#GraphicNovel Review: Always Anthony by Terri Libenson

Cover art by Terri Libenson, published by Harper 360,
23 May 2024, ISBN: 978-0063320925

Always Anthony is the eight book in the Emmie & Friends series by NY Times best-selling author Terri Libenson, and lives up to the incredibly high standards set by previous titles. I love the way that each new story explores the experiences of different characters from the same year group as they progress through the elementary and middle school setting. The graphic novel format is not just accessible and enjoyable for the target readership of 10 years and above, but is also a brilliant device for showing the inner thoughts of the characters as they present their outer personas to the world.

In this story we see an unexpected friendship develop during Grade 7, between ‘too popular for words’ Anthony and shy, nerdy Leah after they are paired up as student-tutor and tutee by awesome teacher Mrs Winn. The story is told as a dual narrative with alternating chapters told from Anthony and Leah’s viewpoint and I love the way that Terri Libenson illustrates each character’s story in a different graphic style, which I think is incredibly helpful for middle grade readers.

Anthony is a very cool, hardworking, Black boy, from a high-achieving family. His passions are basketball and STEM subjects but his grades are slipping in Language Arts (which I presume to be equivalent to English in the UK education system). Whilst Anthony would rather accept a D grade on his latest assignment and spend his weekend practising basketball skills, his helicopter mum is insistent that he rewrite and resubmit his assignment. When Mrs Winn suggests that Anthony should accept tutoring from fellow Grade 7 student Leah, he agrees but is less than enthusiastic during their first meeting. This makes the session incredibly awkward for poor Leah, who is already nervous about having to spent time with one of ‘the jocks’ with whom she would never usually interact. However, in addition to helping him with his grammar and spellings, she pushes him to express his feelings to fully answer the assignment question.

The gradual development of a friendship over the subsequent weeks is heart-warmingly and realistically portrayed, with Anthony slowly revealing the inner feelings which usually remain under the wraps of his outwardly cool personality. Leah gains confidence from the respect that he shows her personally, the interest that he shows in her Jewish religious practices and his admiration of her poetry and her work-in-progress recipe book. The chapter where he reads to the class an essay about his struggles with dyslexia, and his determination to not let the condition hold him back, brought a lump to my throat. All is not plain sailing however. They jointly witness a violent act of bullying, perpetrated by two hulking Grade 8 boys from Anthony’s basketball team and their different perspectives on what should be done in response threaten to damage their friendship.

I think this is a brilliant book for encouraging the idea of viewing things from the perspective of someone who has a different lived experience from your own. Leah and Anthony’s different reactions to the bullying incident ultimately stem from their past experiences of being either bystander or victim, and until they begin to explore how the incident would be viewed from each other’s perspective, they cannot reach a shared understanding. I have a colleague at work who always says that you should not try to walk in another’s shoes, but should instead ask them what it feels like to walk in their shoes and then believe what they tell you. I think that this message is portrayed with great kindness in this graphic novel.

I highly recommend Always Anthony to all primary and secondary school libraries and to any parent or caregiver wanting to give and enjoyable and empathy-building, accessible book to a child aged 10 years and above.

Disclaimer: I was sent a review copy of Always Anthony by Harper360 and Antonia Wilkinson PR ahead of publication on 23rd May 2024, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Other books in this series which I have reviewed are: Remarkably Ruby and Surprisingly Sarah

My Children’s Books Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 4 – School Trip by Jerry Craft

With Christmas fast approaching, I have decided to rerun one of my book reviews each day in the hope that they might provide inspiration for anyone looking to buy a book as a gift for a child this year. It has been incredibly difficult to select only 24 from the 2023 bookshelves, but I hope that you like some of my choices.

December 4th

My choice for today is an outstanding graphic novel, written and illustrated by Jerry Craft. School Trip is the third book in a fabulous series which details the experiences of a bright, lovable student, Jordan Banks, who has won a scholarship to an upmarket private school in New York. Jordan and his classmates embark on a literal journey to Paris and a figurative life journey, learning valuable lessons about acceptance and teamwork. Throughout this enjoyable and accessible story the teen voices are totally authentic as themes of inequality, racism and micro-agressions are explored.

This book is perfect for readers of age 9 and above.

I am grateful to publisher Quill Tree Books, an imprint of Harper 360 and Antonia Wilkinson PR for sending me a review copy of School Trip.

Graphic Non-Fiction: Drawn to Change the World, text by Emma Reynolds, 16 illustrators listed in review

Cover image by Emma Reynolds, Publisher HarperAlley (US) and Harper360 (UK), publication dates 12 September 2023 (US) & 14 September 2023 (UK)

Every now and again a book appears that stops me in my tracks and compels me to use that pause to reflect on the content in the context of my everyday experience and to try to make some change in response. Drawn to Change the World written by Emma Reynolds and illustrated in graphic novel format by Emma and fifteen other artists from diverse backgrounds has had exactly this impact on me. Written primarily for a Middle Grade readership, I think that this is a book that everyone should read. It is a collection of graphic novel-style biographies of sixteen young climate activists, each illustrated by a different artist who belongs to a minority group. I have named each artist at the end of the review, alongside the activist whose story they have depicted. After each comic strip biography, there is a double page of factual information including the awards and accolades that each campaigner has won and their website or social media details for anyone who wants to explore their work in more detail. There is also a summary of the climate and nature crisis at the beginning of the book and further facts, timelines and resources at the end.

As I read the biographies contained within this collection, I was struck by these thoughts:

Firstly, how astonishingly young these activists are now, and how young they were when they began their activism. It is really humbling to see how much they have achieved in their lives so far, driven by the realisation that they have to do something to halt the climate emergency because my generation have been so complacent.
Secondly, these stories make plain a truth that I was aware of but probably needed to have spelled out by those with lived experience – the consequences of pollution and climate change are suffered disproportionately by those living in minority communities and in the “global south”.
Thirdly, that we should respect the culture and practices of indigenous communities who have a connection with the land and know how to nurture and honour their environment.
Fourthly, how impactful the graphic storytelling format is when used for biography.
Finally, that there are changes and choices that I can make in my own life to try to reduce my own impact on the environment and to show solidarity with these brave and inspirational individuals. They are driven by the belief that change can happen and I feel the need to acknowledge their optimism and make a contribution to their goal.

Of course, many young readers will be very familiar with the story of Greta Thunberg and some will also know about Dara McAnulty through his books and television appearances. Drawn to Change the World shines a light on fourteen more activists from across the global community, including those from first nations and indigenous communities such as Autumn Peltier from Ontario, Canada and Tokata a member of the Standing Rock Sioux in Dakota, USA. The ingenuity and bravery demonstrated by the young people in these biographies not only illustrates their characters but also the sense of urgency that they feel about the climate emergency and the consequences for their futures if action is not taken quicklyy. Many have won national and international awards for their campaigning, some have delivered TED Talks or spoken at the UN General Assembly and some such as Arshak Makichyan and Ōu Hóngyi have had the courage to start protest movements in Russia and China. I am so grateful to Emma Reynolds and her fellow artists for bringing these profiles to life through their fantastic graphical art which will be in full colour throughout the finished edition when Drawn to Change the World is published in September 2023.

To quote Leah Namugerwa, who started the #FridaysForFuture strikes in Uganda, aged just 14:

Young people have shown the world that we can get things done – at times better than adults. That’s why organisations should have youth representatives on their governing bodies, that’s why young people should be involved in climate negotiations. We understand the needs of young people. We have the biggest stake in the future.
page 113

Drawn to Change the World is a book that needs to be in every school library, both primary and secondary (it got a strong vote of approval here from a teen who has a very discerning taste in books), I’d also recommend it to all adults of my acquaintance.

I’d like to finish by acknowledging all the artists who bring these biographical stories to life with their unique graphic art styles. I know from friends who are school librarians and teachers that the graphic novel format is extremely popular amongst students and I hope that this collection will grab the attention that it deserves.

Natasha Donovan illustrated the story of Autumn Peltier

Gloria Félix illustrated the story of Tokata

Ann Maulina illustrated the story of Melati and Isabel Wijsen

Bill Masuku illustrated the story of Edgar Edmund Tarimo

Teo DuVall illustrated the story of Jamie Margolin

Derick Brooks illustrated the story of Jerome Foster II

Emma Reynolds illustrated the story of Greta Thunberg

Shivana Sookdeo illustrated the story of Ridhima Pandey

Devon Holzwarth illustrated the story of Daphne Frias

Anoosha Syed illustrated the story of Iqbal Badruddin Jamal

Erin Hunting illustrated the story of Jean Hinchliffe

Margarita Kukhtina illustrated the story of Arshak Makichyan

Jade Zhang illustrated the story of Ōu Hóngyi

Natasha Nayo illustrated the story of Leah Namugerwa

Victoria Maderna and Federico Piatti illustrated the story of Dara McAnulty

I am immensely grateful to Emma Reynolds and Harper Alley/Harper360 for sending me an ARC of Drawn to Change the World ahead of publication in September 2023.

Graphic Novel Review: Surprisingly Sarah by Terri Libenson

Cover illustration by Terri Libenson, published by Harper 360 UK, 11th May 2023

The seventh in the Emmie & Friends graphic novel series, Surprisingly Sarah is a wonderful addition to this series of books for a middle grade readership. For anyone who has read the earlier novels, it will be a joy to recognise many of the protagonists, but this book can certainly be read as a standalone. Part of the reason is that author and cartoonist, Terri Liberman, has innovated with this book in making Surprisingly Sarah a split narrative, with two separate stories unfolding, based on which decision Sarah makes in the opening chapter. This is very cleverly achieved by telling the story from two viewpoints, Sarah’s and her lifelong best friend and next-door-neighbour, Leo’s. To avoid any confusion, the narratives are each presented in a different style; Sarah’s story is depicted as blocks of text broken up with illustrations and speech bubbles whilst Leo’s narrative is presented as a classic cartoon strip. I thought that this hybrid of illustrated fiction and graphic novel was a very effective method for telling the two alternative arcs of the story and one which might encourage readers to try books of a different style to their current preferred format.

And what a warm and insightful story it is! Sarah and Leo’s close friendship is clear to see, from their daily interactions to their shared childhood memories. Although from contrasting backgrounds, Sarah lives with her hardworking single-mother and has a lot of freedom and independence whereas Leo’s more affluent two dads take more of a helicopter approach to parenting and have sent him to private school, they have many shared values and are both surrounded with loving adults. Now aged thirteen, the first wave of adolescent emotions are stirring and when Sarah admits that she has a crush on Leo’s best friend Ben and wants to ask him to the school dance, their friendship becomes dramatically altered. Sarah’s story follows the narrative on the basis that she plucks up the courage to ask Ben to the dance. Leo’s story pursues the narrative that she “chickens out” but the fact of her crush and his knowledge of Ben’s attitude towards Sarah weighs heavy on his side of the friendship.

An interesting, honest, humorous portrayal of young teens with all their conflicting emotions as they navigate friendships, school and the onset of adolescence, I am sure that Surprisingly Sarah will be hugely popular with readers of 10+. It presents a clear message of recognising inner feelings and being honest to yourself; being the best person that you can be; and in the wise words of Sarah’s Mamá “surrounding ourselves with people who choose to love us back.” Highly recommended to primary and secondary school librarians, you’ll have a long reservation list for this one!

I am most grateful to Harper 360UK and Antonia Wilkinson for my review copy in return for my honest opinion.

You can read my review of Remarkably Ruby from the same series here.

Graphic Novel Review: School Trip by Jerry Craft

Cover image by Jerry Craft, published by Quill Tree an imprint of Harper360UK
on 27 April 2023

School Trip is the third of author and illustrator Jerry Craft’s full colour graphic novels featuring the entirely lovable character Jordan Banks. You can read my review of the multiple prize-winning New Kid which detailed Jordan’s life as a scholarship boy at the prestigious Riverdale Academy Day School here.

School Trip begins with Jordan receiving the news that he has been offered a place at The High School of Music, Art and Mime; a huge deal for a boy who loves to draw comic books. Before he has a chance to process this news, the school trip allocations are posted and Jordan is delighted to learn that he’s heading to Paris with best friends Drew and Liam. Also on the trip will be Ramon, Maury, Alexandra (Girl Alex), Ashley, Samira (all of whom are likely to be great travel companions) and Andy (who acts in an ignorant, arrogant and insensitive way to anyone who does not share his privileged, white background). Some mischievous interference with the teacher schedules means that the trip is accompanied by Coach Roche and Mr Garner, neither of whom speak French and who are not in possession of the correct school credit card. It looks as if this trip of a lifetime is about to go terribly wrong…until Maury steps up and becomes the lead character in this novel.

I will state right now that School Trip will be one of my books of the year. It is an absolute pleasure to read and being a graphic novel, it is a book which you can finish reading very quickly as you are unlikely to want to put it down once you immerse yourself in Jerry Craft’s brilliant combination of art and narrative. His characters are totally believable, the expressive graphics and natural conversations bring the story alive in your mind and for me the novel certainly played out like a movie in my brain. I love the clever design switch into black and white graphics whenever we are treated to one of Jordan’s life lessons and are able to see his wise reflections on the situations he experiences. There is humour, warmth, and real character growth as students and teachers learn lessons about themselves and each other as they navigate a foreign city.

And then you can dig deeper and realise that this is so much more than an entirely enjoyable quick comic book read, for there are so many lessons that can be taken from this masterpiece. Jerry Craft is very clear about the fact that he has created books that he would have wanted to read when he was younger, featuring African American children at the centre of the story in positive, inspiring, empowering situations. At one point in the story Jordan reflects on the fact that his friends from Washington Heights do not dream of going to Paris because they have never read a book or watched a movie where a black kid travels on a European vacation. There’s an incredibly touching moment near the end where he hands his friend Kirk a gift to inspire him to travel.

There are many examples of racism and micro-aggressions portrayed throughout the story, many of which concern Andy, but I will mention a couple of non-Andy situations that caught my eye. Liam, who is from a very affluent white family, has Jordan and Drew to stay at his house the night before they head to France. His grandparents are sitting on the sofa when the boys arrive and there is the most exquisitely subtle illustration of Grammy pulling her handbag closer to her when she sees that Liam has two black friends in the house. Prior to this, there is a scene in a shopping mall when Drew realises that the shop assistant has not removed the security tag from a shirt that he has bought, but he daren’t go back to the shop to point out the mistake because he is sure he will be accused of stealing. These moments really hit home to me, a white middle-aged reader, the unfairness of being pre-judged because of skin colour and the effect that this must have as soon as children become aware of it.

Inequalities and misconceptions are explored in interesting ways and I was intrigued that even Jordan and Drew were shown to be astonished to find that Maury’s father had formerly been the boss of Liam’s father, the disbelief that a black man could be even more rich and powerful than a white man had presumably not been something they had experienced before. Fortunately for all the characters in this story, Maury’s experience of regular Parisian holidays, his fluency in French and his credit card with its generous credit limit ensures that the trip is a great success; especially when each character finds the strength to talk about their challenges and their desires. The ability to learn from previous misconceptions, to own mistakes and to make the effort to listen to others’ experiences and change as a result is best embodied (for this librarian reader) by school librarian Miss Brickner! In the same way that she starts to stack the library shelves with graphic novels and stories which feature positive representation of minoritised characters, I urge all school librarians and upper key stage 2/key stage 3 class teachers to purchase a copy of School Trip, it’s an essential read for anyone of 9 and above.

I am very grateful to publisher Quill Tree Books (an imprint of Harper 360 UK) and publicist Antonia Wilkinson for sending me a copy of School Trip to review ahead of publication on 27th April 2023.

Beat the Backlist Challenge: Speak Up! Graphic Novel written and illustrated by Rebecca Burgess

Cover illustration by Rebecca Burgess, published by Quill Tree Books,
27 October 2022.

To my shame, the graphic novel Speak Up! has been sitting in my TBR stack for nearly four months and knowing that I desperately wanted to read it, I included it in my #BeatTheBacklistChallenge according to the rules set out by Austine Decker. Prompted by the promotion of #ChildrensMentalHealthWeek, I picked it up and am now kicking myself that I didn’t read it sooner!

The story of new Middle School student Mia is told in graphic novel format by autistic comic artist Rebecca Burgess and the authenticity of the story is deeply emotionally affecting. In my day job as a health librarian, I read many pieces of academic information about autism but the privilege of seeing the lived experience of an autistic individual portrayed with such clarity makes me deeply indebted to Rebecca Burgess. Through her words, and especially the pictures which show how thoughtless words or actions can initiate overwhelming sensory overload, this author educates and builds empathy in any reader. For anyone who wishes to expand their understanding of neurodiversity and make progress in their journey as an ally, I wholeheartedly recommend Speak Up!

In just over 260 pages we accompany Mia as she navigates the daily challenges of a middle school classroom, where her fellow pupils either ignore her because she is perceived as weird; make half-hearted attempts to include her but give up when she can’t find the right words to communicate with them; or actively bully her. Initially, Mia’s mum does not appear to have a firm understanding of her daughter’s individuality, constantly encouraging her to mask her autistic behaviours and try to blend in with the other pupils. The only person with whom Mia can be her true self is best friend Charlie, with whom she shares a huge secret; together they have created Mia’s alter ego, Elle-Q, an internet musical sensation with her emotive lyrics, superhero-style costumes and urban videos. However, even this relationship is almost fractured when Charlie enters them into a talent show which Mia does not think she can handle.

I was gripped by the realistic portrayal of “tween” life portrayed in this excellent graphic novel and its positive message about the importance of being your true self and finding joy in your unique gifts. The author does a great job of demonstrating possible motives behind bullying behaviour and similarly explains parental behaviour, leaving the reader with greater empathy for these characters too. I think that this would be an inspiring story for any autistic readers who wish to see their own experiences represented in literature. Finally, the gentle understanding and supportive action modelled by the organiser of the talent show towards Mia is a great example for all of us who want to improve our allyship skills. A fantastic book for readers of 11-14 and interested adults.

I would like to thank Harper360 and Antonia Wilkinson PR for my gifted copy of Speak Up! Views expressed here are entirely my own.