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Review by Mr. Cantwell

Summary: When Blue Baker’s father dies, the school counselor tries to help by having Blue write down his feelings and emotions. It doesn’t work. Instead, Blue starts writing a story about a wild boy living in the woods. When the boy who’s been bullying Blue ends up in the story, things get ugly. The savage seems to be coming to life, and Blue starts to wonder where he ends and the savage begins.
Opinion: At only 80 pages, and with a lot of those pages filled with cool illustrations, this book is a fast read. While the story about Blue is pretty good, it’s the story Blue is writing that really gets your attention. These are the pages that are illustrated, and they read like a graphic novel. The savage is quite savage, so some of the content might be a little too intense for some young readers. Perhaps the best part of the book (besides the cool illustrations) is watching how these two completely opposite characters – Blue and the savage – each come to realize that they have more in common with the other than either would have imagined. It makes you wonder if such opposites don’t exist within all of us.

The details: 79 p. 2008  Submitted by Mr. Cantwell

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• Submitted by Mr. Cantwell; read all of Mr. Cantwell’s reviews at http://web4j1.lane.edu/%7Ecantwell/bookblog.htm

• Genre: YA Science Fiction

• Summary: One hundred years from now, most of the land on earth is disappearing beneath the oceans, the planet overcome by global warming. Mara knows her primitive island community doesn’t have much time, and after finding a sign of hope on the ancient cyberspace “Weave” she convinces her people to leave in search of one of the fabled new sky cities rising from the waves. The voyage is dangerous, but the destination turns out to be even more of a challenge.

• Opinion: This book is awesome. There are three parts, each focused on a different setting, and Bertagna does a brilliant job making these futuristic glimpses of a very different earth seem very realistic. Just when I thought the story might be starting to lag (which Bertagna may have been doing for realistic effect) the final third of the book explodes with fantastic descriptions and riveting action. With the setting and plot being so strong, the characterization has a lot to live up to, and occasionally it seems a little forced. Mara is very admirable but not always authentic. Though the book stands well on its own, Bertagna wrote a sequel called Zenith, which I’m sure I will read.

• Grade: A

• The details: 345 p. 2008

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Who would like this book? Graphic novel fans, artists, history students and teachers would like this book, especially those studying emigration/immigration.

Why? This is a graphic novel about immigration from individuals’ different cultural perspectives, with illustrated hints of various ethnic/cultural symbols . There is a common fear of oppression, government, war, loss, survival, and yearning for family and belonging. It exemplifies interdependence by way of relation to new environs, shared confusion and learning experiences. The end notes provide a rare description of the variety of resources the author/illustrator used for the wonderfully drawn images.  The Eugene Public Library has a copy of this in the young adult section.
Note from Sam: Our Cal Young Library has a copy also!

The details:   Wordless; 2007         Submitted by Nora

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What’s Mr. Cantwell been reading?

Check out his book blog at http://cantwellbooks.com/author/reading.htm

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