The Prison-Ship Adventure of James Forten, Revolutionary War Captive

Figley, Marty Rhodes and Tourville, Amanda Doering. The prison-ship adventure of James Forten, Revolutionary War captive. Illustrated by Ted Hammond and Richard Carbajal. Minneapolis: Graphic Universe, 2011. ISBN: 978-0761370758.

Author Website: http://martyrhodesfigley.com/

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

Media: Pen and Colored Ink

Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 4) “BOOM!”, (p. 16-17) “Crack, Crack”

Special Notations: 2011 Copyright Date

Curricular Connection: 5th Grade History/ Social Studies, California State Board of Education Standards, 5.6: Students understand the course and consequences of the American Revolution: 7. Understand how the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence changed the way people viewed slavery.

Annotation: Swept away by the magnitude of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, young James Forten signs on to fight the British. Forten is captured by the British and fears he will be enslaved.

Personal Reaction: Young James Forten is in Philadelphia the day that the Declaration of Independence is signed. Forten, the grandson of slaves, is overwhelmed with loyalty for his new country and signs up to help win the War for Independence against Great Britain. James is captured and taken prisoner on a British ship. Through James’ eyes, readers see how prisoners are mistreated, starved, traded for other prisoners and enslaved. James fears enslavement will be his fate until a chance meeting with a British ship captain’s son and a game of marbles changes his luck. This book is one of about a dozen in the History’s Kid Heroes series and is an appealing way for students to learn about history. Fifth graders studying the American Revolution may identify with this first person tale based on a real person. The graphic novel format is fresh and engaging for today’s students and would be an accessible supplement to the classroom textbook. The narrative is brief, but packed with allusions to slavery, the Declaration of Independence and the concept of freedom. The author provides a bibliography of recommended reading at the back of the book.

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.

Laika

Abadzis, Nick. Laika. Colored by Hilary Sycamore. New York: First Second, 2007. ISBN: 978-1-59643-101-0

Author / Illustrator Website: http://www.nickabadzis.com/

Colorist Website: None

Awards: YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens, Top Ten Graphic Novel; Kirkus Best Book of the Year; Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books of the Year

Media: Pen, Ink and Colored Markers.

Use of Repetition: (p. 6, 15, etc.) “I am a man of destiny.”

Special Notations: 2009 Students’ List, Personal Top Ten, Graphic Novel

Annotation: in the 1950’s, Premier Kruschev charges a Russian space engineer to trump the Sputnik launch. This historical graphic novel offers insight into Russian politics, the race for space and tells the story of Laika, the first dog in space.

Personal Reaction: Laika would be my number one recommendation for readers who consider themselves above comic books. With Laika, writer and artist Nick Abadzis proves that graphic novels can compete with quality historical fiction. I have always sided with Gordon Korman when it comes to stories about dead dogs, but Laika pulled me in with Russian politics, realistic drawings and a history lesson on the race for space. “I am a man of destiny,” (p. 6) is Korolev’s mantra when he is escaping from a gulag (Russian prison) and when he is the head engineer on the Sputnik launch nearly two decades later. Unfortunately for Korolev, this is 1957 and Russia is determined to outpace the United States in the space race and Premier Kruschev’s satisfaction with Sputnik is fleeting. Kruschev demands that Korolev launch something spectacular within a month’s time. Hence, Laika is identified as the first “cosmodog.” The story is historically based and Abadzis provides a factual afterword, as well as a bibliography and list of websites for learning more about the Russian space program and animals.

Coraline

Russell, P. Craig and Gaiman, Neil. Coraline. Colored by Lovern Kindzierski, lettered by Todd KleinNew York: HarperCollins, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-06-082543-0.

Author / Illustrator Website: http://www.artofpcraigrussell.com/ (Russell)

Author Website: http://www.neilgaiman.com/ (Gaiman).

Awards: School Library Journal Best Book. ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice.

Media: Ink and watercolor.

Use of Onomatopoeia: (P. 12) “KREEE. . . . . . .EEAAAK.”

Use of Simile: (p. 23) “The mist hung like blindness around the house.” (p. 71) “a tiny doubt inside her, like a maggot in an apple core,”

Use of Repetition, Rhythm and Rhyme : (p. 14) “We are small, but we are many, we are many, we are small. We were here, before you rose, we will be here, when you fall.”

Special Notations: 2009 Students’ List, Graphic Novel (Fiction)

Annotation: Coraline is bored after moving to a new home and her parents never seem to have time for her. Everything changes when Coraline discovers a mysterious door and a creepy parallel world in the empty flat next door.

Personal Reaction: “Because when you’re scared but you still do it anyway, that’s brave,” (p.67) Coralline tells herself as she pushes herself to search for her missing parents. Coraline’s parents never seemed to have time to play and they were fond of rules and dinners made from recipes. Coraline longs for adventure and she certainly gets it when she discovers an empty flat (apartment) next to her own family’s flat. Coraline meets her “other mother and father,” creepy versions of her real parents who have black buttons for eyes. These other parents have all the time in the world for Coraline if only Coraline will let them sew black buttons on her eyes. Graphic novel adapter Craig uses one of these same buttons to “dot” the “i” in the title Coraline on the cover. The other parents also steal away Coraline’s real parents. Coraline meets a host of unusual characters in her new home and these same characters’ not quite right mirror images in the strange and frightening mirror world on the other side of the door. In the end, Coraline comes to realize that she is strong enough to overcome her fears and she learns to appreciate the boundaries set by her parents. This graphic novel adaptation stands on it own based on the strength of Craig’s drawings and character development. Craig judiciously uses bright colors to highlight toys, books, videos and a theater marquee in the book while the majority of the illustrations feature a gloomy, ominous color palette. On page 173, Coraline pulls out her old dolls and tells her mother that “they’re protective coloration,” as she plots to defeat her “other mother.” I am a Gaiman fan and missed some of the details in the original Coraline, but Craig succeeds in conveying the frightening mood of Gaiman’s original and maximizes certain aspects of the story, such as Coraline’s curiosity and penchant for following her dreams, which are often nightmarish.

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.

Sherlock Holmes and a Scandal in Bohemia

Shaw, Murray, M. J. Cosson, and Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes and a scandal in Bohemia. Illustrated by Sophie Rohrbach. Minneapolis: Graphic Universe, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-7613-6185-5

Author Website: None

Illustrator Website: http://sophie.rohrbach.free.fr/

Media: Pen and Colored Ink.

Use of Alliteration: (p. 31) “blood flowing freely from his face.”

Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 31) “Bang! Whack! Thump!” (p. 33) “Zwoosh!”

Use of Simile: (p. 22) “She has a voice like a songbird.” (p. 23) “Drive like the devil to the church.”

Special Notations: 2011 Copyright Date, Graphic Novel (Fiction), Personal Top 10.

Annotation: In this graphic novel adaptation of a classic Sherlock Holmes and Watson tale, Holmes is hired by Count Von Kramm to prevent a scandal about the famous royal family of Bohemia from leaking.

Personal Reaction: This graphic novel adaptation is a brilliant and fresh retelling of a Sherlock Holmes mystery. Rohrbach’s sepia and gray-toned illustrations portray Holmes as a relaxed sleuth who delights in going undercover. Rohrbach uses obvious gestures and body language in her drawings to lightly move the story along. Holmes is shown holding his chin to convey deep thinking (p. 13); this illustration works well with the dialogue, “I deduced as much.” On another page, Holmes is depicted wearing a smoking jacket as he relaxes and enjoys his client’s background story (p. 17). This Sherlock Holmes is relaxed and playful. A date and time stamp on the illustrations helps set the mood and let the reader know how Holmes is faring in terms of meeting his client’s deadline. Shaw and Cosson’s writing is done with a light voice and is nicely paced; the story and illustrations flow just the way a good mystery should. Watson provides periodic narration in the form of case memos that he types up and the story ends with a satisfactory twist. On pages 46 and 47, the authors provide an explanation of the mystery in detail, ideas for additional reading and the address for a website about the original Sherlock Holmes.

The Little Prince

Sfar, Joann. Adapted from the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry The little prince. Color by Brigitte Findakly. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-547-33802-6

Author / Illustrator Website: http://www.joann-sfar.com/wpen/

Media: Watercolor

Award: Youth Essential Prize, Angoulême International Comics Festival, 2009.

Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 9) “I wish that he’d stop bleating on,” (p. 23) “Craaaaack!”

Use of Simile: (p. 22) “They’re big as churches.”

Use of Personification: (p. 30) “Flowers are weak. They’re naïve. And they’re insecure. They think their thorns make them look terrifying.”

Use of Alliteration: (p. 9) “Scritch! Scratch! Scribble!”

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

Annotation: A solo pilot is stranded in the desert. He meets a wise and inquisitive little boy, supposedly from another planet, and the two have a conversation that ranges from amusing to profound while the pilot attempts to fix his plane.

Personal Reaction: The Little Prince, originally written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in 1943 has been translated and update before, but never Sfar’s treatment is something new altogether. This classic book, which most would be afraid to touch, is reinvented as a graphic novel by acclaimed comic artist Joann Sfar and I was delighted and impressed by the results. Somehow, the essence of the original work is not lost, but enhanced and instead of feeling like a new version, Sfar’s work feels like The Little Prince for this generation. The watercolor illustrations are vivid and lively in contrast to the original drawings published in 1943 and yet, these new graphic novel style illustrations suit the content perfectly in the 21^st century. I highly recommend this book and believe it is a wonderful example of how a classic can be given new life for a new generation.

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.