That quote in the title of these reviews comes from Michael Sheyahshe’s introduction to Moonshot: Volume 1 and it serves as a rallying cry for all three volumes. The Moonshot series, published in 2015, 2017 and 2019, is, as the title says, a collection of comics written and drawn by Indigenous writers and artists. These volumes were also published and distributed by Avani and Inhabit Education Books, which are Inuit owned. The reason for the volumes is pretty obvious — Indigenous people have had very […]
Goblins, Elves and Diplomacy
How to describe The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge? According to writer MT Anderson it’s “…a tragic meditation on how societies that have been trained to hate each other for generations can actually come to see eye to eye.” But is it? According to illustrator Eugene Yelchin, “A crazy story about two fools blinded by propaganda is not a tragedy. It’s a comedy.” Who’s correct? Well, both are. This National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature is a story of political intrigue and espionage, and […]
It’s not easy being teen
I hadn’t originally planned to review all three of these books together, but after reading them, I found that they had more in common than just their author. American Born Chinese, Boxers and Saints all center on teens who are dealing with issues related to their identity and how to live within the community in which they find themselves. Do you adapt to others’ expectations, try to remake the community as you wish it to be, or leave it for something new? American Born Chinese […]
YA + Alternative History + Zombies!!
Justina Ireland’s 2018 YA novel Dread Nation was one of New York Public Library’s Winter 2018 Picks for Young Adults. When I read the brief description about alternative history and zombies and then saw the totally badass cover over on Amazon, I had to read it. Although it clocks in at over 400 pages, I zipped through it in no time, and all I can say is that there had better be a sequel soon! Set in the 1870s, Ireland shows her readers an America […]