Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Technically, it’s PAST that time again, really–my second girlie turned 15 a week ago tomorrow, and I still haven’t committed to a graphic novel for her birthday. (At this point, I won’t stop trying them out when I find one; I’ll just keep reading until I find one for her for Christmas as well. And for her younger sister, and then that younger sister’s birthday is in February…yikes.) I did finish Stephanie Rodriguez’s Doodles from the Boogie Down on Wednesday, however, and while I don’t think I liked it QUITE enough to have it live in my house forever (or at least, until its owner moves out), it was fun and interesting and a cultural slice of life that should expand my girls’ horizons a little bit.

Doodles is actually fiction based on the author’s own experiences growing up in the Bronx (‘Boogie Down’, among other meanings, appears to be slang for the Bronx). Steph and her two best friends are applying to high schools–they do school a little differently in New York City–and while her friends are looking at Catholic high schools, Steph wants desperately to focus on art. The catch is that the arts high school she’s looking at is a public school, and her mother’s own experiences of public school as a new immigrant soured her on the whole idea. How is she going to convince her mother to change her mind? I’ll give you a hint–her initial plans are not exactly great ones. There is growth and learning and increased understanding ahead for everyone, however, and the ending is satisfying. Kids who can’t relate to New York’s educational peculiarities will find plenty to grab onto in the mother/daughter/grandmother relationships, as well as in the inevitable shifting of school friendships as kids transition into a new phase of life. Rodriguez’s debut is a solid read for middle to early high school, but I imagine my 9- and 17-year-olds will enjoy it as well. Give it a looksee–especially if you’re looking for books about first generation Americans with immigrant parents. In the meantime, I’ll keep reading more graphic novels…