Ruby Lu: Brave and True

Pay no attention to the almond butter in the background

Look, Lenore. Ruby Lu: Brave and True. New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2004.

Plot: Ruby is a young magician in Seattle, Washington. She proudly offers her skills in an almost daily show after school. Yet, she cannot trick herself out of approaching changes. She has to start going to Chinese School, where she struggles with ink, pronunciation, and vocabulary. Ruby also must deal with a bratty bully, cute brother, and competitive friend. Her biggest challenge, though, is on its way from China. Her name is Flying Duck, and she will live with Ruby and share her bedroom!

Genre: Everyday, Growing Up, Humor

Reading Level: Grades 1-3

Similar Titles: Junie B. Jones series, The Talented Clementine

Personal Thoughts: Much like her Alvin Ho series, Look combines everyday events, exaggerated reactions, and over-the-top situations to create a fun title. Additionally, the book references some aspects of Chinese culture, such as language and food, without loosing the characters or story.

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters

I wonder if he's also allergic to dragons...

Look, Lenore. Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters. New York : Schwartz & Wade Books, 2009.

Plot: Alvin suffers from multiple phobias, fears, stresses, and siblings. So when his father decides to take him camping, the second-grader is mortified. While his brother helps him purchase supplies, Alvin still lacks courage. His uncle offers a series of secret tips and an ultra-powerful Batman ring. The trip still seems doomed, though, even with Alvin's little sister joining in. Still, he may manage well, particularly since he is not the only one afraid of his first camping trip.

Genre: Everyday, Growing Up

Reading Level: Grades 4-9

Similar Titles: Romona and her Father, Rocket Ride

Personal Thoughts: Romona meets Year of the Rat. The title bears all the appeal of the second-grade, slice-of-life manner of Beverly Cleary with the cultural references of Grace Lin. Also, much like Lin's work, Chinese culture is an aspect of the story, not its definition. A lot of titles with minority protagonists tend to focus on the culture or, more often, prejudice against the culture. While such topics certainly need consideration, they tend to lead to a depressing story.

Alvin is Chinese. He uses Chinese terms to address his family. He eats Chinese food. He celebrates Chinese New Year. He also likes superheroes, Harry Houdini, and playing. He is a talented writer and with a good sense of humor, even though he does not quite realize it yet. He fears the dark, spiders, and acts of God. Alvin is a complete character, not just a slate for lessons on culture. Characters are fun to read about, and Alvin's perspective adds to the trials and tribulations of camping.

Smile

I am smiling

Telgemeier, Raina. Smile. New York : Graphix, 2010.

Plot: Raina's life takes a turn for the worst after she falls and damages her two front teeth. Instead of merely getting braces, she now has to have her entire mouth re-arranged over a series of several years. While undergoing braces, extractions, headgear, and root canals, she also grows up. Her interests, companions, and expectations change. As a result, some of the things she used to count on prove unreliable, as do some of the people she knows.

Genre: Graphic Novel, Growing Up, Family, Friends, Autobiography

Reading Level: Grades 9-12

Similar Titles: Drama, Big Nate

Personal Thoughts: Telgemeier's autobiographic struck a lot of nostalgia and realization. She and I grew up around the same time and witnessed many of the same events, such as the Northridge Earthquake and Disney's The Little Mermaid. Both of us also experienced tooth trouble due to a fall. However, one event in the text struck a nerve.

Toward the end of the book, Raina confronts her friends about their poor treatment of her. Much like her, I needed to learn the difference between someone who would hang out with me and someone who was a friend. Unfortunately, not all companions are beneficial. Some are actually cruel, but students (and even adults) often fail to recognize this. Many put up with mean or abusive behavior rather than risk being alone. Raina's confrontation is one I wished I participated in. Instead, I dealt with poor relations until I joined college. Texts willing to discuss the pressure of fitting in while acknowledging the need to break off bad relationships seem rare, so one that discusses it in an accessible, believable manner offers an amazing example and good story.

Junie B. Jones is (Almost) a Flower Girl

Silly Junie. 

Sprite is the prettiest flower dragon.

Park, Barbara and Brunkus, Denise. Junie B. Jones is (Almost) a Flower Girl. New York : Random House, 1999.

Plot: Junie is thrilled to learn she is invited to her aunt's wedding. She decides to become the flower girl at the festivities. However, her aunt already picked someone else for the role. Junie attempts to prove her superior capacities as an understudy flower girl by maintaining a proper, grown-up lady personality. A squabble at the wedding seems to shatter her efforts, though. She must prove her six-year-old maturity to her family...or just dance with her shoes off.

Genre: Growing Up, Everyday

Reading Level: Grades 3-6

Similar Titles: Junie B. Jones and the Stupid, Smelly Bus, Ramona series, D.W. Thinks Big

Personal Thoughts: The book expertly follows the six-year-old mentality of Junie. She is enthusiastic, curious, creative, and a little self-absorbed. She also tends to make up words and phrases to describe her feelings. While some argue such qualities make for a bad protagonist, they allow Junie to respond to situations like a realistic character. At the risk of dating myself, the appeal of Junie B. Jones seems to parallel to that of Rugrats. The titles make sense to readers currently experiencing kindergarten while allowing older readers to feel the nostalgia of an earlier age. As such, the title is a relevant view of early school years.

The Phantom Tollbooth

Fantastic title (double-points for word play)

Juster, Norton. The Phantom Tollbooth. New York : Random House, 1961.

Plot: Milo, bored with school, toys, learning, and life in general finds an unexpected package waiting for him. After assembling the gift into a cardboard tollbooth  with a guidebook and some coins for toll, he drives his toy car through it. He finds himself in a nonsensical world of words, math, senses, philosophies, and peril. The land is plagued due to the banishment of the good princesses Rhyme and Reason. Determined to save the land, Milo seeks to save the princesses with the help of the noble watchdog, Tock, and the reluctant know-it-all, Humbug. However, the rescue will require the assistance of every source of benevolent power in the kingdom.

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Growing Up, Humor

Reading Level: Grades 4-9

Similar Titles: Journey to the Blue Moon, The Wayfinder, Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarian

Personal Thoughts: After viewing this book in nearly every library in existence, I finally got the nerve to read the title. I discovered why it is found everywhere. The story itself contains a pleasant mix of creative characters, clever plot devices, and smart word plays. Also, the moral of the tale remains highly relevant over fifty years after its creation. While the current generation enjoys enormous amounts of information and entertainment, like Milo, it needs to learn the value of such opportunities. However, the plot manages to display the lesson without becoming a dull morality play. I may need to purchase this title.

The text inspired several plays, musicals, operas, and films.

Side Note: I wonder if current readers will compare the Terrible Trivium to Slenderman.

Dumpling Days

I'm hungry!

Lin, Grace. Dumpling Days. Prince Frederick, MD : Recorded Books, 2012.

Plot: Much to her frustration, Pacy Lin finds herself on a long flight to Taiwan. While her parents insist the trip will teach her and her sisters about their culture, she doubts she will find anything of importance. The first jet-lagged days seem to confirm her fears. The customs, language, and lessons frustrate and alienate her. Eventually, though, she discovers the positive aspects of the country, such as its stories and food, especially its dumplings. She discovers herself as a Taiwanese-American, and learns to accept and enjoy both worlds.

Genre: Growing Up, Asian-American, Coming of Age

Reading Level: Grades 4-9

Similar Titles: Year of the Dog, Turtle in Paradise

Personal Thoughts: While I enjoyed the title, it seemed to fall into the trap plaguing most mixed-culture novels. Typically, the books reflect exclusively on the difficult aspects of growing up in two cultures and, frustratingly, most of Dumpling Days focuses on the alienation facing Taiwanese-Americans. While a mixed background can be difficult, it can also be fun, which Lin's previous titles describe in detail. Unfortunately, only two pages of Dumpling Days address the benefits of both cultures. Still, it does offer a realistic view of a trip to Taiwan, as well as insight to Taiwanese traditions and lifestyles. As such, the title remains recommended, but not as recommended as Year of the Rat or Year of the Dog.

The Merman

I can see you!

King-Smith, Dick. The Merman. New York : Crown Publishers, 1999.

Plot: Zeta takes her birthday present, a new set of binoculars, out to the beach to watch gulls and seals near her family's vacation spot early one morning. Someone unexpected waits for her, though. Swimming effortlessly with the seals is a man with white hair, a young face, and a fish's tail. The merman convinces her to face her fear of water by teaching her to swim. He also gives her lessons in astronomy, biology, and French. The vacation passes quickly as Zeta displays her new knowledge to her parents through events orchestrated by the merman. As the summer comes to a close, she promises to see the merman again, although he seems oddly quiet the last day. It takes her two years to return to the merman's beach, and Zeta may not find what she expects when she returns.

Genre: Fantasy, Growing Up

Reading Level: Grades 4-9

Similar Titles: Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, The Secret Garden

Personal Thoughts: The title freely mingles the common with the supernatural. Zeta acts like a normal child, with an interest in birds, a desire to learn, and a fear of water. By contrast, the merman forms a larger-than life character with an extraordinary intellect and lifestyle. Still, the two's interactions flow naturally, since she responds like a child while he reacts like a grandpa. The ending of the story may surprise readers, since it is abruptly bittersweet. However, the tale may offer a solid "next step" of reading for fairy tale-loving tweens.

Charlotte's Web

White, E. B. Charlotte's Web. New York : Harper, 1952.

Plot: The title reveals a classic story of growing up, friendship, and heroism through the tale of a spider and a pig. After leading a happy life with a farm girl named Fern, Wilbur the pig finds himself sold to a nearby farmer. Eventually,  a spider named Charlotte living in the barn discovers Wilbur, and comforts him when he misses his old life. The two become inseparable. However, Wilbur, as a barnyard pig, will eventually be slaughtered. Charlotte promises to save him, and accomplishes her mission through ingenuity and good writing. She engraves praises of Wilbur in her web, convincing the world he is a great as she thinks he is.

Genre: Animals, Growing Up, Fantasy

Reading Level: Grades 4-9

Similar Titles: Whittington, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Stewart Little

Personal Thoughts: Many consider the story a classic for good reasons. The characters act in a natural, believable manner while the timing and diction allude to a long-gone era. However, the title contains a surprising amount of depth. Scientific and agricultural facts slip seamlessly into the story. The concepts of belief, miracles, wonder, friendship, and heroism find ample description within the title without becoming preachy or trite. The choice of main characters, a pig and a spider, also add to the tale's impact. Neither are considered very important, beautiful, or valuable in their own right, but their compassion for each other draws the reader in and makes them appreciate normally loathed creatures. Overall, the title provides a pleasant, if bittersweet, read.

Emma Dilemma and the Soccer Nanny

Hermes, Patricia. Emma Dilemma and the Soccer Nanny. Tarrytown, NY : Marshall Cavendish Children, 2008.

Plot: Emma once again finds herself in a series of dilemmas. She is sure Katie, the meanest girl in her soccer team, wants to replace her. Her parents will not let her and her sister keep Kelly the kitten and Marshmallow the ferret. Even worse, her mom wants to go with her to Washington D.C. when Annie, the best nanny ever, would be much better. An upcoming protest at her father's work offers a solution, though. If she and her siblings go on strike, her parents will have to give into her demands. Right?

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Growing Up

Reading Level: Grades 4-8

Similar Titles: Billy Eliot, Fig Pudding, Hit the Road, Manny

Personal Thoughts: Technically, this is a prequel to something I have read, but my readers are understanding, so I think I can get away with it.

Throughout the title, Emma stresses the point of "negotiation." However, she never negotiates. She does not sacrifice anything for her parents while getting everything she asks for. As a result, she seems like a brat. However, her interactions with her soccer team imply she is beginning to realize her faults, particularly in her reactions toward her peers. Overall, the title does not accomplish as much as Emma Dilemma and the Camping Nanny simply because she does not learn or change from her experiences. Still, the following titles recover from the fact nicely, and many of Emma's interactions with her siblings and teammates manage to create sympathetic and realistic effects on the story.

The Complete Peanuts: Volume 2 - 1953 to 1954

Schultz, Charles M. The Complete Peanuts: Volume 2 - 1953-1954. New York : Fantagraphics Books, 2004.

Plot: A collection of early Peanuts comic strips. The time period was especially notable for the series. Core characters such as Charlie Brown and Lucy enjoyed established roles. Steadily, Linus and Snoopy became more influential to the overall comic. Also, new additions, most notably "Pig-Pen" were introduced. However, other characters, such as Violet and Charlotte Baun eventually faded. Common themes, such as candy-sharing, golf, and play gunfights also became lost with time. The collection allows long-time fans to observe the growth of the comic from a newspaper strip to a major cultural phenomenon.

Genre: Comics, Growing Up

Reading Level: Grades 3 and up

Similar Titles: Krazy Cat, Calvin and Hobbes

Personal Thoughts: Like many U.S. newspaper readers, I grew up with the Peanuts. The older strips seem more character-driven than the ones I read as a child, though. By the time I could read, the characters and themes were established and seemed to quickly devolve into established memes (for example, Linus and his blanket or Charlie Brown versus the football) and lacked the developmental aspect of the first comics. However, I doubt the earlier comics would be popular among modern readers. True, the characters are more intriguing, but the references of the comics themselves no longer mean anything to tweens. Unfortunately, many aspects of the comics, such as mud pies, records, toy gunfights, games, and drawing on fences have gone the way of the aluminum Christmas tree. Modern readers will no longer have a reference to such themes, so the "jokes" of the comics become lost on the viewers. So while the characters lasted, time transformed their early world into a history lesson.

Ramona the Pest

Clearly, Beverly. Ramona the Pest. 1968.

Plot: Six-year-old Ramona is finally old enough to go to Kindergarten. Despite her eagerness to go, she finds herself in more situations than she expects. Her teacher, Miss Binny, seems nice and smart. David, a classmate, also seems intriguing. However, a curly-haired nemesis and sulky male friend also stalk the classroom. Ramona struggles against strange substitutes, old boots, rainy days, and writing her name. She also navigates the general chaos usually instigated by her own choices. Her desire for attention eventually leads to her dismissal from class. Ramona must learn to face her own frustrations to return to the teacher she adores.

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Growing Up, School

Reading Level: Grades 2-6

Similar Titles: Junie B. Jones, Clementine, Emma Dilemma series

Personal Thoughts: Despite the book's age, it still contains the same appeal as current titles, particularly the Emma Dilemma and Judy Moody series. The story generally avoids transitional subjects, such as fashion, politics, and entertainment. Instead, it focuses on unchanging topics, such as student-teacher relations and family interactions. Ramona is a slightly larger-than-life character in a fairly normal society, so her adventures seem completely feasible and even understandable. Most students balance between wanting approval from their teacher and wishing to misbehave when confronted by a bully. Many younger siblings are repelled and enchanted by their elders. Everyone wishes they could have something slightly better than they can afford. Ramona's struggles are the same as everyone's, even if her reactions break convention. She uses her audience's sympathy to relate to and encourage readers, gaining establishment in even modern libraries.

Emma Dilemma and the Camping Nanny

Hermes, Patricia. Emma Dilemma and Camping Nanny. Tarrytown, NY : Marshall Cavendish Children, 2009.

Plot: Emma is in a dilemma. She has the very best nanny in the world, but her nanny has started spending her free time with someone else. His name is Bo, and he and the nanny are dating seriously . At school, Luisa, Emma's best friend, spends more time with Katie than Emma. A weekend of camping may offer the solution to the nanny problem, especially since Bo is terrified of bears. However, a mix of talent show drama, missing ferrets, sisterly tantrums, dancing questions, journal readings, and close encounters of the skunk kind may keep Emma's dilemmas from ever being solved.

Genre: Growing Up, Everyday, Relationships

Reading Level: Grades 4-9

Similar Titles: Emma Dilemma and the New Nanny, Julia Gillian (and the Quest for Joy), Forever Amber Brown

Personal Thoughts: The book provides a pleasing blend of humor and seriousness. Emma manages to create some funny situations around her and her relationships. However, the book also addresses issues continuously facing people, particularly younger people. The primary problem blooms from the delicate balance of sharing friends. When the people in Emma's life start meeting others, she learns, through trial and error, that the people she cares about can love her while loving others, which everyone needs to learn. 

Al Capone Does My Shirts

Choldenko, Gennifer. Al Capone Does My Shirts. New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2004.

Plot: Moose's life has never been easy. It becomes even more complicated when his family moves to Alcatraz. While his parents hope to get Moose's sister, Natalie, into a highly recommended school, Moose wishes he could leave the criminals and crazy warden to return to Santa Monica. His wish intensifies when the warden's daughter gets him and nearly every other junior higher on the island in trouble. To further complicate things, his mother wants him to watch Natalie while she teaches piano. Despite her three year seniority over Moose, Natalie requires the utmost care, especially with so many criminals in their own backyard. Yet, Natalie is not the only one in need of help. Moose must learn how to grow despite his stunted relationships with his parents.

Genre: Coming of Age, Historical Fiction

Reading Level: Ages 8-16

Similar Titles: Al Capone Shines My Shoes, A Year Down Yonder, Budd, Not Buddy

Personal Thoughts: The book is interesting, but I do not think I would have liked it as a tween. It tries to include too much. The novel's main themes involve Natalie's autism, the history of Alcatraz, Moose's issues with his mother, and coming of age. As a result, the novel becomes skewed, focusing on so many topics it fails to adequately address any, causing much of the setting's potential to fall by the wayside with an abrupt ending. The issue of growing up in Alcatraz, the inspiration for the novel's title, seems especially muted. In addition, despite the title's implications, the book is not particularly humorous and is, in fact, rather depressing. True, the novel does provide the necessary service of addressing past grievances and current issues, particularly regarding society's response to older autistics. Yet, it is not fun or easy to read about.

Peanuts

Shulz, Sparky. Peanuts.

Plot: Another comic that needs no introduction, Peanuts follows the daily adventures of iconic characters such as Linus, Lousie, Charlie Brown, and Snoopy. Personally, I think Snoopy acquired significantly more fame than his master, but that is not important.

Genre: Growing Up, Comics

Reading Level: Much like Garfield, the strip can be enjoyed by most readers.

Similar Titles: Calvin and Hobbes (this is actually more of an evil twin to the Peanuts innocence and well-meaning), Heart of the City, Rose is Rose

Personal Thoughts: I read a collection of the 1955-1956 comic year. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Usually, I prefer "edgier" comics, such Pearls Before Swine or Lio. Yet, this early chapter from the Peanuts' collection did an excellent job of portraying childhood. Linus plays with mock guns when frustrated with his sister. "Pig-Pen" cleans up (temporarily) under the demands of his parents. Lousie is a proud "fussbudget." Perhaps I prefer it to later comics because the characters are still in development and, as a result, they do not fit completely in the molds most expect them to be in.

As a side note, Schulz apparently hated "Peanuts" as a comic title. He once quoted that only Zits suffered a comparably poor name.

The Year of the Rat

Lin, Grace. The Year of the Rat. New York : Little, Brown, 2007.

Plot: The year of the rat promises to offer change. The changes, however, seem terrible. Grace's best friend, Melody, is moving from New York to California and a new family will live in her house. None of Grace's other friends seem to understand. If anything, they do not seem like friends anymore. Grace's talents seem like dead ends and school continues to get harder. Yet, perhaps the circumstances are not what the year needs to change. Grace may need to be the one that changes.

Genre: Asian-American, Coming of Age

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Similar Titles: Year of the Dog, Frindle

Personal Thoughts: I like the book, but I'm not entirely sure if I would have liked it as a tween. True, I could relate to missing friends, wondering about my talents, and noting my peers' sudden interest in boys. Yet, I am not sure if I would like it as a tween. Still, it offers a realistic view of a growing up from a Taiwanese-American girl's perspective. Also, the girl actually sounds like a girl, not just an adult in a girl's situations.  

Freak the Mighty

Philbrick, Rodman. Freak the Mighty. New York, N.Y. : Blue Sky Press, 1993.

Plot: Max is a big, slow, clumsy outcast. Kevin is a small, smart, crippled outcast. Yet, when they get together, they become more. They become Freak the Mighty, destroyer of dragons, bane of gangs, returner of purses, and swimmer of nasty mill ponds. The story follows the two misfits as they take on summer and, eventually, the school year. Ghosts from Max's family history threaten him, but with the help of Kevin, he escapes his homocidal father and confronts the death of his mother. Yet, when Kevin becomes increasingly weak and awaits a new biotic body being developed at a local hospital, Max begins to worry...

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Similar Titles: Max the Mighty, Holes

Personal Thoughts: Another funny but sad book. The interactions between Max, Kevin, and the world at large are both humorous and believable. As a kid, I really enjoyed the book. Strangely, as an adult, the sadness in the book seems more powerful. It is strange. Adults (including myself, much to my frustration) often fear exposing children, teens, and tweens to sad or disturbing concepts, yet they often seem to cope with the issues better than "grown-ups" do. Not that I'm going to ask a kid to read something like Le Miserables or anything. I'm just surprised by their resilience.

The book was the inspiration for the movie, The Mighty. Even though the film bombed, it received high reviews.

Because of Winn-Dixie

DiCamillo, Kate. Because of Winn-Dixie. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2000.

Plot: The summer India Opal moves is hard. She cannot make friends. Her father is busy with the church. She misses her mother more than ever. Then, she meets a dog. Or, rather, a dog meets her after wrecking the local grocery store. After convincing her father the dog needs them, Winn-Dixie, named after the store she ruined, begins to change Opal's life. The dog's ability to welcome and comfort people allows Opal to meet people as lonely as she is. Together, they learn to live with the sweet and sad parts of life.

Genre: Animals, Coming of Age

Reading Level: Age 9-12

Similar Titles: Shiloh, Misty of Chincoteague

Personal Thoughts: A Newbery Honor book that deserves the reward. I really enjoyed the book and its portrayal of growing up with flawed, quirky, and lonely people (and dogs). However, I do not think I would have liked it as a tween. True, the story has a happy ending. Opal and her father make friends of the friendless in their town. The story also carries many depressing elements, such as death, loneliness, abandonment, and injustice. As a tween, I doubt the sweet ending would justify the sad story.

The book provided the basis of a movie in 2005. While some enjoy the acting of the dog, most find the movie a bit unoriginal and boring.

Holes

Sachar, Louis. Holes. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998.

Plot: Stanley, like his father, grand father, and great-grandfather always manage to be in exactly the wrong place at exactly the wrong time. After he is accused of stealing, he finds himself at Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention facility devoid of water. The warden and councilors are sadistic and the other boys are not much better. He blames his luck on the curse brought by his great-great-grandfather's theft of a pig. Yet, despite his misfortune, he finds someone with less luck than himself. Much to surprise (and secret) of them both, they contain the means of breaking the curses on Stanley and Green Lake itself.

Reading Level: 9-12 years

Genre: Fiction, Adventure, Survival

Similar Titles: Maniac Magee

Personal Thoughts: The book won a Newbury Award and National Book Award. It deserves them. Billy is a believable boy in unbelievable circumstances. He suffers from bullies, people who do not understand him, and people who do not want to understand him. Yet, he still wants to be a good kid.
My favorite aspect of the book comes from the "set-up." Billy and his companions do not suffer at random. Their situations arise as the results of the actions of their ancestors. It inspires thought on why things are the way they are in a humorous way.

Azumanga Daioh Omnibus

Azuma, Kiyohiko. Azumanga Daioh Omnibus. Yen Press; 1 Edition, 2009.

Plot: Chiyo-Chan is a 10 year old prodigy. Tomo tends to be loud an clumsy. Sakaki-San manages to amaze the entire student body, but she really wants cats to like her. Yomi tends to be the "straight-man" of the group, but she worries constantly about her weight. Kasuga is an all-sport who has trouble in school. Osaka remains...one of a kind. The four books follow the five students in their high school years.

Genre: Manga

Reading Level: 12 an older

Similar Titles: Yotsuba&!, School Rumble

Personal Thoughts: Much like its successor, Yotsuba&!, Azumanga Daioh does not focus on extraordinary circumstances with superheroes. Instead, it displays the everyday with a minor twist. Important issues, such as concerns with school, relationships with friends, and worries about personal appearance also manage to slip into the story arcs. The title is included in the top 25 manga at the 2006 Japan Media Arts Festival. An anime version of the books is available. I may review it later.

Yotsuba&!

Azuma, Kiyohiko. Yotsuba&!. New York : Yen Press, 2009.

Plot: When 5-year old Yotsuba moves in, the neighborhood will never be the same! Living with her adopted father, Koiwai, Yotsuba experiences and shares the process of growing up with her neighbors and her friends.

Genre: Manga

Reading Level: 8 and older

Similar Titles: Azumanga Diaoh

Personal Thoughts: Like Azuma's previous project, Azumanga Diaoh, Yotsuba&! celebrates the glory of the everyday. The plot seems perfectly realistic with just a twinge of the unexpected. Still, it reminds readers of the discoveries and the fun that exist in living and growing. It also mentions issues such as concerns with appearance (especially from Fuuka, Yotsuba's teenage neighbor) and worries about the environment. Most of the art, especially the backgrounds, are more detailed than Azumanga Diaoh. As a side note, the "door" in the picture is the cover of my favorite book, 3. In this book, Yotsuba goes to the zoo, acts as the "flower cupid," and sees a fireworks show for the first time. Also, the book used to be published by ADV Manga.