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Bumperboy's Adventures Are Fun for Kids and Adults

by mariah

It's tricky to create a comic for all ages. Balancing complexity with creativity and delight is a tall order for any creator. Bumberboy and the Loud, Loud Mountain by Debbie Huey manages this feat with aplomb, with charming art, characters and plot that are simple enough for young readers, but creative and unexpected enough to hold adult readers' interest.

This charming graphic novel follows the adventures of Bumberboy and his dog Bumperpup as they "borp" through portals from place to place. They discover a secret “borp-hole” and stumble upon an expressive-but-lonely mountain. Before they know it, they’re unraveling a much larger mystery involving special trees, a nefarious villain and creatures that communicate only in "pictionese."

Though this is the second installment in the Bumberboy series, anyone can start in with this comic and not feel as if they have missed out. Fans of Owly who are looking for something a bit more quirky, or kids ages 4-8 and their parents in search of comics to read together, may have found a treasure in this edition of Bumperboy and Bumperpup's adventures.

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Relish: My Life in the Kitchen

by K.C.

All paths of Lucy Knisley’s life lead through the kitchen in search of a good meal in the mouthwatering memoir Relish: My Life in the Kitchen. Along the way she offers reflections on cooking, eating, and living along with some delectable recipes for dishes like marinated lamb, mom’s pesto, the best chocolate chip cookies, and more.

Lucy was destined to make food the center of her being. Her mother is a chef and her father a gourmet. Her tales from childhood to adult years delight the senses from creating carbonara to making mushrooms (mom’s way).

The art is bright and fun. Lucy’s recipe presentations are visual delights and easy to follow providing as in the case of Huevos Rancheros that shows an exploded view of all the delectable layers. This is not a book so much to be read as to be devoured.

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Calling Cosplayers!

by K.C.

6:30-8:30 PM | Saturday, June 22 | Neutral Zone

The Kids Read Comics event will sponsor a free teen Cosplay party and concert at the Neutral Zone featuring the best comics band on the planet, the O'Matics. Choose your character, transform yourself, and get ready to rock!

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KRC Kickoff with Ben Hatke 11 a.m. this Saturday

by K.C.

Saturday, June 22 | 11:00 a.m.-Noon | Downtown Library – Multipurpose Room

Special guests at Kids Read Comics (KRC) are Ben Hatke, creator of fan-favorite Zita of Zita the Spacegirl, and 10-year-old cartoonist Angelica Hatke! And this is your chance to make comics with them!

Ben will be leading our annual kickoff event Saturday, June 22, at 11 am. During this interactive talk Ben will walk through his process of making comics and share how to create characters readers care about, worlds that readers believe in, and dangers that set readers on the edge of their seats!

Then he and Angelica will lead two workshops over the course of the weekend where he’ll share the 3 secrets to making great comics! These sessions will start with an interactive talk, after which Ben will work with you to create a short comics story of your own.

The sessions will run Saturday and Sunday, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm in the Multi-Purpose room at the Downtown Library. To see the full weekend of programming check out the program brochure!

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Kids Read Comics event June 22-23 at the Downtown Library

by K.C.

The free Kids Read Comics convention is just around the corner and promises tons of comics fun. Running both Saturday and Sunday, the convention will open with fun comics crafts at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the Downtown Library. Everything really kicks off @ 11 a.m. when special guest Ben Hatke, creator of Zita the Spacegirl, will make a presentation. At 12 Noon the Artists Alley (3rd Floor) along with fun programming and hilarious Quick Draws get under way! Program details and the guest cartoonist list available at Kids Read Comics.

There will be a FREE photo booth (with a game code!) outside the Teen Room from 12:30-4:30! Bring your friends and get a strip of pictures!

FREE comic books will be given out of the 3rd Floor where all of the artists will be exhibiting!

Don't forget! AADL Summer gamers who come to KRC can collect a bucketful of game codes!

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Reed Gunther: The Bear-Riding Cowboy

by K.C.

Get ready for some rootin’ tootin’ fun with Reed Gunther: The Bear Riding Cowboy, a “wild” west tale about a goofy bear-riding cowboy Reed Gunther who usually means well but manages to make things worse. Lucky for him he is helped by his stalwart bear companion, Sterling, and by Starla, a no-nonsense fearless rancher. In this first installment Reed, Sterling, and Starla must prevent the onslaught of a whistle-stop tour of monsters from California all the way to New York City. To compound their trouble, a malicious circus owner tries to stop Reed so he can collect the monsters for his freak show.

The story is fun and energetic, propelling readers from one thrilling episode to the next. The art is expressive, giving everyone personality and sparkle. Though in some ways this is like watching old 50’s cowboy shows, you’ll not get bored. If this first volume appeals, don’t miss lassoing Reed Gunther: Monsters and Mustaches: Vol. 2.

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The Adventures of Theater Kids

by pkooger

From the gregarious Glee kids to the harmonious horde of High School Musical, kids these days love their theater! And it’s not just on TV or in music. Check out one of these great books and read about awful auditions, big solos that bring the house down, backstage drama and pursuing your dreams! There’s no business like show business!

Better Nate Than Ever – Unbeknownst to his parents, Nate skips school and runs off to the Big Apple to audition for a fabulous role in E.T. The Musical. Will Nate be the next big Broadway star, or will his parents catch him and drag him back to his mundane small town life?

Starring Jules – Jules can’t wait to be on TV! She has an audition for a mouthwash commercial, but everything keeps going wrong! Can Jules land the part, and also befriend the new girl?

Drama – Callie is the stage manager for this year’s big musical, and she is committed to making it the best one the school has ever produced. Enter, the twins, stage right. Justin and Jesse both have amazing voices, as well as a knack for getting Callie into confusing romantic entanglements. What’s a young theater professional to do?!?

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Comic Artists Forum with Cartoonist Joe Foo

by K.C.

Sunday, June 2 | 1:00-3:00 PM | Downtown Library | 4th Floor Meeting Room

Cartoonist and teaching illustrator Joe Foo will discuss the creative process of building characters out of abstract forms and never setting limits on your creations. Joe is the creator of Desmond's Comic. Check out his book Desmond's big book: a collection of Desmond Comics Number One. Joe also is working on a series of books and videos that will teach kids the joy of drawing.

Join the Forum to get fresh ideas for your next comics and network with other cartoonists. Drawing supplies will be provided, so drop in.

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Berlin: The Seven Dwarves

by K.C.

A World War II Lancaster bomber flies low across the English countryside as a girl watches from the road. One of the bomber’s twin tails is shot apart. One wing tip and flap are gone. Oil trails from its outer port engine. What is going on? And just like that you are sucked into the graphic novel Berlin.

The book follows the lives of the crew of the Arvo Lancaster bomber Snow White as they partake in dangerous night bombing raids against Nazi Germany. Author/illustrator Marvano aka Mark Van Oppen spins a nice yarn full of tense action, friendship and love in a historical setting. His graphics, especially of the flying equipment/action and the setting, are excellent.

Though Marvano’s (the author’s pen name) depictions of the night bombing action are excellent, some of his choices are interesting, especially his choice to show the dual engined push pull German Dornier Do 335 night fighter in one engagement. Admittedly it is a very cool plane, being menacing and high-tech looking, but it did not make its first maiden flight until after the action described in the book had occurred and per some records it may not have ever seen combat, period.

Beyond that though, this is an excellent read. Until now my reading of the British part of the strategic bombing campaign and their dangerous night missions had been limited to general histories and to the gripping young adult novel B is for Buster, about a young Canadian boy who works on a ground crew for a Handley Page Halifax bomber squadron, so this book, for sure from a mental imagery stand point, fills in some gaps.

If curious about the American part of the strategic bombing campaign, you can find quite a bit of specific literature out there about the 8th Air Force and its daylight bombing efforts against Germany flying the venerable Boeing B-17 and Consolidated B-24 (many of which were built right here in Ypsilanti). The library has both the informative and well written A Wing and A Prayer as well as the excellent teen novel, The Last Mission.

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Comic Artists Forum with artist Mike Roll

by K.C.

Sunday, May 5 | 1:00-3:00 PM | Downtown Library | 4th Floor Meeting Room

Join Mike Roll, the artist of the comic series Apooka: The World's Most Adorable Zombie, as he provides an interesting and entertaining explanation of the development of Apooka, a kid-friendly zombie character.

Mike, who is a great inker, will also discuss about and demo his techniques and tools using one of his Apooka sketches.

Join the Forum to get fresh ideas for your next comics or graphic novel creation. Drawing supplies will be provided, so drop in to draw, learn, and network with other cartoonists.