Tamaki, M., & Tamaki, J. (2014). This One Summer. Toronto: Groundwood Books.
Early teen years are the purgatory of life. You’re too old to sit at the kids’ table and you’re too young to sit with the adults. Mariko and Jillian Tamaki know what I am talking about because they accurately depict this purgatory of life in their 2014 graphic novel This One Summer. Rose and her family make their annual trek to Awago Beach but this summer is different. Rose finds she is more mature than her younger summer friend Windy and her parents’ relationship is crumbling but they won’t tell her why.
Canadian cousins produced this graphic novel, which is the the first graphic novel to receive the Caldecott Honor for “Most Distinguished American Picture Book for Children” and the Printz Honor for “Excellence in Literature for Young Adults.” Jillian’s illustrations are all in a deep purple-blue that catch your breath at times when you see that Rose is literally in over her head in and out of the lake water. Rose, a tween whose age is never stated, finds herself submersed in a world she does not quite understand. She takes a romantic interest in an 18-year-old boy who works at the corner store, but doesn’t know how to deal with her feelings. This leads to plenty of conversations between Rose and Windy about boys and oral sex — two things they know little about. Meanwhile, Rose becomes privy to the older teenage crowd’s problem of teen pregnancy, and her parents’ struggle with infertility and miscarriage.
I thought the novel took a sensitive approach to touchy topics. Sure, there is some four-letter foul language from the characters peppered throughout and talk of “slut” and blowjobs, but that’s what helps this book so accurately capture that awkward transition between child and teenager. However, some U.S. schools pulled the book from their shelves . Mariko says that the book “contains depictions of young people talking about, and dealing with, adult things” and This One Summer reminded me of one of my favourites: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume.
Yes, the content is mature, but this coming-of-age novel works well as a captivating summer read for anyone past or presently in the purgatory of life.
Considering using this graphic novel in the classroom? Check out this site for plenty of ideas: http://cbldf.org/2015/02/using-graphic-novels-in-education-this-one-summer/
Early teen years are the purgatory of life. You’re too old to sit at the kids’ table and you’re too young to sit with the adults. Mariko and Jillian Tamaki know what I am talking about because they accurately depict this purgatory of life in their 2014 graphic novel This One Summer. Rose and her family make their annual trek to Awago Beach but this summer is different. Rose finds she is more mature than her younger summer friend Windy and her parents’ relationship is crumbling but they won’t tell her why.
Canadian cousins produced this graphic novel, which is the the first graphic novel to receive the Caldecott Honor for “Most Distinguished American Picture Book for Children” and the Printz Honor for “Excellence in Literature for Young Adults.” Jillian’s illustrations are all in a deep purple-blue that catch your breath at times when you see that Rose is literally in over her head in and out of the lake water. Rose, a tween whose age is never stated, finds herself submersed in a world she does not quite understand. She takes a romantic interest in an 18-year-old boy who works at the corner store, but doesn’t know how to deal with her feelings. This leads to plenty of conversations between Rose and Windy about boys and oral sex — two things they know little about. Meanwhile, Rose becomes privy to the older teenage crowd’s problem of teen pregnancy, and her parents’ struggle with infertility and miscarriage.
I thought the novel took a sensitive approach to touchy topics. Sure, there is some four-letter foul language from the characters peppered throughout and talk of “slut” and blowjobs, but that’s what helps this book so accurately capture that awkward transition between child and teenager. However, some U.S. schools pulled the book from their shelves . Mariko says that the book “contains depictions of young people talking about, and dealing with, adult things” and This One Summer reminded me of one of my favourites: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume.
Yes, the content is mature, but this coming-of-age novel works well as a captivating summer read for anyone past or presently in the purgatory of life.
Considering using this graphic novel in the classroom? Check out this site for plenty of ideas: http://cbldf.org/2015/02/using-graphic-novels-in-education-this-one-summer/