Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Dan Unmasked by Chris Negron

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

Dan Unmasked by Chris Negron. 368 p. HarperCollins Publishers, July 28, 2020. 9780062943057. (Review of arc courtesy of publicist.)

Middle Grade Monday features an impressive debut, Dan Unmasked by Chris Negron. Dan and Nate are best friends, baseball teammates and comics aficionados. Like most baseball players, Dan and Nate have their tics and rituals on and off the field. One includes the entire team when a new issue of the reclusive George Sanderson's Captain Nexus releases. The whole team meets in Nate's basement with their new issue and follow strict RULES for the ritual reading. The only non-team member invited to this club is Ollie, Nate's geeky little brother. Dan is begrudging about this and outright floored when Ollie brings a friend! Not only is his friend a girl, but Courtney flouts the rules of the reading. All this takes a back burner when, a few days later at baseball practice, Nate is beaned by a hard throw and falls into a coma. Nate is the team's pitching ace and they are heading into a tournament Dan feels they have no hope of winning without him. He feels terrible guilt because Dan thinks it's his fault that Nate is in a coma. 

Nate's an all-around nice guy - accepting, approachable and athletic. Dan's a bit intense and possessive of Nate, even begrudging Ollie's need for Nate's attention. This may be because Dan's dad has been unavailable for awhile due to increased work demands. Dan is crushed by the guilt he feels over Nate's injury. Readers will find a lot to relate to as Dan navigates the guilt, hurt, feelings of helplessness and grief. The book's leisurely pace and page count allow for these explorations.

I do have a few quibbles, which are major for me as an adult, but young readers absolutely will not notice. My twelve-year-old self would've loved this book. First, one pitcher does not a baseball team make even in the major leagues. It bugged me that Nate seemed to pitch every game and once he was injured, his back-up pitcher pitched them all. No way that happens - Little League, Major League, any league.

Second, regular readers of this blog know what's coming. The coma. Lots of drawn out drama with little coinciding with real life, such as allowing anyone but family members at the bedside and unspecified crises, presumably having to do with cranial pressure, which should be relieved with surgery, but didn't happen here. As I mentioned, kids won't notice. Indeed many adults probably won't either, as this (and amnesia) is the stuff of soap operas and they're not going away. My soapbox. I'm stepping off now. 

Chris Negron combines great baseball action with graphic novel fandom in this story of friendship and male bonding. Fans of both will love the combo. Happy book birthday tomorrow. 

Chris Negron grew up outside Buffalo, NY, where he spent a huge chunk of his childhood collecting comic books and loving sports. But it was the hours of playing Dungeons and Dragons in friends’ basements that first gave him the dream of one day writing his own stories. That dream kept him company through college at Yale University and years of programming computers for big companies. Dan Unmasked is his debut novel, and he now lives outside Atlanta with his wife, Mary. Visit him at www.chrisnegron.com.

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Arc Review: Everything Awesome about Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Beasts! by Mike Lowery

Image: Scholastic

Everything Awesome about Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Beasts! by Mike Lowery. 128 p. Orchard Books/ Scholastic Inc., October 15, 2019. 9781338359725. (Review of arc obtained from the publisher at ALAAC19.)

Reading this comic book treatment of prehistory awakened memories of #3 son twenty-seven years ago. Now, all four of my sons had a thing for dinosaurs, but none with the depth and intensity of #3. He became a real expert around age three, blithely and confidently pronouncing those multisyllabic names. He was not shy about correcting adults who mispronounced any! I wonder what he would've thought of this energetic, hyperbole filled book filled with "a gazillion true facts!" 

There's a prelude of sorts containing a thank you note from the author, instructions on how to use and a geologic timeline spanning four pages before the Table of Contents.

The book is divided into eight parts but part two: A Brief History of the Earth takes up the bulk of the book. Then we get to meet the dinos. This is the second largest portion. Chapters in this section explain what dinos ate, traits, giant dinos and various dino distinctions. Then there is a part devoted to explaining the extinction theories; a part about the work of paleontologists; more prehistoric beasts; instructions for drawing dinos; a field guide; resources and finally, dino jokes, though these are liberally sprinkled throughout the text. 

The cartoon art is very bold, busy and colorful. Fonts constantly change in type and size. There are lots of "text boxes" filled with bits of information and "weird facts." There are also lots of humorous asides, such as a sweltering dino sporting shade asking when air conditioning will be invented. Pronunciation keys are consistently presented as well as the occasional scale comparison, such as pizza, kid or school bus. 

Apparently, this is the beginning of a series. There's a preview at the end of volume two, which is coming in fall of 2020. It is called Everything Awesome about Sharks and Other Underwater Creatures! This series is sure to please young fact hounds, and fans of graphic novel, comics, Captain Underpants. If you have a dinosaur fan in your life, check out Everything Awesome about Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Beasts! It's due to be published in mid-October. 

Blog Tour: The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash

The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash. 256 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, June 14, 2016. 9781481456531. (Review from arc courtesy of publisher)

Graham and Roxy (Roxana) have been best friends for eight years now, ever since he moved in next door to her and he spied her spying on him through the fence. The first thing she asked was which Hogwarts house he thought he would be sorted into. He hadn't yet read the Harry Potter books so they read them together. They are united in a love of all things geeky and are now a graphic novel team - he writes and she does the art. 

Graham is ready to take their relationship to the next level. They are going to the New York City Comic Con together and when Graham discovers that their favorite author, the reclusive Robert Zinc, will be on a surprise panel, Graham takes it as a sign - he will procure tickets and proclaim his love for her at the Javits Center. All he has to do is camp out on line the night before. He talks his best bud, Casey into going with him. His confidence grows when he and his friend, are 101 online. Only, the next morning, the line breaks into a stampede and Graham is out of luck. 

Oh Graham, Graham! You poor, earnest, clueless sap! The story is told from his POV so we really don't get a sense of what Roxy is feeling except through Graham's perception. He maintains his optimism for the weekend only to be thwarted when Roxy's best friend, Felicia, signs them all up for Speed Dating. When Roxy emerges, she isn't alone, a cool, handsome Brit has latched onto her like a barnacle she doesn't want shucked. 

Readers will ache for Graham as he follows like a third wheel. Readers will root for Graham while wincing at his endearingly awkward, increasingly desperate attempts to save the day. Readers will laugh out loud, often; then feel a bit guilty for doing so. Readers who are also Comic Con fans will appreciate the setting and all of the sly in-jokes. Those who don't know what a Comic Con is will not be bored as the magic and energy of Comic Con is conveyed well. I found it rather fascinating that Ms. Tash frames this book over three days just as she did in her YA debut, Three Day Summer. I wonder if it was intentional. It was a great set-up in both books. 

The supporting cast of characters are vividly drawn, dialogue is snappy, spot-on and frequently hilarious. I highly recommend this fun, fast read for lovers of romance, geekdom and/ or all things comics. Personally, I would also love it was produced as an audiobook. I cannot wait to booktalk this! I have one more before school lets out. It's the perfect summer read. Many thanks to the author and publisher for the opportunity for this early read.

Sarvenaz Tash is offering a Pre-Order Swag Pack
Anyone who pre-orders The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love or purchases it the week of release (up through Sunday 6/19) will receive an exclusive swag pack featuring a signed book plate, bookmarks, a postcard, and some adorkably nerdy stickers. All you have to do is email your proof of purchase and mailing address to geeksguidepreorder@gmail.com (This is international). More info here.