Alterations, a graphic novel channeling middle school in all the right ways

Heartfelt is a dicey adjective to describe something because it could easily be misconstrued as soft, boring or too emotional; all of which are the death knell for graphic novels that are trying to be interesting to middle school audiences. In this case heartfelt, humorous, clever familial, and more could also be appropriate to describe Alterations. Change is hard. Middle school is harder. That’s the tagline for Alterations, a graphic novel written and illustrated by Ray Xu. The conflict in Alterations is one that any middle school student, or even those upper-elementary ages will latch onto.

Kevin is a typical kid with an older sibling who does things better than he does. From his perspective, his family is so busy that they don’t pay enough attention to him. He’s trying to find his strengths, has a weird family that makes him work too much and just wants to spend time reading comic books. In short, Kevin has most of the characteristics that make up a 12-year-old me and probably describes most readers who are attracted to graphic novels.

The cover of Alterations is also intriguing. Initially, it resembles a DNA helix, which could put some readers off who don’t want to jump into a STEM graphic novel that’s deep into science. This is where they should re-read the book’s title, Alterations, and think about what it means in a greater sense.

Kevin’s parents own an alteration shop. It’s the place where he’s asked to help after school. The work doesn’t take too much time, nor does it occupy much of the graphic novel’s page space, but in the character’s life it has a big presence. His mother works there a lot, his grandmother helps out a bit and he mainly complains about it or tries to avoid it.

Most of the plot in Alterations follows Kevin as he navigates middle school. He feels like he hasn’t really fit in anywhere yet and that he falls between the cracks. His sister says that he’s Asian and should be brilliant in math but struggles across every academic field. Sometimes when he brings lunch it doesn’t look or smell like other lunches in the cafeteria. Ironically, it’s when one of his lunch items, a Century Egg, falls on the floor where everyone can see it, that he initially finds his groove.

He eats this black egg and it freaks out his classmates which earns him a nickname. The entire school then knows who he is, which improves his confidence, but it makes him slightly more insecure about his life. His grandmother is old. He doesn’t have as much free time or Western entertainment as others and the big school trip to Thrill Planet is coming up.

Middle school is also a great time for amusement parks, especially those with thrill rides. The breakpoint for those kids who really want to go on thrill rides is 13. Some of those ages want to, those who are one year older love them and those who are one year young like the idea of them, but are far too scared to ride them. In Alterations, Kevin is probably 13, which puts him in a pickle when the big day out happens.

There’s a lot for middle school readers to love about Alterations. The illustrations are detailed and have that classic comic strip look. I realize the latter description is one that younger readers today won’t recognize, but they’ll see the art, marvel at the way the action travels between panels and feel at home whilst reading the graphic novel. It’s a classic look for a reason, even if the target audience isn’t familiar with the medium that ushed it in.

Because the main character enjoys comic books, his daydreams are often science-fiction or superhero-based. This allows readers to trip along with him as he’s envisions the situation that he sees himself in, as opposed to where he really is. Set against his laissez-faire attitude is his mother’s non-stop work ethic that he doesn’t understand. That changes one day when his grandmother lets him on the harsh realities that she faced while living during the cultural revolution in China.

There was no education, food was scarce, life was hard and she and her brother had to swim across a river with a strong current to escape. He was successful and she was caught, which earned her six months in a prison camp. This shows his mother in a new, rebellious light that makes him appreciate his circumstances just a little bit more.

Alterations is ultimately played for a good time and not for middle school pranks or political change. The realities of his mother’s journey is stated to add realism and weight to the story. Author Ray Xu says that he relied on memories and stories from his childhood in the early 90’s for the book. It’s safe to assume that those all played into the final story, but this is not autobiographical.

Alterations is middle school. Everyone is against you until you find out their backstory, and even then things are tough. All of the other kids are cooler, more popular and have more friends than you, until they see you grabbing some of the spotlight. Alterations is a fun graphic novel that will appeal to ages nine and up who want to grin at someone else’s mistakes and nod their heads in agreement as they wish their way out of a situation.

Change is hard, middle school is harder, that’s the tagline for Alterations. Being that I teach middle school and have two children in middle school I would posit that middle school isn’t that hard, it’s the age that students are that makes the school more difficult. The conflict in Alterations is one that any middle school student, or even those upper-elementary ages will latch onto. It also has that feel of a classic comic strip. If you or your classroom read it and are unable to put their finger on an uncharacteristic trait about the graphic novel that makes them happy, it’s that it has a classic aurora. And if that’s the case then have them seek out others that channel that same vibe.

Alterations is a graphic novel by Ray Xu and is available on Union Square Kids, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co.

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