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Doodlebug

A Novel in Doodles
by Karen Romano Young
112p. 978-0-31256-156-7.
COPY ISBN
Gr 5—7—A novel told in doodles. Twelve-year-old Dodo moves from Southern California to San Francisco with her family, renaming herself "Doodlebug" as she begins her journal on the long drive there. Her parents decided to change locales when she was kicked out of school for an unfortunate incident involving her ADD medication. At her new school, Dodo hopes to use doodling instead of Ritalin to help her "survive." She tells her story using small drawings and words that are sometimes written in cursive, sometimes in capital letters, each page a fresh, creative layout. Reluctant and struggling readers may appreciate the alternative storytelling format. While Young does not quite attain the level of humor of other authors in this genre, Dodo's voice is genuine and will especially resonate with girls who have similar problems.—Richelle Roth, Boone County Public Library, KY
Doreen's family moves from LA to San Francisco after she gets caught selling her Ritalin to classmates ($.25 a pop). She chronicles her transition to a new school and attempts to control herself through art instead of medication in this doodle-filled volume. Doreen's vivid first-person narration and humorous sketches combine for an entertaining look at one seventh-grader's life.
Reviewed by Richelle Roth , Jan 01, 2011

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