Cannot understand how this very, very short story got nominated for Canada Reads best "NOVEL". The drawings were aggressive and nasty looking. Primitive. Unpleasant to look at. The very short story was touching - an unhappy boy seeking comfort in an unusual friend and in his imagination, but the story has been told much better and much more movingly by so many authors. For 8 to 12 year olds -- maybe a good fit. But cannot imagine anyone over 13 liking it. File it in Children's Lit, as a recommendation for kids who don't like to have those annoying words and sentences cluttering up the page.

Essex County is a bittersweet tale of Lester, a young boy who lives with his uncle after losing his mother to Cancer. Lester and his uncle have a strained relationship, neither really understanding what the other is going through. Then Lester meets Jimmy, the gas station attendant who used to play in the NHL until a suffering a brain injury. And while Lemire doesn't say it, it is heavily implied that Jimmy is Lester's father. Jimmy's childlike mind makes him a perfect playmate for Lester. They pretend to fight off alien invasions, all while Lester drifts further away from his uncle. The ending will leave you misty eyed. You know why this won the People's Choice at Canada Reads.

I lack an appreciation for graphic novels, but I did enjoy this first of a 3-part series. The drawings are rough and rustic, and that added to the appeal for me. Touching story...Part of the Canada Reads 2011 event.

I really enjoyed this trilogy of graphic novels. It captures farm life in Southern Ontario well.