Little Fish- Book Review
Little Fish is an graphic memoir about Ramsey’s first year of college. The story, set in 2004, is told through comics, lists, and journal entries taken from her actual Livejournal.
Ramsey lived a sheltered life in her small Michigan town of Paw Paw. She’s a happy, somewhat introverted girl who likes punk music, her small group of friends, and art. She applies to, and is accepted into an art school in Baltimore. She describes her preparations and trepidations in the summer before she leaves.
Her story is an honest true to life tale of what it is like to go off on your own for the first time. Sometimes she is lonely, sometimes she is happy and sociable, and sometimes she has conflicted feelings about being away from home. Ramsey makes some new friends who challenge her in new ways and make her open up to a wider world than she had experienced in Paw Paw. The memoir spans her entire year and includes a light romance with her neighbor.
I really enjoyed her book because I felt my experience was similar to hers. Some would expect a memoir about the first year of college to be full of boozing and sex, but hers was not. It’s good for teens to read a story that shows how college isn’t just about partying.
Towards the end of the book, the lists get a little tedious to read, but overall, I enjoyed the format. This should appeal to reluctant readers and graphic novel enthusiasts. I highly recommend this to high schoolers, college students, and even young adults who will reminisce about college life.
Teen Summer Reading Program
Check out the SRP site HERE for more information on how the program works. The theme this year is “Beneath the Surface” so we are having some great zombie and underground themed programs for teens. Stop by your local branch library for a log and to sign-up starting May 28th.
Here is a list of great zombie books to try this summer:
Ashes by Ilsa Bick -YA BICK
Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris -YA HAR
The Dead and The Enemy by Charlie Higson -YA HIG
Dead City by James Ponti –YA PON
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan –YA RYA
Generation Dead by Daniel Waters –YA WAT
Never Slow Dance with a Zombie by Ehrich Van Lowe—YA VAN
Undead by Kirsty McKay –YA MCK
Undead Much? By Stacey Jay -YA JAY
Z by Michael Ford Thomas –YA THO
Zombie Blondes by Brian James -YA JAM
Zombies Vs. Unicorns short stories –YA ZOM
Maze Runner- Book Review
In the Maze Runner, we meet an unnamed character who wakes up in an elevator. He has no memories of his previous life, and no idea how he got in the elevator. When the doors open, he finds himself outdoors crowded by a group of men about his same age, which he guesses is 16. He slowly learns that all of them are in the same predicament. Some have been there for several months, but no one really knows where they are or why. Various supplies and food is sent up in the elevator for them. They were able to build a farm and a small house but they are enclosed by giant walls. Every day the walls open to reveal a path that leads to a giant maze. Several of the boys enlist as maze runners to try to map the maze and see where it goes. If they get stuck out there at night, they are stung by giant mechanical beasts.
Okay, so it sounds kind of weird but it will really pull you in. The mystery will keep you turning pages. The book has two sequels and a prequel, so you won’t learn all of the secrets in the first one. Check this out if you enjoyed Hunger Games!