Sunday, February 18, 2018

speak

"You can't expect to make a difference unless you speak up for yourself."



This weekend I read Speak, the graphic novel adaptation of the award winning novel by Laurie Halse Anderson.

Speak was originally published in 1999, and yet the story remains as poignant today as when it was first released.


From GoodReads:
"Speak up for yourself-we want to know what you have to say."  
From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless--an outcast--because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. Through her work on an art project, she is finally able to face what really happened that night: She was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. 








The graphic novel is able to tell the story in a new way. 
The art is perfect and creative. 


Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Mary's Monster

Be sure to read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein this year ... 2018 is the 200th anniversary of the book's publication!

To inspire you to read the 200-year-old classic, check out the young adult novel, Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created FRANKENSTEIN



Mary's Monster is told in free-verse paired with over three hundred pages of back-and-white water color illustrations. 




Mary's Monster is an absolutely stunning book. It is something every teenager should read.

From the Introduction:
The novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, written by Mary Shelley and published in 1818, is one of the most famous and enduring works of the Romantic era. Nearly everyone has some knowledge of this book, but few know that its author was a pregnant teenage runaway rejected by her family and spurned by society.


Two new annotated editions of Frankenstein are out and listed in this NPR Books article:
Man As God: Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' Turns 200

Also, if you are a fan of Science Friday on NPR, Frankenstein was their book club choice. Check out the discussion and resources ...
Science Friday Book Club


And finally, be sure to watch this TEDed video...