Bibliographic Information:
Title: Pumpkinheads
Author: Rainbow Rowell
ISBN: 9781529008647
Publisher: First Second, New York
Copyright Date: 2019
Genre: Romance, Adventure
Format: Print Book/eBook/Graphic Novel
Awards/Honors: New York Times Best Seller
Reading Level/Interest Level: Ages 14+
Plot Summary:
Josiah (Josie) and Deja have been seasonal friends when working together at the pumpkin patch for years - but this is their last night together before parting ways. Josie has had a crush on “fudge girl” since Deja and him went through orientation, but he has never talked to her. Deja becomes determined to help Josie talk to his long term crush - but there are definitely going to be some detours along the way, especially for snacks. As Deja and Josie come to terms with the end of their seasonal job they begin to come to terms with other aspects of their friendship as well, mainly how much they care for each other.
Author Background:
Rainbow Rowell is known as a young adult and contemporary adult author whose multitude of novels have had various forms of critical acclaim. Although starting as a columnist and copywriter at the Omaha World-Herald from the 90’s through 2012, Rowell made the transition to novels with her first book Attachments, in which writing was meant to be a pastime. Now a full time job, Rowell currently works as a writer for the Marvel series She-Hulk (Rainbow Rowell, 2013).
Critical Evaluation:
As always with graphic novels, one of the most important aspects is legibility: meaning, are the panels easy to follow, in an order that anyone can read, and how accessible is the font used for words? Luckily Pumpkinheads checked off every box: the panels were laid out in a way that anyone could read them and not get confused on the order they were meant to be read, and the font was easy to read (I have begun to notice it is comic books that use font that can be difficult to read). The imagery is colorful and bubbly, but still detailed enough to notice interactions between characters that explain more than what the written words detail.
Perhaps the best part was noticing the minor differences in Deja’s facial expressions every time Josie mentioned fudge girl - it gave the subtle hint that Deja was actually in love with him, or at least liked him romantically, and that she felt that she did not have a chance with him so she may as well help him with his crush. Those little changes, from her brows furrowing, her eyes softening, and the corners of her mouth tugging downward - it made it so obvious without having to use any words. While this is obviously due to the artistry of Faith Erin Hicks, it really made the entire story so much more elevated.
Creative Use for a Library Program:
Pumpkin decoration time! This is definitely something that we would want to do right before Halloween, but everyone can bring their own pumpkin and the library will provide paint, brushes and even some stencils to use! Some themed snacks (say, fudge?) would also be provided, but the goal would be to have some fun cozy time themed around the holiday. We could also perhaps do a field trip to a local corn maze or pumpkin patch, but that seems like it could have a lot of liabilities that we may not be prepared for.
Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer:
Perfect to bring on the cozy autumn vibes with Deja and Josie in Pumpkinheads. The last day of work at the patch also means the last time Josie has the chance to talk to his longtime crush, fudge girl! It is also the last time Deja will get to try all of the treats and rides that she was never able to go on because she was working. So, on their last night together, Deja and Josie go on an adventure to discover parts of the patch and themselves they have never explored.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation:
There are instances where Deja runs into some of her previous relationships, which shows her to be either bisexual or pansexual given the various genders she seems to have dated at the patch. Unfortunately, more and more books are being censored or challenged just because they include LGBTQIA+ characters, and I could see this as being another one added to the list. Those who usually challenge these books claim that the inclusion of these characters qualify a book to be considered sexual and therefore should not be included in a collection. I believe part of challenging a book should be having to read the entire novel as well so that the person challenging it knows exactly what they are attacking. I also believe that once someone actually reads Pumpkinheads they’ll realize that there is legitimately nothing inherently sexual with the story at all, and that Deja’s sexuality (which is never discussed nor confirmed) should not keep the book from being part of a young adult collection.
Reason for Inclusion:
I realized that I only had one graphic novel thus far for my blog (Gender Queer) and felt that the format decided to have at least one other companion even if this is not the type of book I typically reach towards. It is a darling novel, with a cute plot, easy to read images and text, and overall feels comforting to read (especially as a lover of fall). As such, Pumpkinheads definitely deserves to be included in a young adult collection, especially for patrons who prefer graphic novels over traditional novels.
References:
(2013, December 4). Rainbow Rowell. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Rowell
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