SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Manga
  • All Ages
  • Young Adult
  • Interviews
  • News

August 24, 2017 by Esther Keller

Review: The Wendy Project

August 24, 2017 by Esther Keller   Leave a Comment

I particularly adore when authors (and artists) take a (classic) work and they tear it apart and create something new—but recognizable. There’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, countless fractured fairy tales, and this year I read a dystopian version of Peter Pan. So picking up a copy of The Wendy Project was a natural choice for me.

wendy_project_cover_225pxThe Wendy Project
By Melissa Jane Osborne. Veronica Fish, Illustrator.
Papercutz. 2017. ISBN 9781629917696 PBK, $12.99. 96pp.
Grades 7 and up

When Wendy is driving her two brothers Michael and John one evening they are in a terrible accident and the car goes off the road and into a lake. When Wendy wakes up in the hospital she learns that her brother, Michael has died. But Wendy won’t accept the news. She insists that her brother is still alive, taken away by a flying man. Given a sketchbook by her therapist, Wendy draws this Neverland. Is Wendy in the depth of grief or will she find out that her brother truly is alive?

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Cleverly told, weaving in quotes from J.M. Barrie, the story is written so that readers are never sure if Wendy is imagining things to cope with her grief or if her story is true. The artwork is beautiful, evoking a sense of grief and fantasy. Fish uses black and white drawings with splashes of color that bring the images to life. Together the artwork and text work seamlessly to evoke a deep sense of sadness and loss.

This isn’t a run-of-the-mill story, and readers will likely feel a little confused at the end, but that will only make them want to go back and read it again.

Filed under: Graphic Novels, Reviews

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
graphic novelPapercutzPeter Panreviewsuper genius

About Esther Keller

Esther Keller is the librarian at JHS 278, Marine Park in Brooklyn, NY. There she started the library's first graphic novel collection and strongly advocated for using comics in the classroom. She also curates the Graphic Novel collection for the NYC DOE Citywide Digital Library. She started her career at the Brooklyn Public Library and later jumped ship to the school system so she could have summer vacation and a job that would align with a growing family's schedule. On the side, she is a mother of 4 and regularly reviews for SLJ and School Library Connection (formerly LMC). In her past life, she served on the Great Graphic Novels for Teens Committee where she solidified her love and dedication to comics.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

September 2023

My Girlfriend's Child, vols. 1 and 2 | Review

by Esther Keller

August 2023

Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story | Review

by Esther Keller

August 2023

Norma & Belly | Series Review

by Esther Keller

August 2023

Akane-banashi, vol. 1 | Review

by Esther Keller

July 2023

Adventures in Cartooning | Series Review

by Esther Keller

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

The Bestselling Children’s Books of the Week

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

On Quiet Protagonists: A Guest Post from Jack Cheng

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Exclusive: New Sibling Adventure Story from Papercutz | News and Preview

by Brigid Alverson

Heavy Medal

Memoirs, big families and road trips, oh my: Wednesday Roundup: Graphic Novels

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Teen Librarian Toolbox

What Makes a Story a Fairy Tale? A guest post by Emma Steinkellner

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Peter Brown Visits The Yarn to talk about The Wild Robot Protects

by Colby Sharp

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Sneak Peek: SLJ Best Books 2020

12 Essential Nonfiction Graphic Novels for Kids and Teens

A Look Across the Universe | YA Nonfiction Spotlight

For Spider-Man Fans, Key Reading on the Spider-Verse

Shannon Hale on Adapting Middle Grade Graphic Novel "Best Friends" as an Audiobook

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023