Book Review: Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter
Do you love animals? Like, are you obsessed with them?
I love this graphic novel so much because of it's simple beauty that hits home for so many children, especially girls, grades 1-5.
I know so many kids obsessed with dogs, cats, horses, spiders, tigers, #marinebiology.
There is something about young children that they are instinctively drawn to animals.
But what if your really wanted a pet? and you really couldn't have one?
Because, y'know #allergies
That is the central problem that this #GraphicNovel tackles.
What else do I like about this book?
Maggie feels like the odd one out. She really just wants something or someone of her own. Her brothers have each other. What does Maggie have? At the start of the book, she's still searching for that. She has and Indian mom and a white dad. The book takes place in Sacramento, California.
Why you (or your child) should read this:
If your kid, like my niece, is already obsessed with animals and already has about 3 - 9,000 pets or a small zoo in your home, this is the book for you. There's also a lot here about friendship, identity, relationships, siblings.
Ultimately, my favorite part of the storyline is that it tackles the topic of allergies and how they can really impact our lives in big day - to- day ways. It's a fun "tour" of all the pets that one could get as a child, but in the end, what kind of pet does Maggie get?
#nospoliers here. I'll just say the final answer is a lot more interesting than just adopting a pet. The answer has a lot more to do with adopting an identity.
And that's why I love this book.
Still think #graphicnovels are mostly about #superheroes or #anime. Well, you're wrong. #manga , at least in Japan, has ALWAYS been a diverse medium. Manga has never been about just one thing. Just like any book can be about anything and for anyone, #graphicnovels or #manga can really be used to tell any story.
And why are #graphicnovels so much better at storytelling than other mediums? Well, for that, you'll have to #tuneinlater , true believers, because that is a story for another time.