Gr6–8—A graphic retelling of the classic, Great Expectations is rushed, confusing, and an unpleasant read. At times it is difficult to tell the characters apart, mainly because of the lack of depth in the secondary players, and because the artwork is flat and impassive. The plot is without focus, so struggling readers will have an issue with continuity. Oliver Twist has similar problems. The flow is choppy, characterization is nonexistent, and the compression of the story line adds to the confusion. The artwork, black-and-white rough sketching, is inconsistent. Panels range from clean and distinct to dark and busy. As in the first book, some characters are indistinguishable from page to page. The combination of story and artwork will not create new fans of graphic novels.—Mariela Siegert, Westfield Middle School, Bloomingdale, IL
What’s better than finding your next favorite author? Sharing that writer’s work with other readers. Last year, our Discover Prize went to Tess Gunty and her debut, The Rabbit Hutch (which also won the National Book Award for Fiction). We’re excited to announce our finalists for the 2023 Discover Prize: six stories of […]
Is there anything that fixes a character better in a reader’s mind than learning what food makes her mouth water? Sometimes a character’s signature food is delightful, and other times it’s revolting, but it always serves to sear their personality and proclivities into a reader’s memory. Here are some mouth-watering morsels enjoyed by six unforgettable characters:
I love opening a new book and taking a big whiff of fresh ink. Nothing delights a bibliophile’s nose more than a hardcover that still smells like the printing press. Except, perhaps, a dusty antique paperback that promises a world apart. But what if the Grapes of Wrath actually smelled like cheap wine? Or Tom […]
There has been a real push IRL (as they say) to get girls and young women into coding, spawning organizations like Girls Who Code, Google’s Made with Code project, and even games like GoldieBlox. The YA world has always had girls who code—gamer girls, hacker girls, and otherwise math/sciencey girls—and here’s a list of 6 favorites, featuring kickass […]
Sometimes (late at night, whenever I reread Harry Potter, when I think too long about Sirius Black), I love J.K. Rowling so much I can’t stand it. And in honor of today, her 50th birthday—and Harry Potter’s 35th—we’re celebrating 10 of the many times she reminded us why she’ll always be our queen. 1. That […]