Yang, Gene Luen Level
Up
First Second 2011 159p 19.99 978-1-59643-714-2
ms/hs VG Graphic novel
Dennis discovers his talent at Nintendo, but his father has other plans for him, to become a gastroenterologist. In the end, Dennis finds harmony when he achieves his father’s dream. Who says you can’t have everything in life? Living out one’s own dream often conflicts with our family’s expectations, and in this graphic novel, Dennis makes a wonderful discovery, that he can be happy living out his destiny. From the day that he received a chemistry set from his father for Christmas, Dennis feels that his father is watching him AND preventing him from realizing his dream of playing Nintendo for a living. Dennis’s father is there when Dennis flunks out of college in Level I of the book, he is there to guide Dennis back to college with the help of 4 angels, he is there when Dennis enrolls in medical school in Level II, and he is there when Dennis quits medical school in Level III. In a clever combination of occupations at the end, Dennis is able to live out his father’s dream as well as his own. As the reader discovers, the book is creatively set up like a Nintendo game, and young readers will enjoy the facial expressions of Dennis’s medical school friends and the antics of the angels as they provide the sometimes positive and sometimes negative role of helping Dennis find his way. The reader does not have to be Asian-American to enjoy the characters, language and conflicts. Gene Luen Yang has created a graphic novel that will have universal appeal as it engages the reader in a journey that is both comedic and poignant. Boy chooses between personal dream & father’s goal
Martha Squaresky
First Second 2011 159p 19.99 978-1-59643-714-2
ms/hs VG Graphic novel
Dennis discovers his talent at Nintendo, but his father has other plans for him, to become a gastroenterologist. In the end, Dennis finds harmony when he achieves his father’s dream. Who says you can’t have everything in life? Living out one’s own dream often conflicts with our family’s expectations, and in this graphic novel, Dennis makes a wonderful discovery, that he can be happy living out his destiny. From the day that he received a chemistry set from his father for Christmas, Dennis feels that his father is watching him AND preventing him from realizing his dream of playing Nintendo for a living. Dennis’s father is there when Dennis flunks out of college in Level I of the book, he is there to guide Dennis back to college with the help of 4 angels, he is there when Dennis enrolls in medical school in Level II, and he is there when Dennis quits medical school in Level III. In a clever combination of occupations at the end, Dennis is able to live out his father’s dream as well as his own. As the reader discovers, the book is creatively set up like a Nintendo game, and young readers will enjoy the facial expressions of Dennis’s medical school friends and the antics of the angels as they provide the sometimes positive and sometimes negative role of helping Dennis find his way. The reader does not have to be Asian-American to enjoy the characters, language and conflicts. Gene Luen Yang has created a graphic novel that will have universal appeal as it engages the reader in a journey that is both comedic and poignant. Boy chooses between personal dream & father’s goal
Martha Squaresky
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