Hey, Kiddo as a graphic novel memoir is certainly engaging. I can see older readers connecting with various aspects of this book. It kept me interested right to the end, at which time I continued on to the author's notes and wished I had read them first! After reading the notes, it gave me even more to think about. This is a book I will recommend to readers for sure.
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle is equally as engaging as its competitor. While it tackles many universal and typical YA topics, the story is unique and gripping. I found myself weeping through MANY passages, and that's a sure sign that it's a winner in my mind!
My vote is for The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle
This may have been the toughest Smackdown decision ever. Argh. I know members of Team EIPS may disagree with my choice, but between the two books, I'm choosing The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle for the win.
ReplyDeleteWhy?
Good question. After trying to compare the two books, which is nigh impossible, I decided two things. One, both are excellent and important and I'd teach/recommend them in a heartbeat, and two, with fires and conflict in the news to begin 2020, I've decided I needed some hope and redemption of which there are boatloads in Mason Buttle. I loved this kid and his wee friend Calvin Chumsky. Weeks after reading the novel, even their names still make me smile. And the scenes with Moonie, the dog who belongs to Mason's bully yet adores Mason, are heart meltingly good.
So, Mason Buttle it is. It's a sweet and clever middle school read. Perhaps it isn't perfectly plausible, whereas the basis of Hey, Kiddo is the true story of Jarret Krosoczka's life growing up with family addiction, and thus gritty and real, but Mason Buttle still rings with honesty. That said, the artwork in Hey, Kiddo is busy and raw, and the story is still filled with the same spirit of hope as Mason Buttle, just for a more mature reader. The dedication that Krosoczka writes is "for every reader who recognizes this experience. I see you." Gobsmacked.
Crap. Can I vote for both?
Since I only get one vote and I mistakenly just turned on CNN, I need to support Buttle.