Zeus: King of the Gods

O'Connor, George. Zeus: king of the gods. New York: First Second, 2010. ISBN: 1596434317.

Author / Illustrator Website: http://geooco.blogspot.com/

Olympians Series Website: http://olympiansrule.blogspot.com/

Awards: Nominated for Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards (CYBILS), 2010.

Media: Black Ink and Photoshop Color Tool after Scanning Ink Sketch

Use of Simile: (p. 4) “the three Cyclopes, enormous and powerful as storms,” (p. 15) “swift as the wind,” (p. 17) “as fluid as the sea,”

Use of Alliteration: (p. 31) “be beaten by brats,”

Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 53) “Hiiiiiiissssss.” (p. 61) “BOOM!”

Special Notations: 2010 Copyright Date, Lesson Plan (available at http://picturebooksforbigkids.blogspot.com/2011/08/6th-grade-ancient-greece-lesson-plan.html), Graphic Novel (Non-Fiction), Personal Top Ten, Challenged Book Potential (see discussion after Personal Reaction)

Curricular Connection: History Social-Science Content Standards for California, Grade Six, Standard 6.4.4: Explain the significance of Greek mythology to the everyday life of people in the region and how Greek literature continues to permeate our literature and language today, drawing from Greek mythology and epics, such as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and from Aesop's Fables.

Annotation: Zeus, son of Kronos, takes on his powerful father to save his brothers and sisters. Zeus and his siblings battle the Titans and begin their rule of the Earth from the heights of Olympus in this comic style mythology lesson.

Personal Reaction: George O’Connor’s new series, the Olympians, debuts with volume 1, Zeus: King of the Gods. O’Connor brings classic comic book drawing style together with Greek mythology for a strong new entry in the graphic novel genre. I was surprised by the informed and powerful storytelling voice that accompanies O’Connor’s strong, fluid artwork. At times, the narration is almost poetic: “Wife and husband, Gaea and Ouranos, earth and sky, together, alone, in the nothing,” (p. 3). O’Connor offers a complete history of the Gods of Mount Olympians from the beginning with Gaea and Ouranos to Kronos and Rhea through the clash of the Titans which results in the dawn of a new age starring the Olympians Gods. While all of the facts about Zeus and his family’s history are included in this graphic novel, there is also humor. On pages 20-21, Zeus and Metis, the daughter of Oceanus, banter playfully as they plan Zeus’ overthrow of his father Kronos. “Because I’m so much smarter than you, of course,” (p. 21) says Metis as the two figure out how to save Zeus’ siblings. I enjoyed the contrast between O’Connor’s looming drawing of Kronos and on of the Gigantes with the light dialogue: “P-please don’t eat us. Thank you,” (p. 24). The artwork is big and does its share of storytelling; on page 24, O’Connor introduces Zeus’ brothers and sisters and uses color to highlight their areas of expertise. Poseidon is shown in a panel filled with blue and aqua, reelecting his water realm while “fair-haired Demeter,” is shown in a yellow field of corn. Mythology in a graphic novel format seems like a great match because the vivid illustrations work so well with the grand action of the Gods. Zeus slays Kampe the dragon to gain access to Tartoros to save the Cyclopes and enlist their help in fighting Kronos. Zeus also claims his birthright, the thunderbolt, from his grandmother, Gaea, and all of this activity is well-presented with bold lines and rich color, reminiscent of comics of years gone by. O’Connor wraps up this impressive first installment of the Olympians with a thorough appendix that includes discussion questions, biographies for the main characters, helpful notes on for Greek names and terms, as well as an author note about Greek mythology. Student readers will also appreciate the Olympian family tree at the beginning of the book and a strong list of additional reading material.

Challenged Book: While the United States has a long history of protecting personal freedom, Americans also have a long history of challenging and banning books at the cost of personal freedom. People challenge, ban and object to books everyday according to ALA statistics, typically with good intentions, too (ALA, 2008). In fact, these days it is mostly parents doing the challenging (ALA 2008). Reasons for challenging books often fall into three categories according to the American Library Association: a book contains sexually explicit material, the book contains offensive language or the book is unsuitable for a particular age group. One look at these three categories brings to mind one question for me: according to who? Who is to say what sexually explicit is? Who determines which words are offensive? Who says which books are suitable and how do we protect one age group without detriment to another age group? Book challenges and book banning are, by nature, biased. Reading is for everyone and in the words of librarian and philosopher, Ranganathan, “every book its reader.” Ranganathan’s third law of library science essentially says that every book out there is for someone (Cloonan & Dove, 2005). In other words, if one person or even a thousand people raise concerns about a book, so what . . . that book still has an audience and we need to make that book available to that audience. Every book can be deemed useful to someone, if that book isn’t pulled from the shelves. Every book has the potential to be offensive to someone and censorship is often personal and arbitrary. Personal and arbitrary feelings by an individual should not inform freedom and access to books.

When I read Zeus: King of the Gods, my first reaction was that this book would be fantastic for sixth graders studying mythology. My second reaction was concern that some parents might object to the book. I work as an elementary school librarian and I would never dream of censoring a library collection, but I do need to be prepared to address parental concerns and challenges to the collection. I’ve had parents object to Harry Potter books, Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks for reasons ranging from profanity to allegations of witchcraft. Zeus: King of the Gods includes the word “bastard,” and shows Zeus leaning over Metis, shirtless, asking for a kiss. There are also a number of visually intense illustrations featuring violence. O’Connor’s book has the potential to be challenged on the basis of being sexually explicit, containing offensive language and being unsuitable for certain age groups. Yet, Ranganathan and I both know that O’Connor’s book has its reader and needs to be on the shelf, available to that reader. If parents approach me with concerns about Zeus: King of the Gods, I can always rely on the ALA to support the inclusion of this book in the library’s collection. According to ALA and the “Free Access to Minors” document, “Librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents—and only parents—have the right and the responsibility to restrict the access of their children—and only their children—to library resources. Censorship by librarians of constitutionally protected speech, whether for protection or for any other reason, violates the First Amendment,” (ALA, 2008).” As a librarian, I am bound to not practice censorship and it’s actually up to every parent to make decisions about which books are and aren’t appropriate for their children. I would share with concerned parents both the reasons why I believe that Zeus: King of the Gods is an excellent book for sixth graders and why it will remain on the library shelves, library shelves that are browsed by readers who might be too young for the book (as determined by a parent). This book has to be available for “its reader,” and censorship is not the answer when it comes to helping children of any age select books.

References

About Banned & Challenged Books," American Library Association, July 29, 2008.

http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/aboutbannedbooks/index.cfm

(Accessed July 31, 2011). Document ID: 501522

Cloonan, M., & Dove, J. (2005). Ranganathan online: Do digital libraries violate the third law?. Library Journal, 130(6), 58.

The Cats in Krasinski Square

Hesse, Karen. The cats in Krasinski Square. Illustrated by Wendy Watson. New York: Scholastic Press, 2004. ISBN: 978-0439435406.

Author Website: None

Illustrator Website: http://www.wendy-watson.com/

Awards: Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2005. California Young Readers Medal, Picture Books for Older Readers, 2007.

Media: Watercolor Paint on Paper

Use of Rhyme: (p. 8) “I have no food to spare. / The cats don’t care.”

Use of Personification: (p. 15) “the big room dances with light.”

Use of Repetition: (p. 11, p. 19) “I wear my Polish Look, / I walk my Polish Walk.”

Special Notations: Poem

Curricular Connection: History Social-Science Content Standards for California, Grade Five, Standard 10.8, Students analyze the causes and consequences of World War II: 5. Analyze the Nazi policy of pursuing racial purity, especially against the European Jews; its transformation into the Final Solution; and the Holocaust that resulted in the murder of six million Jewish civilians.

Annotation: A young Jewish girl manages to pass as Polish and live just outside the Warsaw Ghetto walls. The girl befriends numerous stray cats that eventually play a role in a Jewish Resistance effort.

Personal Reaction: “I wear my Polish Look, / I walk my Polish Walk.” (p. 11) says the young, Jewish narrator passing for Polish in this moving story about the Warsaw Ghetto. In late 1939, the Jewish population in Warsaw was forced to live in an area just over one square mile in size, divided by a wall from the rest of Warsaw. During the next few years, the Gestapo committed atrocity after atrocity against the Jewish population in Warsaw. The Jewish Resistance fought back in spite of food shortages, overcrowding and disease in the Ghetto. Newbery Medal award-winner Hesse uses poetry and the viewpoint of a young girl who manages to pass for Polish and live just outside the Ghetto to tell this heartbreaking story. The girl has befriended dozens of stray cats and comes up with a plan to use the cats to disrupt the Gestapo’s (German police) efforts against the Jewish Resistance. The girl’s older sister, Mira, and her friends have coordinated a large-scale food smuggling scheme to help the people in the Ghetto. The girl gathers the cats and lets them loose in a train station to prevent the Gestapo from interfering with the food distribution to Ghetto residents. I was touched by the poetic quality that Hesse uses to tell a story that references a period of great horror. Watson’s watercolor illustrations in gray, red, orange and yellow hues support the beauty in the young girl’s actions and the bravery of the Jews who fought back against the Gestapo. An author note and historical note at the back of the book provide details about a real life incident involving cats in Warsaw that inspired Hesse to write this story, as well as factual background data about the Warsaw Ghetto.

Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf

Holm, Jennifer L. Middle school is worse than meatloaf: a year told through stuff. Illustrated by Elicia Castaldi. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2007. ISBN: 978-0689852817.

Author Website: http://www.jenniferholm.com/

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

Awards: ALA Notable Children's Books, A Junior Library Guild Selection, Charlotte Award Ballot (New York), Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award Master List (Vermont), South Carolina Book Award Nominee.

Media: Digitally Rendered Collage using Photographs and Photoshop

Use of Repetition: “too expensive! Wait for Christmas!” Ginny’s Mom writes several times throughout the book in response to Ginny’s wish list for various items.

Special Notations: Personal Top Ten, 2009 Students’ List

Annotation: Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf chronicles the very bumpy seventh grade experience of Ginny Davis as she navigates dressing cool, adjusting to a stepdad, troublesome brothers, babysitting, friendships, homework and her first dance.

Personal Reaction: Twelve year old Ginny Davis’ seventh grade school experience is told though to do lists, poems, bank statements, receipts, notes, report cards, homework assignments, calendars and horoscopes and the result is a heartwarmingly realistic story that pulled me right back to my own seventh grade experience. Ginny has a juvenile delinquent brother named Henry (her favorite brother) and a little brother named Timmy who wears a cape everywhere (not her favorite brother). A drunk driver killed Ginny’s father, readers learn through one of Ginny’s essays for English class. It comes as a bit of a surprise to Ginny that gaining a stepdad takes some adjustment; Ginny was the one who set her mother up with Bob the insurance salesman, after all, and she really liked Bob. That was before Ginny and all of her friends saw Bob’s orange boxer shorts with polka dots during Ginny’s birthday slumber party. Ginny’s older brother is funny and impulsive and prone to stealing things like garden gnomes and cars. Ginny just wants to have the right sweater, be friends with Mary Catherine Kelly, take a flattering school photo, and convince her older brother to “chill out,” (p. 7). Instead Ginny gets a sweater with lipstick stains, loses the part of the sugar plum fairy in the local ballet production to Mary Catherine Kelly, a school photo with chopped off pink hair and an older brother who lands himself in military reform school. Readers can see how Ginny is faring by reviewing her report card. Ginny’s grades start out in the A-B range, except for a C in art, and plummet steadily as the school year goes on. I empathized with Ginny as she negotiated her way through meatloaf day in the school cafeteria, teen girl magazine advice columns, toilet seats left up by the male members of her household and a broken arm sustained trying to get her little brother Timmy out of a tree. I laughed out loud at notes from Ginny’s Mom, signed “the management,” Ginny’s regularly updated to do list, dwindling bank balance and Ginny’s decision to never babysit the nose-biting Tiffany Kurtz ever again, no matter how much she needed spending money. Ginny’s year takes a turn for the better eventually, thanks to the support of her Grandpa Joe, “a.k.a. the old guy in Florida,” as he signs his letters (p. 15), supportive teachers, a loving mother and an invitation to the Spring Fling from a boy in her class. Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf is a perfect read for six graders and shows the range of the gifted Jennifer L. Holm. Holm has won the Newberry for Our Only May Amelia, a Newbery honor for Penny from Heaven and delighted countless readers with her graphic novel series BabyMouse, co-authored with her brother Matthew. Elicia Castaldi’s digitally produced artwork is a visual treat and demonstrates that there’s more than one way to tell a good story.

My Brother Martin: a Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Farris, Christine King. My brother Martin: a sister remembers growing up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Illustrated by Chris K. Soentpiet. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2003. ISBN: 978-0689843884.

Author Website: None

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

Awards: NAACP Image Award: Outstanding Literary Work 2004. CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book.

Media: Watercolor Paint and Black and White Photographs

Use of Simile: (p. 30) “These stories were as nourishing as the food that was set before us.”

Annotation: Martin Luther King Jr.’s sister shares her childhood memories of her brother. The author recalls when her young brother first spoke about changing the world and offers a glimpse of daily life in the King household in Atlanta in the 1930’s.

Personal Reaction: Christine King Farris recalls hearing her younger brother, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., say, “Mother Dear, one day I’m going to turn this world upside down,” (p. 26) upon learning about the unequal rights of blacks and whites. King Farris, Martin (M.L.) and their younger brother Alfred Daniel (A.D.) spent their early childhood in Atlanta in the 1930’s playing with Tinker toys, trying to avoid piano lessons and playing baseball with the neighborhood kids. The baseball games included two white boys until one day those same two boys told M.L. and A.D. that they were no longer allowed to play with “negroes,” (p.23). According to King Farris, the words of these two boys were the beginning of her brother Martin’s desire to make a difference in the world. King Farris has two messages for readers. She wants readers to know that her famous late brother was a regular kid who pulled pranks and played games with his siblings when he was a kid. King Farris also wants readers to understand that one day her brother Martin did “turn the world upside down,” and that perhaps, someday, they will, too. King Farris includes a poem entitled You Can Be Like Martin by Mildred D. Johnson at the end of the book as further inspiration to readers to “realize the potential that lies within each of them,” (p. 39). Reading words about King written by a person who knew Martin Luther King Jr. so intimately made me think differently about King. I looked back at King before the marches and the “I have a dream,” speech and thought about the person who grew and developed to become that great man. This brief childhood biography of King would be a wonderful story to share with children of various ages and would be particularly useful for initiating a discussion about personal potential with older students. Martin Luther King Jr. did “turn the world upside down,” but he was also a kid just like today’s kids and someday, one or more of these kids is going to “turn the world upside down.” Soentpiet’s realistic watercolor paintings eloquently capture the moods of the Christine King Farris, Martin Luther King Jr. and Alfred Daniel King as children, along with their parents and grandparents. The illustration of Mother Dear and young Martin discussing why people treat blacks and whites differently is riveting (p. 26-27). Soentpiet focuses his painting on the expressions of Martin and his mother, showing the sadness of Mother Dear having to share ugly truths about the world with her son and the determination in Martin’s eyes to change the world. Interestingly, Soentpiet relies on live models to paint his illustrations. For this book, Christine King Farris enlisted the help of her relatives and friends to pose for Soentpiet.

Previously

Ahlberg, Allan. Previously. Illustrated by Bruce Ingman. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-0763653040.

Author Website: None.

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

Awards: North Carolina Children's Book Award

Media: Acrylic Paint on Paper.

Use of Repetition: (throughout the book) “Previously he / she / they had . . .,” “running like mad,”

Special Notations: 2009 Students’ List

Annotation: A reverse recitation of well-known fairytales begins with Goldilocks “running like mad” (p. 4) through the woods and ends with the book’s catchword, “previously.” Jack and Jill, the Frog Prince, Cinderella and others make appearances in this endings first story.

Personal Reaction: This clever compilation of familiar stories encourages readers to think in reverse and consider events from a fresh perspective. Ahlberg ties together a litany tales about Goldilocks, Jack, Jill, a frog, a prince, Cinderella and the Gingerbread Boy in delightful, reverse storytelling narrative. Readers are left with a group of babies, cubs, tadpoles, trees, and a sense of the power of looking at things from a fresh angle. Ahlberg doesn’t deviate from the original story content, but freshens up some of the stories with comments such as this one about Jack, “Previously, he has been playing soccer with his little pals. Previously, he had come tumbling down the high hill with his argumentative little sister . . . “ (p. 11). Ahlberg does a wonderful job pulling the stories together with seamless transitions. Ingman’s painterly illustrations are bright and contribute a cheerful continuity to the different stories. I enjoyed re-visiting these stories in reverse and would use this book for a creative writing assignment for upper grade elementary school students. Ahlberg demonstrates a flair for highlighting a storyline, as well as suggests how fun it can be to re-write a classic with your own twist.

The Stolen Smile

Lewis, J. Patrick. The stolen smile. Illustrated by Gary Kelley. Mankato, Minn: Creative Editions, 2004. ISBN: 978-1568461922.

Author Website: http://www.jpatricklewis.com/

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

Media: Pastel and Oil Paint

Use of Rhythm: (p. 3) “villain or victim? / Victor or vanquished?” / Savior or scoundrel?”

Use of Simile: (p. 20) “scratched their heads like monkeys.”

Use of Alliteration: (p. 3) “villain or victim? / Victor or vanquished?” / Savior or scoundrel?” (p. 5) “depths of delirium,”

Use of Metaphor: (p. 5) “I am drowning in gifts, flowers, tokens of love,”

Curricular Connection: Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards, Grades 9-12, 1.0 Artistic Perception: Processing, Analyzing, and Responding to Sensory Information Through the Language and Skills Unique to the Visual Arts Students perceive and respond to works of art, objects in nature, events, and the environment. They also use the vocabulary of the visual arts to express their observations.

Annotation: Author J. Patrick Lewis imagines the mindset of thief Vicenzo Peruggia, who stole the Mona Lisa in 1911. Peruggia walks readers through his daring theft and imagines the reactions of the world to the loss of da Vinci’s famous work.

Personal Reaction: 2011 Children’s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis offers an interesting perspective on the real theft of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, the Mona Lisa, from the Louvre Museum in 1911. Lewis offers the thief, Vicenzo Peruggia, as a narrator for this picture book for older readers. Reminiscing from his jail cell, Peruggia walks readers through the details of his bold undertaking, explaining that he actually used to work for the Louvre and had personally installed the protective glass over the Mona Lisa. Peruggia’s reason for the theft is to return Italian da Vinci’s masterpiece to Italy. When Peruggia attempts to sell the painting to an Italian collector, readers learn more about Peruggia’s unstable state of mind. Peruggia is surprised to learn that da Vinci personally sold the painting to the King of France and that Italy does share Peruggia’s sense of rightful ownership of the famous smiling lady. Gary Kelley’s illustrations are well-executed and worthy of a book about fine art. Kelley’s close up illustration of the Louvre director’s shocked face upon discovering the theft covers a full page and requires no text (p. 12). As museum employees search for the Mona Lisa, readers get a mini tour of the Louvre’s Oriental Art, Renaissance, sculpture and Egyptian galleries. My favorite illustration appears on pages 22 and 23 and shows a Parisian sidewalk café filled with café goers sipping coffee and reading newspapers which all show the theft as the front page story. Kelley’s paintings are fluid and full of color and shadows and the effect is lively and engaging. The end notes provide information about the Mona Lisa, the painting scene during the time of da Vinci, as well as an overview of the Louvre Museum and Uffizi Gallery.

Paul Revere's Ride

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. Paul Revere's Ride. Illustrated by Ted Rand. Perfection Learning Prebound, 2008. ISBN: 978-0140556124

Author Website: None

Illustrator Website: None

Media: Black Ink and Watercolor Paint

Use of Rhythm and Rhyme: (throughout book, example from p. 7) “Listen, my children, and you shall hear / Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, / On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; / Hardly a man is now alive / Who remembers that day and year.”

Use of Simile: (p. 11) “across the moon like a prison bar.”

Use of Alliteration: (p. 13) “wanders and watches.” (p. 17) “Masses and moving shapes of shade-“ “pigeons from their perch,” (p. 23) “spectral and somber and still.”

Use of Metaphor: (p. 23) “kindled the land into flame with its heat.”

Special Notations: Poem

Curricular Connection: History Social-Science Content Standards for California, Grade Five, Standard 5.6 Students understand the course and consequences of the American Revolution: 1. Identify and map the major military battles, campaigns, and turning points of the Revolutionary War, the roles of the American and British leaders, and the Indian leaders’ alliances on both sides.

Annotation: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous poem recounting the midnight ride of Paul Revere to warn the colonial rebels of British troop activity is paired with sweeping watercolor paintings to beautiful effect.

Personal Reaction: Like most American school children, I studied the American Revolution and one of my most vivid memories of this unit of study was learning about Paul Revere’s midnight ride. Paul Revere was one of many Americans who acted bravely in 1775, but he is more remembered than many, perhaps because of the drama of his ride to warn that the British were coming and perhaps, later, because of Longfellow’s memorable poem about the event. Ted Rand shares Longfellow’s famous poem and adds his own drama with watercolor illustrations that seem both poured across the pages and reminiscent of revolutionary times, thanks to color choices that project the look of young Boston. Rand also adds a history note at the end of book with details not found in Longfellow’s poem, introducing readers to some of the other players involved in Revere’s famous message. Revere’s friend Robert Newman waited in the Old North Church to give Revere the signal, “If the British march / By land or sea from the town tonight, / Hang a lantern aloft the belfry arch / Of the North Church tower as a signal light - / One, if by land, and two, if by sea;” (p. 9). When I visited the actual Old North Church in Boston a year ago, Longfellow’s words came into my head as I stood looking at the spot where Newman stood with his lantern flashing a signal to Revere. Longfellow’s memorable words are a wonderful introduction to not only Revere’s ride to Concord, but to the mood during that time period. Longfellow’s work, illustrated by Rand, would be well paired with Stephen Krensky’s Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride for a comparative literature lesson or as supplemental reading for students studying the American Revolution.

The Egyptian News: the Greatest Newspaper in Civilization

Steedman, Scott. The Egyptian news: the greatest newspaper in civilization. Milwaukee, WI.: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2000. ISBN: 978-0763641986.

Author / Illustrator Website: None

Media: Pen and Colored Ink.

Use of Alliteration: (p. 12) “Taxing Talk.” (p. 20) “Pyramid Power.” (p. 21) “Tomb Talk.”

Special Notations: Lesson Plan Available at http://picturebooksforbigkids.blogspot.com/search/label/6th%20Grade%20Social%20Studies

Curricular Connection: History Social-Science Content Standards for California, Grade Six, Standard 6.2: Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Kush.

Annotation: A compilation of facts and the history of ancient Egypt is presented in a humorous, newspaper format. The news includes stories about pyramids building, the reign of Hatshepsut, the significance of the Nile river, mummification, crops, fashion and Egyptian Gods.

Personal Reaction: The Egyptian news has eye-catching front and back covers filled with stories about pyramids and mummies with titles such as “A Soaring Success!” and “Wrapping It Up!” Student readers will be drawn to this newspaper format book as soon as they see the covers. The inside will not disappoint, either. Every pages reads like a real newspaper spread with illustrated articles in news columns framed by hieroglyphics. The titles of the news stories are silly and alliterative, but the story content is well-researched and factual. I thought the visual appeal of this book would be great for sparking the interest of sixth graders studying ancient Egypt, but wanted to confirm that the information was useful and accurate. I read several other books about ancient Egypt and compared notes; author Scott Steedman did his homework when he wrote The Egyptian News and educators can confidently offer this book to students as an introduction to many important aspects of ancient Egypt studies. The “news” articles provide a concise introduction to architecture, agriculture, religion, family life, culture, politics and economics during the period 5000 B.C. to 30 B.C. Educators can recommend more in-depth sources on each topic after engaging student interest. “Are you dying to know what goes on inside those mysterious embalming tents?” (p. 18) uses a pun to gain the reader’s attention, but this humorous query is followed by a fact-filled article that covers organ preservation, treatment of dead bodies and the mummification process in detail. Steedman uses a similar approach for most of the article and “advertisements” in the book and it works well. The book also includes a map of the Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom, as well as a timeline of key events and a comprehensive index.

The 5,000-Year-Old Puzzle: Solving a Mystery of Ancient Egypt

Logan, Claudia. The 5,000-year-old puzzle: solving a mystery of ancient Egypt. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2002. ISBN: 978-0374323356.

Author Website: None

Illustrator Website: http://melissasweet.net/

Media: Watercolor Paint, Black and White Photographs and Collage

Curricular Connection: History Social-Science Content Standards for California, Grade Six, Standard 6.2: Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Kush.

Annotation: In 1924, Egyptologist Dr. George Reisner leads a team at an archaeological site in Giza. This fact-filled picture book based on Reisner’s dig is told by fictional character Will through journal entries and postcards.

Personal Reaction: This book is a great example of how enticing a history lesson can be for students. Author Logan has worked both as a teacher and museum educator and she uses her background to draw students into Egyptian studies. Logan uses a real event, the 1924 Harvard dig, Giza 7000X, as a backdrop for a mystery picture book that covers archaeological digs, Egyptian history hieroglyphics, mummification and burial rituals. The mystery centers on the missing body of Queen Hetep-heres from a tomb that yields many pieces of Egyptians furniture and jewelry and is the largest undisturbed royal burial discovered in Egypt. Will Hunt, the fictional character that tags along with Dr. Reisner on the dig serves as a narrator for the mystery. While Will’s voice seems a little young for the subject at ties, the collage of postcards, journal entries, packing list, dig inventory and authentic photographs drawn and compiled by Caldecott winning illustrator Sweet are wonderful. The illustrations are a collage of watercolor paintings that offer readers plenty to look at and serve to include ample details about Egypt and archaeology. Notes at the end of the book include Dr. Reisner’s theory about the missing body of the queen and a list of real clues that support this theory.

Calamity Jack

Hale, Shannon and Hale, Dean. Calamity Jack. Illustrated by Nathan Hale. New York: Bloomsbury, 2010. ISBN: 1599903733.

Authors Websites: http://www.squeetus.com/stage/main.html (Shannon Hale) http://www.dreadcrumbs.com/ (Dean Hale)

Illustrator Website: http://spacestationnathan.blogspot.com/

Media: Pen and ink, both color and sepia washes

Use of Alliteration: (p. 4) “Beanstalk Bonanza.” (p. 6) “Purloined Pig,” (p. 9) “Failed Flamingo Filching.”

Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 87) “KRAK.” (p. 40) “WHAM.”

Use of Simile: (p. 85) “Jack, do you think I’m sweet like cake?”

Special Notations: 2010 Copyright Date, Graphic Novel (Fairy Tale retelling), Personal Top Ten

Annotation: Small time trickster and thief Jack of Jack and the Beanstalk fame plans a heist that is just too much for one fabulous graphic novel character. Jack calls in his friend Rapunzel and the two set out to save Jack’s hometown.

Personal Reaction: Jack became a favorite character for me when I read the opening line to this sequel to Rapunzel’s Revenge, “I think of myself as a criminal mastermind . . . with an unfortunate amount of bad luck,” (p. 4). Readers get plenty of insight into Jack’s accurate self-assessment. For example, later in the story, several comic panels showing Jack being hurled through the air are labeled, “Yep. My best plan ever. I’m a genius,” (p. 129). The At the beginning of Calamity Jack, readers learn about Jack’s early years which were filled with schemes, stunts and capers that didn’t always go as planned. Jack’s momma is not a fan of his schemes and so Jack commits to reforming himself . . . after one final scheme big enough to help his momma save her bakery business. Jack makes plans to rob a rich man named Blunderboar. Readers will recognize Jack from the well-known fairytale when he steals a bean from an unusually attired passerby to grow a “ladder,” to gain access to a rooftop. Fans of Rapunzel will be glad to see her step in to help Jack when he finds himself in over his head in this fantastic adventure. The Hales have created another wonderful graphic novel retelling of a familiar fairytale that stands on its own or as a sequel to Rapunzel’s Revenge. Fans of the Hales’ new series will enjoy becoming better acquainted with Jack. Jack is that smart aleck kid that other kids love to watch and Calamity Jack showcases Jack’s appeal and foibles in this comic style story about catching the bad guys. Nathan Hale’s illustrations manage to blend action, pixies, giant green beans and an urban set in a way that is visually entertaining, but not overly busy. I particularly enjoyed Hale’s renderings of maps, city plans, a maze (p. 95) and a warning note to “straw-brained IDIOTS” signed “Lovingly yours, Stig,” (p. 103).