![my friend dahmer movie near akron my friend dahmer movie near akron](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0oZ3Yi41KTA/VF5AL_X1DoI/AAAAAAAACC4/kaQuOhJYLkM/s1600/command.jpg)
My friend dahmer movie near akron serial#
I mentioned this title and I said, “Do you know who Jeffrey Dahmer was?” He squinted and thought for a solid moment and said, “He was the serial killer, right?” He’s about 24.So now shave off 8+ years for the teen audience these awards are aimed at and I wonder…. I’m sure some will discover it and think it’s fascinating, but I think adults will get more out of the book.Įsther: To further illustrate this point, because Robin, I think you put it so well-it’s a great graphic novel, but is it great for teens? Today, I had a grad student do observation hours in my library and we were talking graphic novels. It’s a fantastic graphic novel and Backderf did a fantastic amount of research in the book. Not that it isn’t ultimately great - I agree that it is - but I’m not sure it’s great for teens. Thus, while I do think the title belongs very firmly on the Alex Award list, I was a bit surprised to see it included as a top ten Great Graphic Novel. I wonder, like Esther, how many teens would take the time to read the end notes, and I’m not sure they’d get the same resonance from the regrets, contemplation, and critical eye on past events that adult readers will. Robin : Caleb, I really agree with you that this title has more to offer adult readers, in part because of what they might consider about the roles adults played (or didn’t play, ultimately) in Dahmer’s life as well as having the right distance from being a teenager. Somehow, I think teens reading this will be missing a large portion of the story.
![my friend dahmer movie near akron my friend dahmer movie near akron](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/u8dhnhYtLqU/maxresdefault.jpg)
I’m based in the Cleveland area and the book has a lot of relevance for the history of Jeffrey Dahmer’s life since it’s based in Akron, which is roughly 40 south of Cleveland.Įsther: One of my first thoughts when I read this book was that would today’s teens even know who Jeffrey Dahmer was? I do see teen appeal, but so much of the story takes place in the introduction and in the endnotes, and without reading those, I felt it was incomplete. I loved the book, but I think it belongs in the adult collection. Mike : In my library system, it’s in our adult graphic novels and rightly so. While it can be read by teens and, part of me thinks it should be read by teens for the cautionary tales aspects, I think it has a lot more to offer adult readers than teen readers, as the former will have completed their own high school experience, and can therefore put this period in these characters’ lives into their proper context. There’s obviously some strong stuff in there, and I think older teens who want it can seek it out, whereas having it browsable along with volumes of Naruto and X-Men and whatnot seems like it could be asking for trouble. If it were up to me, I think I’d put it with the adult books too. Who do you think the strongest audience is for this book? Teens? Adults? Both? Where would you (or do you) shelve it in your library?Ĭaleb: I don’t have anything to do with shelving decisions at the public library where I work, but, for what it’s worth, the librarians there decided to shelve it with the adult books on comics and cartooning at 721.5, rather than with the teen graphic novels. Robin : This is a title that has won both as a top ten Great Graphic Novel for Teens and an Alex Award - showing that both committees considered it appropriate for teens within the 12-18 year old range and also acknowledging that it is an adult title that appeals to teens. The Alex Award honors “ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18.” Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers “suggests books that teens, ages 12-18, will pick up on their own and read for pleasure it is geared to the teenager who, for whatever reason, does not like to read.” Clearly the awards judges and selection committees saw something engaging in this title.Īs a refresher, the Great Graphic Novels for Teens Selection list showcases titles “recommended for those ages 12-18, meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens,” and every year they also select the top ten titles from their longer list.
![my friend dahmer movie near akron my friend dahmer movie near akron](https://alchetron.com/cdn/my-friend-dahmer-film-5583b612-e570-43ce-ad69-19598ead957-resize-750.jpeg)
Not only was My Friend Dahmer honored as one of the Great Graphic Novels for Teens Top Ten for 2013, it also won an Alex Award and was honored as a Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers Top Ten as well. Our second title to discuss from the YALSA Hub Reading Challenge is Derf Backderf’s My Friend Dahmer - very much the opposite end of the spectrum from our last title, Drama.