The Dumbest Idea Ever!: A Graphic Novel - Softcover

Gownley, Jimmy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 054545347X ISBN 13: 9780545453479

Publisher: Graphix, 2014

Synopsis

What if the dumbest idea ever turned your life upside down?
At thirteen, Jimmy was popular, at the top of his class, and the leading scorer on his basketball team. But all that changed when chicken pox forced him to miss the championship game. Things went from bad to worse when he got pneumonia and missed even more school. Before Jimmy knew it, his grades were sinking and nothing seemed to be going right.
How did Jimmy turn things around, get back on top at school, and land a date with the cutest girl in class?
Renowned comics creator Jimmy Gownley shares his adventures as he grows from an eager-to-please boy into a teenage comic book artist. This is the real-life story of how the DUMBEST idea ever became the BEST thing that ever happened to him.

About this title

About the Author

Jimmy Gownley began writing and drawing comics at age 15 and has been nominated for the Eisner Award 13 times. In 2001 his hit series AMELIA RULES! was released amid a flurry of rave reviews. He cofounded the organization Kids Love Comics, which works to promote comic books and graphic novels as a valuable tool for literacy and education in schools, libraries, and at home. Jimmy lives in Harrisburg, PA.

From School Library Journal

Gr 5–8—In this funny and heartfelt graphic memoir by the author of the popular "Amelia Rules" series (Atheneum), Gownley introduces readers to his 13-year-old self. With excellent grades and strong skills on the basketball court, Jimmy is a star at his school until a nasty bout with chicken pox and pneumonia force him to miss over a month of classes and the championship game. While bedridden, the young artist rediscovers his love of comics and soon sets about creating and publishing his very own—a task that is easier said than done. Jimmy's struggle through that awkward divide between childhood and adolescence, the palm-sweating excitement of a first girlfriend, his growing disillusionment with school and homework, and his desire to escape the confines of his small Pennsylvania town and find his own special talent is authentically portrayed and will resonate with kids. Jimmy is at times boisterous and overconfident, while secretly struggling to reconcile the kid he was with the young man he is growing into. His relationships with his parents, his friends, and even some nuns at his strict Catholic school are portrayed with realism and humor. Gownley's energetic cartoons keep the overall tone light and upbeat, while subtle shifts in palette appropriately reflect the story's emotional highs and lows. This charming and inspiring tale will be enjoyed by fans of Raina Telgemeier's Smile (Scholastic, 2010) and aspiring comics creators everywhere.—Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal

About this edition

• Publisher: Graphix
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 054545347X
• ISBN 13: 9780545453479
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240
• Illustrator: Gownley Jimmy