Drama: A Graphic Novel Paperback – December 7, 2021

A wonderful story, full of heart and charm.

Drama was a great book that relates to middle schoolers being involved in drama but it’s like a theatre addition. I love on how the author made this book relevancy on how middle schoolers would act and speak like, it just made the book more interesting for me to read. I also love how colorful and creative the images are in this book. And it’s easy to follow what’s going on in the story from start to finish for people like me who doesn’t really read books like that.

My 10 year old has read this book but she’s so excited to read it again. She asked for it for Christmas, I’m so excited to give it to her. Perfect for the preteen in your life

So I discovered this book while participating in a banned book week when I was checking the list through the year 2001 till the year 2019.I keep seeing this book making the list over and over again. At that time, I didn't read any middle-grade, children's fiction, etc. I was just not interested cuz I'm not the targeted audience, and I don't have kids.But recently, we all know how book challenge/banning gathered a lot of attention with the rise in challenging/banning books from school libraries and public libraries alike.So when I joined my local library discussion for banned book week last year, this book came up about how some kids and parents alike disagree with the reasons for it being challenged/banned, and the justification for it doesn't make sense as a lot of the kids there were showing love for this book.So you know I will read it and judge it myself because why not? I was curious 😅So here I gathered the list through the years with the reasons: ( source ala.org)1- 2014, the book was challenged and ranked #10 on the list. Reason: sexually explicit. (None of that was in the book)2-2016, the book was challenged and ranked #2 on the list. Reasons: challenged because it includes LGBT characters, was deemed sexually explicit, and was considered to have an offensive political viewpoint. (There are gay characters and 1 kiss scene shared between 2 males)3-2017 ranked #3 on the list. The book was challenged and banned in schools libraries. Reason: because it includes LGBT characters and was considered "confusing." (I wish there were more elaboration behind "confusing" in what sense?)4-2018 banned and challengedranked #5 on the list. Reasons: for including LGBTQIA+ characters and themes.5-2019 the book was challenged and ranked #8 on the list. Reasons: challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and concerns that it goes against "family values/morals" ( say it doesn't Align with your faith/ideology. Just parent your kids. Why parent other children from accessing this book?)So after going through boring info, here is my review: this book is told from the pov of a girl named Callie Marin, a seventh-grade girl who is helping to put on her middle school's production of Moon Over Mississippi and it features twin brothers who become her friends, one (Justin) who is openly gay and another (Jesse) who is still trying to figure things out which Callie develops a crush on.It's a sweet story with vibrant characters. I'll give it to the author; she accurately captures the characters' expressions and movements and brings them to life with the illustration. She shows what kind of "drama" the middle school kids go through or have, which had me smiling and laughing 😂 such a nostalgic feeling.The book is great for context and material for young readers growing up, discovering themselves, being brave, and showing acceptance in the most needed time. I enjoyed it thoroughly and highly recommend it to anyone, even if you don't have kids.

My granddaughter thoroughly enjoyed every book.

I am a graduate student taking a literacy class and we were assigned "Drama". This was my first time reading a graphic novel and it took me a minute to adjust to the reading. The book is an easy read and an avid reader you will breeze through this in no time at all. So, you are reading the reviews so that you get a good understanding of what you are about to purchase for yourself, a friend or a family member. I am going to answer the following questions:What age do I think this book is written for?I would recommend this book for students in 6th grade and above.Are there any controversial topics in this book?This book does talk about students having interest in similar genders. Some adult, parents or students may choose not to read this book because it discusses topics that they may not want to discuss with their child or student at an earlier or middle school ager.What are my recommendations?I think that this book is awesome. It is written well, has a great plot and is written to talk about people's everyday experiences growing up in middle experiencing different challenges amongst peers.In the end, it is your choice as a parent, child, or teacher to read this book. I hope this he

This book was great! I finished it in 2 days because I'm a fast reader. Has some kissing scenes. About a girl who's in high school making a play. Really great book definitely recommend. If you're looking for something that's interesting to read.5 stars for sure

Raina Telgemeier makes a good series of books for children, including Smile. Sisters, Guts, and yes Drama... Which the title seems to bring out in a lot of these reviews. Yes, this book, in accordance to the changing of our times, introduces a homosexual relationship between two characters. A factual part of life that occurs in adolescence for many people discovering who they are. This book approaches the subject with the same flare that the author approaches other subjects in past books like Smile. It's sad to see homophobia getting 1 star reviews from parents who are acting like their children are damaged. My daughter is 7 years old and has a collection of Telgemeier's books. When she read Drama as a library check-out she asked me why the boys like each other. I told her, quite simply, "Love is different to different people. All that matters is that we don't hurt one another and respect each other for who we are" and the topic ended. We never discussed it again and, to be clear, she's mentally sound, happy, and perfectly normal... If it takes you weeks of trials and tribulations to explain a normal fact of life to your child you're probably doing it wrong, but that's not my place to judge and I don't personally care. The book, as a whole for context and material for young readers growing up in changing times, is great. And the author's work doesn't deserve reduced stars because some people are stuck in mindsets left over from the 1600's...