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The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg
By Allie Costa
Graphic novels aren't just about superheroes - They can also be contemporary, realistic stories about everyday people.
Art, community, and fear are all discussed in this poignant story about a girl named Jane who is forced to move from a hip city to the suburbs. She is surprised not only by the artistic (and same-name) friends she finds in her new school, but also by herself.
When she confronts the fears she has clung to since surviving a tragic event that happened back in the city, Jane's eyes are opened to the world and to her community. She and the other Janes declare themselves P.L.A.I.N. - People Loving Art In Neighborhoods and setting up interesting, thoughtful displays of art around town, trying to call people's attention to things that really matter or are often overlooked. Not everyone "gets" their art, and some call them "art attacks." The girls take this in stride and continue with their unique art projects.
The story continues in the second volume, Janes in Love. If you're "not into romance," don't worry! Far from sappy or cliché, Janes in Love is just as thoughtful and fun as the first story.
Throughout both volumes, Castellucci's text and Rugg's art will keep readers turning pages. With their creative takes on activism and awareness coupled with consistently great art depicting a variety of realistic-looking characters, The Plain Janes and Janes in Love are great picks for reluctant readers and aspiring artists alike.
See art from The Plain Janes and Janes in Love as well as never-before-seen images from Janes Go Summer, which Cecil & Jim had started working on before the Minx line of comics was cancelled, in the July 2009 issue of readergirlz:
www.readergirlz.com
www.readergirlz.com/issue200907.html
I hope you'll join the readergirlz book group at http://www.readergirlz.com and join in the discussions at http://readergirlz.blogspot.com all month long!
So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother) by Micol Ostow with Art by David Ostow
By Allie Costa
Ready for a new read? Not sure if you want a regular novel or a graphic novel next? Pick up SO PUNK ROCK (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother), a novel by Micol Ostow with art by David Ostow, which comes out in July, and learn how you can rock on - in a totally kosher way, of course.
Ari Abramson wants to be cool. He thinks being in a band will help, so he recruits three other kids from his Jewish day school: his best friend Jonas, who is cool without even trying, a classmate named Yossi because he has drums, and Yossi's younger sister, Reena, who has a surprisingly good singing voice. Together, they form the Tribe. Soon, they can play a ska version of Hava Nagila.
Kind of.
So Punk Rock totally rocks. I dig this hybrid novel. It's funny, it's thoughtful, and it's just plain cool. It will definitely appeal to teen guys AND girls. It reads like a 'normal' book, with chapters and Ari's first-person narration, plus it has black-and-white illustrations: sidebars, pictures of the band members, doodles and lists from Ari's notebook when they're trying to come up with band names, and a hilarious glossary.
But don't take my word for it: Read an excerpt from the book and check out some of the illustrations at the website,
http://www.kosherpunkrock.com