Middle Grade Monday: Captain America: the Ghost Army (Original Graphic Novel) by Alan Gratz.

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Captain America: the Ghost Army (Original Graphic Novel) by Alan Gratz. Illustrated by Brent Schoonover. 176 p. Scholastic/ Graphix, January, 2023. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy Monday! I hope you enjoyed your weekend. We had torrential rain on Saturday and partial sunshine on Sunday. I was able to close my move ring despite the rain and crushed it on Sunday with almost twelve miles! Mowing my lawn needs about 1.5 miles of steps! The rest was walks with the Boo bear.

Middle Grade Monday features Captain America: the Ghost Army (Original Graphic Novel) by Alan Gratz. Mr. Gratz's many fans at TMS will be happy to know that he has written a graphic novel! It's historical fiction, of course. It's World War II and Capt. America and his feisty sidekick Bucky are in the fictional country of Transia on the eastern front. They're sent to help the British hold their position, but are struggling because they're outnumbered. Just in time, they hear the rumble of artillary, which sends the Nazi's running. It turns out, their saviors are just a few soldiers driving Jeeps, led by a Japanese-American soldier named Jim Morita. Morita's "Ghost Army" has been an effective tool, but little do they know that they will be facing an army of real ghosts that are immune to Capt. America's shield.

I am totally ignorant of the Marvel Universe myself and cannot comment about canon, but this was an engaging read. There's historical meat embedded in a quick-paced action adventure whose ending promises more to come. The art zings. 

Captain America: the Ghost Army belongs in all kinds of libraries. 

Middle Grade Monday: Miles Morales Shock Waves by Justin A. Reynolds. Illustrated by Pablo Leon.

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Miles Morales: Shock Waves (Original Spider-man graphic novel) by Justin A. Reynolds. Illustrated by Pablo Leon. 128 p. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc., June, 2021. 9781338648034. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday features Miles Morales: Shock Waves by Justin A. Reynolds. Miles Morales is just trying to get by in Brooklyn. He attends New Visions Academy boarding school by day and swings through the city streets stopping crime by night as Spider Man. When does this kid sleep? When a hurricane hits his mother's native Puerto Rico, she starts raising funds and Miles pitches in to help. Kyle, a new student, suggests that her  father might help. He gets his new employer to donate and then he goes missing. Two unusual interns also work at the company and were involved in a theft that Spider Man thwarted days earlier. Is there a connection between the girls, the rock they left behind, Kyle's father's disappearance AND the earthquake in Puerto Rico?

My knowledge of the Marvel Superhero Universe is paltry at best. That said, I enjoyed this graphic novel. Miles is a winning narrator, just trying to survive boarding school and figuring out what his art project will be. The art is energetic and vibrant and one of the final panels reveals a twist, which is presumably the basis for a future installment. I can't wait to see what my students think and I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

Middle Grade Monday: Shuri: a Black Panther Novel by Nic Stone

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Shuri: a Black Panther Novel by Nic Stone. 272 p. Scholastic Inc., May, 2020. 9781338585476. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Happy Monday! Well, today is the day! It's the Monday of the ALA Midwinter Conference and traditionally the day that the Youth Media Awards are announced! Stay tuned to see if any of your favorite books of 2020 won anything.

Middle Grade Monday features Shuri: a Black Panther Novel by Nic Stone. This series beginner focuses on Princess Shuri, the scientific genius of Wakanda's royal family. The Heart Shaped Herb that is native and vital to Wakanda is dying. Curiously, neither T'Challa nor her mother seem terribly concerned, so Shuri takes it upon herself to discover why. Against orders, she travels outside of Wakanda's protected borders to do so.

I'm barely literate of the Black Panther canon, so I cannot comment on its faithfulness. I enjoyed the adventure and Shuri's intelligence and passion. The pace is fast. There's suspense and humor. 

If you are fan of The Black Panther, you will enjoy this series starter. Book two, The Vanished, is set to release on February 2.

Middle Grade Monday and Audio Review: Black Panther: the young prince by Ronald L. Smith

Black Panther: the young prince by Ronald L. Smith. Unabridged audiobook on five compact discs. 5 hours, 45 minutes. Read by Dion Graham. Listening Library, January, 2018. 9780525531319. (Review from finished copy borrowed from public library. Own print copy.)

I must state up front I am totally ignorant in that I have not seen the movie, Black Panther, nor am I familiar with the comic. I have no idea how faithful to the character and canon this story is, but it's an engaging one. This book focuses on young T'Challa. He's twelve and living the life in Wakanda, training and messing around with his best friend, M'Baku. T'Challa's father, the Black Panther, sends him and M'Baku to Chicago for their protection when danger threatens Wakanda. The two are to keep their citizenship and identity a secret and support each other while attending middle school. 

The boys are thrust head-first into American culture and middle school complete with cliques, sports and bullies. M'Baku soon comes under the thrall of Gemini Jones and T'Challa befriends nerdy kids, Zeke and Sheila. There may or may not be a mysterious stranger following them. 

This was a fast-paced adventure featuring a soon-to-be super-hero as a teen facing what many teens face - the need to belong and fit in - in addition to being thoughtful about his destiny. The audiobook was narrated by a favorite - Dion Graham, but I was a bit disappointed. His delivery was very, very breathy. Distractingly breathy. Perhaps even a bit over-the-top with his staccato delivery. Once I distanced myself from that distraction and ignored a couple of, "Really?" moments in the plot, I decided that the target audience will enjoy this adventure.