Skip to main content

Marshmallow & Jordan

 


Written and Illustrated by Alina Chau
First Second, 2021. Graphic Novel.

Jordan is a young girl from Indonesia who loves basketball and playing on the basketball team. One day a terrible accident leaves her partially paralyzed, and now Jordan must navigate the world in a wheel chair. Jordan is still the captain of her basketball team but she can't compete which means no more playing basketball. One day she rescues an injured baby elephant and she names him Marshmallow. Marshmallow can see that Jordan needs a new challenge so he convinces her to try a new sport. Jordan joins the water polo team which brings new challenges but rewards as well. As she takes on new responsibilities and learns some new skills she must also navigate new friendship issues.

Gorgeous watercolor art fills this book with pictures of the beautiful Indonesian countryside. Indonesian words are sprinkled throughout the story and there is a fact page at the end of the book about the country as well as a glossary of Indonesian words. This is a sweet story with a message that encourages readers to be a good friend and not let anything stand in the way of trying new things. An excellent middle grade graphic novel.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin Illustrated by Leslie Evans Charlesburg; 2009; unpaged Faces of the Moon is a short nonfiction book that describes the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears like it does on certain nights. This book is short and sweet so even the youngest of moon lovers will enjoy it. The layout is simplistic and easy to follow. I don’t know much about the moon so I found it very interesting.

Books That Take You There: Egypt

My parents are currently planning their first visit to Egypt. And they’re going without me . Like many of you, I’ve always found Egypt fascinating, whether learning about the gross details of making a mummy or eating delicious Egyptian food eaten by people who live there today. And if we can’t all go to Cairo with my parents, we can at least take a little trip through a few books that can take us straight to Egypt! Tail of the Mummy Cat  Written by Chas! Pangburn  Illustrated by Nic Touris  Miami, FL: Papercutz, an imprint of Mad Cave Studios, 2024. Comic. 132 pages.  Nana and Otto are siblings who visit Egypt with their travel-blogger mom. Nan loves learning about Egypt and its history, while Otto wishes he could’ve stayed home. However, both of their plans change when they accidentally let a mummified cat loose from a Pharaoh’s tomb. This graphic novel lets you see both of the sibling’s perspectives through this adventure —and their stories don’t always agree! This...