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A review by halschrieve
Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova
5.0
I remember reading and really enjoying the Dramacon and Nightschool series when I was in middle school, and while it took me a while to get around to reading Awkward and Brave, I am so glad I did. Chmakova has evolved so much as a writer and created a middle school story that is winningly wholesome and which simultaneously builds something deeply earnest and realistic within the stylistic parameters of a kids’ manga. She takes on the topics of bullying, insecurity and rivalry in school settings, and while she keeps everything G-rated and winsome for parents (all the central characters are deeply earnest about school clubs and are shown having productive, creative passions—nobody is too cool to get excited about an engaging science or art project), she shows an array of personalities and personal issues that ring true even for very young children. Some are shy and some have inexplicable focused interests, some are control freaks and some are intensely charismatic. Some are jerks, just like real life kids can be. Her characters are racially diverse and have rich, plausible home lives (Jaime’s mother uses a wheelchair and is a painter and his dad helps him hide geocaches and work on science projects). The cool science teacher, Ms. T, heads up the science club that Peppi’s art club is competing with, but Ms. T is shown as caring about and championing the interests of all her students, encouraging Peppi to combine her interests in art with science and draw, for example, a diagram of mermaid anatomy.
Kids are also shown taking responsibility for the emotional impact their actions have on one another and behaving in increasingly considerate ways to one another throughout the book as they realize the consequences of treating each other badly. In an era where little children’s media talks much about social and moral responsibility (I remember with unease an episode of the recent chibified Teen Titans show where one character’s pet bit other characters and then destroyed their pets and was never reprimanded by the narrative for this) I think this is vital.
While some kids’ books about friendship can be both sugary sweet and mind-achingly dumb (I am thinking of manga like Beauty Pop or Kitchen Princess, as well as some more recent American comics) this one manages to be both engaging and fresh. It also may encourage kids to be kind to each other and to pursue their interests actively, regardless of what people think.
Kids are also shown taking responsibility for the emotional impact their actions have on one another and behaving in increasingly considerate ways to one another throughout the book as they realize the consequences of treating each other badly. In an era where little children’s media talks much about social and moral responsibility (I remember with unease an episode of the recent chibified Teen Titans show where one character’s pet bit other characters and then destroyed their pets and was never reprimanded by the narrative for this) I think this is vital.
While some kids’ books about friendship can be both sugary sweet and mind-achingly dumb (I am thinking of manga like Beauty Pop or Kitchen Princess, as well as some more recent American comics) this one manages to be both engaging and fresh. It also may encourage kids to be kind to each other and to pursue their interests actively, regardless of what people think.