The Dumbest Idea Ever! - Softcover

Gownley, Jimmy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 054545347X ISBN 13: 9780545453479

Publisher: Graphix, 2014

Synopsis

What if the dumbest idea ever turned your life upside down?
At thirteen, Jimmy was popular, at the top of his class, and the leading scorer on his basketball team. But all that changed when chicken pox forced him to miss the championship game. Things went from bad to worse when he got pneumonia and missed even more school. Before Jimmy knew it, his grades were sinking and nothing seemed to be going right.
How did Jimmy turn things around, get back on top at school, and land a date with the cutest girl in class?
Renowned comics creator Jimmy Gownley shares his adventures as he grows from an eager-to-please boy into a teenage comic book artist. This is the real-life story of how the DUMBEST idea ever became the BEST thing that ever happened to him.

About this title

Review

"Kirkus" Starred Review
The charismatic creator of the Eisner-nominated Amelia Rules! series recounts his beginnings as a cartoonist.

From the very first panel, Gownley's graphic memoir is refreshingly different. He's not the archetypal nerd, and he doesn't retreat to draw due to feelings of loneliness or isolation. Gownley seems to be a smart kid and a talented athlete, and he has a loyal group of friends and a girlfriend. After he falls ill, first with chicken pox and then pneumonia, he falls behind in school and loses his head-of-the-class standing--a condition he is determined to reverse. A long-standing love of comics leads him to write his own, though his first attempt is shot down by his best friend, who suggests he should instead write a comic about their group. He does, and it's an instant sensation. Gownley's story is wonderful; his small-town life is so vividly evinced it's difficult to not get lost in it. While readers will certainly pick up on the nostalgia, it should be refreshing--if not completely alien--for younger readers to see teens interacting without texting, instead using phones with cords. Eagle-eyed readers will also be able to see the beginnings of his well-loved books about Amelia. He includes an author's note that shouldn't be overlooked--just be sure to keep the tissues handy.Humble, endearing and utterly easy to relate to; don't miss this one.

- A 2015 Children's Choice Book Award Finalist
"Kirkus" Starred Review
The charismatic creator of the Eisner-nominated Amelia Rules! series recounts his beginnings as a cartoonist.

From the very first panel, Gownley's graphic memoir is refreshingly different. He's not the archetypal nerd, and he doesn't retreat to draw due to feelings of loneliness or isolation. Gownley seems to be a smart kid and a talented athlete, and he has a loyal group of friends and a girlfriend. After he falls ill, first with chicken pox and then pneumonia, he falls behind in school and loses his head-of-the-class standing--a condition he is determined to reverse. A long-standing love of comics leads him to write his own, though his first attempt is shot down by his best friend, who suggests he should instead write a comic about their group. He does, and it's an instant sensation. Gownley's story is wonderful; his small-town life is so vividly evinced it's difficult to not get lost in it. While readers will certainly pick up on the nostalgia, it should be refreshing--if not completely alien--for younger readers to see teens interacting without texting, instead using phones with cords. Eagle-eyed readers will also be able to see the beginnings of his well-loved books about Amelia. He includes an author's note that shouldn't be overlooked--just be sure to keep the tissues handy.Humble, endearing and utterly easy to relate to; don't miss this one.

Praise for THE DUMBEST IDEA EVER!
* "Gownley's story is wonderful; his small-town life is so vividly evinced it's difficult to not get lost in it."--KIRKUS, starred review
"This is an excellent example of autobiographical sequential art at its most deeply felt."--BOOKLIST
"It's a deeply personal and genuine work of autobiography, and an open letter of assurance to aspiring artists everywhere."--PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

About the Author

Jimmy Gownley began writing and drawing comics at age 15 and has been nominated for the Eisner Award 13 times. In 2001 his hit series AMELIA RULES! was released amid a flurry of rave reviews. He cofounded the organization Kids Love Comics, which works to promote comic books and graphic novels as a valuable tool for literacy and education in schools, libraries, and at home. Jimmy lives in Harrisburg, PA.

About this edition

• Publisher: Graphix
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 054545347X
• ISBN 13: 9780545453479
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240
• Illustrator: Gownley Jimmy