Operatic - Hardcover

Maclear, Kyo

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1554989728 ISBN 13: 9781554989720

Publisher: Groundwood Books, 2019

Synopsis

A story of friendship, first crushes, opera and the high drama of middle school told by award-winning Kyo Maclear in her debut graphic novel.

Somewhere in the universe, there is the perfect tune for you.

It’s almost the end of middle school, and Charlie has to find her perfect song for a music class assignment. But it’s hard for Charlie to concentrate when she can’t stop noticing her classmate Emile, or wondering about Luka, who hasn’t been to school in weeks.

Then, the class learns about opera, and Charlie discovers the music of Maria Callas. The more she learns about Maria’s life, the more Charlie admires her passion for singing and her ability to express herself fully through her music. Can Charlie follow the example of the ultimate diva, Maria Callas, when it comes to her own life?

Key Text Features
speech bubbles
captions
bibliography

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6
Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

About this title

About the Authors

KYO MACLEAR is a beloved author of books for children and adults. Her recent children’s books include Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli, illustrated by Julie Morstad, Yak and Dove, illustrated by Esmé Shapiro, and The Liszts, illustrated by Júlia Sardà. She lives in Toronto with her two sons, two cats and a singer.

BYRON EGGENSCHWILER is an award-winning illustrator whose recent books include The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt by Riel Nason, Operatic by Kyo Maclear (starred reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal and Quill & Quire), Coyote Tales by Thomas King and Beastly Puzzles by Rachel Poliquin (starred review from School Library Journal). Byron's work has also appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Walrus, GQ and O, The Oprah Magazine. He lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Reviews

Gr 5-8-Two months before middle school graduation, Charlotte (Charlie) Noguchi and the rest of class 8C have one final assignment-to find the soundtrack of their lives, a song that has meaning for them. Their music teacher Mr. K introduces them to different styles, including metal, pop, rap, jazz, emo, and opera. Yellow tones dominate these sections of the book with realistic, detailed, eye-catching art and cross hatching that adds dimension. Breaking up the main plot, Charlie shares her story from behind the empty desk in her class. Yellow switches dramatically to blue for flashback scenes. A lone desk is shown in the middle of the panel framed by Charlie's hair, giving it the appearance of theater curtains parting. Luka, with his long shiny hair and beautiful singing voice, left school after singing a song to Emile. Charlie seems to like Emile but is also worried about Luka and hopes he'll come back to school. Colored in red, Charlie also discusses famed opera singer and diva Maria Callas. Drawn to her music and life story, Charlie researches ­Callas for her final project. A bibliography with further reading about the singer is included at the end of the graphic novel. ­VERDICT ­Brimming with raw emotion, music references, and gorgeous art, this memorable and relatable graphic novel will linger with ­readers.-Marissa ­Lieberman, East Orange Public Library, NJα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Groundwood Books
• Publication date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1554989728
• ISBN 13: 9781554989720
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Eggenschwiler Byron
• Number of pages: 160