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Drama by Raina Telgemeier Reviewed by Tamara McKinney

Posted by on September 5, 2012 in New Book Reviews | 3 Comments

Every member of our household is a serious Raina Telgemeier admirer. My oldest daughter received a copy of Smile at the end of 5th grade and quickly became an avid fan – seeking out every book that Raina had written and keeping track of when anything new would be released. That copy of Smile made its way from nightstand to nightstand, enchanting mom, dad and little sister alike with its irresistible combination of age-appropriate humor, realistic and relatable characters, and outstanding illustrations that work perfectly with the dialogue to convey each characters’ thoughts and emotions.

 

So you can imagine our excitement when we learned that Raina had a new graphic novel in the works! We pre-ordered Drama as soon as it was available, and then answered the repeated question of “When will it get here?!” for several months. When it arrived on our doorstep last Tuesday afternoon, we managed to catch a quick glimpse of its charming cover before it disappeared into oldest daughter’s bedroom.

I finally got my chance to read Drama this weekend, and am pleased to report that while it is very different from Smile, its story and message will capture the hearts of young readers as well as satisfy their parents’ and teachers’ demand for high quality storytelling.

When we first meet the main character Callie, she is walking home from middle school with a stage crew teammate and his older brother Greg (who Callie happens to have a serious crush on). As we observe the tender awkwardness of tween romance and first crushes, we quickly learn that Callie is a strong young woman with a confident voice, but she is also a typical 7th grader who wants the boy that she likes to like her back.

From the start, you’ll appreciate Callie’s frankness and total lack of guile, but you will begin to love her in the first stage crew meeting where her full personality is allowed to shine . She has just about a zillion ideas to make this year’s production of Moon Over Mississippi the best EVER! And if her ideas seem a little overambitious to the rest of the team, she is ready to step-up, and learn whatever skills and do whatever work is necessary to bring those ideas to life.

In a world seemingly filled with teenage apathy and low expectations, it is simply fantastic to have a female protagonist who is overflowing with passion and the dedication to make things happen. One of my favorite parts is when Callie and her two new friends, Jesse and Justin, go the bookstore in the mall, and Callie introduces Jesse to her “favorite book in the world.” You have to see each artfully crafted panel to fully feel her love for the book, but trust me – it’s a big love.

In this lovely scene, Raina demonstrates that books can (and should) inspire our dreams and shape our values. As an educator and a mom, I believe that kids need access to great books that will engage and inspire them. And not just inspire them to read, but to appreciate the interests and skills that make each of us unique, and to understand that it’s totally normal to worry about what other people might think, but that the best kind of happiness comes when you stop being afraid of being different. Drama does just that, and in more than one way, for more than one character.

The characters in Drama wrestle with some serious topics, including self-respect, jealousy, popularity, morality, and even sexuality in a way that the shyest and most reserved reader will be able to absorb without feeling awkward or judged. In the words of my 12-year-old, the story “talks about those big, important things that can feel weird to talk about – even with a parent or a friend. And you don’t feel embarrassed, even though you can imagine being Callie and all that stuff happening to you.”

Drama is an exceptional graphic novel that delivers several positive, yet subtle, messages for young readers. It examines what it means to be “cool,” the importance of caring about school, family and friends, and emphasizes that self-respect is much more important than any boy. Through the fun context of theater productions and stage sets, the book also makes it clear that while stage crew is awesome, off-stage drama is way overrated.

But Drama, as a book, is definitely not.

We are once again eagerly awaiting Raina’s next contribution to the incredibly important (in my opinion) genre of middle-grade graphic novels. Given her track-record and this most recent effort, I think we can reasonably expect something touching, funny, honest, true-to-life, and totally fantastic! For tales of both fiction and fact, her sequential storytelling is a remarkable gift for this generation of young women and the ones that will follow.

Now, where can I find a super cute hat like Callie’s?

Tamara McKinney is the director of Reading Seed Children’s Literacy Program in Tucson, Arizona which annually provides over 3,000 emerging and struggling readers with the one-on-one mentorship and support they need to succeed. As an unabashed bookworm and lifelong nerdy book club member, she is on a mission to ensure that every child in her community has access to free books. She is also the marketing co-chair for the Tucson Festival of Books, the nation’s 4th largest book festival and an incredible celebration of books and authors. When she isn’t working or reading, you can find Tamara making time with her husband, their two amazing daughters and their seriously goofy puppies.

You can learn more about Reading Seed and its parent organization Literacy Connects at www.LiteracyConnects.org. You can also follow Tamara on Twitter @ReadingSeed and @LitConnectsAZ.