Les Miserables: Manga Classic

Information:

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Story adaptation by Crystal Silvermoon

English script by Stacy King

Art by Sun Neko Lee

Publisher UDON entertainment productions, with Morpheus Publishing Limited

Review copy supplied by Net Galley and the publishers

My thoughts:

Anytime classics are adapated into a manga, what I read it for is to see if the art and the adapted story are able to capture the essence of the original classic and still sell the story enough through the artwork and character development so that my middle readers feel like they want to attempt the original, even if it's later in their school life. 

Victor Hugo's story is just one tragedy after another and it takes a good 200 pages even in a manga before things start looking up, so this book for the first time reader of this work, who has not seen the 2012 musical, takes some commitment. If they use the title as a clue, then they will know that this is a tragedy. The cover shows a forlorn looking Cosette. Even with her big manga eyes, she looks worried. 

Cosette as the blonde Cinderella type is endearingly pitiful while her "benefactors," the Thenardiers are comically cruel so that is a selling point. Fantine, once she must shave her hair just made me think of Anne Hathaway with her equally large doe-like eyes so I almost wanted someone to start singing. That was a distraction, but it may just be because I read the original and saw several different film versions. 

Will this version sell students on reading the original? I think the biggest selling point is the romance between Cosette and Marius because of the way they are drawn, so the girls may like it, but I think the story line between Valjean and Javert is more powerful in the original story and that may appeal more to guys but this manga version doesn't build Valjean up enough or show enough of the action scenes.

Still, overall, it is a good starting place for this classic novel, and if students never read the Hugo version, they will at least understand the story enough to get the gist.

Kamen, Volume 2

Title: Kamen, volume 2

Author:  Gunya Mihara (also artist)

Publication date: November 25, 2014

Publisher: Gen Manga

Review copy supplied by Net Galley for Gen Manga

In short:  General Simba (young female) is at war with the Zoh army. Her actions are brash to her elders. Even her uncle, Lord Gailas will crush her army if he must. Out of seemingly  nowhere, the masked man appears. . .to be continued

My thoughts: Several elements must be present in an intriguing manga, mostly because the genre relies on your continued patronage of their art.  First and foremost, there must be an interesting or appealing character with a mysterious backstory that you want to learn more about. 

Second, there should be enough of a cliff hanger at the end of the manga so that you must know the rest of the story.

Although this is the 2nd volume and I did not read the first, I find that the masked man has enough mystery surrounding him where I would like to know more. As stories go, starting at this volume is not advisable, however, I did skip to the end in hopes of finding out a little about the characters. Most manga have this feature at the end. I could surmise from the reading that there was a war but it was confusing and I just kept reading without really knowing who to root for. Until I read the back, I wasn't sure who I was supposed to tag as the "good guy/girl," but based on the backstories, I think the young General Simba is the girl to watch, as well as the masked man.

Second, there is definitely a cliff hanger because I don't know what the masked man is there for and who he works for so the "to be continued" tag was disappointing because I was finally hooked. 

Review - Bad Magic

Title: Bad Magic

Author: Pseudonymous Bach

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Click on the link to the book above to get a 10 chapter free preview from Amazon.com

In Brief:

Clay misses his older brother who has mysteriously disappeared from his life and he kind of blames magic on his brother's disappearance, so when Clay writes Magic Sucks in his journal and it ends up graffiti'd on the school wall, he can't figure out how to explain his way out of his problem. 

He is sent to Earth Ranch, a camp for "troubled" kids where more unexplained "magic" keeps happening to him and he is thrust into one mystery after another.

My Thoughts:

As today is International Literacy Day and educators are taking the pledge to "Lift Off to Literacy" by engaging students in an extra 60 seconds of literacy activities for 60 days, this book, Bad Magic, would be a great 60 second read aloud for 60 days. There are so many cliff hangers in each chapter. The readers are easily swept into the feelings of Clay who encounters one strange thing after another and is constantly trying to put clues together. Take advantage of the free preview and start reading. Even middle level learners deserve to enjoy a great read aloud. 

My preview of this book is courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. 

This Is the Day: The March on Washington

Author/Photographer: Leonard Freed
Publisher: Getty Publications

Synopsis:
This Is the Day: The March on Washington is a  photo-essay by photographer Leonard Freed documenting the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom of August 28, 1963, the historic day on which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech at the base of the Lincoln Memorial. This book commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the historic march that ultimately led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The black and white photos in this book are so powerful that they don't need text. It shows the waiting, the crowds gathering, the mix of Americans that were there on August 28, and finally the rubble of  a crowd of thousands who came and then suddenly left on their buses, leaving the pamphlets and other human rubbish behind. 

Freed photographed from the grounds, walking amongst the people who came to listen. It's an odd way to write about oneself, but I love the sentence that say:

He photographs the rainbow of blackness that floats above prescribed definitions of beauty and intelligence. 

New Orleans Requiem by D.J. Donaldson

Author: D. J. Donaldson
Publisher: Astor + Blue Editions
Rating: 4.5

Andy Broussard is the lemon ball popping New Orleans Chief Medical Examiner, and Kit Franklyn is his criminal psychologist who are trying to quickly solve a series of gruesome murders even as they are hosting a conference for other medical examiners, psychologists and criminologists.

There's something appealing about setting this fast-paced story in New Orleans. I have been fascinated with New Orleans post Katrina, from the cuisine, the music and the mystery of this place. Perhaps it's my HBO GO marathons of Treme. New Orleans, after this, is definitely on my bucket list.

The murders are appealing. A missing eyelid. A newspaper with cut letters spelling something and nothing. A countdown of the letters from KOJE to KOJ. A race agains the clock. Mesmerizing.

Finally, as someone who went to college thinking that I wanted to be a medical examiner, and ending up as an English teacher, I truly appreciate the massive amount of detailed research that Donaldson puts into this novel. This is the first time reading this series, but Broussard and Franklyn are so likable that I definitely will be looking for more books with these characters.  This is one of the best mysteries I've read in a while and if you've ever read Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpatta novels this is the perfect YA equivalent.

Kumu Hina Film Review

For LGBT week, my local theatre in Hilo, Hawai'i is showing the film Kumu Hina about a hula teacher who has transitioned from a male to a female and it follows her for a year as she brings her husband from Fiji and works with a girl in her school who would like to lead the high school boys' hula class.

I think the interactions and relationships in this movie are a ray of hope for young kids who feel like they're in the middle. In Hawaiʻi, and for Hawaiians, aloha is not a tourist greeting, but a way of life and a way of living with each other on an island. The aloha in this film is a model to change the world.

aloha ke kahi i ke kahi (love one another).

Controversy and Hope

Title: Controversy and Hope: The Civil Rights Photographs of James Karales
Authors: Julian Cox with Rebekah Jacob and Monica Karales
Publisher: University of South Carolina Press

In Short: The photographs in this book tell a story of life in the impoverished south and the behind the scenes of the civil rights movement more than it talks about the actual civil rights protests and marches. This is also the story of this one photographer, Karales and how opportunity and skill can position someone to change the world through his/her lens.

My Thoughts: I was expecting the" in your face" violence of some of Bill Hudson's work, like the photo of Parker High School student Walter Gadsen being attacked by a police dog in Birmingham, Alabama. I was even expecting more of the photos like Karales' photo of the march from Selma to Montgomery - the one that is taken from below and shows the mass of faceless people with the dark clouds looming above. The authors do include that. I especially liked the photo of Martin Luther King Jr. speaking from the motel balcony paired with the photo from below of the people listening to him with the story in their faces. However, what struck me about these photos were the intimate storytelling possible when Karales honed his artist eye on small events like Martin Luther King Jr. playing with his daughter in their kitchen. Even more haunting than seeing the violence on the street were the photos Karales took of the non-violent protesters practicing passive resistance training in what looked like a basement in Atlanta. As someone from Hawaii, I also appreciated the photo of Dr. King arm in arm with Rev. Abernathy, Rabbi Eisendrath and Rabbi Heschel, all of them with leis on. For me that was the iconic Dr. King photo when I was a school girl and I'm glad I now know about the life of this photographer.

Bird & Squirrel on Ice

Author:  James Burks
Publisher: Scholastic

The Short: Friends Bird and Squirrel crash land in the South Pole after a blizzard and find themselves at a penguin village. Sakari, the chief's daughter believes that Bird is the chosen one who will save the village from the hungry killer whale that lives in their bay. Bird loves the idea of being the hero, but Squirrel finds out that the chief wants to feed Bird to the whale so Squirrel and Sakari need to try and save him, but time is running out!

And So: Although Bird and Squirrel are written for children and tweens, even as an adult these characters are FUNNY and charming. I love the strong female character of Sakari that we continue to see so much of in fiction and movies today, but Squirrel is a pretty brave blue squirrel too, and he genuinely cares for Bird and will continue to be the voice of reason. I am also impressed that there is added tension in the climax scene. I found myself reading faster at the end because it was getting so tense. That's just shows that children's literature has always been the role model for adult fiction.

Age of the Aura Phase I: Champions of Power giveaway

Age of the Aura, Phase I: Champions of Power (SYNOPSIS)

Genre: Science Fiction (Space Opera)

The Blessed Galaxy has no other name. After being gifted with the Auras—five great powerhouses of celestial creation—the title was a suitable fit. For millennia, the governing bodies have ruled their respective reaches of the Galaxy while harnessing the might of the Auras. But now they face the threat of a calamity, from an unlikely source, that could shake the lives of all.

Lowen Sars, a devout man of science, decides to take on the burden of saving the Galaxy’s people once he learns of the calamity. But he soon realizes that the role of a hero was a calling not meant for him, even with his sudden promotion. In his process of self-discovery, Lowen begins the fateful saga of not only the Blessed Galaxy, but also the kingdom in possession of the corrupt Aura.

Read more behind the story! http://ageoftheaura.com/universe/

Download Phase I for FREE on Amazon! (June 24^th-28^th ONLY!)

http://amzn.to/M8k1vf

Enter to Win a Physical Copy of Phase I on GOODREADS!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Champions of Power

by Samuel Odunsi Jr.

Giveaway ends July 24, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Watch the Book Trailer!

Book Reviews for Phase I

The Indie Book Review

A Book So Fathomless - "3.5 out of 5"

Beth Art From the Heart - "4 out of 5"

Voracious Reader - "3 out of 5"

Sadie S Forsythe - "3 out of 5"

Nik's Picks - "4 out of 5"

Dee's Reads - "3 out of 5"

My Cozie Corner - "5 out of  5"

Confuzzled Books - "4 out of 5"

Cheryl's Book Nook - "4 out of 5"

The Guide to Good Books - "5 out of 5"

Paranormal Sisters - "3.5 out of 5"

Books With Leti Del Mar - "3 out of 5"

Enderʻs Game Movie Trailer!

The plethora of YA books made into movies is just proof that YA literature has crossed media and age boundaries.

Enderʻs Game  has waited 20 years and the story has not lost its appeal, so I'm glad to see the movie trailer out - unlike Game of Thrones, SUMMER IS COMING!

My Nature is Hunger by Luis J. Rodriguez

Title: My Nature is Hunger: New and Selected Poems , 1989-2004
Author: Luis J. Rodriguez

Synopsis:
My Nature is Hunger is the first poetry collection in five years by this major award-winning Latino author. It includes selections from his previous books,Poems Across the Pavement, The Concrete River, and Trochemoche, and 26 new poems that reflect his increasingly global view, his hard-won spirituality, and his movement toward reconciliation with his family and his past.

My thoughts:
As an indigenous writer, these poems whisper and moan and shout to me, the rhythm is familiar as breath, and when Rodriguez says "you" in his poem, I imagine that he is speaking directly to me. It doesn't matter if our places are different, if our ancestral memories are different, because he speaks to my na'au (the gut where our Hawaiian knowledge lives).

My favorite stanza from "Piece by piece"

Piece by piece/ They tear at you:/ Peeling away layers of being,/ Lying about who you are,/ Speaking for your dreams.

I think as Hawaiians, when we allow others to speak for our dreams, then we have stopped paying attention to the ho'ailona, those signs from our ancestors that guide us.

My favorite one line from "Believe me when I say. . ."

writing a poem is like fathering a river

Want to teach figurative language, the power of metaphor and simile to craft our own writing? This is the poem to use.

See a great video from Open Road Media of Mr. Rodriguez talking about how books and writing saved him. 
More on the author:

Luis J. Rodríguez (b. 1954) is a poet, journalist, memoirist, and author of children’s books, short stories, and novels. His documentation of urban and Mexican immigrant life has made him one of the most prominent Chicano literary voices in the United States. Born in El Paso, Texas, to Mexican immigrant parents, Rodríguez grew up in Los Angeles, where in his teen yearshe joined a gang, lived on the streets, and became addicted to heroin. In his twenties, after turning his back on gang violence and drugs, Rodríguez began his career as a journalist and then award-winning poet, writing such books as the memoir Always Running (1993), and the poetry collections The Concrete River (1991), Poems Across the Pavement (1989), and Trochemoche (1998). He has also written the short story collection The Republic of East L.A. (2002). Rodríguez maintains an arts center, bookstore, and poetry press in L.A., where he continues writing and working to mediate gang violence.

Thank you to NetGalley and Open Road Media for reading access to this book. 

Download Now

For a limited time, download the prequel to The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Here's their trailer. Looks good - they are doing a full court press on this one. Check out her website too. 

Happy! Volume 1

Contributors: Darick Robertson, Grant Morrison
Release date: April 30, 2013, Image Comics
Paperback: 96 pages

Short:
Nick Sax, a disgraced police detective turned drunk and drug addled gun for hire, is "haunted" by a blue winged unicorn/horse who tries to get Nick to save a little girl from a porn ring.

Thoughts:
This is a fast paced, uber violent, angry romp through one night in Nick's messed up life. Not for those who see the f-bomb as a deal breaker.  The coloring of the panels helps to create the mood of dystopian, urban chaos.