Serenity: Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon

Serenity: Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews & Will Conrad - 104 pages

This is a graphic novel that sets up the movie Serenity.  I picked it up to read after reading another staff member's review of it on this blog.  I enjoyed it as a graphic novel.  However, what I really enjoyed was the back history given by Joss Whedon into the Firefly / Serenity universe.

Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue! by Tom Angleberger

Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue! by Tom Angleberger - 184 pages
An Origami Yoda Book

The students of McQuarrie Middle School are continuing in their rebellion against the evils of the standardized test prep program FunTime with surprising assistance from the administration aka the Empire.  This series is great fun for both kids and adults with a love of Star Wars.  The references are everywhere and the hand drawn illustrations are often laugh out loud funny. 

MSCHMITT--- Finding Nemo Best Dad in the Sea Amy Tyler 32

 MSCHMITT--- Finding Nemo Best Dad in the Sea Amy Tyler 32

Little Fish Nemo thinks that he and his father are nothing alike, and while his dad is always trying to keep him safe, one day Nemo ventures too far off in the ocean and is captured. With Nemo gone his father feels lost and decides that he must be brave and head out in the unknown to save him. After a successful rescue Nemo realizes that he and his father are not so different after all.

MSCHMITT-- Driving Buddies, Jordan Apple, 32

MSCHMITT-- Driving Buddies, Jordan Apple, 32

Race car extraordinare Lightning McQueen learns a valuable lesson, when he takes a wrong turn and ends up in Radiator Springs. After some hard work and new friends he learns that life is more than winning races it's all about those that you meet along the way.

Five Centimeters per Second, by Makoto Shinkai & Yukiko Seike (ill)

Five Centimeters per Second, by Makoto Shinkai & Yukiko Seike (ill), 566 pages

As I finished this book, I started yelling my dismay aloud.  When my husband asked me what was so bad about the book, I told him that it didn't have a Hollywood happy ending, it was painful, and it was one of the most beautiful stories I've ever read.  In short, this is a great book- it just doesn't end how Hollywood romances teach us a love story should end.  It left me thinking for days afterwards about the long-reaching impact of short-lived relationships.

Story in short: Takaki and Akari meet as children, and have an instant connection. Their friendship and love is perfect and pure, and they try to sustain it through letters when jobs take them away from each other.  But as the years pass, the silence grows, and children become adults, they must face the realization that life and relationships stand still for no man.   Based on a movie, apparently- I'll have to watch it to see how they compare.