Illustrated
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Apr.08, 2012, under Historical Fiction, Illustrated, Real life, Student Reviews
Review by Maddison R.
Who would like this book? You would like this book if you like suspense.
Why? The main characters are Ben and Rose. Ben went to New York to search for his dad. He ends up hiding in a closet in a museum to avoid getting caught and sent back home. Along the way he meets a boy name Jamie who helps him along his journey. In this book it tells Rose’s story in pictures. It leads up to Rose and Ben finding each other. This book had exciting, sad, and suspenseful parts that keep you reading nonstop. I really enjoyed this book.
The details: 637 pp. 2011 Review by Maddison
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jan.15, 2012, under Grief, Illustrated, Real life, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Anyone, age 12 through adults, who has suffered a loss, is grieving, or is curious about the experience of losing a loved one.
Why? Conor O’Malley has a nightmare every night about his mom, who is receiving yet another round of treatments for cancer. Conor’s life is plagued by trouble: his mother’s illness, bullies at school, an estranged best friend, a father who has left with a new wife and child, and a grandmother who annoys him greatly. When a horrific monster arises out of the yew tree outside his bedroom window at seven minutes after midnight, Conor is not upset. The monster is nothing unusual in his tortured life. The monster, though, is unusual, in that it begins a dialogue with Conor that leads to the telling of three parables and the expectation that Conor will tell the fourth. These tales and the events in Conor’s life combine into a deeply moving story of loss and healing that made me cry buckets. The haunting monotone illustrations by Jim Kay add much to both the content and the mood. Anyone interested in grief and the process of grief needs to read this book.
The details: 224 pp. 2011 Review by Samrarian
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Sep.17, 2011, under Historical Fiction, Illustrated, Mystery, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Anyone who loves stories – anyone of any age!
Why? Just as he did with The Invention of Hugo Cabret in 2007, Brian Selznick weaves another magical story by melding text with striking pencil drawings. The text tells the story of Ben, living in Minnesota in 1977. Deaf in one ear, Ben has never known his father and has just lost his mother to an accident. Unhappy living with his aunt and uncle, Ben returns to the cottage that he had shared with his mother and finds hints about his father. Just as he lifts the phone receiver to follow one of the leads about his father, a lightning bolt strikes and takes the hearing from his good ear. Newly deaf but driven to uncover his family’s secrets, Ben set out on a journey to try to find his father in New York City. Meanwhile, the illustrated pages tell the story of Rose, a deaf girl living in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1927. Trapped in her house by a mean father, Rose longs for freedom and gives hints that she can find someone in New York City to help her. The mystery of their two quests and how they will connect is told not only through text and pictures, but also through museum objects and sign language. The result is a moving, mesmerizing, magnificent book that is perfect for reading alone or reading with others. Wonderstruck will be treasured by anyone who loves stories or has longed for a place to belong. Don’t miss it!
The details: 637 p. 2011 Review by Samrarian
