17. Age 16

By Rosena Fung

8. This Place: 150 Years Retold

17. Through The Woods

By Emily Carroll

12. Silverwing: the graphic novel

By Kenneth Oppel (illustrated by Christopher Steininger)

Since she's been able to read, I've borrowed tons and tons of comics and graphic novels from the Mordecai Richler library for my 11 yo daughter.  Many of them are series, and very occasionally she'll go to me and say, can you get me the next book? as she wants to find out what happens next. 

I've heard of the Silverwing series of books by Kenneth Oppel, but didn't know much about them.  My daughter hadn't read the books yet so when I saw the graphic novel at the library last week, I just signed it out, as I wasn't sure if my daughter would be interested in reading the whole series. Besides, the graphics looked intriguing (like Watership Down, but with bats!) and the illustrations were dope.  

Then last Sunday, as I was helping her out of the bath, she told me, you know that book you got from the library, Silverwing?  It was really good.  I was like oh yeah?  And she launched into a brief summary of the story about this bat colony and how they were at war with the birds, etc. etc.

I told her the graphic novel is actually based on a real book, and there are a whole series of them, but this graphic novel is just the first one, and it came out in 2023.  Would you be interested in reading the actual books?  She goes, sure, I guess.  Which is her way of expressing interest.  So cool!  Now I just have to search out the Silverwing series of books now!  Maybe we'll find some while used book hunting in Vancouver!

And my curiosity was piqued, so I picked up the graphic novel and was able to read it at a leisurely pace in two days.  It was a very exciting adventure story about a runty bug-eating Silverwing bat named Shade who gets separated from his colony while they were migrating south for the winter.  He meets a Brightwing bat named Marina who helps him on his journey to catch up with his colony.  There's background info about the ancient conflict between the owls and the bats, as well as bat lore and legend.  But the main narrative is on Shade and Marina get into various mishaps and misadventures, including getting themselves involved with two scary giant carnivorous jungle bats who turn out to be evil monsters who have no issue eating "lesser" bats.  

The illustrations of the Goth and Throb's bloody goblin-esque faces as they ate their prey and fought with Shade and Marina were really amazing.  And when Shade and Marina saw all the metal bands lining the edge of Goth and Throb's wings - which meant that they must have EATEN all the human-worshipping barn bats!

Although I enjoyed the story immensely, it didn't make me want to seek out the original books to read.  However, I will encourage my daughter to read them so she can explain to me what happens next!

8. Le Printemps de Sakura

By Marie Jaffredo

2. The Underground Abductor

By Nathan Hale

Olman bought The Underground Abductor for our kid as a Christmas present.  It's part of Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series of graphic novels, like the Donner Dinner Party and Big Bad Ironclad!

The Underground Abductor had a hazard level ORANGE (GRAVE), as it deals with human slavery, supernatural visions, chains, massacre, revolt, beatings, whipping, caning, muskrat-trapping, head injury, late nights (!), fever, secret tunnels and drugged babies.

I found it interesting how the warning neglected two more “hazards”: desperate amateur dentistry (when Harriet had to knock out a bad tooth with a rock and pistol butt while hiding in the woods with four fugitive slaves, and quite late at night too!) and a gruesome sword attack (when slave captors got hacked to death by broad swords wielded by John Brown and his two sons!).

Despite all this adult content, the kid really enjoyed the book.  Since it was Black History Month, her Grade 4 class had been talking about influential and/or historical black figures.  Her teacher asked the students who their favourite black hero was, and naturally, she chose Harriet Tubman.  She even asked me who mine was (I chose Angela Davis), but I admitted I didn’t know much about Harriet Tubman.  My daughter then told me I should read The Underground Abductor, so here we are!

Harriet Tubman a.k.a Araminta Ross aka Ole Chariot aka General Moses aka The Underground Abductor was not only known by many names, she also wore many hats:  underground abductor, abolitionist, general, nurse, scout, spy.

She also survived a severe head injury where a chunk of lead was thrown at her.  Even though she had fully recovered, she suffered from intermittent narcolepsy and visions ever since.  At times, God would speak to her and his voice would somehow guide her during her dangerous missions as an underground abductor and spy.  

Harriet’s first mission as an underground abductor was to lead a group of 11 to safety.  She had led many successful missions since then.  At one point, during a single night, Harriet even helped liberate over 800 slaves when she led an army with Colonel James Montgomery.  

One does wonder if Harriet had divine intervention to help her as she never got caught, which was a miracle in itself.  Certainly many of her contacts and allies did, such as kick-ass Quaker stationmaster, Thomas Garrett.  Quakers were philosophically opposed to slavery and despite having been heavily fined and arrested, Garrett continued to aid fugitive slaves.

As a side research, I learned that Quakers played a huge role in the formation of the Underground Railroad, with George Washington complaining as early as 1786 that a “society of Quakers, formed for such purposes, have attempted to liberate” a neighbor’s slave.

All in all, I learned a lot and now regard Harriet Tubman as one of my fave heroes, period.

 

 

17- Salt Magic

 By Hope Larson.  Illus. by Rebecca Mock.

13. The Boy who Became a Dragon / City of Dragons

The Boy who Became a Dragon: A Bruce Lee Story 

by Jim Di Bartolo 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm 

By Jaimal Yogis