For Stine fans, this new edition is a must, especially with that movie on the horizon.
The king of chapter-book chillers updates his 1997 autobiography.
With a metafictional movie starring Jack Black as a writer of horror books named R.L. Stine battling monsters of his own creation with kid sidekicks coming out in fall 2015, Stine revisits the story of his life: his childhood in Bexley, Ohio, getting in trouble for “being funny,” creating magazines full of pop-culture parodies to sell to his fellow students, college at Ohio State University and contributing to its magazine Sundial, and his move to New York City (always a dream of young Bob Stine). The early chapters are only slightly edited, with updated captions and additional, current information on Stine’s son, Matt; the chapter on the largely forgotten TV series Eureeka’s Castle is shortened. The five new chapters fit in seamlessly. They follow Stine on trips to China and to Russia (with first lady Laura Bush). He talks about the inspirations for his post-2000 book series, Mostly Ghostly and Rotten School (the 1950s TV show Topper and The Phil Silvers Show, respectively), and about the upcoming movie (but only briefly). The 20 most-asked questions in the aftermatter are also updated. He relates the whole tale in bright, conversational narration full of jokes and self-deprecation.
For Stine fans, this new edition is a must, especially with that movie on the horizon. (Autobiography. 9-14)Pub Date: April 28, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-82891-8
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
A breezy, bustling bucketful of courageous acts and eye-popping feats.
Why should grown-ups get all the historical, scientific, athletic, cinematic, and artistic glory?
Choosing exemplars from both past and present, Mitchell includes but goes well beyond Alexander the Great, Anne Frank, and like usual suspects to introduce a host of lesser-known luminaries. These include Shapur II, who was formally crowned king of Persia before he was born, Indian dancer/professional architect Sheila Sri Prakash, transgender spokesperson Jazz Jennings, inventor Param Jaggi, and an international host of other teen or preteen activists and prodigies. The individual portraits range from one paragraph to several pages in length, and they are interspersed with group tributes to, for instance, the Nazi-resisting “Swingkinder,” the striking New York City newsboys, and the marchers of the Birmingham Children’s Crusade. Mitchell even offers would-be villains a role model in Elagabalus, “boy emperor of Rome,” though she notes that he, at least, came to an awful end: “Then, then! They dumped his remains in the Tiber River, to be nommed by fish for all eternity.” The entries are arranged in no evident order, and though the backmatter includes multiple booklists, a personality quiz, a glossary, and even a quick Braille primer (with Braille jokes to decode), there is no index. Still, for readers whose fires need lighting, there’s motivational kindling on nearly every page.
A breezy, bustling bucketful of courageous acts and eye-popping feats. (finished illustrations not seen) (Collective biography. 10-13)Pub Date: May 10, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-14-751813-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Puffin
Review Posted Online: Nov. 10, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2015
A retro yet timeless story of family and identity.
Martín brings his successful Mexikid Stories online comic series to print.
Living in California’s Central Coast as a first-generation Mexican American, Pedro (or the “American-style” Peter) struggles to find his place. As an American kid growing up in the 1970s, he loves Star Wars and Happy Days but dislikes the way his five oldest siblings, who were born in Mexico, make him feel less Mexican just because he and the three other younger siblings were born after his parents immigrated to the U.S. to work picking strawberries. A family trip to Jalisco to bring their abuelito back to California to live with them presents Pedro with an opportunity to get in touch with his roots and learn more about the places his family calls home. Told from Pedro’s perspective, the panels read as a stream-of-consciousness travelogue as he regales readers with his adventures from the road. Along the way, Pedro has fresh encounters with Mexican culture and experiences some unexpected side quests. Full of humor, heart, and a decent amount of gross-out moments, Martín’s coming-of-age memoir hits all the right notes. Though the family’s travels took place decades ago, the struggles with establishing identity, especially as a child of immigrants whose identity straddles two cultures, feel as current as ever. The vibrant, action-packed panels offer plentiful details for readers to pore over, from scenes of crowded family chaos to the sights of Mexico.
A retro yet timeless story of family and identity. (family photos, author’s note) (Graphic memoir. 9-14)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9780593462287
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
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