Operatic

Product Description

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. The class learns about a different style of music each day, from hip-hop to metal to disco, 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. On top of everything, she has been talked into participating in an end-of-year performance with her best friends.
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?
This evocatively illustrated graphic novel brilliantly captures the high drama of middle school by focusing on the desire of its finely drawn characters to sing and be heard.

From School Library Journal

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.

Review

Praise for author Kyo Maclear, illustrator Byron Eggenschwiler and Operatic:
“Opera is an unusual but pitch-perfect match for that swell of overwhelming feeling, and Maclear and Eggenschwiler fold it into the story perfectly. A poignant, pithy, and arrestingly illustrated story.” – Booklist, starred review
“Brimming with raw emotion, music references, and gorgeous art, this memorable and relatable graphic novel will linger with readers.” – School Library Journal, starred review
“Operatic offers a deft look at adolescence, rich but subtle, accessible but beautifully complex.
… Maclear has created a setting and a cast of characters that feel extraordinarily fresh, alive, and, above all, very real… . Eggenschwiler’s visual metaphors create their own network of social, emotional, and sensory connections… . This book will delight not only young people and graphic-novel aficionados but anyone who believes that art – especially opera – is a powerful force in the world. ” – Quill & Quire, starred review
“Maclear and Eggenschwiler cleverly weave together story, visual art, and music… . Clever and contemplative, with music history readers might find unexpectedly fun.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Operatic displays a beautiful, poetic and subtle interplay between text and image. A sensitively written, and knowing portrayal of early teen life, highlighting the formative and identity-forming ro