Genre Boot Camp (clapclap, clap clap clap!)

   Genre Boot Camp!

This week I attended BCPL's spring Genre Boot Camp.  Just as it sounds, this is a workshop for exploring certain genres in order to provide improved reader's advisory.  For me, this is great especially since I have limited experience with children's lit.  And legal thrillers.  And mysteries.  And etc.  (I am pretty steadfast in reading only what I like.)

Our three topics were children's and teens mysteries/capers, adult/teen manga, comics, and graphic novels, and the previously mentioned legal suspense thrillers.

All of our gracious presenters did a fabulous job.  For legal thrillers, which was of the least interest to me, our group did a great job of reminding me that it's not all about tight-buttholed lawyers who fall into the 'system' under the guise of glory, only to be chewed up and have to run for their lives.  I was reminded of the other drama, complexity, and guessing-game aspect of (legal) thrillers.  Very often things aren't what they may appear and there may or may not be any innocents.  This appeals to me since I do like dark themes.


   (These are supposed to be very good and very similar).

I was also reminded that not all thrillers take place in courtrooms.  They may involve art heists (Among Thieves, by David Hosp), or may be classics (To Kill a Mockingbird).  Or they might not quite be legal thrillers, but dramatic and suspenseful nonetheless (The Round House by Louise Erdich or Defending Jacob, by William Landay).  I was also reminded that, particularly for recent publications, there may be a book trailer online to watch to hook a reader or show them if they are interested.  And of course, there are many movies and television programs in this vein, so a/v advisory is also an option.
 

The children's and teen mysteries workshop informed me that the formula and set up of kid's capers are specifically crafted to pique reader's comprehension skills, with what all their character/plot/setting/problem/solution and all.  No seriously, apparently those are the five qualities of a mystery and for kids they have to be paying attention to these elements as they read (or hopefully will be) to be engaged and attached to the story.  Also, apparently these are frequently assigned to young readers for this reason.  I was introduced to such series as Pete and Penny's Pizza Puzzles series, and the Capital Mysteries.  Doesn't that Humpty Dumpty mystery look like fun?  It's a picture book. 

 

The teen mysteries seemed like fun and interesting reads, including What I Saw and How I Lied, by Judy Blundell, which has historical WWII appeal, and Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, with sci-fi/mystery intrigue.
  

I started to read the Young Bond book and have enjoyed it.  I did mention that covers are a big deal, at least to readers like me who infer a lot by a cover.  The cover of Silverfin: A James Bond Adventure, Young Bond Book 1, has what we are to assume is Young Bond looking over his shoulder at a menacing 1920s era boxer, or longshoreman in an icky green haze.  The alternative cover I saw was a little more oblique, showing icky eels swirling around a bit abstractly.  I prefer the latter cover since it seems less...  pedophile-ishly threatening (I did not verbalize this in our group discussion, but I wanted to).
 

And finally, graphic novels!  My wheelhouse! Or so I'd like to think.  I was gratefully introduced to some newer titles, yaay!  I tend to hold back on pretty much any form of anything:  I am often late on music, films, pop culture or web references, and yes, books.  A couple of reasons for this are: 1.) money.  I'm cheap, and 2.) I'm not hip.  Sorry, kids.  Anyway, here are a few titles I'm excited to check out:  Calling Dr. Laura: A Graphic Memoir, by Nicole Georges, Stiches, by David Small, and My Friend Dahmer, by Derf (which I may or may not even own. See how long it takes me to get around to even reading what I may possibly have in my own home?!). 

Oh, and I won a package of Tokyo Rice Crackers from the graphic novel panel for scoring high on an "Alternative Egos" quiz.  I totally finished them this morning for breakfast.

Read on!
AB