 Booklist review
Sara's Rating: 8/10 Suitability Level: Grades 6-10 Publisher: UDON Entertainment Publication Date: October 1, 2024 ISBN: 9781772943443 (Paperback) Tags: Rating: 8/10, Suitability: Elementary School, Manga, Biography, Educational, Nonfiction, History, UDON Entertainment
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In the 1980s in the USSR, the Russian government undertook an ambitious project to create a nuclear power plant and a perfect city just outside of it for all of its workers to live in. It would be a marvel of innovation and modern industrial achievement, but instead it was marred with corruption, unsafe construction, and unsound science. Anyone with the whole picture could have seen the explosion coming, but no one could see everything. On April 26, 1986, a safety test went horribly wrong, causing one of the reactors to overheat and explode with radioactive energy for tens of kilometers and sending a radioactive cloud of smoke as far away as Canada. The cleanup process involved hundreds of thousands of people, some of whom died shortly after, leaving others to deal with radiation sickness for decades.
Illustrated by Jes and Cin Wibowo
Tony is constantly the new kid at school, having made many transfers, but this latest school is proving to be even more challenging with a more than fair share of bullies pointing out every eccentricity Tony has and posting much of it to social media. It becomes too much for Tony to handle - the bullies suck all of the joy and light from his days until he's ready to give up completely. His parents begin having him go to therapy, and he switches schools yet again to one where most students are more accepting and there are fewer bullies. Tony finds a home with the Literature Club and even finds his voice again as a champion for others with their own bullies and in their self-expression.  Booklist starred review
Sara's Rating: 10/10 Suitability Level: Grades 5-10 Publisher: UDON Entertainment Publication Date: September 3, 2024 ISBN: 9781772943085 (Paperback) Tags: Rating: 10/10, Suitability: Elementary School, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, Nonfiction, Art, Animals, UDON Entertainment 
In this autobiographical comic, Thorogood details her life as an illustrator going to comics conventions, trying to break into the industry, her attempts at romantic relationships, and her struggles with her depression. She goes far outside her comfort zone and decides to meet an online friend in person, which requires traveling from England to California. The two become romantic partners, but Zoe is very conflicted because the man is still infatuated with his previous partner, and he has children who don't accept her. During the months this comic takes place, the COVID pandemic begins, so isolation makes projects difficult and cancels some of Thorogood's planned appearances. She struggles with going to conventions and imposter syndrome, feeling like her illustrations are not worthy of the praise she receives from fans who visit her booth.
In this memoir manga, Pesayuma-san goes through their beginnings of being a manga artist, reflecting on their childhood, and grappling with their gender and sexuality. In their second job in the manga industry, Pesayuma was sexually assaulted and objectified by a male coworker, and the trauma from this incident left them emotionally scarred and vulnerable for seven years. After finding a new editor in a post Me-Too world, Pesayuma discovers that they could take legal action against their aggressor, but also that their story could be publishable. They reflect on some fundamental people from their childhood and moments that were formative in their life as they journey towards self-discovery.
This manga is a collection of graphic essays about Hara’s life, where she battled weight as a junior high student, developed an eating disorder, and found body positivity in her young adult years. Hara shares a lot about her struggles with trendy clothing, and how she came to terms with being plus sized and still able to wear clothing she considered to be fashionable and cute. Clothes were an initial trigger for Hara, so it is one of the main foci of her essays. She also shares her development of anorexia that turned into bulimia nervosa in college. She continues to struggle with eating enough food, but through therapy and hard work, she is able to keep her eating disorders in check.
This autobiographical manga presents Asuka's journey of self-discovery with their gender. In Japan, X-Gender is a term for nonbinary, but even these umbrella terms are not helpful enough to help Asuka navigate the LGBTQ+ community or to find a girlfriend. Asuka also provides some introspection and analysis as to why having a period is so emotionally disturbing to them as it reminds them of their female anatomy. Throughout the manga, Asuka tries to go on dates, participate in speed-dating events specifically for LGTBQ+ folks, and navigate friendships and attractions.
Based on and adapted from the screenplay by Brandon Beckner and Scott Sampila
In San Francisco in 1971, Reporter Seymour Phillips stumbles upon some clues that a recent drug bust might not be all it seems. After an ill-fated trip to talk to the suspect in prison, Seymour’s life gets destroyed by a planted bag of marijuana that sends him to jail. He loses him his job and his girlfriend. A few years later, he meets Chase, a drug addict, potentially with some mental illnesses, who claims to have been part of a super top-secret CIA operation to develop compound LSD-25 into a tool for interrogation and mind control. Chase leads Seymour on a crazy ride that includes taking drugs, disguises, clandestine meetings, amongst other things, as they uncover an operation that included prostitutes and experimenting on Johns and the operatives themselves. 
History Comics: The National Parks: Preserving America's Wild Places
Follow Bigfoot and Eagle through an historical look at the founding of America's National Parks. Bigfoot embodies the spirit of National Parks and explains to Eagle, the embodiment of the American People, how they all came to be. We start off with Yosemite and Yellowstone, and take a look at what acts of Congress and presidential actions made pieces of the country into National Parks. We also take a look at the founding of Park Rangers, and what their role was in preserving the parks from human disruption. As the idea of parks changed, activists were able to argue that land of historical significance, not just natural beauty, could become a National Park, as is the case with Mesa Verde National Park. |
About MeI've been reading manga and comicbooks for years. Now, I write reviews and other helpful things for School Librarians, teachers, parents, and students. Search this site
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