Tag Archives: bullying

Life’s Soundtracks

Posted on August 1, 2019 by rosinskynatalie

Which song could be the soundtrack of your life today? This question is posed to the 8th grade characters in Operatic (2019), a wonderful new graphic novel combining music history and biography with smart insights into the complex tween and … Continue reading →

Posted in biographies, graphic novels | Tagged 8th grade, Blinded by the Light, British, Bruce Springsteen, bullying, Byron Eggenschwiler, Canada, friendship, genderfluid, Greetings from Bury Park, homophobia, Kyo Maclear, Maria Callas, Master Class, memoir, middle school, movie, music, music history, opera, Operatic, Pakistani, rock music, Sarfraz Manzoor, soundtrack, teenager, teens, U.S. | Leave a comment

Tweens Spring Forward

Posted on March 1, 2019 by rosinskynatalie

Transitions. Whether it is tweens careening towards adolescence or winter blossoming into spring, the change is predictable–even if the pace is not! This is why fickle March seems an apt moment to catch up with two award-winning graphic novels about … Continue reading →

Posted in graphic novels | Tagged All's Faire in Middle School, award winner, bullying, challenges, elmentary school graphic novels, family relationships, friendship, growing up, humor, Latinx characters, middle school, Newberry Honor book, Renaissance Faire, roller derby, Roller Girl, self-awareness, sports, team relationships, The Great Art Caper, The Great Pet Escape, tween girls, tweens, Victoria Jamieson | Leave a comment

Crushes Now and Then

Posted on February 1, 2019 by rosinskynatalie

Heartthrob or heartache? Sudden attraction or slow connection? With Valentine’s Day approaching, and its card exchanges popular even in some pre-schools, the recent publication of Svetlana Chmakova’s Crush (2018) was aptly timed. This continuation of the author/illustrator’s award-winning Berrybrook Middle … Continue reading →

Posted in graphic novels, story collection | Tagged 1960s, Awkward, Beach Boys, Beatles, Berrybrook Middle School series, Brave, bullying, Crush, crushes, friends, I Am Young, M. Dean, middle school, music, Pet Sounds, Svetlana Chmakova, teenagers, tweens, Valentine's Day, young love | Leave a comment

Happy Holidays? Family Woes and Wins

Posted on November 7, 2018 by rosinskynatalie

Santa Claus may not be this season’s biggest holiday myth. A more troubling fantasy here in North America may be the myth of the perfectly happy, affluent family—one celebrating its winter holidays with big smiles in a bright, cheerful home … Continue reading →

Posted in graphic novels, memoir | Tagged 1950s, abandonment, alcoholism, and Dealt with Family Addiction, autobiography, bullying, California, Chinese immigrants, Christmas, David Small, drug addiction, father, Good Night Monkey Boy, grandparents, Hey Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother Found My Father and, holiday myths, Home After Dark, homophobia, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Lunch Lady series, memoir, mother, Mother's Day, racism, Stitches, suicide, Worcester Massachusetts | Leave a comment

Being Brave and Bold

Posted on April 1, 2018 by rosinskynatalie

Awkward middle schoolers gaining confidence and becoming brave— two great graphic novels about this transition are my focus today, inspired by current events. How do young people learn to be brave and bold? I have been thinking about this since … Continue reading →

Posted in graphic novels, manga | Tagged art club, Awkward, Be Heard! A Comic for Student Rights, Brave, bullying, civil rights movement, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Crush, Dr. Martin Luther King, Great Graphic Novels for Teens, I Am Alfonso Jones, manga, March Book One, March Book Three, March Book Two, March for Our Lives, middle school, Night School, Parkland Florida shooting, Representative John Lewis, science club, Svetlana Chmakova, The Silence of Our Friends, Yolanda Renee King | Leave a comment