emily_m_green's reviews
32 reviews

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game has been on reading lists for years. Why? What’s the appeal of a prepubescent boy leading Earth in a war against an alien enemy? A good question, as more recently we see series such as Hunger Games and Divergent with enormous popularity. Many are disturbed by the violence and have concern for the children who read such books. Isn’t it harmful for adolescents to read about other adolescents committing terrible atrocities against each other? What possible benefit could a thirteen year old receive from reading about six year old Ender brutally beating his bully? Or by his being threatened by the school bully and his cruel older brother, Peter? 

Ender’s Game is set in a future world that suffered two wars against aliens that have been named Buggers due to their likeness to Earth insects. During the first war, the aliens took humans by surprise. During the second, the humans barely won. Now, an international alliance wants to beat the aliens once and for all, using a team of specially trained children to do it. 

Enter Ender, whose existence as a rare third child was allowed after his older brother and sister showed military promise. Peter was too eager to do violence, their sister Valentine, too kind-hearted, but by allowing Ender’s birth, they hope to find in a comfortable middle—willing to apply necessary force, but not eager to do so. Ender is chosen to go to battle school, which is located in outer space, so that students can learn to fight in lowered gravity. 

In some ways, battle school is like a boarding school—children live together, away from their parents, and go to classes and learn. In one very important way, it is different: the games are everything. The games are battles between child armies, made up mostly of boys, in which they fight in simulated outer space to raise their ranks. 

Ender is immediately set apart from the other boys, made to be isolated as well as envied. He is moved through the ranks quickly, which helps him to become better at warfare, but does little for his mental health and growth. Interspersed throughout the story are bodiless conversations between the high-ranking officers in charge, who often discuss the impact of their manipulations on Ender. 

Most people, especially educators, agree that reading is especially important for brain development and literacy. Therefore, one argument for books like Ender’s Game is that such a book gets kids to read, and the story is intense and exciting and the ending packs a big bang. 

Valid, but is that enough to encourage kids to read about children fighting society’s battles? 

In Ender, readers recognize the hero, the one who is extra compared to the best. He has more pressure upon him than any other character, and he is given little choice but to train to fight the war that was begun long before his birth. In many ways, is that not an analogy for childhood? Placed in the middle of inherited structures and asked to succeed without all of the right tools. 

The violence is also part of an internal struggle for Ender—he must protect himself against the violence of others, which often requires him to use significant force, as he seeks not just to prevent one beating but to convince the rest of the bullies to leave him alone. However, Ender feels great guilt and self loathing for hurting others, and yet does not see any other options that would guarantee his safety. It is a decision that many of us have to make in our youth—how will we respond to those who would hurt us? Especially those who seek to cause great harm?

It is not about what our children read, it is more about helping them to process and think about what they have read. If books like Ender’s Game are not pushed past an initial understanding of plot, if children are not asked to consider Ender’s plight, then the violence and all the ideas within the book have been lost. When people connect to a book, usually it is more than an exciting plot—they want to think and feel, as this is part of the entertainment—yes, using your brain is entertaining. People--including young people--like to feel smart when they catch onto subtleties in a book. 

Would I teach this book? Ender’s Game has a compelling plot and a lot to dig into. A middle school student can easily handle the writing style and content. Do not underestimate their imagination and depth. Even those who hate the book have a lot to say about it. If anything, the book does not teach students to glorify violence, but to consider the deep personal and social repercussions of it. 

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

In Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell’s Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me high school dating drama, Freddy has been on and off girlfriends with Laura Dean for some time. Laura is charismatic, fun, attractive, and popular. She makes Freddy feel like someone special--until she doesn’t. 

Freddy has been well-trained by Laura--it is Laura who calls all the shots, including when they will get together, what they will do, and how long they spend together. Freddy feels helpless to pull herself out of the cycle--when she is with Laura alone, she often feels incredible and when they are apart, she feels terrible. But most of the time, she just feels terrible. Laura disappears at parties to make out with other girls, disses Freddy’s friends, and invalidates Freddy’s feelings--any time Freddy brings up an issue, Laura shuts her down. So.

It is the classic gaslighting, verbally abusive partner. I have certainly seen this before. And it isolates the person from their friends, who get tired of seeing their friend abused, get tired of being ditched for a significant other, and get tired of the complaining about the partner and then returning. Yep. As Freddy compares it to in the beginning of the graphic novel, I know this song and I know it well: before I got married, let’s just say that I dated some real winners. 

One of the ways that this story is different is that Freddy and Laura are both girls. By being a book about two young lesbians who have an unhealthy relationship and seem to be realistic and even nuanced characters, we can see that the situation is addressing the fact that yes, gay people also have relationship issues. The book is not actually about them being gay, but about how their relationship is prolonged, how Laura gets away with treating Freddy poorly, and how Freddy allows herself to be pulled back in. It is not about their parents being disapproving or either girl experiencing homophobia, though the subject does come up. When we start to have queer characters with plotlines that do not revolve around their queerness, that is when we know that we are making progress. Yes, just like any other piece of someone’s identity, we need to have books about that--but not all the books with queer characters need to be about them being queer. 

The other way in which this book is different is that it is a graphic novel. There are several moments and expressions that are recorded only in images, such as a montage during parties. Also, there are talking stuffies, and who doesn’t love talking stuffies?

Would I teach Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me? Well, yes, yes I would. The book feels honest and not melodramatic, while addressing an important element of many unhealthy relationships. As previously mentioned, I have been trapped in such relationships and thinking that there was no way out--that I was doomed or fated to be stuck in that relationship forever. There was a time when I compared myself to Frida Kahlo. I know, there is no comparison, but at the time it seemed like a reassurance that these tumultuous love stories existed and were meant to be. And, of course, representation. We need to have more queer representation in what we teach. So, yes, thumbs up. Add it to the curriculum. 

Dragon Ball Z, Vol. 1 (Vizbig Edition) by Akira Toriyama

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Dragon Ball Z begins with Son Goku and his son Son Gohan visiting Master Roshi, who taught Son Goku how to fight. Son Gohan has never learned combat, because Chi Chi, Son Goku’s wife and Son Gohan’s mother, has forbidden it, as she has determined her son should be a a scholar. It seems that the universe has different plans for Son Gohan.

An alien lands on Earth, who turns out to be Son Goku’s brother, and he is furious at Son Goku for going soft and rails at him for not conquering the planet and denuding it of humans. With the help of his buddies and his enemy Piccolo, Son Goku manages to defeat his brother. However, he is sure that there will be retaliation. 

When Son Goku and Son Gohan are separated and Piccolo takes the role of training Son Goku, it is unclear whether Piccolo will have the compassion and patience to train such a young child. 

Meanwhile, Son Goku has his own training to do, his friends recover the Dragon Balls. Together, friends and enemies must combine their efforts to save the planet and all human kind. 

The volume has some odd moments, including some potty humor that would please my three and six year olds. There is also death, fighting, aliens, and revenge. The book certainly fits the bill of interesting and entertaining. 

Would I teach this book? I suppose if there were some sort of class specifically about manga or creating characters for CCGs, I would consider it. Since I have only read this volume, it would be difficult for me to say whether or not it represents the rest of the series. I was not wild about the book, but if my students were very interested in discussing it, I would teach it. 

Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper is a really, really cute and sweet graphic novel about high school romance. Charlie Spring had a difficult last school year—when he confided in a few classmates that he was gay, they outed him and the bullying started. While this year the bullying has quieted, he’s not always comfortable at school. 

Nick is a popular, straight, rugby player who quickly warms up to Charlie when they sit next to each other in class. Soon, Nick invites Charlie to join the rugby team and they start hanging out outside of school. Their friendship gets friendlier and friendlier as Charlie begins to wonder if his crush on Nick is being reciprocated.

The book is full of sweet moments, like Nick teaching Charlie to play rugby. Their friendship is supportive and kind. Nick is a genuinely kind person who gets tired of the social nonsense of high school. Charlie is creative and driven, doing everything with all his heart.

Would I teach this book? Heartstopper (and this is only volume one--I have not yet read the other volumes) gives the constant feeling of saying “Awww! So cute!” It is wholesome and promotes positive morals, like kindness and giving people who seem different a chance. In a graphic writing class, it would serve as a nice foil to other more intense or darker works. Both Charlie and Nick are so adorable, you cannot help but to root for them and their story. Heartstopper is a great lesson in creating incredibly likable characters without being sappy or sentimental. Read it. Teach it. Enjoy!

Yu-Gi-Oh!: Gx, Vol. 1 by Naoyuki Kageyama

tense fast-paced

3.0

Thank you to Multnomah County Library, who made Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Volume 1: A New Hero!! available for the public to check out. 

Allow me to be frank: I do not understand the appeal of collectible card games (CCG) or the comics based on CCGs. I do not mean this as a criticism of those who play CCGs or of the comic books, I am coming from a place of lack of knowledge. My younger brothers played Pokemon for years and I had many friends who were devoted to Magic the Gathering. Myself, not so much. However, seeing as how many people I respect and love are drawn to CCGs, there must be something to them. 

The next logical question would be: why am I reading a book from a genre I don’t care for? Why pick it up? Why not put it down? Don’t I have a DNF pile? All good questions. 

Several years ago, I had a student who did not like to read. This student struggled to finish reading assignments, even the ones that most students love. I decided that I needed to find a book that they might enjoy, and since I knew they liked CCGs and had at a younger age watched some of the cartoons, I wanted to try some of the comic books myself and see if I might be able to figure out one that would make a good buddy read for us. Due to circumstances beyond either of our control, it did not work out. However, among the books I took from the library was Yu-Gi-Oh! GX V. 1: A New Hero. I began reading it a loooong time ago, a good chunk aloud to my interested daughter. She sat and listened, looked at the pictures, and did not ask any questions, so I am not sure how much she got out of it, but over several days we read a good portion of the book. And then she got interested in other things and it became buried in my passively reading pile. 

Almost every book I start, I finish, whether I like it or not. It might take me years to finish reading it, but I finish reading it, nonetheless. So, why don’t I set aside a book that I do not enjoy, like most readers? My time on this planet and the amount of it that I can devote to reading is just as finite as everyone else’s. There are only so many books that I can read in a lifetime, it is true. However, I think of reading not just as the pleasure of enjoying the book or finding out what happens, but like a child who takes apart a telephone to see how it works, I want to know how the author does it and then to consider why it might be successful or unsuccessful. Interestingly, this is the advice that I give to students: finish reading and decide what made you like or dislike something. In this, at least, I am not a hypocrite. To me, every book is an opportunity to learn.

What puzzled me about A New Hero is that the use of cards in the plot feels like a way to sell the cards, and not as a way to enhance the storyline. Jaden Yuki is a student at Duel Academy, where students battle each other with cards that manifest real life powers and sentient beings. Students are ranked by year and ability within year, and Jaden is Slifer Red, the lowest possible grouping. He is unorthodox in his schooling, but manages to win against the best competitors. Each chapter builds up to a duel, in which competitors use the cards in their decks to battle each other. There are drawings of each card and an index of all the cards included in the volume in the back of the book. Jaden, the underdog, is the titular new hero. 

There is not much of a plot and not much character development. Cheeky Jaden with his outcast friends are pitted against classmates and Jaden always performs well. The volume does not feel as though it is building towards a larger plot. It is unclear in what way Jaden will ultimately be a hero. I appreciate the artwork: the expressiveness of the characters, the clearly drawn cards, the balance between humor and action. I also appreciate the running side gag of the writer of the comics showing the perils of slacking and then rushing towards deadline, a story I have heard from other comic book artists, but it’s still amusing. 

But, yeah, I don’t get it. 

Would I teach A New Hero!! ? If I had another student who was not excited about reading, but wanted to read this book, I would use it without a question. I could certainly get into it if I were reading it with someone who breathes in the world of CCGs and gets the attraction. It would be interesting for me to learn more. However, with the limited knowledge that I have of CCG related manga, I find books that focus more on plot and less on the actual cards to be more interesting and to better fit my own definition of literature. (More on that in some future review, I am sure). So, if you love Yu-Gi-Oh!, then you might love this book. If you don’t, please come join me under my highly sheltered yet ornate rock. 

Nimona by ND Stevenson

adventurous dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 In Nimona, by ND Stevenson, Nimona shows up at Lord Ballister Blackheart’s evil lair unexpected, claiming that she has been sent to be his new sidekick. Ballister at first dismisses the girl, uninterested in her offer, until he learns that she is a shapeshifter. And quite the shapeshifter indeed, as she can be a dragon, a cat, an old lady, whatever she chooses to be. She is also eager to attack The Syndicate and Sir Goldenloin, Ballister’s arch nemesis. Ballister’s backstory shows that he has been forced into villany and that Goldenloin is to blame. He does not wish to destroy human lives without regard, nor does he lack compassion for others. However, as Ballister soon discovers, Nimona does not play by the same rules as Ballister, nor does she live by the same principles. 

The world that Nimona and Ballister live in has knights and magic, but also science and modern technology. The juxtaposition adds to the humor and play in the story. Swords and bio weapons in the same volume--yes, please. 

Even as Nimona takes a wrong turn, it is clear that we should love this broken-hearted child. She may look and act like a dragon at times, but she is still a vulnerable child who acts out as a result of trauma. Trauma, trust, and power are important conversations in the book. 

Would I teach Nimona? Yes. Nimona is darkly hilarious and the character is charming as well as dangerous. Ballister, as de facto mentor, parent, and boss is also morally complicated. I love graphic novels, and I love that there is a queer plotline. Representation in literature is so important. 

 

Killingly by Katharine Beutner

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thank you to Soho Press and Goodreads Giveaways for providing the review copy of Killingly by Katharine Beutner with the expectation of a fair and honest review. 

In Killingly, Katharine Beutner begins with a real-life unsolved mystery: the disappearance of Bertha Mellish from Mount Holyoke College in 1897. She includes characters who are very loosely based on figures central to the case: Florence Mellish, Bertha’s older sister and Henry Hammond, the doctor who delivered Bertha and once she was a college student sought to court her. Other characters are straight from Beutner’s imagination, such as Agnes Sullivan, Bertha’s best friend who is poor, studious, and painfully serious. While the book is a work of historical fiction as well as a mystery, it would be incorrect to label it as true crime, as beyond the premise, the book is all invention. This is not a critical comment--as the novel is quite well-imagined--but a note on the genre of the book. 

The Mount Holyoke of the story is one in which most young women engage in both serious scholarship as well as socializing, including dating, and many seek to secure a husband as they learn about anatomy, rhetoric, and Latin and participate in sports and other extracurricular activities. Bertha, however, was not interested in going to parties and courting as the “all-around girls” were, and was seen as serious and peculiar. She did not fit in, but she did not seem bothered by it, which Agnes greatly admired. In bringing in the contrast between Bertha and the other women, there is a question that is begun about gender roles and women’s place in education. At the time, higher education was not about learning a trade or securing a job, but about learning the information that was considered important to carry with you into your adult life. 

The plot of Killingly relies mostly on secrets, as the information each character withholds creates a tension and a layer of difficulty for solving the mystery. As the plot moves forward, the reader sees many of the secrets revealed, and Bertha, who does not get to tell her own story, has her story told and interpreted for her. 

In addition to gender roles, one of the main thematic discussions in the book is sexuality, specifically who each character chooses to be with or is forced to be with, and the consequences. The sexual politics of the time, as Beutner describes them, are not entirely different from our own. Women still have less power, it is not always safe to reveal anything but heterosexual attractions, and there is more interest in how women express their sexuality than men. A woman’s “virtue” is at more risk than a man’s, and since pregnancy can result from a heterosexual encounter (consensual or not) women physically bear the burden, as well. Not to mention how a woman’s reputation reflects on her family, and what lengths they will go to protect it. 

Would I teach Killingly? Admittedly, I have not taught a significant amount of historical fiction, but a discussion about historical fiction and how a real event was used to spark a largely imagined explanation could be interesting. I can also imagine a follow up writing prompt of finding another historical mystery and filling in the blanks. Maybe I will try that prompt myself… 

Lay Your Body Down by Amy Suiter Clarke

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thank you to William Morrow and Goodreads Giveaways who provided a copy of Lay My Body Down by Amy Suiter Clarke with the expectation of a fair and honest review. 

Del, born Delilah, is in the middle of a series of bad endings--her terrible boyfriend dumps her, her roommate asks her to leave, and she quits her retail job in a moment of frustration and anger. When Del learns on social media that her ex-boyfriend, on whom she is still hung up, has died as a result of a mysterious hunting accident, she is determined to go home for the funeral and quickly becomes convinced by his bereaved parents to investigate. 

As the story unfolds, it becomes more and more clear why Del is obsessed with investigating the murder of a college ex she hasn’t seen or spoken to in years and who has been married for almost the same number of years. She grew up under the auspices of a megachurch that functions with cult-like behaviors: a pastor who is not only spiritual leader, but who makes decisions for the community that are never questioned. A program of study for teenage girls to become proper wives, coupled with an attitude that allows men and boys to behave without repercussions. And a community that is as willing to embrace as it is to shun. 

While the murder mystery guides the plot of the story, the trauma of Del’s religious upbringing guides the emotional heart of the story. As a young woman, still in her twenties, she feels unmoored, with no new home and being estranged from her parents and the community in which she grew up. The one man she loved was stolen by a supposed friend and while she no longer has a place in the community, she cannot find a new place to belong. As she investigates, she is like a shadow in her old community, as no one trusts her and no one seems to know how to respond to her questions and accusations. 

Del is a difficult, complicated character, and not always easy to love or understand. For example, her obsession over the death of the ex who had long ago moved on from her--he was married with a child--is a little uncomfortable and difficult to understand. Her aggressive questioning of townspeople when she thinks that she is being subtle, especially when questioning the widow whose husband suffered an untimely death, seems callous, at best. Her accusations are thrown wildly and with little evidence. It is only as the audience begins to understand what she suffered at the hands of the church that her behavior begins to make any kind of sense. At the same time, there is a subplot with an uncomfortable new romance. 

A difficult character, one who is not easy to like or sympathize with, does not mean a bad character or a bad book. However, it does mean that there must be a reason to care about what the character is doing, and for Lay Your Body Down, part of the reason that we care is because we want to find out about Del’s trauma and to understand what made her the kind of person who is so strongly motivated to avenge the death of a long ago ex-boyfriend.

Would I teach Lay Your Body Down? I can see teaching the novel given a certain kind of undergraduate literature course. Certainly, it is important to discuss trauma, and for many, considering the line between a healthy religious life and community and religion as used as a tool to manipulate can spark personal and religious growth and healing. It is essential for people to question their religious upbringing and consider whether or not they believe as they were brought up. If people do not examine their religion themselves, their faith and belief does not have the same power--they will lack their own conviction. This is not an argument for people to leave behind the religion of their youth, though this may happen, but to give them the opportunity to consider it in a deeper and more sophisticated way. The same should happen for values and social attitudes, as well, an examination and determination of their truth. While this can happen at any point in a person’s life, and will likely happen more than once, our brain development suggests that our late teens and early twenties is a time when we are primed to learn to think for ourselves and consider new ideas. Because of the conversations the book might spark, I would consider teaching it.

ReInception by Sarena Straus

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Thanks to StoryGraph and Sarena Straus for the review copy of ReInception by Sarena Straus, which I received with the expectation of a fair and honest review. 

ReInception begins with Leandrea’s twentieth birthday, the age when no longer needs her parents’ consent to modify herself through ReInception, a technique that alters the brain in order to change habits. Originally designed to help addicts rid themselves of the craving for substances, ReInception is now used for everything from snacking too much to altering criminals to avoid incarceration. For Leandrea’s birthday, she has chosen to go to a Prole bar--a place the lower class of society frequents, far different from the places she and her university pals inhabit--and then to a protest against ReInception. 

When violence erupts at the protest, Leandrea’s life changes forever and she finds herself needing to decide if she will stay in her naive but relatively safe world or go in search of the truth. 

Okay, I am going to be honest. I read a lot of books, for teaching, for pleasure, and for the purpose of reviewing ARCs. When I began reviewing books from Goodreads FirstReads (it is now Goodreads Giveaways), I thought, hey, free books. The way that Goodreads runs the program is that you enter a raffle online, and on a certain date, winners’ names are drawn to receive the number of copies of the books that the publisher or author has offered. Many of the books are ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) and many of them are quite good. Astoundingly good, in fact. However, many of them are clunkers. It is not in my nature not to finish a book--once I start, I am committed. There are very few books I have not finished--usually overdue library books I could not renew again. Now that I have more responsibilities--family, etc, etc, and less dispensable time, I find it more important to use my time where I can potentially have an impact. I hope that by reading and reviewing books, I will help other authors by helping to get their work out there. (Yes, I know that I read a fair number of books that are not ARCs and are written by dead, famous authors who don’t need any help from me. As I said, I read books for other purposes, too.) This is all just to say, I am happy when books surprise me and appeal to my tastes. ReInception is one of those books that was even more enjoyable than I expected. 

Leandrea, the main character, does not come from the most affluent and influential family, but they belong to the upper class and have jobs as political liaisons. They have wisely chosen not to modify their daughter, but by not modifying her, they have effectively made her an outsider. She does, however, have communication implants, which are basically standard for the time, like having a smartphone is today. In part, the book seems to be discussing capitalism, the role of government in an individual’s ability to make their own decisions, and the influence of companies over human behavior and the government. Another discussion, which is in many ways more interesting, is the conversation about privilege. As we struggle in our own society to address the question of racial privilege, part of the question is about what role the privileged should play in righting the wrongs of inequality. Who should be able to make decisions? Who should lead the movement for change? Who, ultimately, should be in charge of the changes made to society and the government?

Would I teach this book? ReInception would be a good fit in a literature or creating writing class focused on science fiction. The novel follows several of the trends in science fiction: technology ruled world, government overreach, and a blurred line between corporations and the government. The female main character, which has become more common, and a learning of the truth that has been hidden from the rest of society are also common themes. 

In considering the character of Leandrea, she is the typical outsider/individual who is driven out of society, though in this case, Leandrea seems more driven not towards the truth, but in concern for social equality. Her carelessness in some of her actions, as mentioned earlier, including her assumption that she would be welcomed at a Prole bar and not seen as a tourist, her romanticization of the freedom of Prole, and her assumptions about their lives make clear how problematic her interest is. That, and Straus’s incredible world building, are what make this book most stand out. 

Almost American Girl by Robin Ha

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

 Almost American Girl, a graphic memoir by Robin Ha, tells the story of Chuna, a fourteen-year-old girl who grew up in Seoul, South Korea. She has her school, friends, routines, and her home. When Chuna’s mother tells her that they will be going on vacation to the United States, she thinks little of it, packing her suitcase and preparing for a short visit. What Chuna does not know is that this is not just a visit, but an opportunity to spend time with an American man with whom her mother has been romantically involved, and that the pair would stay in America if all went well. And all went well. 

Without notice, Chuna is now living in the USA, with a whole stepfamily, and none of her things, friends, or anything familiar. Except her mother. 

What Chuna discovers is prejudice, confusion, and a school system that is not prepared for her and not able to prepare her--as well as a stepfamily that is not so interested in making her feel welcome. 

As a graphic memoir, this is based on the very real Robin Ha’s experience of moving to the United States. I have tried to imagine what it might be like to move to a new country without warning, especially one with such a distinctly different culture and language. I am not sure that I would have done as well as Ha describes, even as she details difficulties, struggles, and anger at her mother. There are so many elements that, having only lived in the United States with brief stays outside of the country, I would not have considered. 

One of the most interesting pieces to Chuna’s story (she eventually chooses Robin as her American name) is her mother’s history. Being an unmarried mother caused many difficulties for her, and so she determined that she would be financially independent and protect her daughter in any way that she could. She saved up money until she was able to purchase her own salon and support her daughter. Still, she could not protect her or her daughter from the judgment of others. 

What Robin learns later is that the USA offers opportunities for women that are not available in South Korea. She also discovers drawing comics and eventually finds her people. 

Would I teach this book? Emphatically, yes. I'm a big fan of graphic memoirs, and I believe that they tell a story in a way that no other medium can. The facial expressions, the visual details, and the color and shading enhance and help communicate what it is like to live someone’s life. The collaboration between the words and the pictures helps to emphasize emotions and judgements in a way that either, alone, could not. For example, on page 60, which depicts Robin in a spotlight, uncomfortably fidgeting her hands and thinking “Look normal” over and over again. Together, they communicate the pain of trying to be normal and the extreme effort that ultimately prevents one from looking normal 

The story that is important to hear is one of a normal teenager, which Robin is, and the emotional upheaval of moving to the United States. I have not heard it said in a long time, thank goodness, but when I was growing up, people used to say things like, “You’re in America, speak English” and “If you don’t like it, go back to where you came from.” The beauty of teaching Almost American Girl is that it explains the ridiculousness of those statements and points them out for what they are: unthinking, unsympathetic, and unimaginative thoughts of someone who has no idea what being an immigrant is like. Or, to borrow some language from the book, words from people acting like turds. 

I also like teaching graphic novels because the reading feels easier for students, like less heavy lifting. And yet, they can get much of the same cultural understanding that they would from a prose memoir. Not that I am opposed to heavy mental lifting, but I do appreciate a balance. And it would be silly to say that graphic novels are not mental heavy lifting--we are just tricked because our brains see pictures and think that we’ve gotten off easy. However, we are still decoding and deciphering and fitting images and language, analyzing and inferring. Or “meaning making” as they like to call it in the teaching biz. 

To my educator peeps, if you have not yet taught a graphic novel, I strongly encourage you to consider it.