I have titled this post ‘Thank You Raina Telgemeier” for a very particular reason. First, for those of you unfamiliar with Raina Telgemeier, all you need to know is that she is incredibly popular with tweens. She is an awesome graphic novelist. I am not thanking her for bringing back ‘The Babysitter’s Club’ in graphic novel form so that it can be enjoyed by a new audience. For that she has gained a forever fan….which is me. I am thanking her for gifting children with this amazingly diverse graphic novel for middle school aged kids.
Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school’s production of Moon Over Mississippi, she can’t really sing. Instead she’s the set designer for the drama department stage crew, and this year she’s determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget. But how can she, when she doesn’t know much about carpentry, ticket sales are down, and the crew members are having trouble working together? Not to mention the onstage AND offstage drama that occurs once the actors are chosen. And when two cute brothers enter the picture, things get even crazier!
From that description alone one would never suspect that this book quietly includes homosexuality. Some authors include homosexuality in their story lines…which is great because it is very much a part of the world. However, sometimes it feels so forced that it does not read well. That is not true with Drama. This graphic novel reads perfectly. It is an absolutely true part of the story. It does not feel forced. I can easily see these kids at a local middle school. They are working hard on their next school production…which I think should be Okalohoma!. I love the realness of the kids. I am so thrilled that Raina’s graphic novels are continuously flying off the shelves at libraries and book stores alike. This means that kids are getting a realistic view of the world, a natural education of the differences of their classmates and a fun, truly original story….greatly told.
This Bookish Life 