Welcome to Litsy!

Wrap-up post for Wicked Words February. Four graphic novel finds, and a novel. All pretty good books this time! I'd say my pick is Ghost Roast. Recommended for teenagers of all ages.

@AsYouWish #WickedWords

Surprise 1940s flashback in this graphic memoir about a child dealing with parental addiction. And that's February #WickedWords completed!

 @AsYouWish

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recently challenged in our county (a Nashville suburb), and kept! 🎉 This graphic memoir is about a kid who deals with a parent‘s drug addiction. It‘s honest, thoughtful and relatable. Lovely art as well. There are kids out there who need this book; to know they‘re not alone.

#RightToRead

Thanks to @britt_brooke for putting this back on my radar. Great book! Kids who have similar issues & friends that don‘t could gain sympathy & empathy through this book. I remember reading things in my young life ,so important, I thought, wow,someone sees the world like I do.People that try to ban this either have a political agenda or are trying to return us to a sanitized 1950s past that we know didn‘t really exist anyway.stop banning Books!

This book is currently being challenged in my Tennessee county. Reading it so I can properly fight for it‘s retention, and it‘s SO GOOD so far. I‘m so tired of this shit, y‘all.

#RightToRead

“It is said that books save lives, but I also say that empty sketchbooks save lives too.” This is a fantastic memoir graphic novel about a boy, Jarrett, growing up in Massachusetts. He is raised by his grandparents because his mom is addicted to drugs and his father is estranged. It‘s a hard but also beautiful story of a very challenging childhood and how art saved his life in many ways. Definitely recommend!

What a great graphic memoir about a tough childhood, a complicated family, and the early development of an artistic career. Krosoczka drew (in both senses of the word!) his characters so vividly and I loved the art and colors. Several substantial notes sections at the end deepened the reading experience for me.

I enjoyed this book. A memoir written in comic form. The story was amazing! Ja had a rough beginning and it was told in a way not typically done.

I read Hey, Kiddo for a book discussion group I'm co-facilitating at a unique and incredible school that serves children impacted by homelessness. If I think too hard about their situations, it can be overwhelming, but if I focus on them as children/young people, it's just a lot of fun, much like this book. I appreciate the message in this memoir: that even people who make bad choices or who have rough edges can love us deeply, and vice versa.

This was an extremely addicting but a little harsh book with the character feeling like his family is more broken the glass after a 200 foot drop there‘s rarely a book that would be higher one my favourites then this one

A denotation for kiddo is “used as a familiar form of address you'll be OK” which is one of the literal meanings for saying “kiddo.” The connotation for “kiddo” in this book could be represented Jarrett being a teenager and nothing is really “ok” in his life. “He‘s going through his childhood trying to make his non-normal life as normal as possible”

A interesting memoir. Read for some prompts for #52bookclubreadingchallenge2022 4/5

Oh my stars!!! Let me start by saying I like graphic novels - but really only read them because my students like them. This one however won me over!!! I actually listened to it as an audiobook as I read parts of it. The audio added a bit of flair to it and I ended up so emotional over a graphic novel - crying in my office at school emotional!! I highly recommend this book - it is a quick read with a lot of heart.

💙💙💙💙

My childhood self felt so seen by this moving graphic memoir about family addiction, parental absence, and what helps us survive childhoods out of our control and create happy and healthy adulthoods all our own. For Jarrett Krosoczka, it was his love of drawing. For me, it was my love of reading! Highly recommended.

Watch my TikTok review: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMRMgkTWp/

Jarrett shares his experiences growing up with his grandparents after his mom lost herself in drugs and prison. This memoir recountd his childhood and takes a hard look at the complex emotions that he faced. I listened to the audiobook for a while before I realized it was a graphic novel, and the audio naration adds so much to this book. It's also fun that he got his whole family involved in the audiobook! Content warnings for trauma and addiction

Thanks for the tag, @Mavey ! #3WordReviews

Difficult Trauma Capsule

(I don't think capsule counts since it's a noun, but rules were made to be adjusted)

@batsy @crimson613 want to play?

I had a feeling this one would blow me away. What an honest, beautiful memoir. From the Author‘s Note: “It is said that books save lives, but I also say that empty sketchbooks save lives too. I filled up many, and there is no doubt they saved mine.” -JJK

I had to rework this a little but...got it!

#TBRCrewBingo @jessinikkip @jb72 @AkashaVampie @AsYouWish @AnansiGirl @MissAimz_55 @ElizaMarie @Catherine_Willoughby

I love how the author combines actual ephemera from his past within the graphics. Wonderfully told memoir.

This graphic memoir was a National Book Award Finalist and for good reason. The story is raw and honest and the author‘s notes at the end were what clinched this as an excellent book for me.

The author deals with family and drug addiction and friendship in a refreshingly honest way that is, by turns, bittersweet and then frustrating and, finally, uplifting.

A really deep story about child custody and losing a parent early in your life. Growing up without parents and someone who really takes care of you. Overall this was a really good book, i just didnt like the art style

A very relevant read for young and old!

Picked up this graphic memoir from #Libby by chance, and very glad I did! Really good memoir about the author‘s upbringing. The illustrations and backstory were strong. Good one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After some busy weeks on deadline at work, I finally got a chance to sit down with this memoir graphic novel over the weekend.

The black & white style with washes and pops of burnt orange fits the tone of the story beautifully. I enjoyed how he showed both the struggles the family went through as well as how his grandparents and his art saved him from a fate similar to his mother‘s. Axton picked this up as soon as I finished and is loving it too!

4.5/5 🌟
A straightforward, honest & interesting memoir!

So true.

#BoutofBooks book three is HEY, KIDDO by Jarrett J. Krosoczka, and it's a tough one so far. This kid is going through a lot. 😥

#readathon #graphicnovel #memoir

Favorite YA / children‘s of 2019

Two of the books I‘ve finished during #24b42020 complete my last two prompts for #Booked2019. 🙌🏻

Shadowshaper: Person of color (PoC) MC paranormal ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Hey, Kiddo: Book about addiction ⭐️⭐️⭐️

#wintergames #merryreaders #tbrread

I read this earlier, but my book club is reading it for January so I reread it. 💖

Finished my #Booked2019 challenge. Here are my Fall books.
Book about Addiction - Hey, Kiddo
Soldier‘s story - Ohio
New in 2019- The Editor
POC MC paranormal - Akata Witch
Public Domain - The Yellow Wallpaper
Political Intrigue - The Night Agent

@Cinfhen @BarbaraTheBibliophage @4thhouseontheleft

Graphic novels did not make my fiction or nonfiction top 10 lists, but I read so many great ones this decade, I think they deserve their own spotlight!

Inspired by @Cinfhen , here is my #Top10oftheDecade #GraphicNovelEdition!

These were delivered to my office today. They‘re the books our committee is considering for next year‘s Common Read/Common World Program. We‘re also reading Tara Westover‘s Educated, but I already own that one. So, Christmas reading!

Thanks to @hes7 for the suggestion on #bookaboutaddiction for #booked2019. This was a fast read, and while It wasn‘t a light story, the graphic memoir format made it very enjoyable. Krosoczka did not have an easy childhood but he recognizes that while also appreciating the love and some level of privilege he did have. Each character has many dimensions, which is perhaps the most impressive part in the graphic novel format.

A wonderful graphic memoir where Jarrett looks back at growing up and being raised by his grandparents as his mother grappled with addiction and life choices that kept her away from him. It‘s about meeting the father he didn‘t know and the different types of families that exist. It‘s a story about love, family and how art can help you survive. Very good read.

Very raw. Very very good. I love a good nonfiction. Jarrett does an amazing job telling the story of his childhood. I love a good overcoming story. How you CAN overcome coming from a broken family with the right tools. Perfect YA graphic Novel

I‘ve never read this Authors books until Hey,kiddo. I love this book because the author Uses exquisite writing techniques and has great words. ❤️

Honestly, I‘m not sure comics and graphic novels are really my thing. My typical reaction after finishing one is usually “Mmkay... Well, I read it...” 🤷🏽‍♀️ even when they‘re supposedly amazing. It wasn‘t much different with this, but my reaction was a little more positive, so I‘m counting that as a win. 😅 I really do think it was worth the read even though I‘m probably not the ideal audience for it. ⬇️

I‘ve never read any of this authors other work, but I was utterly mesmerized by his tale of growing up in his grandparents household while his mother battled heroine addiction and his father was MIA. Art saved Jarrett‘s life. Another reason I‘m convinced an arts education matters along with supportive family.