This was an interesting manga.  I say interesting because it is unlike any other manga I have ever read.  It’s about a girl who goes to the neitherworld take the place of her professor and continue the exploration and communication with native anthropomorphic species.  The book is mainly about trying to understand each other, both in language and customs.  This does make the book a bit dry, and slow paced, but still a very interesting read.  I would pick up book 2 to figure out what happens next. 

 This book was as close to perfect as a book can get.  The story is full of adventure, of hope, of love, of everything that will lead to a smile on everyone's face.  What I like most about this story is that it may have been written for middle grade, but the story is timeless.  It could be read to the youngest of children and still enjoyed by adults.  The illustrations are amazing and just make this graphic novel that much better.  The story is about Ben, and his desire to see where the lanterns go.  Every year his community lights lanterns and floats them down the river.  Ben makes a pact with his friends to follow the lanterns.  The legend is they become stars but Ben wants the truth.  Most of his friends chicken out, but it’s the nerdy boy who everyone ignores that becomes the best traveling companion one could have.  Along the way they meet a bear who needs to catch the glowing fish, and Madam Mischief who is a witch, position master, and crazy lady all rolled into one.  This book is an adventure.  It belongs with the Goonies, Dark Crystal, Stand by me, and many more. Pick it up, read it, live it, love it. 

 I hate time travel books, but I really liked this novel.  Andre Cobb has just had a liver transplant due to cancer.  With this liver transplant comes the ability to time travel. His first trip he had no idea what was going on.  But with help from his donor family, he learns the ins and outs of time travels and why he has this ability.  This story is also a love triangle. You have Andre in modern times, Blake, his donor’s younger brother, and Michael, the boy who grew up in his house in the 1960’s and 70’s.  Andre is tethered to Michael at first.  Anytime he goes back in time he goes back to michel.  And the two fall in love.  But can the love last.  While at the same time, love for Blake is growing.  This would not really be a rom-com, but definity a romance.  One of my favorite parts is when Andre gets mad at Blake for pushing him to travel with no guidance.  One thing Andre, a young black man, has to remind Blake, a young white man, is that a black man should not just randomly pop up in time.  Things could go very wrong.  While I did like this book, I wish Andre could have experienced some of the historical events like the civil right marches, and Stonewall protests.  His love interest Michel was involved in various things as a journalist.  It would have been nice if he could have seen the world through his eyes.  I still hate time travel books, but this one was pretty good. 

 

The moral of this story is good things come to those who wait.  A big surprise I know.  This book has the usual Boys Town formula.  There is a problem and a child reacts.  The child is given a lesson, and that lesson is repeated at least 3 times (in this book 5), ways to deal with that problem are given, and the kid wins in the end.  This time the problem is having patience. It even has a catchy little rhyme to remember why patience is important.  Plus there is a page that an older character used to give the definition of patience to the young protagonist.  Overall the book does work.  It does what it sets out to do.  However, that doesn’t make it good.  It feels like a book told in sunday school, or preschool.  The entire point is the lesson, not the story.  Which makes me a bit sad since this book could have been so much more.  The character is a repeat and they are very likeable, if only the book would give that a chance to grow.

 

 

This is one of the better books coming out of Boys Town Press.  I say that because they keep it simple.  The “preach” or lesson part of the book is one small paragraph at the end.  The book lets the story shine in a simplistic way that gets the message across so much better than the three time repeat they normally do.  In this book a bunch of kids play on a neighbor's lawn and pic his flowers. He gets upset and the kids see him as mean and terrifying. But one of the moms explains why the neighbor is upset and helps the kids find a way to apologize.  The story is simple and lovely, and just works.  The illustrations are bright and colorful and help move the story along. 

 

 

from the zodiac and helping them find their way back home.  It was so well done.  Kudos to the illustrator for all the easter eggs that I originally missed like Toby’s shadow being a dragon.  This book was excellent!  I hope it makes the official rounds for the Caldecott.

 

 This book is immensely clever!  Toby has moved the city.  He didn’t want to, but he had no choice.  The thing he hates the most is that he can not see the stars.  And one night when he can not sleep a lion comes to his room asking for help finding the north star.  They explore the city and pick up other animals along the way.  This is where cleverness comes in.  It dawned on me half way through that they were picking up the animals from the zodiac and helping them find their way back home.  It was so well done.  Kudos to the illustrator for all the easter eggs that I originally missed like Toby’s shadow being a dragon.  This book was excellent!  I hope it makes the official rounds for the Caldecott. 

 Sometimes biographies are easier to read as graphic novels, that was not the case here.  I was very interested in the story of the Velvet Underground.  A band known for it’s strange and experimental music.  Apparently it is also known for its exorbitant drug use.  I just got tired of that in the graphic novel.  It may be true life, but that doesn’t mean I want to read about it.  Too many music greats have been brought down by drugs and alcohol and this book just seems to glorify that lifestyle.  

 The person behind Mooncakes hit it out of the park again with Tidesong.  Only special families are born with magic.  This magic can control water and wind, but it must be learned, and controlled so the world does not become chaos.  Sophie is a young apprentice and she has it in her to be powerful.  She is sent to live with her Auntie Lan to practice under her and her Cousin Sage.  The hope is that Sophie will be accepted into the best magic academy around.  But one night and one loss of control, causes a water dragon to walk on earth and not be able to transform back.  Lir may not be able to transform, but he is powerful and he will be a big help in Sophie learning to control her magic, while the two of them grow their friendship.  I loved this book.  It was sweet, it was heartwarming, and it was just...ahhhhhh.  This will be loved by boys and girls alike, and the artwork is a great compliment to a great story. 

 This did not feel like a full story.  It felt like a collection of comic strips thrown into a book.  The humor was meant for 3rd grade but some is so sophisticated, I am not sure a 3rd grade audience would get it.  The illustrations are fun and will attract readers, but I am not sure the book is worth the time it takes to catalog.