Author: Raina Telgemeier
Publisher: Scholastic
Date Published: September 1st, 2012
Description (from Goodreads):
"Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school's production of Moon Over Mississippi, she can't really sing. Instead she's the set designer for the drama department stage crew, and this year she's determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget. But how can she, when she doesn't know much about carpentry, ticket sales are down, and the crew members are having trouble working together? Not to mention the onstage AND offstage drama that occurs once the actors are chosen. And when two cute brothers enter the picture, things get even crazier!"
Why Am I Reading This? My final paper at Fresno State required me to do extensive research into banned books, and this title kept popping up. When checking in on my holds at the library, I saw that this was available and thought why not?
Spoiler Alert: The remainder of the review will feature spoilers.
Review:
I haven't read many graphic novels in my lifetime, though that fact seems to have slowly begun to change in the past year or so. I recently finished Marjane Satrapi's beautiful Persepolis, an autobiography that takes place in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, as well as Alison Bechdel's Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, a rich bildungsroman encompassing death, sexuality, and a difficult father-daughter relationship.
But for my most recent read, I dropped down a few grade levels to Raina Telgemeier's Drama. This middle-grades graphic novel goes by fairly quick (it probably took me about an hour-and-a-half), and it's great fun. Though this book revolves around theater, it largely focuses on the stage crew and the drama happening behind the curtain -- a fun perspective not typically seen in many stories.
I was particularly drawn to the vibrant colors and welcoming illustrations. The book is filled with color, as the cover artworks might suggest, and it certainly helps to capture the middle-grades audience -- the color palate is inviting and playful.
Though the book is filled with amazing illustrations and a fun plot, it's frequently challenged in school's across the country. In fact, Drama was second most challenged book in 2016 according to the American Library Association (ALA). It has this to say about Drama: "Challenged because it includes LGBT characters, was deemed sexually explicit, and was considered to have an offensive political viewpoint."
I'm still not sure what the offensive political viewpoint might be (any ideas?), though this book did feature a pair of homosexual characters and it featured one male character in a dress. Two boys kissed, which is sexually explicit because it wasn't a boy and a girl, and obviously this book needs to be removed from library shelves around the country. #Sarcasm
But seriously, Raina Telgemeier's Drama tells a lively story with a strong message, and I think all kids should be reading this. Though drama seems to invade every aspect of Callie's life, the book's portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters is drama-free and positive. The entire book is fairly diverse, though the protagonist is still a white, cisgender character, perhaps exposing the need for more truly diverse stories. This, however, is not a knock on Drama, as the story was largely female-positive, and provides young readers with an important message.
Though it may have benefited from a bit more character development, Raina Telgemeier's Drama was a strong book with fun artwork and a positive story -- I'd suggest you check it out.
I haven't read many graphic novels in my lifetime, though that fact seems to have slowly begun to change in the past year or so. I recently finished Marjane Satrapi's beautiful Persepolis, an autobiography that takes place in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, as well as Alison Bechdel's Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, a rich bildungsroman encompassing death, sexuality, and a difficult father-daughter relationship.
But for my most recent read, I dropped down a few grade levels to Raina Telgemeier's Drama. This middle-grades graphic novel goes by fairly quick (it probably took me about an hour-and-a-half), and it's great fun. Though this book revolves around theater, it largely focuses on the stage crew and the drama happening behind the curtain -- a fun perspective not typically seen in many stories.
I was particularly drawn to the vibrant colors and welcoming illustrations. The book is filled with color, as the cover artworks might suggest, and it certainly helps to capture the middle-grades audience -- the color palate is inviting and playful.
Though the book is filled with amazing illustrations and a fun plot, it's frequently challenged in school's across the country. In fact, Drama was second most challenged book in 2016 according to the American Library Association (ALA). It has this to say about Drama: "Challenged because it includes LGBT characters, was deemed sexually explicit, and was considered to have an offensive political viewpoint."
I'm still not sure what the offensive political viewpoint might be (any ideas?), though this book did feature a pair of homosexual characters and it featured one male character in a dress. Two boys kissed, which is sexually explicit because it wasn't a boy and a girl, and obviously this book needs to be removed from library shelves around the country. #Sarcasm
But seriously, Raina Telgemeier's Drama tells a lively story with a strong message, and I think all kids should be reading this. Though drama seems to invade every aspect of Callie's life, the book's portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters is drama-free and positive. The entire book is fairly diverse, though the protagonist is still a white, cisgender character, perhaps exposing the need for more truly diverse stories. This, however, is not a knock on Drama, as the story was largely female-positive, and provides young readers with an important message.
Though it may have benefited from a bit more character development, Raina Telgemeier's Drama was a strong book with fun artwork and a positive story -- I'd suggest you check it out.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
