July 2015 - The Dumbest Idea Ever! by Jimmy Gownley - A fun read for middle school students who enjoy graphic novels!
“You need an idea that’ll really grab people. Y’know? Something different! Oh! I know … You should write a comic book about us! “
“That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard!”
“I mean, it really is. And what does he know about comics anyway? ‘A comic book about us.’ Come on! Comics are about heroes and villains and mutants punching each other in the face! Y’know …”
Tony & Jimmy pg 105-106 The Dumbest Idea Ever!
“That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard!”
“I mean, it really is. And what does he know about comics anyway? ‘A comic book about us.’ Come on! Comics are about heroes and villains and mutants punching each other in the face! Y’know …”
Tony & Jimmy pg 105-106 The Dumbest Idea Ever!
Eighth grader Jimmy Gownley is on top of the world, he’s the best student in his class, his teacher is even letting him do a presentation on the value of his beloved comic books, plus he’s the leading scorer on the basketball team … until a case of the chicken pox sidelines him for the big championship game. The chicken pox are quickly followed by a case of pneumonia, and Jimmy’s grades start to slip.
Things seem to pick-up in ninth grade where they left off in eighth. Jimmy’s grades are still slipping and he’s unhappy, feeling lost, but he can’t figure out why. Then Jimmy remembers the comic book he bought back in eighth grade by a couple of guys who published the comic themselves. He gets right to work creating his own comic, but when he asks his friend Tony to look at the finished product, Tony doesn’t like it. Jimmy’s disappointed, but when Tony suggests Jimmy writes a comic about them, Jimmy’s disappointment turns to anger … “That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard!” Jimmy pg. 105 After a lot of thinking, Jimmy finally decides to listen to Tony’s advice and after months of hard work, and a little money from his parents, Jimmy’s dream of having his own published comic book comes true. But, will this solve Jimmy’s problems and make him happy? Read and enjoy the illustrations in The Dumbest Idea Ever! to find out.
The Dumbest Idea Ever! is just one of a handful of graphic novels to come out in the past few years that are accounts of something the author/illustrator went through as a child. Probably the most well know is Smile by Rania Telgemeier. El Deafo by Cece Bell won a 2015 Newbery honor medal for excellence in children’s literature. Others include Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson, of course Drama & Sisters by Rania Telgemeier, and Jennifer & Matthew Holm, the sister-brother team who created the Babymouse and Squish series, will be releasing their semi-autobiographical graphic novel, Sunny Side Up, in late August. Use the library’s catalog to search for these and other graphic novels.
Things seem to pick-up in ninth grade where they left off in eighth. Jimmy’s grades are still slipping and he’s unhappy, feeling lost, but he can’t figure out why. Then Jimmy remembers the comic book he bought back in eighth grade by a couple of guys who published the comic themselves. He gets right to work creating his own comic, but when he asks his friend Tony to look at the finished product, Tony doesn’t like it. Jimmy’s disappointed, but when Tony suggests Jimmy writes a comic about them, Jimmy’s disappointment turns to anger … “That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard!” Jimmy pg. 105 After a lot of thinking, Jimmy finally decides to listen to Tony’s advice and after months of hard work, and a little money from his parents, Jimmy’s dream of having his own published comic book comes true. But, will this solve Jimmy’s problems and make him happy? Read and enjoy the illustrations in The Dumbest Idea Ever! to find out.
The Dumbest Idea Ever! is just one of a handful of graphic novels to come out in the past few years that are accounts of something the author/illustrator went through as a child. Probably the most well know is Smile by Rania Telgemeier. El Deafo by Cece Bell won a 2015 Newbery honor medal for excellence in children’s literature. Others include Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson, of course Drama & Sisters by Rania Telgemeier, and Jennifer & Matthew Holm, the sister-brother team who created the Babymouse and Squish series, will be releasing their semi-autobiographical graphic novel, Sunny Side Up, in late August. Use the library’s catalog to search for these and other graphic novels.