Naruto, Vol. 14

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 14. 2002. 184p. ISBN 9781421510880. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Orochimaru's plot to isolate and destroy the Third Hokage came to fruition in Naruto, Vol. 13. Now, the former student seeks to kill the Hokage with the devious technique of reanimating the souls of the First and Second Hokage and have them engage their successor. It is the ultimate battle between two deadly jutsu techniques.

Meanwhile, Naruto, accompanied by Sakura and Shikamaru, seek to catch up to Sasuke, who is himself chasing Gaara. Sand ninjas are chasing them, and though they would like to set up an ambush, the ninjas in pursuit are trained in these techniques. The only radical thing left to do is to set up a fake ambush. Shikamaru volunteers to waylay the ninjas, and give enough time to Sakura and Naruto to escape and find Sasuke. For someone who never wanted to excel, Shikamaru is worried he's about to become a dead hero.

At the same time, Sasuke catches up with Gaara, and the battle that began during the Chunin exam resumes, except that Gaara's form is now switching ...

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 15.

Hans Christian Andersen Lives Next Door

Fagan, Cary. Hans Christian Andersen Lives Next Door. 2023. 160p. ISBN 9781774880159.

Andie (with an e, thank you very much) very much feels like an outcast in her own skin. Her parents are weird, and ever since they moved to the countryside, they've been in search of a project to do. Now they're raising crickets to sell to pet stores (crickets make great lizard food). The school bully, Myrtle Klinghoffer, loves to pick on her but always does it in a way that makes Andie feel like she's not even there, since Myrtle never addresses herself directly to her. And the other kids don't really talk to her.

When a new neighbor moves next door, Andie swears she recognizes him. She has seen the man's picture on a book somewhere in her collection. Ah, yes, her uncle gave her a book of fairy tales from Hans Christian Andersen, and the picture looks very much like her neighbor, aside from being black and white and the old-fashioned clothes. When the initials H.C.A. go on the mailbox next door, Andie is convinced that Andersen just moved in.

Andie begin writing her own poems based on the classic fairy tales her neighbor wrote, and she soon finds herself sharing them with him. HCA patiently listens to her, and find that the poems are actually quite good. When he tells Andie he works at the ministry of agriculture, Andie reasons that he must want to stay incognito.

New kid Newton moves to the school, and Andie finds him fascinating. And he's willing to sit with Andie and listen to her poetry. Soon the two of them become fast friends. At the same time, however, Myrtle continues her bullying, and Andie decides to take revenge. Plus, there's the big secret of Hans Christian Andersen living next door ...

Based on the flawed assumption that Hans Christian Andersen, who died in 1875, moved in next door, Andie compounds her beliefs until everything comes crashing down around her, and she is forced to admit that their neighbor is not Hans Christian Andersen. But along the way, she learns a lot about friendship, about herself, and about the fact that her little town is not as boring and dull as she thought it was.

The 20s and 30s: Flappers & Vamps

Blackman, Call. The 20s and 30s: Flappers & Vamps. 1999. 32p. ISBN 9780836825992.

With the end of the First World War, young people once again wanted to celebrate being alive. The United States' economy roared back to life as the country expanded and spending returned to pre-war levels. New materials such as rayon and elastics allowed for the creation of new clothes, while the music scene and the silver screen influenced how people dressed and what was deemed fashionable. For women, slim and boyish was popular in the early 20s, while men relaxed their appearance away from the more formal Edwardian-style made-to-order to baggy trousers and off the rack clothes purchases.

Movements such as the jazz age as represented in the Great Gatsby and Art Deco had strong influences on colors and patterns, while the practice of sports became more popular, creating new fashion. The nude look of bare arms, neck, and legs for women was a small revolution in what was previously considered shocking. The Great Depression suddenly ended the excesses of the 1920s, but gangsters continued to ply their deadly trade, and their popularity in movies and in popular culture meant that their look also trickled down into the fashion of the era. 

The Golem's Mighty Swing

 Sturm, James. The Golem's Mighty Swing. 2003. 100p. ISBN 9781896597713. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

In the 1920s, America is in the grips of baseball mania. The Stars of David are a team of Jewish baseball players criss-crossing the United States in search of teams to play. Some of the players made it to the majors, but all they did was warming the bench. Equipped with a bus that breaks down, and lead by Noah Strauss, manager and player, the team is always chasing the next dollar. But with anti-semitism ramping throughout the land, most small towns are eager for their local team to take down the Stars of David.

When the team is approached by a Chicago promoter with a gimmick that could increase the team's take, the players are at first reluctant. It's already hard enough fighting local prejudices. However, financial difficulties force their hands, and soon the Golem becomes the center of attraction. The Golem is a legendary creation in Jewish lore, a creature much like Frankenstein, which escapes the control of its creator and wrecks havoc. A large and tall African American player who is not even Jewish is dressed up at the Golem, and the Stars of David find themselves facing the Putnam All-Americans. But prejudices and racial taunts turn a baseball game into a clash of civilizations, and winning becomes less important than surviving.

The illustrations are crisp, and the story is well written. Sports fans and baseball lovers will appreciate this dive into a historical period that saw much stereotyping and racial hatred.

Once in a Blue Moon

Flake, Sharon G. Once in a Blue Moon. 2023. 336p. ISBN 9780593480984.

James Henry was always one of the bravest kids around, at least that is what his twin sister Hattie used to say. But the day he and his mother went searching for their dog by the lighthouse at night is a day of tragedy, and James Henry stopped being brave. Interested by space, and fascinating by the moon and by Buck Rogers, James Henry can't go to school, so every day he watches his sister leave, and eagerly waits for her to return home so they can play together. Scared by the outside, James Henry rarely ventures out of his house, and every time he does he anxiously looks around, hoping to avoid the Baker boys, the local bullies. With his father in Detroit working hard to help his mother heal in the hospital following the tragedy, James Henry and Hattie live with Gran in segregated North Carolina of 1939.

When Hattie returns home one day with Lottie Jean, a new friend she made at school, James Henry realizes that their uncomplicated lives will never be the same. Lottie tries hard to connect with James Henry, but he wants nothing to do with her. All he wants is to go back to his spaceship and his sister. Hattie knows that things must change, however, for Hattie has been offered the opportunity to go to school in Philadelphia, which would leave James Henry alone at home. Working with Lottie Jean, Hattie eventually convinces James Henry that he must leave his home on the blue moon and return to the lighthouse to confront his fear and the tragedy that took place there when his mother got hurt. Along the way, James Henry learns how to see the world again, and grows out of his shell.

Told in verses, James Henry's story is slow moving at first, but it builds a powerful picture of a boy who is grieving for a life that no longer exists, and who must learn to deal with the world as it is, not as it could be. Inspired by the author's father and his life as an African-American child in North Carolina in the 1930s, this powerful story will stay with the reader long after they put down the book.

A First Time for Everything

Santat, Dan. A First Time for Everything. 2023. 320p. ISBN 9781626724150. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

As an only child, Dan loved spending time with his parents and with his friends. He loves drawing, but he discovers in Middle School that standing out makes you a target for bullies. So it's better to be invisible, even if this means denying part of who you are and what you want. Halfway through his last year in middle school, Dan discovers that his English teacher is organizing a field trip to Europe during the summer. With his mother being sick, his parents' idea of a vacation is to go some place, then take a picture of Dan there. They're not all that fun. 

Dan is surprised when his mother agrees he can go on the trip, but as the day nears, Dan is regretting his decision. He'd rather stay home. But it's too late, and Dan finds himself on a plane with girls from his school, who have been making fun of him for three years, as well as other American kids from Missouri. Though there are still people who claim to know him, Dan suddenly finds himself in Paris with kids who don't know anything about him. This is an opportunity to rediscover who he truly is underneath that layer of invisibility.

Falling in love with Fanta and the local food, Dan also meets Amy on the tour, and she's as interested in him as he is in her. The trip he dreaded becomes more interesting with every passing day, and slowly but surely Dan's life changes for the better, as he builds confidence and realizes that his past is not important in the grand scheme of things.

Inspired from the author's own trip to Europe when he was 14, A First Time for Everything relates the anxieties of growing up and leaving home, and then discovering that who you are is not tied to where you come from or what people think they know about you. The illustrations are amazing, and the story is engaging. If you've ever thought about traveling but were concerned, this is the book for you!

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 10

Kato, Kazue. Blue Exorcist, Vol. 10. 2013. 192p. ISBN 9781421558868. Available in the graphic novels section of the library. 

The Impure King was defeated in Blue Exorcist, Vol. 9, but Rin's brother Yukio continues to feel tainted. If his brother Rin is the spawn of Satan, what does that make Yukio? Worried about his situation, he refuses to meet with the True Cross Academy doctor for an evaluation. The rest of the exwire students have returned to their daily routine, attending classes. Rin meets a student maned Godaiin who can also see demons when most of the other students can't. Rin tries to help him, and Mephisto Pheles proposes a deal where Rin and his friends will remove seven demons from True Cross Academy in exchange for a potion that will prevent Godaiin seeing the demons, Rin heartily agrees.

Meanwhile, across the world in the deserts of Arabia, another demon similar to the Impure King has risen, and the Church now confronts the very clear threat that a secretive group called the Illuminate has been conspiring to awaken powerful evil forces that will consume the world and at last turn it into a demon playground. 

Tasked with removing demons from campus, Rin and his friends begin this afterschool activity with minimal supervision....

The story continues in Blue Exorcist, Vol. 11.

Joy, to the World

Shappley, Kai and Lisa Bunker. Joy, to the World. 2023. 240p. ISBN 9780063242753.

Joy, her older brother and her mother moved from Minnesota to Texas so that their mother could pursue a new opportunity. Joy is really excited to start middle school. She meets new friends and is accepted in their circle. Joy discovers that in Texas cheerleading is huge, and she convinces her mother to let her join the tryouts for the squad. After hard work and training with her friends, Joy is accepted into the squad, and looks forward to their first performance.

Unfortunately, someone discovered that Joy is a transgendered girl, and the superintendent, using a law passed in Texas, orders Joy off the team. Even though both the principal and the nurse knew that Joy was transgendered, and even though she was allowed to use the girls' bathroom, the superintendent's decision forces Joy to go to the nurse to use the restroom, something that is extremely embarrassing.

Accepted and supported by her family, Joy comes out to her friends, who nod and agree that it's no big deal for them. Her best friend convinces Joy to continue practicing, and soon they are joined by more and more misfits at school. Joy's new cheerleading squad even performs at a protest at the Texas State House, making the news and attracting more attention, and attracting support from her idol, a trans activist named Kai, whom she meets in Austin. Despite the obstacles placed in front of her, Joy is resilient and won't let the world drag her down!

A story of courage and standing up for what you believe, Joy only wants to live her life, but forces beyond her control are conspiring to make her the villain of a culture war. Supporters of trans individuals and those who wish to learn more about them will appreciate this story of living life against the odds.

Naruto, Vol. 13

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 13. 2002. 192p. ISBN 9781421510873. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

The epic battle that started in Naruto, Vol. 12 concludes in this book as the last pairing of the Chunin Exam is about to take place. Naruto, Sakura and the rest of the ninjas in training have been wondering where Sasuke had gone to, and whether he would even return to fight Gaara. They shouldn't have worried. Under Kakashi's brilliant tutelage, Sasuke has captured the synergies involved in Rock Lee's moves, and he has incorporated them into his own technique. 

When the most ancitipated fight starts, Sasuke immediately dominates the battle, putting Gaara on the defensive. But even his protective sand sphere is unable to survive Sasuke's repeated assaults, and Gaara is in danger of being defeated when Orochimaru, disguised as the secretive leader of the Sand village, triggers a ninja war. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke go from being in training to full-fledged ninjas, and they must track down an escaping Gaara, while Kakashi figures a way to save the Fourth Hokage from Orochimaru's deadly clutches ...

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 14.