Garfield bigger than life: His Third Book by Jim Davis

The third comic book of the Garfield series is all about your all time favorite orange chubby cat Garfield teaching you how to always embrace yourself no matter who you are. Whether you are very small or a little bit big, this cat will help to motivate you that you should be yourself because life has a really big obstacles coming your way in so many interactions and other ways. This typical comic strip would show you examples of ways how Garfield may not enjoy his life at home sometimes because of his peers such as Lyman and his dog Odie living with him and Jon.

In my opinion, I thought that while looking over this comic strip didn't really make much of a difference between this sequel and the first one. I mean it is true that they can be both humorous but I just think they all seem the same. On the bright side, I kind of thought these comics are enjoyable at some point. I find some of them a bit too long though but that' s okay. I don't like the fact some of the graphics drawn are kind of repetitive. Maybe if the illustrator could have more of a variety in their imagery, the reader would probably not get too bored from reading future comics. And also, anyone of all ages can read Garfield comics since they are considered family friendly about most of the time.

Reviewed by Hannah Rachel, Grade 10
Downtown Central

Garfield at Large: His First Book by Jim Davis

This 1970s Garfield comic book classic shows the typical life of Garfield the cat himself. His main hobbies are eating and sleeping on a regular basis. Living with his owner Jon Arbuckle and Lyman, who is Odie's owner since they both now live together in the same house because Lyman's house got burned down. This would also show what are Garfield's clever and wild moments such as him eating a mailman or destroying a very expensive scratching post. Sometimes, Jon would wonder why did he ever adopt this poor giant orange cat and if he ever regretted doing this.

I haven't read comics for a long time now but when it came to me getting back on my feet into reading them again, I think that this is one of the best comic books I have ever read. I used to read them a lot when I was a little kid but now I got to understand them more in a funnier way. I really enjoy the humor and the imagery in these strips for a first book of the Garfield series. It's also not too long or too short but it can sometimes feel a book may never end in general. I can't say I didn't like the book but although I thought the way the book physically looks, it should be facing a vertical direction rather than a horizontal one based on the copy I got because sometimes it wouldn't fit in my bag but otherwise, it's a really fun book to read. Whether big or small, I would recommend this book to everyone who can read because comics are mostly less words and more graphics.

Reviewed by Hannah Rachel, Grade 10
Downtown Central

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green follows Aza Holmes, a high school student that suffers with obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety. The story begins when Daisy, Aza's good friend, finds out that Russell Picket, a billionaire and Davis Pickett's father, Aza's old friend, has suddenly gone missing. The timing is quite ironic because he was being investigated for fraud at the time. Because the award to find Pickett is 100,000 dollars, Daisy and Aza go on a hunt to find him. Chaos ensues.

I believe that this book is very important because it helps remove the stigma that surrounds people who have a mental illness, specifically obsessive compulsive disorder. Despite all the awful things that come Ava's way, it's inspiring to see how she always gets back up on her feet. The book is definitely one of John Green's better ones so if you've read any of his books prior and you weren't impressed, I highly recommend you give this one a shot. I thought it was extremely well-written and perfectly paced. I enjoyed how he combined a high school drama with an insane mystery, the daily struggles of someone with mental illness, and romance. Green is a master of portraying teenagers less as whiny drama queens and more as intelligent and mature people. This book was truly amazing! Do yourself a favor and make some time to read it.

Reviewed by Melody Seraydarian, Grade 11
Montrose Library