Drama, Raina Telgemeier

I think that I would go so far as to say that this is my FAVORITE graphic novel I've ever read. Now, I haven't actually read that many graphic novels, but this one was awesome.

It's about a middle school drama club, and their production of Moon Over Mississippi . It follows one particular theater geek, Callie. She's the set designer for the play and is faced with tons of problems. First, she has decided that she just HAS to have a live cannon for the set. Her director tells her no pyrotechnics on stage, but she's determined to find a way. Then there's the fact that the lead female in the play is the girlfriend of the boy that Callie has a (not-so) secret crush on. All of this, compounded by the fact that two new boys, one of whom happens to be homosexual, have joined the production. This could be a touch controversial for some middle school readers, but the presentation of the issue is so casual and not a big deal, that I don't think it would be a problem for most.

I loved the way the author captured the true dynamics of a middle school group, and the inner workings/plottings of a middle school girl's mind.

A couple of things I loved, aside from the plot, were that the book, aside from being a graphic novel, maintained ideas reminiscent of an actual play. It was broken up into 'Acts', rather than chapters, and it had an "Intermission". Additionally, I loved the color scheme of the novel. It stuck to very bold, striking colors, that really added to the overall reading.

Like I said, I LOVED this book, and will now have to try the author's previous novel, Smile.