Library Larks: A Graphic Novel and a Picture Book after my own heart…

It’s the first rule of book reviewing that when you are suffocating under a pile of books for review and finding less and less time to get to the review pile, the first thing you should do is go to the library and get more books.

It just makes sense really.

So, given that I am woefully behind in my review schedule and have no less than seven books to read and review by the end of next week, I decided it was only fitting to pop to the library and grab two more to bring to your attention.  I’m glad I did actually, despite the stirrings of guilt, because I thoroughly enjoyed both of my choices.

First I picked Leave Me Alone by Vera Brosgol, which I had had my eye on since it was first released and I found it featured an old lady protagonist, knitting and telling people to bugger off – incidentally, three of my favourite things.

Given that Brosgol is the author/illustrator of multi-award winning graphic novel Anya’s Ghost, I suspected that the illustrations here were going to be great.  They were. Brosgol’s style features clean lines, blocks of colour and some fantastic facial expressions.  Most of all, I just loved this book because it was so funny.  The old woman is the matriarch of a home with an excessive amount of small children and so it’s unsurprising that she doesn’t get much alone time in which to knit.  After tramping out of the village with naught but a shouted “Leave me alone!”, the old lady traipses off through a variety of unlikely environments until she can get some peace and quiet in which to work on her knitting.

My favourite part of the story is when the woman passes through a wormhole to avoid her latest pursuers.  Honestly, the line “She swept the void until it was a nice matte black” has got to be one of the best in children’s literature.

This one is going to become a keeper for us.  I am left with no option but to buy my own copy I liked this story so much.

I also requested Nightlights by Lorena Alvarez because it’s far cheaper to borrow all the graphic novels I want to read from the library than buying them.  

Despite being in large picture book format, this is undoubtedly a graphic novel aimed at middle grade readers and older.  The story revolves around Sandy, a young girl who loves to draw and has trouble focusing in class …or anywhere for that matter…due to the intense concentration she exerts while drawing.  When Sandy meets Morfi, a new girl, their friendship at first seems to be buoying for Sandy, but as time progresses and Morfi appears in Sandy’s dreams, things aren’t quite as peachy for the pair as they appear.  The author has slipped in a neat little solution to the problem that will require a bit of reasoning out on the part of younger readers, but is satisfyingly clever and opens the door for Sandy to throw off the shackles that are holding her back.

The colours in Sandy’s drawings are so eye-catching and lush that they’d look just as good stuck in a frame on your wall.  The scenes set in Sandy’s dreamscapes are just creepy enough to indicate danger, yet are also filled with tiny details that call out to be pored over.  I enjoyed this story a lot and I think its larger format will make it a great choice for primary (and secondary!) school libraries.

Now, back to the review pile.

Until next time,

Bruce

Library Larks: Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!

It’s all about the pictures with my recent library borrowings.  I went a bit graphic novel mad recently, taking advantage of Moreton Bay Libraries’ most excellent graphic novel collection and have requested no less than eight graphic novels to slowly pore over.  Here are some of them:

Chief among these is Ben Hatke’s Zita the Spacegirl, which I borrowed to read in preparation for tackling Return of Zita the Spacegirl for my Mount TBR Challenge.  Jackie from Death by Tsundoku suggested that I read the first book in the series before trying the third, so I duly took her advice!  Look out for reviews of these two later in the week.  I also came across a graphic novel by Isombelle Carmody which I couldn’t just leave lying on the shelf.  I’m very much looking forward to casting my eyes over Bloody Chester, which is horror Western, and Livingstone: Volume 1, which is a manga featuring souls and untimely death.

I’ve also put a few Kazu Kabiushi titles on hold, one of which is an anthology of graphic novel short stories on the theme of mystery boxes.

Hopefully I’ll be able to get some reviews up for some of these in the not too distant future but if not here, I’ll definitely pop some up on Goodreads, so do make sure you are a friend of the Shelf if you happen to use that platform.

What’s on your library list this month?

Until next time,

Bruce

Library Larks: Farting Ponies, Squirrels on the Run and Orthodox Jewish Troll-Fighters…

It seems I’ve hit the jackpot with this month’s library loans.  I put on hold a bunch of picture books that I had been keeping my eye on, as well as a couple of intriguing looking graphic novels – one for me and one to introduce to the eldest mini-fleshling.  It’s quite an attractive looking pile I must say!  Click on the images to visit each book’s Goodreads page.

First up, I grabbed Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, a middle grade/YA graphic novel by Barry Deutsch.  I have seen this one on a number of recommended graphic novel lists, so decided I’d take the plunge and request it.  It helps, of course, that there’s a whacking great ball of yarn on the cover and the tagline, “Yet Another Troll-Fighting 11-Year-Old Orthodox Jewish Girl”.  I’m pretty excited also because I just looked at the Goodreads page and discovered that books two and three in the series have already been released, so if I enjoy this one I’ve got more to look forward to.

I also grabbed Bird & Squirrel On the Run, which is the first in a series of middle grade graphic novels by James Burks.  I’ve been keeping an eye out lately for books heavy on the imagery and with interesting protagonists, for when the eldest mini-fleshling has had his fill of Fly Guy and Elephant and Piggie – which hopefully won’t be for at least a little while yet.  This one looks fun though and as there are also more books in this series already out, this will hopefully become a go-to set of characters.

Mad Martha picked up Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, which has been out for a good long while but hadn’t crossed our path.  We loved the combination of Barnett and Klassen in Sam and Dave Dig a Hole and we expect that this collaboration will bear the same sort of re-readable fruit.

We had seen The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton around a few blogs, but I hadn’t really paid much attention until I saw it for cheap at the Book Depository.  Rather than buy it outright, I thought we’d borrow it from the library and take it for a test run first – and my word, if it isn’t the funniest, most kick-ass princess book I’ve ever read.  The mini-fleshlings loved Princess Pinecone and her flatulent pony, so I will definitely be making a purchase of this one just as soon as I am able.  Mad Martha is already planning how to recreate the chubby little horse in amigurumi.  This one’s a keeper.

Have you checked anything out from the library lately?  Have you read any of these books?  What did you think?

Until next time,

Bruce

Library Larks: What is Bruce Borrowing?

It may seem strange to  you that I even bother going to the library these days, considering I’m close to being asphyxiated under a crushing pile of free books from generous publishers, but I do in fact borrow from the library.  Often this is a completely futile exercise because I don’t get to finish the books I borrow due to the massive review pile I am obliged to get through, thus wasting 80 cents every time I place something on hold.

I thought it might be nice to share with you some of the books that I have borrowed and actually will get finished before their return date, and so Library Larks was born!

This time around, all of my choices were inspired by the brilliant bloggers at Read It Daddy!.  Honestly, if you don’t follow them, you are doing yourself a grave disservice.

First up, inspired by the heads-up about the third book in a wordless picture book series I hadn’t ever heard of, I placed on hold three books by Aaron Becker: Journey, Quest and Return.

Return hasn’t come in yet, but I’ve already picked up Journey and Quest and I am absolutely blown away at how visually absorbing they are.  I’ve had a good old gander at Journey and it feels just like Harold and the Purple Crayon for older, more imaginative kids.  I’ve only flicked through Quest – I’ve put it aside until I have a spare space of time so I can really pore over it, because it obviously continues the story from Journey and since it’s wordless, I need to focus my attention on perusing the visuals.

I think I will have to purchase this unusual trilogy because it has such a magical, mind-expanding quality to the narrative-in-images.

I also picked up Evil Emperor Penguin, a graphic novel collected from the weekly UK comic publication for kids, The Phoenix, which the Read It Daddy! crew are always banging on about.  It seems a bit unfair that the UK has such a brilliant comic come out weekly that I can’t get my paws on because it wouldn’t be postally feasible.  Anyway, I was happily shocked to see that our local library has some of the Phoenix collections on the shelves!

I look forward to plunging into this one.  I might just end up with a new favourite super-villain!

While I’m here talking about libraries, allow me to give a shout out to the Moreton Bay Council library service because their collection for younger readers and particularly middle grade readers is mightily impressive for a regional council.  May there be many more like it.

So what are you borrowing?  What’s your library service like?  Have you read any of these gems?

Until next time,

Bruce