GOOD COMICS FOR KIDS BLOG (SLJ) -- Marjorie is tryingto keep the family business, a laundromat, together. Her mother passed away, andDad has mostly checked out. She has to cope with self-centered customers and apushy, smarmy neighborhood businessman. Then the ghosts appear.The spirits alllook like the classic children's image, white sheets with a rounded top for ahead. But they go to support groups to try and accept how they died, and theirworld is notably less colorful than Marjorie's. The imaginative Wendell isn'tready for that, so he finds Marjorie's laundromat, which feels like a spa forhis sheet.Thummler's style isn't as smooth and simplified as some of the mostpopular graphic novels for kids.

Her lines have more options, more of a sense ofuncertainty that works well with Marjorie's struggles. It can mean getting lostin some panels, where the key item isn't immediately visible. Instead of clearlydrawing the eye through the story, Thummler's work wanders, and the facessometimes look odd.SheetsThe pacing could also be improved. Lengthy sectionsmove through day-to-day detail, showing the ennui of Marjorie's existence. Thestory could have been tightened; as it is now, Wendell and Marjorie finally meethalfway through the 200-plus pages. The meandering structure is more common toreads targeted for an adult audience, where realism is more appreciated; youngerreaders may not have the patience needed to wait around for things to happen.Elements of the happy ending are rushed and not well establishedpreviously.

There are honest feelings about loss and sadness expressed here, butthe emotional development of the characters is jumpy. There's plenty of detail,but the reader may sometimes wonder what it provides to the core story. Anotherediting pass might have made for a more satisfying, tighter read.Thummler hassome areas to work on, but the combination of laundry, sheets, and ghosts isclever. Sheets fills the gap of something to read between more polished YAgraphic novel releases.