Desk Stories

Gr 3—6—In this follow-up to Backpack Stories (Albert Whitman, 2009), the desk—its past, future, and the horror it sometimes holds—is the subject of six punchy tales told in distinct sequential art. One selection is done in loose freehand with soft pencils; one is cross-hatched, inked, and colored; a couple are digital; one sports retro dot-matrix coloring; while the first combines nearly all those techniques. "History Man" is back with a survey of desk lore, including the spiked medieval desk to ensure that no one ever falls asleep in class, and the "lose the desk" beanbag movement of the 1960s. "Trapped" relates the nightmare of a young boy shackled to and chased by the desk. "It Came from Within" delivers a furry surprise (and a good punch line) to Sara, the perfect kid who is always prepared. "Desktec" is a daydream vision of what a desk could be (flat-screen TV, all-terrain four-wheel drive) if the right people were designing it. Then there are "Desktime Jokes" and the saga of "Sue Smallton: The Incredible Shrinking Supergirl," who dares to rescue and return a borrowed barrette from the depths of her stuffed-to-the-brim desk. Told with countless one-liners from the superhero and horror genres, this book is an extremely satisfying read for young people who are dealing with bragging, nagging kids and less-than-engaging lessons, and seeking some old-school comic relief.—Sara Lissa Paulson, American Sign Language and English Lower School PS 347, New York City