The ART of War

More and more, the graphic novel is receiving the praise and respect it so deserves. From the time when comics were "just for kids" to now, when a timeless manual like Sun Tzu's Art of War can be adapted into a graphic story that follows its namesake's principles through a gritty dystopian future. Kelly Roman and Michael DeWeese do Sun Tzu justice with this exceptional homage. 

Kelly Roman was punished, but nothing could punish him like his own conscience did. Once released from prison, he discovered his brother, an employee of Sun Tzu, was murdered. For Shane, there is nothing more important than finding the person behind Shane's death. As he starts to dig, however, he finds the darker and more disturbing world that hides behind the surface of the global economy. No longer about just money and ethics, the obsession with power has led men to do or create things that can never be undone. The face of society has changed through the decisions of man, and one lone person will get to the root of the deepest evil, all in the name of revenge. 

I don't want to get too deep into the story behind Sun Tzu's original book because it is just too special, unique, and ground-breaking to steal that opportunity for discovery from you. The story itself could stand alone without Sun Tzu, but throughout the unfolding of the story, you will have little snippets of Sun Tzu's philosophy. Those snippets fold beautifully into the story, guiding you through the key purposes without just reiterating what was already written. Instead, it becomes an interpretation or reimagining. And it is truly something impressive to behold. I had never read Sun Tzu's Art of War from cover to cover in one fell swoop, but I was fairly familiar with it, and this was quite the interpretation and use of those ideas and philosophies. I was pretty surprised with how impressed I was, and I encouraged my husband to read it, who hadn't read the original, and he was equally as impressed. Therefore, this is a great book for anyone who is either well-versed or unfamiliar with the original. It will still have an amazing impact on any reader. 

The story is, of course, incredibly violent and graphic. There were times where I was actually taken aback by the violence, but I felt it was all necessary for this particular story; nothing was gratuitous. This does, however, make the book better for older readers who can handle a good amount of violence. I would certainly recommend this story for any reader, especially a gamer, who struggles to find a story that keeps them going from cover to cover. This story with its incredible two-colored illustrations and terrifyingly capturing story will grab hold of those readers in particular. So if you have a bunch of boys who claim to never have found a book they cared about, try this one out- I think they will have a tough time putting it down!

Revolution is Not a Dinner Party

I have been looking for books for our literature curriculum written by and based on Asian cultures. Unfortunately, it isn't terribly easy to find something that both fits those categories and is a worthwhile book to read in class with middle school students. Oh, there are books out there, but so many of them are written by American or European authors about Asian cultures. I was happy to find Revolution is not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine, a story about a young girl growing up in China at the end of Mao Ze-dong's Cultural Revolution.

Ling is nine years old and her biggest dream is to see the United States. Her father teaches her English in secret, shows her pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge, and they sing English songs and read English books. But something is happening in China that threatens her family's way of life. Both her parents are doctors- her father of Western medicine and her mother of traditional Chinese medicine. During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, if you weren't working class, you were considered extravagant and wasteful, and Ling's parents fell into that category.

When a Maoist officer moves into their apartment building, everyone in the building is careful because he has the power to make them all disappear if they are thought to be an anti-revolutionist against Mao. When Ling's neighbor, another doctor, disappears, Ling begins to slowly understand the severity of the situation. Then the neighbor's wife is taken and their son moves in with Ling's family. When he is found trying to escape to Hong Kong, he turns on Ling's family and turns them in to save himself. Ling's father is arrested and Ling and her mother must survive on their own with ration dollars becoming fewer and fewer and food in the black market more and more unreliable. Trying to protect her mother, Ling takes over getting food for the family and tries to stay out of trouble. Unfortunately, she has too much of her father in her and can't bear to swallow her pride when confronted by bullies at school and their Maoist parents. Will Ling's fate be any better than the millions of others who were murdered or disappeared during the Cultural Revolution?

This is a fast, small book that really blew me away. It reminded me a lot of Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir Persepolis in that the main character is a young girl dealing with very mature, life threatening situations she doesn't completely understand. I feel like this perspective is important for students because they can see how the events that unfold are wrong through an innocent child's eyes. It is also interesting to see students critically analyze the naivete of the main character, especially since they are children themselves! It is important for children to relate to a culture they don't know much about, so having a common thread helps make the book more meaningful to them.

I have read some reviews on this book that criticize it for being "historical fiction" rather than a memoir, but I am not sure what is wrong with this. The author grew up in China during the Revolution and based the characters and events off her own experiences. Despite being fiction, the story is steeped in the author's life, making this just as powerful a story even if it isn't a memoir. I still think it is a valuable tool for exposing students to a culture they might not have been exposed to.

This is a perfect book for middle reader students, although the subject matter is serious and it could be used for an older, low-skilled student who likes historical fiction. I imagine this book being appropriate for grades 5-8 for the most part. At the end there is an explanation from the author of how the events in the book relate to her own life. There is also a brief explanation of the historical background, which might be better if read with students first, before the story. This would be a valuable book for any student to read!

What does "Beautiful" mean anyway?

I have had this book for a while, started it a couple of times, but never gotten very far. I finally picked it up again over the holiday and looking back, I don't know how I ever put it down. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley is a beautiful story about physical beauty, inner beauty, pain, humiliation, and coming to terms with who you are.

Terra is a senior in high school who is determined to keep her body as beautiful and physically fit as possible. She obsesses over her body to compensate for the rather large port-wine birthmark that is splayed across her cheek. Despite years of trying to lighten the birthmark through painful laser surgeries, nothing has worked. But Terra has become a master at camouflage. She has enough make-up to cover her face, and sometimes her soul, from the rest of the world.

The birthmark isn't Terra's only source for humiliation. Her father is great at making her feel small and insignificant. When he isn't picking on Terra's mother for being overweight, this washed up cartographer waits for opportunities to keep his children down, humiliate them, and hurt them in anyway possible. Terra's two older brothers have escaped the tension of the household, but Terra is still stuck there. Each moment in the house is spent listening to her father abuse her mother and being torn between wanting to intervene and not wanting to be the next victim.

When her brothers come home for Christmas, Terra's father pulls his usual attack which causes the boys to leave- the eldest returning to China where he has lived for two years. When he sends Terra and her mother tickets to visit him in China, they immediately dispel the idea- Terra's father would never let them go. It takes the gentle push of a new-found friend and her son, Jacob, who offer to go with them to get Terra and her mother on the plane. Once in China, both Terra and her mother are forced to look at themselves, their lives, and most sadly, Terra's father and his verbal and emotional abuse.

This is an amazing book that put a knot in my stomach from the first word to the last. The description of the father's emotional and verbal abuse is so haunting, I felt as though I was Terra. Having known victims of such abuse, and having been a witness to such abuse, I have no idea how Headley could put those emotions and feelings on paper. I had a friend whose father was just like Terra's, and the tension, anxiety and fear Headley describes is what you felt the moment you walked into my friend's house. But at the same time, this book is beautiful. We are all flawed, but that is simply what makes us stronger.

I would recommend this book for students only if you can be sure they have never suffered this kind of family situation. I can honestly say the descriptions of the father are so painful and hurtful that if a student who had a similar home life were to read this book, the consequences could be great. However, this is an amazing book for that student who may need a "little touch with reality". We have all had the student who thinks the latest high school drama and who sat where in the cafeteria are the biggest happenings in the world. This book is certainly an eye-opener to how those silly high school dramas aren't really as important as kids think they are. My only caution is to please read this book before you give to a student and know the student you are recommending this book to- it isn't for everyone.