A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge

By Josh Neufeld
Grades 10+

This is a stunning graphic novel that tells the tale of Hurricane Katrina in the true stories of six survivors. It is overwhelming to think of your home town destroyed and you having to bear witness to the horrors. This book describes that horror.

A.D. follows each of the six from the hours before Katrina struck to its horrific aftermath. Here is Denise, a sixth-generation New Orleanian who will experience the chaos of the Superdome; the Doctor, whose unscathed French Quarter home becomes a refuge for those not so lucky; Abbas and his friend Mansell, who face the storm from the roof of Abbas’s family-run market; Kwame, a pastor’s son whose young life will remain wildly unsettled well into the future; and Leo, a comic-book fan, and his girlfriend, Michelle, who will lose everything but each other. We watch as they make the wrenching decision between staying and evacuating. And we see them coping not only with the outcome of their own decisions but also with those made by politicians, police, and others like themselves--decisions that drastically affect their lives, but over which they have no control.

Overwhelming demand has propelled A.D. from its widely-read early Internet installments to this complete hardcover edition; it shines an uncanny light on the devastating truths and human triumphs of New Orleans after the deluge.

The Hound of the Baskervilles: A Sherlock Holmes Graphic Novel

Grades: 6-12

Story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Adapted by Ian Edginton, Illustrated by I.N.J. Culbard

When I saw this on the new book I squealed with librarian glee! I've often thought that the Sherlock Holmes books would be great in the graphic novel format. I have to say that even I, literate librarian, get bogged down by the Victorian language used.

I was however afraid that the story would be watered down into "BAM" and "SWOOSH!" that are generally associated with graphic novels. The Hounds of the Baskervilles is a very complex story that has many story components. It would completely change the value of the story to remove these. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of text that was kept. I tend to be a purist as far as how I feel with regard to abridged texts--that is, I hate it when a text is abridged--and this was a great adaption.

Mr. Librarian is likewise a stickler for detail in renditions of literary masterpiece. You did NOT want to sit next to him during the Harry Potter movies or Troy. He fumed that why would anyone want to change the storyline of a book series that was as popular as Harry Potter or as infamous and classic as that of the city of Troy. Sometimes there is a reason to change the storyline. However, in these cases, it was ridiculous. I know. But, I think EVEN would enjoy this adaptation.

The illustrations really make the graphic novel. If the illustrations had been some kind of wispy stick figures or some really pretty flower stuff, it would have been an utter disaster. I like the way the characters were drawn. While the reader is unable to read the descriptions of people, it is very evident that the illustrator has read the descriptions of the people and taken that to heart when he draws. The mood, tone, and general feeling of Victorian London and countryside was taken into account in the colorful, yet gritty images.

If you haven't read this story, you must do so immediately.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (bks 1 and 2)by Jeff Kinney

Grades 4+ 
Greg records his sixth grade experiences in a middle school where he and his best friend, Rowley, undersized weaklings amid boys who need to shave twice daily, hope just to survive, but when Rowley grows more popular, Greg must take drastic measures to save their friendship.

In the second book, Greg enters the new school year. He’s eager to put the past three months behind him . . . and one event in particular. Unfortunately for Greg, his older brother, Rodrick, knows all about the incident Greg wants to keep under wraps. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules chronicles Greg’s attempts to navigate the hazards of middle school, impress the girls, steer clear of the school talent show, and most important, keep his secret safe.

Alright. Greg is not a nice person. He is ashamed of his best friend. He is jealous of anyone who gets any attention. He lies and doesn't understand the purpose of being nice--unless it gets him something. He is always trying to get more even if he doesn't deserve it. Greg is a pretty miserable human being and is the type of person who made my life horrible in middle school--the bullied becomes the bully. If Greg is the type of hero that the world has to offer, the world is in trouble!

The books are certainly funny and capture the essence of Middle School. I was always hoping that Greg would do the right thing but I don't think he ever did, not once. For anyone who has read (or seen the movie) Emma, Greg is basically Emma: a self centered, unrepentant, jerk.

And yet, I read the first 2 books in one day and I want to read the third book. Is there something wrong with me?