Scribbles About Books: Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier

Alright- so my sister recommended this book to me. She had heard about it and ended up buying the book... she works with kids and likes to keep up with what they're talking about. She let me and my mom borrow this and it was one of the cutest, most creative easiest reads I've read in a while.

So this is a graphic novel for children and it focuses on these sisters. The older sister is named Catrina and the younger sister is Maya. Cat and Maya have to move to this spooky town in Northern California because Maya is sick with cystic fibrosis and this town is better for her health.

Although Maya is very sick, she is very positive and adventurous and she immediately wants to go out and explore the new town. Cat is a little more afraid to explore and when they meet a boy giving Ghost Tours, Maya is over the moon excited while Cat is incredibly scared of these ghosts!

The main theme of this story I guess is Dia de Los Muertos. When my sister got this book, she said "Ohhh this is cute it's about Day of The Dead!" Which is the best way to describe it I would say- but it is about a lot more than that. The story as a whole takes place over several months and I think that is pretty cool because it kind of focuses on keeping your loved ones with you all year round instead of just one day a year. I really liked that- I thought it was a pretty unique way of showing Dia de Los Muertos.

The art in this is also incredibly beautiful. The pictures are all so very vibrant and it really puts you into this world and this town and I would imagine for kids this would be an especially magical experience. It deals with serious themes and issues that kids might have but the book itself is lighthearted and just a joy to read. I would definitely recommend getting it for any young kids you know... this is kind of geared towards elementary school children... but I really enjoyed it and I would think adults would be just as entertained as kids.

It only took me about an hour to read- which is nice too... I definitely want to check out more graphic novels and I know Raina Telgemeier has a few more graphic novels. My sister has 2 other ones from her- so I think I'll borrow those when she's done. The author explains her writing process at the end of the book and I really liked that. As a writer- if I ever see a writer explain their process... I'm always fascinated.

I also might just look for graphic novels or comic books next time I'm at a book store... because I just thought this was a cool way to tell a story and a very easy read... and I'm just kind of intrigued by the form right now.

So yeah! I hope you guys find this helpful and interesting... and I just really love it!

Bye!
-Shannon