you begin to organize a presentation about them? You most certainly need a thread. A theme. A focus. Because without it I’d literally be a rambling, excitable mess spewing sunshine and rainbows for the printed page and those that write them.

Sometimes the theme is a given, like the hottest books of the year (or yet to come), sometimes like in past presentations they were about books that can inspire activism or that celebrate the vibrancy of people’s life experiences. This one didn’t necessarily have a theme other than to give librarians a chance to hear about books, whether they’ll be adding them to their collection, reading them, recommending them, or sharing them with content teachers. It’s also about celebrating what books can be for us.

After mulling it over, I settled on approaching my talk of young adult books with the theme of names, as in “what’s in a name?” Fabulous titles and authors, the books of my favorite students, books for a specific type of student all inspired by the fact that in a lineup that includes covering elementary, middle school, and high school…. I’m going first! If you’ll be at the presentation on Thursday, you’ll hear more about why I’ve decided to take this approach, but until then, keep reading! And if you won’t be at the presentation, keep reading! And then read my follow up post later this week with some of the titles I shared.

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on May 14, 2018 in Authors, Fiction, Graphic novels, Nonfiction, Poetry, Upcoming Releases, Young Adult

Whatcha been reading?

18 Mar

WhatchaBeenReading

March is a month of uncertainty– between weather in upstate New York (a fourth Nor’easter possible next week?!) to party schedules with numerous birthdays (including my own two sons’) and things to plan and schedule. Yet no matter what, I manage to squeeze in some reading. This is certainly not a “six sensational” list nor a glowing review of a five-star book I recently read, instead a snapshot of what I’ve been reading just in case you were about to ask.

Some true crime… The Girl on the Velvet Swing: Sex, Murder, and Madness at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century by Simon Baatz
- Who doesn’t love true crime, honestly? Give me documentaries, podcasts, and books about real life crime dramas and I’m hooked!
Some middle grade… Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly
- Read this award-winner so that I can meet up with some librarians and eat some pizza and discuss some books #mykindofparty
Some re-tellings… The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice writing under her pen name A.N. Roquelaure
- Ask me to tell you this story in person
Some nonfiction… Noah Webster: Man of Many Words by Catherine Reef
- Who doesn’t love someone who loves words? And to know that many people disliked him made it even more fascinating
Some graphic novels… Speak illustrated by Emily Carroll based on Laurie Halse Anderson’s 2001 classic and another The Breadwinner: A Graphic Novel based on Deborah Ellis’ series of the same name adapted from the animated film available on Netflix that I literally watched a week before this book was shipping to our library through Junior Library Guild
- I get that visual content appeals sometimes to a different audience, but I’d say both graphic adaptations captured the mood of the original books in a way that makes me adore them both.
Some feel-good humor and hijinks that never gets old… Lumberjanes: The Moon is Up by Mariko Tamaki
- Three words: hecka heart eyes
Some more “love and madness”… Mary’s Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein by Lita Judge
- I’ve already tweeted my adoration for the mashup of beautiful black and white images and the captivating story Judge shares about our favorite haunted woman who created a horror classic
Some women’s empowerment for Women’s History Month… What Would She Do?: 25 True Stories of Trailblazing Rebel Women by Kay Woodward
- With a vivid cover and a unique voice, it stands above others being published in recent years focusing on women who made an impression

While these are just a handful, it’s a taste of the wide-ranging reading that I do daily because I follow my interests and passions, want to be sure I have books in my back pocket to recommend to my students, and heck, there’s just awesome books being published every day by awesome authors. If you want to follow every book I read, you can find me on Goodreads.

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on March 18, 2018 in Adult, Authors, Cover Love, Fiction, Graphic novels, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Young Adult

Best of 2017: Six sensational adult titles

26 Dec

As promised, I’ve drilled down my picks for the six sensational adult titles of 2017. What will 2018 bring? I can’t wait to find out.

ReasonYoureAlive 1. The Reason You’re Alive by Matthew Quick

I have read his young adult novels but have never read his adult ones… until now. I’ve recommended this title to more than a few people immediately after finishing it since the cyclical story about redemption is the human story. Do not read if you do not like some tragedy with a side of hope. Well, a lot of tragedy. And the grittiness of the main character is at times difficult to swallow, yet the story is significant: a Vietnam veteran rehashing a lifetime of darkness. But the arc of the story is why Quick is known for his writing acumen.

Saga 2. Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (artist)

You’ll see me in line for volume eight of this graphic novel series that should be hitting stores in a few days, but volume seven came out in April. I was already late to the game since Vaughan and company has been giving readers the science fiction soap opera for years, but I had only just discovered it while sitting on a graphic novel committee for teens and a discussion of Saga came up. I read the first volume, then tore through all available volumes until I was fresh out. Is it filled with sex? Yes. Is it genius? Yes. I wish I could take credit for the ingenuity of the sci-fi characters but the story line at its very core is Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. But much more contemporary. And with more sex. Did I say that already? I know I’ve convinced you, so see you in line on the 27th and not a minute before because you’ll be catching up if you haven’t already been following it.

FromHeretoEternity 3. From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty

Yes, still obsessed with Doughty’s one-woman effort to transform the death industry. If you didn’t subscribe to her Youtube channel, you will after watching just one episode. She’s fascinating and funny with a side of serious. And this book (one of very few I bought the first day it came out) was no different. The subtitle tells you what you need to know: she traveled around the world and explains the process of death in other countries. In some cases her vivid descriptions led me to Google and also got me thinking, more than she already has, about my own death preferences. She’s a storyteller with a message.

DifficultWomen 4. Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

This was my first read of Gay’s and I’ve quickly put myself in line for her past work. The collection of stories were a mix of haunting and dark (my favorite kind), serious, realistic, sad, and powerful. They pack a punch to the gut and peek behind the curtain of the lives women lead.

DearFahrenheit451 5. Dear Fahrenheit 451: A Librarian’s Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life by Annie Spence

You don’t have to be a librarian, but you do have to have some kind of book sense to appreciate Spence’s humorous approach to writing love letters and breakup notes to books. In fact, you might be inspired to write a few of your own. And I can tell you I fell in love from the moment she professed her undying love for The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides- it easily makes my favorites list. Though Spence also makes it okay to not like a book because sometimes it’s just not the right time, just like the boyfriend or making a career move. It’s a light read and an easy gift for a bookish friend, but you’ll want to buy a second copy for yourself.

SunandherFlowers 6. The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

I’m riding the bandwagon of Kaur fans and I’m not ashamed of it. She’s one of a handful of poets that share their poetry via Instagram and it has made them more popular. I own milk and honey and went out to buy her second collection the day it came out. I waited a week and by the end of the sitting had both finished and had about twenty Post-its sticking out of the book. This one felt more personal than her first as readers got to know more about her background and feelings. The sketches are just as important in this one as the first that add a flair unique to her work. Often without capitalization, some poems are mere lines, while others fill the page and she can pack a punch with either.

FallinLovewithyourSolitude

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on December 26, 2017 in Adult, Authors, Fiction, Graphic novels, Nonfiction, Poetry, Short Story, Upcoming Releases

Scratching the surface: A-Z in 2017

01 Dec

As part of the #edublogclub year-long challenge to blog on education. While the official club has ended, they have shared posts to continue the journey through 2017. This week’s prompt was to create an A to Z.

Well, it is almost 2018, so why not reflect on what I read in 2017 by breaking it down alphabetically. This certainly does not even capture half of what I actually read from picture books to adult novels, but what a fun way to look back at some of the book I read this year.

American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land by Monica Hesse

Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios

CiCi’s Journal: The Adventures of a Writer-in-Training by Joris Chamblain

Dear Fahrenheit 451: A Librarian’s Love Letters and Break-Up Notes to the Books in Her Life by Annie Spence

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Hunted by Megan Spooner

Into the Bright Unknown by Rae Carson

Jonesy by Sam Humphries

Kindred: A graphic novel adaptation by Damian Duffy

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds