Last year, I did an April Fool's version of First, What Are You Reading?, but this year I don't want to waste an opportunity to share some really good books with you. Enjoy, and I can't wait to hear what you are reading.
Here are my answers to the four
questions I ask on the first of each month:
first, what are you reading?
what do you like best about it?
what do you like least?
what's next on your list to
read?
As always, I hope you'll consider
your current reads on your blog and/or sharing here in the comments or on
Facebook. Happy reading!
First, what are you
reading?
Nursery Rhyme Comics: 50 Timeless Rhymes from 50 Celebrated
Cartoonists with an introduction by Leonard S.
Marcus
Nerd Camp by Elissa Brent Weissman
What do you like best about them?
The graphic book I was going to talk
about in this space was so bad I don’t even want to name it . It was about media bias and media
coverage, and it was terrible. Far
better for kids and adults to have a healthy sense of
So I decided to substitute another
graphic novel read that is well-done, and Nursery
Rhyme Comics fits the bill. I
really enjoyed the interesting takes on classic Mother Goose-type rhymes. Some are better than others, but it’s a
neat idea. Leonard Marcus’
introduction talks about how each artist was able to craft a “back story” for
the rhymes. I especially loved
“Pat-a-Cake” by Gene Luen Yang and “Hickory Dickory Dock” by Stephanie Yue.
Love, love, LOVE Nerd Camp. Gabe is 10
years old, and heading off to the Summer Center for Gifted Enrichment, better
known as Smart Camp for Geeks and Eggheads, or Nerd Camp. He realizes he is a nerd because of his
soon-to-be stepbrother Zach, who scoffs at things “nerds” would like, like
reading actual books, being in math club, and going to camp to learn. Gabe decides to make a logic proof of
the whole summer, deciding whether or not he is, in fact, a nerd.
I read Nerd Camp one weekend afternoon after a morning of cleaning and
when I was too tired to do any “real” writing or tougher reading. It was just the right pick-me-up. I laughed out loud, delighted in the
story and in how terrific it is to be a nerd.
Great things about the actual camp,
and why I want to go there:
*a Funny Quotes poster, where Gabe
and his buddies write down funny things they say
*learning the digits of pi.
*the karaoke sing-off between Gabe and his girl nemesis (or
friend?) Amanda. The song? An alphabetical listing the countries
of the world. I’m
“this” close to writing the author of the book to see if such a song really
exists.
*Jeopardy with Alex Trebeck as the
actual host.
*a 13-year-old who is the “cool” nerd
for making a clandestine lab at camp.
What do you like least about them?
Because there are so many artists in Nursery Rhyme Comics, there are plenty
that fall flat, or just really aren’t as good as others. But so many do work, I think the book
is a worthwhile read overall.
It’s just a little sad that part of Nerd Camp revolves around a divorce,
with parents sharing custody of Gabe, and his father getting married
again. But it’s not handled
negatively or positively. It
primarily serves as a plot device to put Gabe in the path of a non-nerd in the
form of his soon-to-be new step-brother. In our family, this just served as a discussion topic,
brought up seamlessly.
What’s next on your list to read?
Working through a list of potential
fiction for my June column. This
is no problem, as I love fiction.
Finding the time amid spring cleaning and “life” has been more of a
challenge lately.
So, what are you reading these days?
Any books you would like to share?
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