RI Teen Book Award 2016 Nominee

Young adult books set in Russia are not typical in the YA world, so I was very surprised to see two books on this year's RITBA list.  Of course, the two books are very, very different.  I would say that if you read The Family Romanov by Candace Fleming, you would understand the social tension between the main characters in Gregory Maguire's Egg and Spoon. 

The Family Romanov tells the nonfiction story of the last ruling family of Russia and their tragic end.  This fascinating story reads more like a piece of fast-paced fiction than a typical non-fiction book.  With romance, intrigue, and murder, The Family Romanov gives the reader an unforgettable glimpse into what life must have been like for one of Europe's last imperial families.    

I had never heard the phrase "comic reportage" before reading the back of A.D.:  New Orleans After the Deluge. by Josh Neufeld  It is an intriguing format.    For readers who want to read an in-depth news story complete with pictures, it provides a new way to do so.  There has been much written on Hurricane Katrina, the toll on human life, and the devastation of property.  As we approach the nine year anniversary, I still hear an occasional story in the news about its lingering impact.  I am always interested in hurricane stories partly because of our own vulnerability to them here on the RI south coast.  

A.D.: New Orleans... tells the story of Hurricane Katrina through the eyes of five true survival stories.  The author had spent three weeks as a Red Cross volunteer in the wake of the storm and was able to connect with a wide variety of experiences, from those who stayed in New Orleans to those who evacuated.  

If you are interested but can't be bothered to find the book, read the online comic version at Smith Magazine.  

I became interested in Neufeld's work after reading The Influencing Machine, a graphic nonfiction work about the media, a sample of which you can read at Slate Magazine.