Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword

Deutsch, Barry. Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword. Colored by Jake Richmond. New York: Amulet Books, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-8109-8422-6

Author / Illustrator website: http://www.amptoons.com/

Media: The author/illustrator created the black-and-white drawings on a computer using Photoshop and a Cintiq tablet (described as a type of interactive pen-on-screen tool). The colorist used Photoshop to digitally add color to the drawings.

Awards/Recognitions: The Sydney Taylor Book Award, 2011.

Use of Allusion: (p.21) “No, but I once read a book about a pig and a spider,” alludes to the book Charlotte’s Web.

Use of Symbolism: (Throughout the book) Mirka’s mother is smiling from a picture watching over Mirka. (p. 78) Mirka is encased in a loaf of khale symbolizing the happiness and safety she feels when smelling the bread bake

Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 61) “Gasp”, “Hork!”

Special Notations: Graphic Novel (fiction)

Annotation: Eleven-year-old Mirka Hirschberg lives with her large Orthodox Jewish family in a tight-knit community. She dreams of fighting dragons and longs to escape her hum-drum life and chores.

Personal Reaction: This graphic novel caused a rush of nostalgia for me. Mirka reminded me of Henny in Sydney Taylor's All of a Kind Family, another series about a Jewish family. Henny would have been right there with Mirka arguing with her stepmother! Mirka is a graphic novel character with a lot of depth, heart and imperfections that I was immediately taken with. I enjoy comic style graphic novels, but am delighted to see a graphic novel like Hereville that incorporates humor and lot more into this maturing genre. Mirka is an eleven year old Orthodox Jewish girl from a large family. She is struggling to find out who she is, whether or not she is a hero and what she believes in, all in the wake of her mother’s death. Readers watch Mirka interact with her siblings and stepsibling, schoolmates and her faith. Humor is generously sprinkled throughout the book such as on page 77, “Pre-ripping the toilet paper! (So no one has to rip it on Shabbos, which would be work.)” reads the narrative box over a drawing of Mirka’s stepsister Rachel. The details about Judaism are fascinating, but Mirka’s story has wide appeal for all adolescents.

Cat Burglar Black

Sala, Richard. Cat burglar black. New York: First Second, 2009. ISBN: 978-1-59643-144-7.

Author and Illustrator Website: http://www.richardsala.com/

Awards: A Junior Library Guild Selection

Media: Pen and colored ink

Use of Alliteration: (p. 36) “consummate cat burglar.” (p. 36) “astonishing abilities.”

Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 4-5) “Rawk!” (p. 20) “CREAK.” (p. 25) “CRASH!”

Use of Symbolism: The main character, K. Westree has prematurely silver hair (she is a teenager), which symbolizes that she is wise beyond her age. K. has grown up as an orphan and has had to grow up faster than most children.

Use of Allusion: (p. 53) “a trail of breadcrumbs,” is a literary allusion to the story of Hansel and Gretel.

Special Notations: 2010 Copyright, Graphic Novel (Fiction)

Annotation: Orphaned teenager Katherine Westree is pulled into a creepy, criminal plot after she arrives at Bellsong Academy searching for her long lost aunt. Gothic styled illustrations add an air of camp to this mystery.

Personal Reaction: This gothic and campy graphic novel manages to channel Scooby Doo, The Molly Moon series by Georgia Byng, Archie comics, Batgirl and A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket all at once and it works. It really works; I was transported back to watching Saturday morning cartoons as I read about the blatantly silly and creepy criminals plotting to take advantage of K. (Katherine) Westree. Like Molly Moon and many literary orphans before her, K. has grown up quickly and had to fend for herself. This silver-haired teen has lived life, a life filled with forced criminal activity, and she is excited to have been contacted by a long-lost blood relative. Unfortunately, a group of laugh out loud, old-fashioned treasure-hunting criminals has located K.’s aunt first. Sala shows his wit as one of the criminals explains to K. that her aunt is “sick:” “Well, its – um- complicated. She – uh-has a severe case of inflamed-um-thyroidical glandulitis-and-uh-Well, as I said, it’s complicated! Ha ha!” (p. 22). Sala’s pen and ink comic style drawings are filled with details that move the story along and flesh out the characters: three other teenaged girls who live at Bellsong Academy greet K. wearing school uniforms when she arrives. Two girls wear their shirts neatly buttoned and tucked into the uniform skirt, whereas Dory’s shirt hangs freely with the top button undone (p. 14). Dory is also barefoot as further evidence of her free-spirited, nonconformist ways. Cat Burglar Black is a fun read with a retro vibe that might allow today’s teens to escape contemporary pressures in favor of an old-fashioned, scary, mystery.

Ghosts

Malam, John. Ghosts. Irvine, CA: QEB Pub, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-59566-750-2.

Author / Illustrator Website: http://www.johnmalam.co.uk/index.htm

Media: Pencil, Pen and Colored Ink with Photographs

Use of Allusion: (p. 30) “The Friendly Ghost,” “A Christmas Carol,”

Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 21) “The line is crackly,”

Use of Alliteration: (p. 22) “House of Horrors.”

Special Notations: Non-fiction, 2010 Copyright Date

Annotation: Ghosts contains over a dozen brief chapters about the meaning of the term ghost, famous reputedly haunted houses, poltergeists and how to hunt for ghosts. Book includes a timeline, glossary and index.

Personal Reaction: The subject of this book is pure fun and will appeal to many curious students in grades five, six and seven. Author John Malam takes a subject that has fascinated people for centuries and updates it with a graphic novel / yearbook style that makes factual information pop off the page. I appreciated the style of this book and believe that students are more likely to read non-fiction works with this type of visual appeal. Blending high-interest subjects with fresh graphics and short chapter lengths encourages reading and will especially appeal to reluctant readers. “The Most Haunted House in England,” (p. 10) is a good example of the appeal of this book. This chapter draws readers in from the start: “Borley Rectory was doomed from the day it was built in 1863, on the site of an old monastery where a nun was said to have been buried alive.” Accompanying illustrations show a man finding part of a skull and a map of England marking the haunted house’s location, as well as a factual sidebar about the history of haunted castle stories. This would be a good book for teaching students how to use a glossary, timeline, index or table of contents because the subject matter would certainly keep students’ attention. Additional books in the Monster Mania series and the “You Wouldn’t Want to be . . . ” history series, also by John Malam, are equally appealing non-fiction purchases.

Smile

Telgemeier. Raina. Smile. Art also by Raina Telgemeier. Color by Stephanie Yue. New York, NY: GRAPHIX, 2010. ISBN:

Author / Illustrator Websites: http://goraina.com/

Media: Pen, ink and colored ink

Use of Simile: (p. 29) “made me look like a six-year old.” “make you look like a baby.”

Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 6) “Wham!” (p. 35) “Hisssss.”

Use of Alliteration: (p. 72) “cracked and crumbling.”

Use of Allusion: (p. 103) “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth,” alludes to the Christmas song entitled, “My Two Front Teeth.”

Special Notations: Graphic Novel, 2010 Copyright, Personal Top Ten

Annotation: An eleven-year-old girl takes a bad fall and loses her two front teeth. Smile is the story of this girl has she undergoes multiple surgeries and therapies to regain her smile at the age of fourteen.

Personal Reaction: Graphic artist Raina Telgemeier has created a biographical comic novel about her tween years. Telgemeier’s graphic versions of the Ann M. Martin’s series, The Babysitters Club, have been popular and Smile is further proof of Telgemeier’s talent. Smile is a welcome entry in the graphic novel field because the plot isn’t action or joke centered. The plot focuses on Raina’s tween years and specifically shares the story of how a freakish fall led to multiple oral surgeries, braces (twice), retainers with fake teeth attached and a great deal of physical and emotional pain. Telgemeier’s colorful and energetic drawings tell her own coming of age story and her heightened awareness of how physical appearances are perceived by others. While a lot of the story focuses on Raina’s many trips to the dentist and her sometimes painful interactions with peers, there are also some memorable moments unrelated to teeth. Raina tells of the 1989 earthquake in San Francisco during which she shares an unprecedented and lengthy hug with her sister. Raina also recalls an involuntary trip to see the movie, A Little Mermaid, which spurs her interest in cartoons. Tweens ages 10 to 13 years old may relate to Raina’s very authentic feeling encounters with boys during her tween years. Not only does Raina have a crush on a boy at one point in the story, but also a younger boy develops a crush on Raina with some awkward consequences. Smile is a fun package for a genuinely good story about growing up.

Artemis Fowl: the Graphic Novel

Colfer, Eoin and Donkin, Andrew. Artemis Fowl: the graphic novel. Illustrated by Giovanni Rigano and Paolo Lamanna. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2007. ISBN: 978-078684882-9

Author Websites: http://www.eoincolfer.com/ (Eoin Colfer), http://www.andrewdonkin.com/ (Andrew Donkin)

Illustrator Websites: http://riganogiovanni.blogspot.com/2008/11/artemis-fowl-graphic-novel-cybils-q.html (art by Giovanni Rigano), http://paololamanna.blogspot.com/ (color by Paolo Lamanna)

Media: Pen, Indian Ink, Colored Ink

Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 64) “Excuse me while I titter.” (p. 77) “bubbling cramps.” (p. 87) “Thwokk!” (p. 89) “Fboom!” (p. 94) “Bam Bam Bam!”

Use of Allusion: (p. 108) “fairies has cleaned their house or made them shoes.”

Use of Alliteration: (p. 69) “geck gack or ur grend gedds it!” (p. 80) “fairy flatulence”

Use of Sophisticated Language: (p. 80) “The same gaseous anomaly has also rendered Butler unconscious for a time.”

Special Notation: Graphic Novel

Annotation: Boy genius and criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl stars in a graphic novel retelling of the first book in the Artemis Fowl series. Artemis uses insider knowledge about fairies to help his ailing mother.

Personal Reaction: I held off on reading the graphic novel version of Artemis Fowl out of fear that it would spoil one of my favorite books and characters. No need to have worried . . . the graphic novel of Artemis Fowl is based on Colfer’s original storyline, but it is so succinct and dependent on the graphics that it feels like a new story. Although Artemis’ character is highly familiar in the graphic novel, other characters are less recognizable. It doesn’t matter, the graphic novel stands on its own as a fresh, funny, clever story with the same ever-appealing main character at the heart of it. There is plenty of humor: (p. 71) “Nice to see you Julius.” “That’s Commander Root to you.” “Commander now. I heard that. Clerical error was it?” Artemis is as smart as ever and still talks to himself, (p. 63), “Best sinister face. Evil, highly intelligent and determined. Don’t forget determined,” he mutters as he preps for a meeting. Artemis Fowl: the Graphic Novel is entertaining and clever and makes for a fun read after the original series or on its own.

Amelia Rules!: The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular

Gownley, Jimmy. Amelia Rules!: The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular. New York: Atheneum, 2010. ISBN: 9781416986089

Author / Illustrator Website: http://www.ameliarules.com/home.html

Media: Pen and Ink

Use of Allusion: (p. 79) “When I was a kid, I made Ferris Bueller look like Ann Lee Sheridan,” Amelia’s mother makes a reference to a movie popular when she was a teenager.

Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 100) “Foosh! Woosh! Clang! Boing!”

Special Notation: Graphic Novel, 2010 Copyright Date

Annotation: Amelia and her best friend Rhonda fear that they are dangerously close to being unpopular. The two tweens consult a ridiculous guidebook and find themselves in all sorts of misadventures that certainly don’t help their popularity.

Personal Reaction: In this Amelia Rules book, author Jimmy Gownley explores the importance of popularity to tweens. Amelia and her best friend Rhonda are feeling insecure about their social status at school after Joan transfers to their school and ask to be introduced to the popular kids. A series of hilarious missteps ensues as Amelia and Rhonda follow a guidebook’s woefully bad advice. One character tries out creating a popular catch phrase, space monkeys, to no avail. In another scene, a group of kids mercilessly tease Amelia and Rhonda after a class presentation in which the two girls dress like teens from the future (“nice space suit! Where’d you get it? Geeks ‘R’ us!?”). Readers in the midst of their tween years will relate to Amelia and Rhonda as the two friends change their looks, try out for cheerleading and in the end, figure out that working so hard not to be unpopular is overrated. Amelia is a sweetheart of a character with a lot of attitude that readers ages 10-13 will identify with (as well as anyone over the age of 13 brave enough to look back at their awkward years). Gownley’s drawings and dialogue are fresh and funny.

Rosa

Giovanni, Nikki. Rosa. Illustrated by Bryan Collier New York: Henry Holt, 2005. ISBN:0-8050-7106-7

Awards: ALA Notable Book, 2006. Caldecott Honor, 2006. Coretta Scott King Award, 2006.

Author Website: http://www.nikki-giovanni.com/

Illustrator Website: http://www.bryancollier.com/

Media: Combination of watercolor paint and collage on paper

Use of Simile: (p. 5) “The needle and thread flew through her hands like the gold,” (p. 25) “justice runs down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream”

Use of Allusion: (p. 5) “like the gold spinning from Rumpelstiltskin’s loom” intimates that Rosa’s work as a seamstress is high caliber and alludes to the fairytale, Rumpelstiltskin.

Use of Repetition: (p. 15) “She was tired of ‘Colored’ entrances . . . she was tired of getting somewhere . . . tired of ‘separate,’ and definitely tired of ‘not equal’.” (p.27) “people walked . . . walked in the rain . . . walked in the hot sun . . . walked early in the morning”

Use of Metaphor: (p. 15) “stand under the umbrella of courage”

Curricular Connection: California History / Social Science, Grades 11, California Standard 11.10.4 Examine the roles of civil rights advocates (e.g. Rosa Parks).

Detailed Artwork Discussion: Bryan Collier mixes vibrant watercolor paint and collage on paper to create his signature style of picture book illustrations. Collier’s mixed media approach results in rich, eye-popping works that convey depth of emotion of his subjects. In Rosa, Collier uses shading to illustrate strength and weariness in Rosa’s face as she boards the bus prior to her famous arrest. Collier draws a strong nose and jaw line on Rosa, but shows her with her eyes closed as waits for her bus (p. 7). Later, Collier uses a close-up illustration of Rosa’s hands as she grips a bag. The painting is so realistic that the subject’s hands appear to actually be tightened around the bag’s handle. The subject’s clothing takes on dimension through the use of collage that has been painted over in rich red and grey tones (p. 18).

Annotation: While riding the bus home from work, Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat for a seat in the “colored” section of the bus. Rosa shares how Parks’ subsequent arrest inspires people to stand up for civil rights.

Personal Reaction: Montgomery, Alabama resident Rosa Parks is tired of being treated like a second-class citizen because of the color of her skin. She is tired of being forced to use separate entrances and drinking fountains. Nikki Giovanni’s repetitious phrasing emphasizes the inequalities of daily life for African-Americans before the passage of civil rights legislation that I take for granted today. Rosa Parks’ story is well known, but when told by Giovanni through Rosa’s eyes and shown in Collier’s artwork, the importance of Rosa’s defiant and brave act comes through more clearly than ever. Readers get to know Rosa Parks and walk through a day in her life as a hardworking seamstress caring for her ailing mother and husband. Collier’s illustrations show us Rosa’s determined eyes as the bus driver threatens to call the police. Readers discover that Rosa “realized she was tired. Not tired from work tired of people putting white people first.” The need for the battle for civil rights crystallizes as Rosa’s role in history is told from her perspective.