Graphic Novel Review: Renegade Girls

Nells spends the summer with her aunt and uncle in New York City. Her parents hope that she will find a husband and marry into society. Nell doesn't want to return to Chicago. She has a job at a newspaper, reporting on society events. However, she wants more. She wants to be a Stunt Girl reporter.

She has a friend who works in a factory. She tells Nell about the awful conditions. Together they work out a plan to go undercover and expose the truth. Nell wants to make a difference in the world. She wants to make the world a better place. As the details of the factory conditions come out, she's stunned to learn that it will change her life too,

My Thoughts: I loved this graphic novel: for lots of reasons: the feminist moments, the friendship, the romance, the family dynamics, and the moments in the newspaper office. These girls were brave and determined. I love how they didn't back down, even when things got tough. They made a real difference - there's an author's note at the back that explains how Nell's reporting changed the world. The art is fantastic. 

Cover Thoughts: Fantastic

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A must have graphic novel for your public library's collection. 

Middle Grade Review: Upstaged

It's the summer before high school starts and Ash can't wait to spend the summer at camp with their best friend and crush Ivy. It's going to be amazing. But nothing turns out as planned. They're not in the same bunch. Ivy gets the lead in the play and spends much of her time learning lines and choreography. Ash starts spending their time creating a masterpiece for the stage. They're the stage manager for the production. But the more time they spend apart, the more Ash becomes cranky. Will they have any time for fun this summer?

My Thoughts: This was a great graphic novel; I loved it. As someone who worked backstage at the theater, I enjoyed those parts of the book. Ash struggled with friendships this summer. There were people in their cabin that just wanted to hang out and be friends, but Ash couldn't see it. They were too focused on how everything was terrible. I did like how everything turned out. Lots of drama here!

Cover Thoughts: Cute

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: Hand this one to all your theater kids! This is a fantastic graphic novel for your library's collection.

Bookstagram: The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Don't miss this graphic novel! 

The illustrations are delightful! 

It reminded me so much of the Prince and the Dressmaker.

Graphic Novel Review: Terry's Crew

Terry's headed to a new school where the kids are both smart and rich. Terry's smart but his family is not rich. Terry has a Big Cream Plan to keep him focused. He wants to be a multihyphenate - someone who is great at football and art and whatever else he desires.

He has a hard time fitting into his new school. There's a boy who tries to befriend him - but he makes Terry bully another kid. While Terry does slap the book out of the other kid's hand, he feels bad about it. That's not the way he wants to go about making friends.

Instead he becomes friends with the boy he hurt and another girl. The three of them, labeled misfits, become their own crew. 

My Thoughts: I loved this middle grade debut. I loved Terry's family - how supportive and tight they were. I loved that he had people from the neighborhood looking out for him. I admired how he apologized to the person he hurt and grew from that experience. I loved how he was determined to prove the teacher wrong who said he wasn't going to be great. Terry walks to the beat of his own drum. I hope this book is just the beginning for Terry. I 'd love to read more about him and his crew

Cover Thoughts: Cute

Source: My Library

Library Recommendations: A must have for your school and public library collections

Rating: 5 stars.