The Baby-Sitter's Club: Kristy's Great Idea by Raina Telgemeier

Helloooooo everybody,

Book cover from Amazon

I am back with a review on The Baby-Sitter's Club by Raina Telgemeier.  Telgemeier took Ann M. Martin's series The Babysitter's Club and adapted 4 titles from this series into graphic novels.  Book Riot did an article on these books, you can read that here!

Now, if you know anything about me then you know that within the last couple of months, I have taken a liking to both juvenile and young adult graphic novels!  Graphic novels have a wonderful ability to tell a story in a different way and they appeal to a reader who might feel intimidated or might not have any interest in reading a chapter book or a juvenile fiction book. 

I have to say...  I don't ever remembering reading a book from The Babysitter's Club series.  As someone who loves to work with kids, has aspirations to be a school librarian and someone who used to babysit, the series never appealed to me before.  Now here I am, at the age of 31, picking up my first Baby-Sitter's book and it's a graphic novel.

Raina Telgemeier is a very talented author and illustrator.  I read Smile for my children's literature class last Spring and I thought that way that she was able to tell the story was fantastic.  It was also something that as the reader, you found to be relatable. That can be another review for another day!

I must say that I enjoyed the graphic novel.  I liked the flow that the graphic novel gave to the story.  I thought that Telgemeier did a great job with showing Kristy's inner thoughts right after her having a dialogue.  You got the vibe of who the characters were and the actions and the thoughts of the characters were relatable - though I must say that Kristy was quite fresh. 

Unfortunately, I never read the books so I can't compare it to what Ann M. Martin originally wrote.  But I was able to get a feel for who the characters were and I felt like maybe the graphic novel gave a little something that the original books did not.  

Would I recommend this graphic novel? Absolutely!  Would I say that you should go run out and buy a copy? No way.  I think this is perfectly acceptable to borrow from your library! (Shameless plug for using your local library!)

- Jillian 

Mustaches for Maddie by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

About two years ago a co-worker suggested that I read Mustaches for Maddie by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown.  It took me this long to finally pick it up, but I'm so glad I finally did.  Mustaches for Maddie is based off what Chad and Shelly's daughter had gone through when faced with a health crisis at a young age.  

A bit about the book.  Maddie is your average twelve year old girl.  She loves to use her

imagination, she has a decent group of friends, and she has a loving family, but lately Maddie has been holding her arm funny.  It is not enough to really bother Maddie, but it is happening enough so that other people are starting to notice it.  When Maddie's mom questions why she's holding her arm oddly, she decides to call the doctor who sends her for testing right away.  They soon learn that Maddie has a brain tumor.  

This book is in line with books like Wonder, and is also a theme that a lot of y.a. and middle grade books are leaning towards- books about illness.  It tackles not only the fear of the illness and of dying itself, but also the struggle of friendship, of fitting in, and of worrying what others will think when they're told.  Ultimately, it's a moving and heartfelt read that I did not want to put down. I recommend this to book to all ages middle grade through adult and give it a For the Love of Dewey rating of 5 out of 5 coffee beans.

Until the next read!
~Jessica