They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei

     In December, 1941, Japan attacked the United States by bombing Pearl Harbor, a Navy station in Hawaii. This occurred during World War 2, a war the U.S. had not yet joined. The country declared war because of this attack, and became part of the war against not only Japan but Hitler's Germany as well.

    Another consequence of the attack was a hysteria that quickly spread around the country, a fear of all people of Japanese descent. Anyone of Japanese heritage, even those who were born in the United States, were thought to be enemies of this nation, regardless of their thoughts or feelings about Japan, the U.S., the attack, or the war. Over the course of several years, over 120,000 Japanese Americans were taken from their homes and businesses, and moved to "camps" in often very hot, dry, unwelcoming parts of the country. They were treated as prisoners, as enemies, old and young alike. Their property and belongings were taken from them (and never returned), except for what they could carry with them to these prisons. It was an ugly chapter in our nation's history, and has only recently begun to be revealed in any widespread way.

    Author and actor George Takei was a young boy when all of this happened, and They Called Us Enemy is his graphic novel retelling of a life lived as a prisoner in his own country. Takei later went on to be an actor in a very popular series, the original Star Trek television show, and after that as a spokesperson for Japanese Americans as well as for LGBTQ+ causes. His story is an important one as we continue to find out who we, as United States citizens, are, and the things our nation has done up to now, both good and bad.

    As a middle school book, the topic is important, and anyone wanting to know more about our country's history should read about Japanese American internment, as it is sometimes called. Takei's book is informative and moving, but also a little confusing in places, as he jumps forward and backward in time to piece together a complete picture of events and his life among them. This might not appeal to readers who simply want a good graphic novel to read, but the format does make the topic more accessible to more readers, young and old. 

    An important part of this nation's history that everyone should know, and a worthy book to help explain it. 4 paws.

The Eyes and the Impossible, by Dave Eggers

     The latest Newbery Award winner (yay!), but not Dave Eggers' first book. The Eyes and the Impossible is an animal story, told by The Eyes, a dog named Johannes, and including bison, goats, birds, raccoons, squirrels, horses, and some people, but they remain at the periphery of this story throughout. Johannes lives in a park, but to him it's the whole world. He works hard to keep the world in order by watching everything that happens each day, and then sharing those events with the bison. The bison, in turn, in their wisdom, let the other animals know what must be done to keep everyone safe, and in front of, or in reaction to, nature and human activity. But Johannes decides he can make the life of these wonderful bison better, by completing a seemingly impossible task. With the help of all of the animals in his world, he discovers...himself, friendship, love, purpose...

    The Eyes and the Impossible is a wonderful - and wonderfully different - book. I love it when I start a book and right away realize that it won't be like anything else I've read before (and I've read a lot of books!). It made me realize that there aren't a lot of animal stories that come out each year, or not many that I come across. But there are a lot of really good ones: A Dog's Life, by Ann Martin; The Redwall Series, by Brian Jacques; No More Dead Dog's, by Gordon Korman (not a dog story, really, but funny just the same); any of the animal series' by Erin Hunter, but start with the original Warriors series; The One and Only Ivan series, by Katherine Appelgate; A Watership Down, by Richard Adams; A Wolf Called Wander and A Whale of the Wild by Rossane Parry, to name a few. We don't have all of these books (yet!) in the school library, but you could find the rest at the public library or at a good bookstore. They are wonderful and worth it!

    There is something beautiful about animals and animal stories that connects us all, I believe...I hope you read and enjoy The Eyes! 5 paws!

Duel, by Jessixa and Aaron Bagley

     My human was given an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of this newer graphic novel from husband and wife team Jessixa and Aaron Bagley (she does the writing, he the illustrating). An ARC is a copy of a book released before the actual, completed book is sold at stores, so sometimes it has missing words, or is unfinished in some way. In Duel, the pages hadn't all been colored in yet, but that didn't take away from the story. In fact, the finished version of this book, which was released last fall, would be even better since it will be totally finished, with all it's color, and no words left out or misspelled (hopefully!).

    Duel is the story of two sisters; Lucy, entering 6th grade at the middle school where her 8th grade sister, Gigi, is already a student. Duel is also about fencing, a sport not often written about in teen books (graphic novel or otherwise). Lucy and Gigi do not get along, and with their father's passing their relationship seems to get even worse. Gigi is looking like a shoe-in as captain of the school fencing team. When Gigi trips Lucy in the cafeteria on the first day of school, Lucy challenges Gigi to a duel - a fencing competition. 

    Family dynamics, especially a relationship between two siblings, is the focus of this book. The way the Bagley's also build this story around a little-known sport makes it more interesting. The relationship between the two girls, their friends, and their mom is pretty real - almost too real at times (I wished a few times during the book that they would either figure it out or just stay away from each other already!). Each chapter is introduced with a fencing term and some rules of how the sport works, which is not just interesting but also suggests what is coming in each chapter between the sisters. It's not a new idea in books, but it works well in Duel.

    Even without all the artwork completed I really liked the art in this book. The storyline became a little tedious to me after a while, but because this is a graphic novel and not a chapter book the overall story worked pretty well. The ending came a little too easily based on the relationship between Gigi and Lucy throughout the book, but it is still a story most of you will enjoy. 4 paws!

The Last Beekeeper, by Pablo Cartaya

     Imagine the world a long time from now, when technology has continued to advance but has not helped humankind find ways to preserve the environment. In The Last Beekeeper, author Cartaya creates such a world, and main character (protagonist) Yolanda Ciceron (Yoly) sets out to change that...one bee at a time! 

    Beekeeper is one of Cartaya' many books, and the second I have read. It has a lot of heart and I love the premise of the story, especially as it doesn't seem to be too fantastic or too far in the future, if you humans don't do things differently moving forward. The main characters are both strong, LatinX girls, third generation of smart women, farmers, scientists, and brave. All good things that made me like this book! Cartaya has a good story idea here, and as I mentioned above, you can feel his passion for this story throughout the book. However, maybe I've read too many books at this point (is there such a thing?), but the writing in The Last Beekeeper is really...poor. Not grammatically, but too simple for any middle grade reader I've ever met. The story line is meant for middle school, I'm sure, but the writing is too often just too basic. In too many places Cartaya tells us, the reader, too much, and doesn't let us fill in blanks where many of you could fill in those gaps by yourself. Filling those parts of a story makes a story better.

    I love reading about bees. They are a vitally important part of our world, and our survival on this planet. Cartaya has a good story idea here that centers around bees and their importance to us all. I wish his editor, or a friend, would have asked him to write one more draft before sending this to be published. It likely would have helped. I give this 3 paws, and only because I can tell he really enjoyed creating this story, and it is an important story to tell. Too bad the writing is so basic. Darn. 

Swim Team, by Johnnie Christmas

     I've been looking forward to reading this graphic novel ever since it came out last year, based on all the exciting reviews it was getting! I admit, I was not disappointed! Author and illustrator Johnnie Christmas (what a great name right? Sounds like a detective's name in a good mystery!) creates a really relatable character in Bree, who is afraid of the water and cannot swim, yet ends up in a swimming class when her and her dad move to Florida. What unfolds is a nice blend of friendship issues, family dynamics, and a little history of access to swimming pools and lakes as the United States grapples with its racist past (and present). 

    Swim Team covers a topic not often covered in teen and young adult books, and in a really honest way, I think. A few of the characters don't get as established as some others do, which is a little detracting from the overall story, but not enough for this book not to be on your must-read list. The writing/artwork combo remind me a lot of Jerry Craft's books, which should also be on your must-read list, if you haven't read them already! 4 paws and a wag for this engaging graphic novel.

Zhara: Guardians of Dawn #1, by S, Jae-Jones

     The first book in what is obviously a series by author Jae-Jones. While this is not their first book, it is the first I have read, and will likely be a hit with fantasy fans! Zhara is a retelling of the Cinderella story, with a lot more monsters thrown in for fun. Her character in this story lives with a sister and step mother, both of whom she loves but both of whom have a hold on Zhara in very different ways. As the story unfolds, Zhara is discovering who she really is, while falling for a prince, of course, although she doesn't know he's a prince, nor does she know of the power she possesses within. Fans of Marie Lu or Veronica Roth will likely enjoy this romantic fantasy adventure story, and the Abominations won't disappoint fans of horror, too.

    I don't read enough in the fantasy genre, but this new release is getting such good reviews I thought it would be a good chance to jump back in. It reminded me of the authors mentioned above, mostly in good ways, although there were a few minor plot points in this book that seem rushed, or underdeveloped. The very last chapter could have been left out entirely, as it was too obviously the first chapter of the new book, without coming out and saying so. I think Jae-Jones is a good writer, and that her future books will be better still, maybe even pushing them into must-read author status. Guardians of Dawn has a lot of page turning moments, but a few too-obvious moments as well. Looking forward to future books in this series, but expecting they will be a bit better as well. 4 paws and a wag!

Black Birds in the Sky, by Brandy Colbert

     Brandy Colbert tells the story of the Tulsa, Oklahoma race massacre that happened on June 1, 1921. Just over one hundred years ago, and still this event is underreported, hidden, buried, not discussed, not largely written about as part of our nation's racial history. To help uncover this story earns praise for Colbert's first book. This is a story that should be known by students across the country as part of our nation's history. For most of our country's existence, stories such as these were not told in the mainstream, but as uncomfortable as they may be, these events have shaped our nation as much as anything more positive has. We cannot only hear the "good" stories about history, because if we do we are not really understanding who we are as a nation, nor where we have come from.

    That said, and as important s this story is for us to read and know, and for as much of her heart she put into this important book, the book itself isn't super compelling. After reading authors like Steve Sheinkin, who does such an amazing job of telling historical stories for teens, Black Birds is a little tough to keep up with. Even as my human, who loves non-fiction and historical fiction, had a tough time in spots keeping names straight as well as staying engaged with the book. The Tulsa Race Massacre is something we all should know about, and Black Birds is one decent way to start to understand this event. But from a strictly readers point of view, compared to other teen and young adult books, Black Birds is just...okay.

    Know that if you choose to read this, you may have to push yourself at times to keep moving forward. Not because the overall story isn't worth it - it is! - but the writing isn't entirely teen friendly.   3 paws and a wag.

Big Tree, by Brian Selznick

     Did you know that animals, like dogs - like me - can get COVID? I didn't know that until this week, and I'm a little surprised! Usually human diseases and illnesses are not transmittable to animals, nor vice versa. But as my human has been home the last two days suffering through his second round of COVID since it appeared in the world in 2020 (I have never had it, though, thankfully...), it has afforded me some extra reading material, as he always has several books ready to read here at home. But since all he is doing is sleeping, all I am doing is...reading! I'm definitely getting the better side of this...

    From the author and illustrator that brought us the sensational and groundbreaking book The Invention of Hugo Cabret way back in 2007, and several equally amazing books since, comes Brian Selznick's latest story, Big Tree. This is a story that takes place when dinosaurs roamed the earth, long before human beings arrived on the scene, and tells the story of two seeds from a sycamore tree, Louise and Merwin. They are young seeds in a seed pod that is prematurely separated from their mother due to an approaching fire, and the subsequent fleeing of animals through the forest. As the seed pod is liberated from the adult tree, the two seeds take flight, pushed farther and farther away by the heat of the fire, the movement of the animals below them, and simply by the wind. Big Tree is the story of these two seeds, different from each other in their outlook but tied together as siblings, both wanting to succeed in finding a safe place to grow up - a place with water, sunlight, and soil.

    Selznick tells one version of nature's story, of the world, from how the Earth was formed to how life was introduced to the planet. It is a story rooted in science with wings of imagination as he explores the evolution of plant and animal life, how we all depend on each other, and ultimately how our current climate situation isn't bad for the planet, as is often discussed, but bad for us - all living creatures. The planet will survive, he suggests, but how do we make sure we survive? This is a hopeful, mysterious, humorous, and wonderful story, one most of you will enjoy.

    What makes Selznick's books extraordinary is that they are roughly half written and half drawn. His books are all giant-looking chapter books, but really contain about as many pages of artwork as pages of words. His stories are always solid, and his artwork is always wonderful! I'm not sure he'll ever replicate the beauty of the Hugo Cabret book as far as his artwork goes, maybe since that was the first we saw of it. But he has successfully created his own style of book in young people's literature, and not many writers or artists can say that! 4 paws!

Victory. Stand! by Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes and Dawud Anyabwile

     Victory. Stand! is a wonderful graphic novel that tells the true story of Tommie Smith, an U.S. Olympic gold medal winner and world record setting runner. The book starts with Tommie as a young boy, one of twelve children, born and raised in Acworth, Texas before his sharecropping family had to move to California to survive. At the time it was a move Tommie neither understood nor wanted, but it proved to be pivotal, or life changing, for him. 

    Fast forward to the 1968 Olympics in Mexico, where gold-medal-winning Smith protested treatment of Blacks in America by raising his black-gloved fist for his nation's anthem. From there he was banned from competition, Olympic and otherwise, for many years. Arguably the fastest man alive was no longer welcome to participate in his sport. Before NFL star Colin Kaepernick took a knee on the sideline during the same national anthem just a few years ago (and who was also unofficially banned from playing professional football again!), Smith used his status to show the world that everything in America was not what it appeared.

    Long term readers of this blog know that I (and Violet before me) don't read a lot of graphic novels, but with that genre really taking off in the last couple of years, it's hard not to (as there are so many compelling ones being created!). That said, I am not a graphic novel connoisseur, or expert, by any means. But I will say the artwork in this book is some of the best I've seen! It fit the story so perfectly, and added to Smith's life as it unfolded across the pages. Combined with the compelling story being told, this was a difficult book to put down...until I finished it, and I wished there had been more. Graphic novel fans, and fans of social and American history, read this! It's first rate! 5 paws!

 

Remember Us, by Jacqueline Woodson

     Remember Us is the latest book by the amazing author Jacqueline Woodson. It's the story of Sage, a young girl who lives in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, New York in the early 1970s. Sage is an above-average basketball player, and would rather shoot hoops all day than play with most of the other girls in her neighborhood. In some ways, this serves her well, as she is following her heart, doing what she loves. She wants to be the first woman playing in the NBA some day - the WNBA doesn't exist when this story takes place.

    At other times her passion and skills don't serve her well. She is shunned by some of the girls she used to play with when she was younger, and by boys who bully her for being too much like a boy (in that she not only likes basketball, but also that she is one of the best at it in Brooklyn). Sage's neighborhood is nicknamed "The Matchbox", because houses keep burning down, which adds one of many layers to this realistic fiction book.

    If you've never read a Woodson book before, you owe it to yourself to read one. I promise that once you have, you will want to read more! It's as if every story is really her own story...she writes "voice" as well as any author I have read and Remember Us is no exception. I don't know off hand how many books she has written, but I would guess maybe 20 or so? I have probably read 5 or 10 of them...every single one made me feel that I was actually the person telling the story - the main character, the protagonist. When reading Remember Us, I got sad when Sage was sad. I was joyful when Sage was schooling some boys at the basketball court. I missed her best friend when she wasn't able to hang out with him for a time. I admit to being a little lonely when the story ended...and that is how every single one of Woodson's books is, at least for me.

    Needless to say, this is a very good story. I finished this book yesterday morning and I still miss Sage! I can't wait for Woodson to write another book...I can't say that about most authors. 5 paws!