GRAPHIC NOVEL: (ages 13+)
Brief Description: 23-year-old Scott Pilgrim is dating a high-school girl named Knives Chau who’s 17. When he begins dreaming of a groovy roller blading girl, and then sees her "live" in the library and at a party, Scott begins his obsession with the elusive Ramona Flowers, Amazon.ca delivery girl. When he tries to introduce himself, he fumbles, and she rolls her eyes, so he orders from Amazon to get her to deliver. She does, and they eventually begin dating, sort of. Scott must fight all Ramona’s seven evil ex-boyfriends to actually earn the right to officially date her. This book illustrates the fight with the first ex at a gig in which Scott’s self-proclaimed crappy band is scheduled to play a set.
Awards: Doug Wright Award for Best Emerging Talent for Scott Pilgrim, nominated for three Harvey Awards (Best New Talent, Best Cartoonist and Best Graphic Album of Original Work)
Personal Opinion: Oddly, I enjoyed this fun though often irreverent story of Scott Pilgrim. The language is perfectly tuned to youth with its casual dialogue and realistic characterizations. I was puzzled by the fight scene with the first ex-boyfriend as it seemed like a different story with a shift in pacing. Still, I find myself interested to see what happens in the next installment. I liked Scott’s gay roommate Wallace Wells who offers a fun sense of humor, and the feisty fellow band member Kim Pine.
Programming Idea: Pair this book with a manga drawing class and book discussion as part of a manga and anime club.
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