While He Was Away

  More realistic YA fiction is now focusing on the military. The shift seems to switch between characters in war or about to go to war to those people who are left behind and on the outskirts of war. While He Was Away by Karen Schrek is not the first nor the best book I read that centers on the military.
Description:  One year--he'll be gone for one year and then we'll be together again and everything will be back to the way it should be. The day David left, I felt like my heart was breaking. Sure, any long-distance relationship is tough, but David was going to war--to fight, to protect, to put his life in danger. We can get through this, though. We'll talk, we'll email, we won't let anything come between us. I can be an army girlfriend for one year. But will my sweet, soulful, funny David be the same person when he comes home? Will I? And what if he doesn't come home at all?

Review: I was expecting While He Was Away would be an eye opening and emotional read, but unfortunately it left me unsatisfied. The book's premise holds promise but it's poor execution left the plot and the characters floundering. Towards the end of the book, I found myself skimming a lot of it just so I could finish it.
  The overall plot of While He Was Away is very straightforward. Penna and David are a couple who are now about to be separated due to David's deployment to Iraq. Penna is now left to face the struggles once he was gone. The book could have gone in several directions such as questions about the couple's fidelity, death, and/or the causes of war. Schreck doesn't take any of these roads, but litters the overall story-arc with multiple subplots that briefly touch upon each of these ideas. It was as if the author couldn't decide where she wanted to go with the story so just added a little bit of this and that to increase the page count. Instead of capturing my attention, it left me frustrated and well, bored.
   Though I understood the magnitude of Penna's emotional turmoil, I did not feel any emotional connection towards her. I thought she was too needy and too focused on David. I understand that young love can be consuming, but she basically felt lost and empty when David was gone. Another thing that really annoyed me was her relationship with her mother and David's fallen out best friend Ravi. Out of all the subplots, I thought the relationship between Penna and her mother had the most potential. Issues such as abandonment, forgiveness, and duty were all expressed but unfortunately the subplot was stagnate with Penna constantly blaming her mother everything that's wrong in her life and then it was quickly and unrealistically resolved with an apology. Penna's relationship with David's former best friend Ravi doesn't fair much better. Ravi symbolizes the anger, racism, and the back lash that several Asian communities received during the aftermath of 9/11. Mistaken as an Arab, Ravi is brutally bullied to the extent that he quit school altogether. Instead of delving into these issues, the author chooses instead to use Ravi as a potential love interest with Penna constantly assuring herself multiple times that he is just David's friend whenever they exchanged a few awkward conversations, but nothing happened to make us infer a new romance was on the horizon.
   Although the plot and characters were dull, what truly made me disappointed with this book is a scene which shows how David and Penna go on a website to play this game where the target was an Arabic guy, and the point of the game was to shoot red paint balls a la a gun and bullets so they will splatter all over him (as if he is bleeding). While Penna was hesitant, David told her "Think of 9/11, he totally deserves this". When I read this, I was completely stunned. I even had to reread it again to see if I misread. Not only did I find it completely offensive towards me as a Muslim. I was dumbstruck on how such an unbelievable generalization that all Arabs (or anyone with a brown skin color for that matter) and Muslims are terrorists. I really had hoped that there would be a good explanation of using this website, but there is none that I was satisfied with (an author note says the website is real and the creator made it after one of his family member was randomly shot in Iraq) besides pointing out how people thought about 9/11. I wanted and expected more from While He Was Away.

Rating: 2 stars

Words of Caution: There is some brief and candid discussion of sex and war. Recommended for Grades 9 and up.

If you like this book try: The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt, Back Home by Julia Keller

Graphic Novel Reviews: Smile, The Last Dragon, and Alia's Mission

  I'm taking a mini-break from manga as I realized that I haven't put up any graphic novel reviews lately. Today I'll be reviewing three graphic novels, two of which I read last year and one I read this year, that can be enjoyed by a wide range of ages. The three graphic novels that I'll be reviewing are Smile by Raina Telgemeier, The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen, and Alia's Mission: Saving the Books of Iraq by Mark Alan Stamaty.

Description (from the publisher): From the artist of BSC Graphix comes this humorous coming-of-age true story about the dental drama that ensues after a trip-and-fall mishap. Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there's still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly.

Review: I think we all have gone through a big event in our childhood that defined our lives. For author Raina Telgemeier that moment is when she randomly fell and lost her front tooth at the tender age of 12. Her recovery included painful surgery, implants, headgear, false teeth, and a rearrangement of her remaining incisors. As you can image, being a young kid who is already struggling with the roller coaster ride we all call puberty where boy confusion, changing bodies as well as expectations from family and friends isn't easy to deal with one its own. Telgemeir's storytelling is straight forward and honest, expertly portraying her mercurial moods. The full color illustrations transport you into the author's shoes allowing you to play through her emotions, insecurities, and self depreciating humor. What I loved about this graphic novel is that both adults and kids that surround the author's life are vividly and rapidly portrayed, giving its reader a quick reminder that things do turn around with perseverance and self confidence. Though the book may be about a girl, I've seen boys and adults pick up this graphic novel and enjoy it. It gets two big thumps from me.  

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There's a bit gush of blood after the accident, but other than that it's pretty clean. Recommended for Grades 5 and up.

 If you like this book try: Drama by Raina Telgemeier (available in Sept 2012), How to Survive Middle School by Donna Gephart, Popularity Papers series by Amy Ignatow, Dork Diaries series by Rachel Renee Russell


Description (from the publisher): Master storyteller Jane Yolen ("Owl Moon" and "Sword of the Rightful King") and celebrated fantasy artist Rebecca Guay ("Swamp Thing" and "Magic: The Gathering") weave a textured and lyrical tale of adventure, homelands, and heroism the hard way. Two hundred years ago, humans drove the dragons from the islands of May. Now, the last of the dragons rises to wreak havoc anew - with only a healer's daughter and a kite-flying would-be hero standing in its way.

Review: Jane Yolen's The Last Dragon is a beautiful graphic novel that bring us back to the fairy tales we were drawn to as children where there was a hero that saved the day by killing a terrorizing dragon.  The book uses the tropes of a traditional hero's journey, where a man who claims to be heroic is put to the test. While it's true that the male hero succeeds in slaying the dragon, the star of the story, however belongs to the real heroine, the hard headed, unique, and talented girl named Tansy. 
  The narrative is told well through great description that brings the illustrations to life. The serious overtones of the story may be a bit much, but there are few bits of humor that lighten up the mood. Since I read the e-galley of the graphic novel courtesy of Netgalley, the pictures were big and the text was a bit hard to read but I think that was fixed in the print version of the book.  I'd definitely recommend this graphic novel to those who like fairy tales and dragons.


Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: Some tongue and cheek humor, which would give it a PG rating. Recommended for Grades 7 and up.

If you like this book try: Dragon Heart series by Jane Yolen, Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George, The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede

Description (from the publisher): The inspiring story of an Iraqi librarian's courageous fight to save books from the Basra Central Library before it was destroyed in the war. It is 2003 and Alia Muhammad Baker, the chief librarian of the Central Library in Basra, Iraq, has grown worried given the increased likelihood of war in her country. Determined to preserve the irreplaceable records of the culture and history of the land on which she lives from the destruction of the war, Alia undertakes a courageous and extremely dangerous task of spiriting away 30,000 books from the library to a safe place. Told in dramatic graphic-novel panels by acclaimed cartoonist Mark Alan Stamaty, Alia's Mission celebrates the importance of books and the freedom to read, while examining the impact of war on a country and its people.

Review: Alia's Mission is one of those rare graphic novels where I like the narrative much more than the actual drawings. We are narrated a story of a civilian heroine by an anthropomorphic book as it dramatically recreate Alia Baker's efforts to save the books of the Basra library in Iraq. Alia Muhammad Baker, chief librarian at the Basra Central Library, always had a lifelong passion for books and her country's history. Events in the 13th-century in when the Mongols invaded and a fire destroyed the Baghdad library have played a sense of foreboding and foreshadowing as to what could happen to her own precious library as her country is once again at war. We witness Baker requesting the government's permission to remove the collection from the building but gets denied. Refusing to quit, she begins to sneak books out of the library herself. Baker manages, with help from friends, to remove 30,000 volumes from the library, transporting them to private homes for safekeeping. With explosions in the background, Stamaty effectively captures the danger of the moment. We feel deeply saddened when the library is engulfed in flames and Baker's resulting. The author ends his graphic novel with a hopeful note that a new library is in developments. We are once again reminded that heroes can be everyday people and their work is just as important and inspiring.
  As I mentioned a bit earlier, I wasn't a fan of the illustrations in this book. All the panels were created in what seems to be in pen and are black and white. I didn't think they matched the intensity and passion of Baker's work. I would have liked to see little bits of color to show the various emotions that were well described by the text. Overall though a good story that is important to learn.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: Few depictions of war including bombs, depictions of guns, etc. Recommended for Grades 6 and up.

If you like this book try: The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter, Nasreen's Secret School by Jeanette Winter

Picture Book Reviews: Middle East Edition Part 2

  I'm having a great time reading and discoveirng new picture books for my picture book challenge, which is hosted by Jennifer over at An Abundance of Books. I wanted to read some children literature that take place in the Middle East. It was difficult to find some that were fiction and not slanted in a political opinion, but I did manage to find some. I will be reviewing: Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur! by Margaret Read Macdonald, Mystery Bottle by Kristin Balouch, Silent Music by James Rumford, and Joha Makes a Wish by Eric Kimmel.


Description: A childless woman's prayers are answered by the arrival of a talking pot, but the new mother knows that Little Pot must learn right from wrong just like any child.

Review: Based on a Palestinian tale, a woman wishes for a child to love, even if it is nothing more than a cooking pot. Her wish comes true, and red Little Pot appears. The two spend some quality time indoors, but the Little Pot grows restless and years to explore the outside world. Reluctantly, the mother lets her pot outdoors, and Little Pots adventures and troubles begin. For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. There's plenty of repetitive phrases and lots of action to keep an audience's attention. The vibrant illustrations with clear influence on Islamic art fill the pages; however, I found myself a bit lost on the cultural detail in the story. There are also some heavy messages of right and wrong behavior, but overall I enjoyed it. I think it would be interesting to pair this one with multicultuarl variations of the Gingerbread Man stories.
Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades Preschool to Grade 2.

If you like this book try: The Man With Bad Manners by Idries Shah,

Description: What happens when a boy and his grandfather are separated from each other by borders, politics, and distance? The mystery bottle unites the two through an extraordinary gift. The bond of their love.

Review: I loved the concept behind Balouch's Mystery Bottle. The first intriguing image is found on the book jacket, which features a picture of a bottle with a rolled map plugging the opening. We know we are going on a journey with the boy on the cover. The bottle arrives in a package; when the boy removes the map, wind blows out of the bottle, whisking him across the sea and through the city where his grandfather, Baba Bazorg, now resides. Together they spend time and the grandfather explains that can still have a relationship even though they are thousands of miles away. I would have liked a bit more clarification and exploration of the country which the boy travels to and from (according to the book's blurb it's Iran). have tea, and the grandfather explains how, whenever the boy wants a cup of tea, he can open the bottle and be carried back to him. I'm not entirely sure if kids would grasp the deeper meaning behind this book, but I think it would make a good discussion. The artwork, which can be a bit crowded, is striking and unique. It combines simple, cut-paper shapes, collage, and stamp art, set against maps charting the boy's adventures.
Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades K- Grades 3.

If you like this book try: Landed by Milly Lee


Description: As bombs and missiles fall on Baghdad in 2003, a young boy uses the art of calligraphy to distance himself from the horror of war.

Review: Silent Music is a beautiful book that brings hope and light behind the back drops of war torn Iraq. Ali is a simple boy who loves soccer, music, and above all calligraphy-forming the elegant Arabic letters, pen that move along to the silent music he hears in his head. Ali tells us that his secret hero is the famous artist Yakut, a renowned 13th-century calligrapher who is said to have fled to a high tower to shut out the violence by the Mongol invasion at Baghdad in 1258. Like his hero, Ali also escapes from war and seeks solace from the missles and bombs that falls on Baghdad in 2003. The effects of war on Ali is sublte yet profound. The Arabic word for war, Harb, comes easily to his pen, while he struggles to perfect Salam, the word for peace.
I absolutely loved the art work in this book. The jewel-toned illustrations are made with pencil, charcoal, and computer art programs. Ali and his family are depicted with warmth and personality, and their interactions add intimacy to the story, much like our own. Elaborately detailed designs appear throughout the book. It's clear that the illustrator is well aware of Islamic art from intricate tile arrangements, delicate floral motifs, and colorfully patterned clothing. Like the text, there are subtle images of war (army vehicles, helicopters, etc) that are striking with dark colors. I also loved how the the Arabic language adorns the pages as well as teaches the reader some new words. I highly recommend picking this up book.

Rating: 5 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 2 to 6.

If you like this book try: The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winters, The Color of Home by Mary Hoffman

Description: An original story, based on the Joha tales of the Arabic-speaking world, in which a hapless man finds a wishing stick that brings him nothing but bad luck. Includes an author's note about the history of Joha tales.

Review: Joha Makes a Wish is a laugh out funny folk tale from the Middle East. Kimmel recasts a Jewish tale from Yemen, and borrows story elements from widespread Middle Eastern folklore featuring the foolish wise man, aka Nasreddin Hodja. Kimmel's introductory note which gives us a little background to the story doesn't really explain his choice of using a lesser known name of Joha for his story, but that doesn't detract anything from the delightful story.
One day Joha finds a wishing stick. Everything he wishes for gets reversed. For example, he wishes for a new pair of shows, but instead his shoes disappear entirely. In spite of Joha's angry efforts to rid himself of the troublesome stick, it tightly adheres to his hand, causing much worse trouble when he encounters the sultan in the streets of Baghdad. Kimmel's well-paced text smoothly builds events and dialogue, leaving the character interpretation to the comic portrayals in Rayyan's energetic watercolor drawings. The character's physical features are exaggerated for comic effecct. Joha is a small man with large hands and feet and a long, thin expressive face beneath a generous turban. His frayed sandals and patched trousers contrast with the splendor of the robust sultan and his armored guards. I don't know for sure if Joha's misadventures in this book are true to the original folklore or cultural roots, but I do know that this book will promise a great read along as the underdog outsmarts those who are powerful.
Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: Recommended for Grades 1 to 6.

If you like this book try: The King's Taster by Kenneth Oppel, The Queen's Feet by Sarah Ellis