genre: realistic/graphic novelsummary: coming of age, semi-autobiographical graphic novel about a young comic books artist's rise to fame. notes: for kids who like: Smile (any Raina Telgemeier), fans of Amelia Rules!, kids who like "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" but are now "too old for it" or kids who you know will be into Brian O'Malley (Seconds, Scott Pilgrim) but are a little too young.age group: age 10+ (entertaining enough for a YA audience as well) my review: the same coming of age charm as Smile (learning to be yourself/find your passions, dealing with peer pressure) but for an older reader (first girlfriend) and from a guy's point of view. also delves into the process of reading, enjoying, defending, and creating graphic novels. Jimmy Gownley is the creator of the "Amelia Rules" series, but in this graphic novel he introduces the reader to himself (at age 13) and gives us a bird's eye view of his development as a graphic artist. When the story opens, he has it all. Great student, great athlete. But a bout of chicken pox, followed by pneumonia sends him tumbling from his lofty perch. His grades never seem to recover, and there just seems to be something missing. His life feels drab and humdrum. But a trip to a comics shop changes everything for him. The idea of drawing comics...and selling them seems like a dream come true for him. Now he just has to come up with an idea for a comic. This window into the life of an artist is a priceless gift. It's a coming of age story that everyone can relate to, and a primer for budding artists.
What do You think about The Dumbest Idea Ever! (2014)?
An perfect book with a lot of humor.Jimmy is a great artist with an awesome talent.
—luxmazule
Autobiography about his struggles to become a GN writer.
—knotbecks
