Gettysburg: The Graphic Novel

Author: C. M. Butzer

Illustrator: C. M. Butzer

Peach’s Picks Rating:

Year of publication: 2009

City of publication: New York

Publisher: The Bowen Press

ISBN: 978-0-06-156176-4

Author website: http://www.cmbutzer.com/

Illustrator website: See “Author website” entry

Media used for illustrations: Drawings that are digitally enhanced

Annotation: A graphic novel using primary sources to tell the story of the Battle of Gettysburg, the creation of the soldiers’ cemetery at the site, and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

Personal reaction to the book: While this book has some slight flaws it is still useful when discussing the Battle of Gettysburg and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address with middle school students. It could be especially useful either prior to or after a visit to Gettysburg National Military Park. Two flaws stood out as I read the book. First, the drawings of people are not quite distinct enough to identify Union soldiers from Confederate soldiers. While “the cast of characters” (pages 6-7) seems as though it will be helpful, the drawings are not quite detailed enough to easily distinguish characters. Secondly, the text is sometimes clunky and does not always flow smoothly. The author/illustrator is to be applauded for using primary sources as the text, but this device does not always serve the narration well. Even with those criticisms, the book is a valuable teaching tool that makes this part of American history easily accessible. The book opens with a double-page spread of the copyright page and the dedication page. Along the bottom of these two pages runs a view of Gettysburg, a small town in rural Pennsylvania. The next page is a bird’s eye view map of the town and surrounding area where battles were fought. The map contains a compass rose to help with orientation. The following double-page spread shows portraits labeled with the names of 18 characters who are key to the story. The next double-page spread (pages 8-9) offers a forward telling of historical events leading up to the battle. The story’s action begins on page 10 when the reader sees soldiers marching into Gettysburg and its inhabitants leaving. The story proceeds, showing a battle, the aftermath, the movement to create a memorial to soldiers, a portion of Secretary of State Edward Everett’s speech, and Abraham Lincoln giving the Gettysburg Address to an assembled crowd. Author’s notes are included at the end of the book. Each note details the action of one or more panels. It is recommended that a reader review the notes while reading the book. Dialogue is featured in bubbles while narration is shown in rectangular boxes. Through text and illustrations the author/illustrator shows how this part of the Civil War affected the small town of Gettysburg as well as the nation. The book is paginated for easy reference and includes the entire Gettysburg address on page 79 as well as a bibliography, endnotes, and webliography. The grayish blue, black and white illustrations are presented in panels surround by white borders. They proceed thorough the book in a logical pattern. The illustrations are seriously presented matching the somberness of the story.

General curricular connections:

• Civil War
• Gettysburg Address
• Abraham Lincoln
• Battle of Gettysburg
• American History
• Speech and debate classes and clubs

Specific example of curricular connection matched to State Standards:
Subject: History
Grade level: 8

Standards:

California State Standards

History – Social Studies Content Standards for Public Schools: Kindergarten through Grade 12

Grade 8 United States History: Growth and Conflict

8.10 Students analyze the multiple causes, key events, and complex consequences of the Civil War.

4. Discuss Abraham Lincoln’s presidency and his significant writings and speeches and their relationship to the Declaration of Independence, such as his “House Divided” speech (1858), Gettysburg Address (1863), Emancipation Proclamation (1863), and inaugural addresses (1861 and 1865).

Recommended grade levels:

School Library Journal recommends this book for use with grades 5-9

Booklist recommends this book for use with grades 4-8

Peach’s Picks recommends this book for use with grades 5 and up

Awards/Recognitions: None known 

Note: This book was selected from the list “Other books receiving Top Ten votes, Summer 2009." This book applies to the assignment criteria – nonfiction graphic novel.

Allusion: Pages 58-59; the horizontal three panels covering the double-spread allude to the progression of Civil Rights in the United States

Use of sophisticated language: Page 79; The inclusion of “The Gettysburg Address” printed in its entirety. “The Gettysburg Address” is also found within the text of the book.

Use of sophisticated language: Pages 45-47; Containing excerpts of the speech by Secretary of State, Edward Everett

Symbolism: Page 56; Handcuffs with broken chains show symbolizing breaking the bonds of slavery

Book cover picture retrieved from http://www.cmbutzer.com/store.php

Rapunzel's Revenge

Author: Shannon and Dean Hale

 

Illustrator: Nathan Hale

Peach’s Picks Rating:

 

Year of publication: 2008

City of publication: New York

Publisher: Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children’s Books

ISBN: 978-1-59990-070-4

Author website: http://www.squeetus.com/stage/books.html

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

Media used for illustrations: pencil and ink, digitally colored

Annotation: Graphic novel that fractures the Rapunzel tale. In this cheeky adaptation, a self sufficient young woman breaks free from the tower where she is imprisoned and goes in search of her mother.

Personal reaction to the book: This fractured fairy tale is full of humor and sight gags. It begins with the same premise as the traditional tale, a pregnant woman craves greens. Her husband steals them from an evil witch’s garden. Alas, they must pay dearly for this theft by giving the witch their baby daughter upon birth. The witch names the baby Rapunzel. Now the story fractures and takes its own road. Rapunzel meets Jack and there is no end to the calamities and quandaries they encounter. Of course, as in any good fairy tale, the story ends happily ever after. The authors have included aspects of a tall tale. For example on page 39 Rapunzel lassoes a wild boar and rides it and on page 106 she does the same with a sea serpent.  The text has an easy conversational style blending Western twang with modern day teen intonation. I enjoyed the play on well known fairy tale symbols: the goose that lays the golden egg, the beanstalk, and dwarfs. The author and illustrator throw in some American folklore for good measure when they introduce the jackalope on page 84. There is even a reference to the Wizard of Oz when Gothel withers and disappears. This book has everything to make it a modern fractured fairy tale from magic to romance. It is lots of fun and best of all; it has a strong heroine who takes care of business by defeating her nemesis. The text and illustrations work together to move the story along at a rapid pace. The reader is encouraged to carefully read the pictures to get the full understanding of the story and enjoy the sight gags. The dialogue is placed in balloons with a white background. The narration is placed in rectangular panels with yellow background. The panels are laid out horizontally throughout the book. Each page is bordered in white. The book is paginated for easy reference. This book design makes the story easy to read. The color palette is predominately earthy tones with blues and purples used as accents and highlights. Readers interested in Shannon and Dean Hale’s creative process will enjoy reading information found at http://www.squeetus.com/stage/books_rap.html ----warning spoiler alert. Do not read this until you have read the book. Have a good time with this book and enjoy the wild ride reminiscent of the Indiana Jones movies.

General curricular connections:

• Graphic novels
• Reading for pleasure
• Study of fairy and folk tales
• Use in conjunction with Calamity Jack by Sarah Hale

Recommended grade levels:

School Library Journal recommends this book for use with grades 5 and up

Booklist recommends this book for use with grades 5-8

Peach’s Picks recommends this book for use with grades 5 and up

Awards/Recognitions:

ALA Notable Children’s Books, 2009
YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens, Fiction, 2009

Junior Library Guild Selection

Cybil Award Winner, Graphic Novels for Elementary/Middle Grades, 2008

Horn Book starred review

Library Media Connection starred review

Publishers Weekly starred review

School Library Journal starred review

Note: This book was selected from " Other books receiving Top Ten votes, Summer Session 2009", San Jose State University, School of Library and Information Science, LIBR 271A, Genres & Topics in Youth Literature, Professor Partington. This book applies to the assignment criteria – fiction graphic novel.

Onomatopoeia: Page 57; “FWUMP!”

Onomatopoeia: Page 62; “SMACK!”

Onomatopoeia: Page 93; “Yank”

Symbolism: Page 144; The golden egg symbolizes wealth and prosperity

Repetition: Chase scenes throughout the book, villains chase the Rapunzel and Jack

Book cover picture retrieved from http://www.bloomsbury.com/children/Rapunzels-Revenge/Shannon-Hale-Dean-Hale/books/details/9780747587439

Thoreau at Walden

Author: John Porcellino from the writings of Henry David Thoreau with an introduction by D. B. Johnson

Illustrator: John Porcellino

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Recipient of Peach’s Picks Award

Top Ten Favorite Books

Summer 2011

Peach’s Picks Rating:

 

Year of publication: 2008

City of publication: New York

Publisher: Hyperion

ISBN: 978-1-4231-0038-6

Author website: http://www.king-cat.net/

Illustrator website: See “Author website” entry

Media used for illustrations: Drawings that are digitally manipulated

Annotation:  A graphic novel based on the writings of Henry David Thoreau that relates the story of his two years living at Walden Pond and the philosophical insights he gained during his stay.

Personal reaction to the book: This graphic novel makes the work of Henry David Thoreau accessible. This is a brilliant use of Thoreau’s work that paints a picture of his life during his two years at Walden Pond. The author manages to create a story though Thoreau’s essays that blend passages from four different writings by Thoreau. Thoreau’s quotations are not offered in chronological order. Instead they are constructed to provide a story of his life during the time he lived in the cabin on Walden Pond. In order to fully understand the graphic novel, it is necessary for the reader to read the introduction, afterword, and the panel discussions. The prologue found on page 97 offers extensive notes concerning the provenance of the quotations. The illustrations are drawings printed in brown and black ink. At first glance they seem too simplistic for the philosophical ponderings of Thoreau’s words. However, the reader quickly appreciates the care taken by the illustrator to emphasize and clarify important ideas. I highly recommend this book for use by everyone, especially secondary school students studying Thoreau.

General curricular connections:

• Henry David Thoreau
• Philosophy
• Graphic novels

Specific example of curricular connection matched to State Standards:
Subject: Language Arts / Literature
Grade level: 11

Standards:

California’s Common Core Content Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

Standard 10: Range, Quality, and Complexity of Student Reading 6-12

Text Illustrating the Complexity, Quality, and Range of Student Reading 6-12

Informational Texts: Literary Nonfiction

Grades 11-CCR

Walden by Henry David Thoreau (1854)

Recommended grade levels:

School Library Journal recommends this book for use with grades 7 and up

Booklist recommends this book for use with grades 8-12

Peach’s Picks recommends this book for use with grades 8 and up

Awards/Recognitions:

Kirkus Review starred review

Note: This book was selected from "The Top Ten Favorites List / Summer Session 2009", San Jose State University, School of Library and Information Science, LIBR 271A, Genres & Topics in Youth Literature, Professor Partington. This book applies to the assignment criteria – nonfiction graphic novel.

Use of sophisticated language:

Page 60; “I had this advantage, at least, in my mode of life, over those who were obliged to look abroad for amusement, to society and the theatre…That my life itself was become my amusement and never ceased to be novel…Many a forenoon have I stolen away, preferring to spend thus the most valued part of the day, for I was rich, if not in money, in sunny hours and summer days…”

Page 67; “I was not born to be forced…I will breathe after my own fashion. They only can force me who obey a higher law than I…If one listens to the faintest but constant suggestions of his genius , which are certainly true, he sees not to what extremes , or even insanity, it might lead him…and yet that way, as he grows more resolute and faithful, his road lies.

Page 76; “October answers to that period in the life of man when he is no longer dependent on his transient moods. When all his experience ripens into wisdom, but every root, branch, leaf of him glows with maturity…What he has been and done in his spring and summer appears…He bears his fruit…”

Book cover picture retrieved from http://www.king-cat.net/catalog_other.html

Woolvs in the Sitee

Author:  Margaret Wild

Illustrator: Anne Spudvilas

Peach’s Picks Rating:

 

Year of publication: 2007

City of publication: Asheville, North Carolina

Publisher: Front Street

ISBN: 978-1-59078-500-3

Author website: No website available. Information can be obtained from http://us.macmillan.com/author/margaretwild

Illustrator website: http://www.annespudvilas.com/ 

Media used for illustrations: Charcoal on paper, charcoal and colored ink, charcoal and colored markers

Annotation: Ben, a teenage boy, no longer has a family. He lives alone in a nearly abandoned apocalyptic city where "woolvs" haunt him. Terrified, he turns to a kindly neighbor her help.

Personal reaction to the book: This unsettling picturebook is set in an apocalyptic, nearly deserted city. Ben, the narrator, is a teenage boy who fears the “woolvs” lurking in the shadows outside. Now living alone in a basement, he makes reference to once having had a happy family. Ben is afraid to go outside. He depends on Mrs. Radinski, his neighbor, to be his comfort. But, can the “woolvs” be stopped? He bravely makes his way out of the building to face the terrors and invokes the reader to do the same saying, “Joyn me.” The book reads like a free-verse poem. The writer uses phonetic spelling to show that due to apocalyptic conditions, Ben’s education has fallen behind; for example, “She dusn’t unnerstand abowt the woolvs. She thinks I’m torking abowt those lulvlee wyld creechis, running in the woods. That’s not wot I meens” (page 10).” I suggest the phonetic spelling and lack of education would be strengthened if the contraction marks were not included. The type set chosen emphasizes the feeling of the world being off balance. The “woolvs” represent unknown terrors and predators that have taken over the city, much like the symbolism in The Arrival by Shaun Tan where evil is illustrated by a dragon’s tail snaking through the city. The forceful lines of the drawings that are off balance and the dark colors splashed with reds and orange create a mood of trepidation, isolation and fear. The entire book is an excellently executed package. The story, book design, and the illustrations combine to make this a frightening, haunting book.

General curricular connections:

• Dystopian societies
• Apocalyptic societies
• Fear
• Orphans
• War
• Use with:

Coraline by Neil Gaiman (both the novel or the graphic novel)

Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Recommended grade levels:

School Library Journal recommends this book for use with grades 6-9

Booklist recommends this book for use with grades 6-9

Peach’s Picks recommends this book for use with grades 6 and up

Awards/Recognitions:

Horn Book starred review

Kirkus Review starred review

Aurealis Award, Children’s Short Story, 2006

Note: This book is included in LIBR 271A list of “Other books receiving Top Ten votes, Summer 2009”

Repetition: Page 3; The text is repeated on the walls in the background

Symbolism: Page 3; Framed pictures of the main character with his family, symbolize that he used to have a family

Symbolism: Woolvs (wolves) symbolizes hate and hostilities

Simile: Page 32; “It is now as dark as the sky at midnite…”

Book cover picture retrieved from http://www.boydsmillspress.com/books/front-street/woolvs-sitee

Houdini the Handcuff King

Author: Jason Lutes and Nick Bertozzi, with an introduction by Glen David Gold

Illustrator: Jason Lutes and Nick Bertozzi

Peach’s Picks Rating:

 

Year of publication: 2007

City of publication: New York

Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children

ISBN: 978-0-7868-3902-5

Author website:

Nick Bertozzi: http://nickbertozzi.com/index.htm

Jason Lutes: http://jlutes.wordpress.com/

Illustrator website: See information in the “Author website” entry

Media used for illustrations: Pencil drawing thumbnail sketches by Lutes; Bertozzi collaborated with Lutes using ink to refine and finish the panels

Annotation: Graphic novel that depicts a stunt performed by Harry Houdini in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Houdini experiences anti-Semitism and other obstacles, but manages to succeed. Flashbacks and back matter offer biographical information.

Personal reaction to the book: This graphic novel is a biography of Harry Houdini that focuses on one day in his life, May 1, 1908, when he jumped handcuffed from the Harvard Bridge in Cambridge, Massachusetts into the Charles River. Even though the authors chose to focus on that one day, they manage to offer readers a larger picture of Houdini’s life through flashbacks contained in the story and an introduction written by Glen David Gold. The introduction provides biographical information and frames Houdini’s life within the culture of 1908. Through flashbacks, the reader comes to know Houdini as a driven man who loves his wife and surmounts anti-Semitism. The author/illustrators created clean panels laid out across the pages in an even style. Three colors are used in the panels: black, white, and blue. The illustrations which utilize different orientations and perspectives add to the sense of drama and suspense. Several wordless panels move the action along. Blue endpapers complement the blue in the panels. Back matter explains the significance of select panels. A brief bibliography is included. One criticism – it is difficult to read the second and third pages of the introduction because the text is printed over light blue graphics.

General curricular connections:

• Biographies
• Harry Houdini
• Graphic novels
• Magic
• Reading for pleasure

Recommended grade levels:

School Library Journal recommends this book for use with grades 4-10

Booklist recommends this book for use with grades 6-9

Peach’s Picks recommends this book for use with grades 4-9

Awards/Recognitions:

Booklist starred review

Book Links starred review

Kirkus Review starred review

Note: This book applies to the assignment criteria – nonfiction graphic novel.

Allusion: Page 25; “There is one bond from which I would never attempt to escape!” Houdini shown holding up his hand displaying his ring finger alluding to the bonds of marriage.

Allusion: Page 53; “No Yale blue at Cambridge! Wear Harvard crimson. Harvard crimson or nothing.” This panel alludes to the rivalry between Harvard and Yale through the argument of school colors.

Symbolism: Page 31; Two heart shapes are floating above Houdini’s head symbolizing his love for his wife

Symbolism: Page 34; The question mark above Mr. Collins’ head and sweat flying from his head symbolize his nervousness and uncertainty

Onomatopoeia: Page 4; “Click”

Onomatopoeia: Page 5: “Tick, Tick”

Onomatopoeia: Page 17, “BOOF”

Onomatopoeia: Page 44; “DING”

Book cover picture retrieved from http://www.aclib.us/kids/good-reading/drawn-read

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword

Author: Barry Deutsch

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Recipient of Peach’s Picks Award

Top Ten Favorite Books

Summer 2011

Illustrator: Barry Deutsch, colors by Jake Richmond

Peach’s Picks Rating: 

 

Year of publication: 2010

City of publication: New York

Publisher: Amulet Books

ISBN: 978-0-8109-8422-6

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

Illustrator website: See above “Author website” entry

Media used for illustrations: 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.

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 to the book: Personal reaction to the book: What a funny, poignant, and engrossing graphic novel! The characters are authentic, the images and text are well-integrated, and readers learn about Orthodox Jewish life. While the story contains fairytale-like elements (witches and trolls), it also shows the contemporary life of an 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish  girl who is struggling to find herself, longing for adventures, and dealing with her mother’s death. Spunky Mirka longs to leave behind her argumentative, but loving stepmother, her bossy sister, and pesky little brother to go in search of dragons and adventure. The author/illustrator sprinkles Yiddish and Hebrew expressions into the text with translations placed at the bottom of the page. The dialogue is contained in text-bubbles. The narrative used to advance the story is contained in rectangular boxes. The illustrations effectively show expressions and action. A monochromatic color scheme is used; showing daytime scenes in orange, tan, and brown colors. The night scenes are shown in lavender and blue tones. Brown-toned endpapers show cross-hatch panels of Mirka displaying a range of emotions interspersed with panels of other characters. Endnotes explain Deutsch’s creative process following the troll’s design. Readers unfamiliar with Orthodox Jewish customs will be introduced to this life-style. The Yiddish language and Jewish customs presented in the story may lead to informative discussions in a classroom or book club setting. The story is full of symbolism and metaphors that speak to all girls who are struggling through adolescence. Set aside an hour. You will not want to put this book down once you start reading it.

General curricular connections:

•  Reading for pleasure
•  Graphic novels
• Orthodox Jewish life
•  Use in literature reading circles

Recommended grade levels:

School Library Journal recommends this book for grades 4-7

Booklist recommends this book for grades 3-6

Peaches Picks recommends this book for grades 5-9

Awards/Recognitions:

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books starred review

Kirkus Review starred review

Publishers Weekly starred review

School Library Journal starred review

The Sydney Taylor Book Award, 2011

Note: This book applies to the assignment criteria - books published in 2010-2011. This book applies to the assignment criteria – fiction graphic novels.

Symbolism: Found throughout the book, Mirka’s mother is smiling from a picture watching over Mirka

Symbolism: Page 78; Mirka is encased in a loaf of khale symbolizing the happiness and safety she feels when smelling the bread bake

Onomatopoeia: Page 61; “Gasp”, “Hork!”

Book cover picture retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Hereville-How-Mirka-Got-Sword/dp/0810984229

Twelfth Night

Author: Shakespeare, adapted by Richard Appignanesi

Illustrator: Nana Li

Peach’s Picks Rating:
 

Year of publication: 2011

City of publication: New York

Publisher: Amulet Books

ISBN: 978-0-810999-9718-9

Author website: No website available

Illustrator website: http://nanarealm.com/gallery.htm and http://nanarealm.com/

Additional website related to this book: http://www.mangashakespeare.com/ 

Media used for illustrations: Pencil sketches, followed by a rough pencil in light blue, followed by another pencil drawing as the final line art. Blue lines removed in Photoshop. Finished product is digital painting done in Photoshop.

Annotation: Manga format retelling of Shakespeare’s Twelfth night. Viola and Sebastian, twin brother and sister, are shipwrecked in an unfamiliar land. Disguises and mistaken identities embroil all characters in this romantic comedy.

Personal reaction to the book: Viola and Sebastian, twin brother and sister, survive a shipwreck off the coast of Illyria. They are separated; neither knows if the other has survived. Viola disguises herself as a young man named Cesario. She is employed by Duke Orsino who is in love with Countess Olivia. It is Cesario’s job to woo Olivia for Orsino, but Olivia wants nothing to do with Orsino. Instead, she falls in love with Cesario. Viola (disguised as Cesario) falls in love with Orsino. Confusion ensues involving Olivia’s maid, cousin, another suitor, and her butler. In the end, all rights itself. Viola and Orsino are united in love as are Olivia and Sebastian. The kook is not designed to be read manga style from back to front. The illustrations are steampunk-inspired manga style. Chibis* representing the characters are occasionally inserted, accentuating the manga artwork. Characters are expressive and can easily be distinguished. The first 11 pages are printed in color. The first seven pages introduce the characters, not only through illustration, but also by using quotes from the original play to exemplify each character’s personality. Pages 8 and 9 are a full color two-page spread that establishes the twins’ plight. The remaining illustrations are black and white drawings with text presented in bubbles. There are two endnotes. One is a plot summary of Twelfth Night. The other is a summary of Shakespeare’s life. There are many ways to enjoy this retelling; studying Shakespeare, reading manga, or enjoying a good book. It is recommended for use in secondary schools when studying Twelfth Night.

*cute little manga cartoon characters

General curricular connections:

• Literature / Shakespeare studies
• Graphic novels

Specific example of curricular connection matched to State Standards:
Subject: Literature
Grade level: 11-12

Standards:

California State Standard:

Reading Standards for Literature 6-12, Grades 11-12 Students

7. Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.).

Recommended grade levels:

School Library Journal recommends the book for use with grades 7 and up

Book list recommends the book for use with grades 9--12

Peaches Picks recommends the book for use with grades 7 and up

Awards/Recognitions: None to date

Note: This entry meets the assignment criteria to review one manga novel. This entry applies to the assignment criteria to review books published during  2010-2011.

Onomatopoeia: Page 16; “FWMP” when Orsino collapses into the chair

Onomatopoeia: Page 24; “CHIRP” and “TWEET” when birds are included in the illustrations

Onomatopoeia: Page 26; “SPLOSH” when Maria throws a bucket of water on Sir Toby Belch

Symbolism: Page 21; Use of the international symbols for “no” and “man” combined symbolizing that men are not welcome in Olivia’s life

Metaphor: Page 51; Maria says, “Will you hoist sail, sir?” when she invites Viola/Cesario to leave. In response Viola/Cesario uses a metaphor saying, “No, I am to hull here a little longer” indicating that he [she] intends to stay.

Simile: Page 89; “She never told her love, but let concealment, like a worm in he bud, feed on her damask cheek.”

Book cover picture retrieved from http://www.abramsbooks.com/Books/Manga_Shakespeare-9780810997189.html

Wonderstruck

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Recipient of Peach’s Picks Award

Top Ten Favorite Books

Summer 2011

Author: Brian Selznick

Illustrator: Brian Selznick

Peach’s Picks Rating:

Year of publication: 2011

City of publication: New York

Publisher: Scholastic Press

ISBN: 978-0-545-02789-2

Author website: No personal website located, but information about the author/illustrator can be found at http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/about_brian_bio.htm and http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=3180

Illustrator website: See "author website" information

Media used for illustrations: Pencil on paper

Annotation: Ben, a 12-year-old boy, runs away from his home in Minnesota to New York City in search of his father. There he meets Rose who has her own compelling tale.

Personal reaction to the book: If you enjoyed The Invention of Hugo Cabret, you will like this book even more. Selznick has again created a most unique picturebook/novel. This book tells two stories that eventually become one. First, the reader is introduced to Ben, a 12-year-old partially deaf orphan, living with relatives near Gunflint Lake, Minnesota in 1977. Ben’s mother recently died. Her death has left him grieving and wondering about the father he never knew, the father his mother never spoke of. A series of incidents including a lightning strike that leaves Ben completely deaf, propel him into running away from home to New York City, where he hopes to locate his father. Ben’s story is told through text. Shortly into the book the reader is introduced to Rose’s story. Rose is a deaf girl living in Hoboken, New Jersey during 1927, whose mother and father are divorced. From her bedroom window Rose gazes across the river to New York City longing for the beautiful actress mother who left her behind as well as personal freedom. Rose runs away from New Jersey and joins her older brother in New York City. Rose’s story is told through illustrations. The action in Ben’s story takes place from June-July 1977. The action in Rose’s story predominately takes place in 1927, but by the conclusion of the book, both characters are happily united in 1977. The illustrations are black and white crosshatched drawings in the style of The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Each illustration is a two-page spread that tells a story separate from the text. At the same time the text and the illustrations of the two separate stories complement and offer clues that drive each story forward. Eyes play a major role in the illustrations. They are vividly realistic and convey deep emotions. The illustrator uses shadows and light to emphasize pivotal points he wants to make in Rose’s story. Selznick brilliantly transitions the text to the illustrations and back again, weaving the stories to a more than satisfying ending. I highly recommend reading this unique picturebook. Be sure to read the "Acknowledgments" and "Select Bibliography" for insights into Selznick's creative process.

General curricular connections:

• Literature
• Creative writing / write the next chapter in Brian's life
• Art / study of Brian Selznick's artwork
  

Recommended grade levels:
The book has not yet been reviewed by School Library Journal and Booklist
Peach's Picks recommends the book for grades 5 and up

Awards/Recognitions: None as of this date

Note: The copy of this book is an advance reader's copy. The book is scheduled for publication in September 2011. This entry applies to the assignment criteria to review books published during  2010-2011.

Simile: Page 126; “Lightning kept flashing, momentarily illuminating the room like flashbulbs on a camera.”

Simile: Page 264; “Everyone everywhere seemed to be a different color, as if the cover of his social studies textbook had come to life around him.”

Simile: Page 329; “…Ben marveled at the life-size dioramas cut like windows into the dark walls.”

Simile: Page 407; “Behind their reflections, from certain angles, the animals peered out like ghosts from the Serengeti.”

Symbolism: Pages 356-357: Rose makes a wish, writes it on a piece of paper, and places it on the meteorite in the museum – Rose is wishing on a star

Book cover picture retrieved from http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/search?query=wonderstruck

The Highwayman

Author: Alfred Noyes

Illustrator: Murray Kimber

Peach's Picks Rating:



Year of publication:
Text: Alfred Noyes 1913, renewed 1941
Illustrations: Murray Kimber, 2005

City of publication: Tonawanda, NY

Publisher: Kids Can Press Ltd.

ISBN: 978-1-55337-425-1

Author website: No author site available. Information about the author can be obtained through the online version of Encyclopedia Britannica.

Illustrator website: http://www.murraykimber.com/

Media used for illustration: Charcoal, conté and acrylic on paper. The text was set using the fonts Streamline, Bodega Sans and Celeste.

Annotation: Bess, the innkeeper’s daughter, loves the highwayman. Their love ends in tragedy through betrayal by another man who is smitten with Bess. This version offers film noir style illustrations.

Personal reaction to the book: This newly illustrated version of the Highwayman poem by Alfred Noyes is still as romantic as the version I discovered in Childcraft years ago. Here, it has the dark edge of gang-land set in 1930s film noir style New York City. Bess, the innkeeper’s beautiful black-eyed daughter, is still in love with the highwayman depicted as a lone motorcycle rider. He greets her before heading off on a heist. They both desire a kiss. She leans out the window toward him. He can only reach and kiss her hair, driving the lovers’ longing even deeper into the reader’s heart. Tim, the ostler, who also loves Bess, betrays both to the FBI. They come and hold Bess hostage waiting for the highwayman to return. She is tied to the bedpost with a gun pointing to her breast. Bess waits listening for his return. As he approaches, she shoots herself in warning. The illustrations create a dark and foreboding mood. Sharp straight lines create tension in the pictures. The artist uses brown tones accented with purple wash to create a foreboding mood. Bess’ red nail polish and red blood seeping down her hands constricted by the tight ropes binding her to the bedpost foreshadow tragedy. The poem reads aloud well. It can be shared with small groups since the size of the book is too small to be seen by a large group. However, the size is very inviting for an individual reader. The design of this appealing slim volume includes a velum front paper giving the book a retro feel. Readers unfamiliar with the poem will be attracted to the cover of the book showing a gangster on a motorcycle. This newly illustrated version of the poem is sure to be enjoyed by secondary students. One slight problem with the illustrations is found on page 8. The illustration does not match the text. The text says “He tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred.” However, the illustration shows Bess lying in bed looking over her left shoulder out an open window with curtains blowing in the breeze.

General curricular connections:

• Poetry studies
• Alfred Noyes
• Graphic novels
• Theater classes – performance of the poem
• Pair with Romeo and Juliet (original play as well as the 1996 film version directed by Baz Luhrmann, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes) / romance / tragic love 

Recommended grade levels:
School Library Journal recommends the book for grades 6 and up
Booklist recommends the book for grades 7-10
Peach's Picks recommends the book for grades 7 and up

Awards/Recognitions:
Nominee for Governor General's Award for Children's Illustrations, 2005
One of the Globe & Mail's top dozen children's books, 2005

Note: This entry meets the assignment criteria to review books that contain single book-length poems.

Rhythm: Poetic meter – Noyes created six feet in a line, the hexameter rhythmic pattern

Rhyme: Page 2-3; Rhyming pattern of AABCCB; for example:

The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees (A)
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas (A)
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor (B)
And the highwayman came riding (C)
Riding, riding, (C)
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door. (B)

Repetition: Page 5; “And he rode with a jeweled twinkle, is pistol butts a-twinkle, His rapier hilt a-twinkle…”

Onomatopoeia: Page 27; “Tlot-tlot” indicating the sound of horse-hoofs

Symbolism: Page 28; Picture of a horse on the motorcycle’s gas tank showing the motorcycle is the steed in this illustrated version of the poem

Metaphor: Page 2; “The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon the cloudy seas”

Book cover picture retrieved from http://www.kidscanpress.com/Canada/The-Highwayman-P5583.aspx

Laika

Author: Nick Abadzis

Illustrator: Nick Abadzis; colorist Hilary Sycamore

Peach’s Picks Rating:

Year of publication: 2007

City of publication: New York

Publisher: First Second

ISBN: 1596431016

Author website: http://www.nickabadzis.com/

Illustrator website:http://www.nickabadzis.com/
No personal website located for Hilary Sycamore. Information about her can be found at http://firstsecondbooks.typepad.com/mainblog/hilary_sycamore_guest_blogger/

Media used for illustrations: Earth tone color drawings, comic book style with linear panels

Annotation: Laika, a dog acquired by the Soviet space program, was the first living creature to orbit earth. This book blends fact and fiction to tell the story of the historic event.

Personal reaction to the book: This is a tear-jerker about Laika, an abandoned puppy living a hard life on the streets of Moscow. She is captured by dogcatchers and delivered to the Soviet Institute of Aviation Medicine. Her fate is determined by the ambitious, almost ruthless engineer, Chief Designer Korolev, who selects Laika to be the first living creature sent into outer space. Yelena Dubrovsky, the lab technician responsible for caring for the dogs at Institute of Aviation Medicine, and Laika form a special bond. Laika is launched into space on Sputnik II on November 3, 1957, surviving only a few hours of the flight. The graphic novel is composed of small, tightly packed panels drawn with pencil and colored with earth-tones. The use of these colors creates a sense of darkness and brooding throughout the story, setting up the conflicted emotions of Yelena and foreshadowing Laika’s death. The text is presented in bubbles containing especially small print. The pages are numbered creating easy reference points. The story is broken into four chapters at logical breaking points. The main characters as well as the secondary characters are well-drawn with depth of expression and emotion. The reader experiences the personal and political struggles experienced by Korolev, Dubrovsky and others. I found the panels difficult to read because they are small, closely spaced and contain small text. However, I believe this will not trouble most secondary school readers who will enjoy the book as a dog story, historical fiction and graphic novel rolled into an appealing package. An afterword by the author extends the historical context of the story.  A bibliography is included. Students unfamiliar with the Cold War and the competition between Russia and the United States race to outer space may need some background information to fully understand the story.

General curricular connections:

• History / Cold war
• Space travel
• When studying the Cold War, pair with The Green Glass Sea and White Sands, Red Menace by Ellen Klages
• Use in secondary literature circles

Recommended grade levels:
School Library Journal recommends the book for grades 7 and up
Booklist recommends the book for grades 8-12
Peach's Picks recommends the book for grades 7 and up

Awards/Recognitions:
2008 Eisner Award - Best Publication for Teens
2008 Nominated for Eisner Award – Best Reality-Based Work
2008 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens
Starred review in School Library Journal
Junior Library Guild Selection

Notes: This book was selected from "The Top Ten Favorites List / Summer Session 2009", San Jose State University, School of Library and Information Science, LIBR 271A, Genres & Topics in Youth Literature, Professor Partington. This entry meets the assignment criteria to review graphic novels/fiction.

Repetition: The phrase “I am a man of destiny” is repeated throughout the book.

Repetition: The moon is shown and focused on throughout the book

Onomatopoeia: Page 8; “Koff” to represent coughing

Onomatopoeia: Page 8; “ZZZZ” to represent snoring

Onomatopoeia: Page 45; “PLAF” to represent Laika crashing into a box and garbage can

Onomatopoeia: Page 48; “THWAP!” to represent the dog catcher’s net coming down

Symbolism: Page 129; The red hammer and sickle symbol of Communism

Book cover picture retrieved from: http://us.macmillan.com/laika

American Born Chinese

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Recipient of Peach’s Picks Award

Top Ten Favorite Books

Summer 2011

Author: Gene Luen Yang

Illustrator: Gene Luen Yang (colored by Lark Pien)

Peach’s Picks Rating:

Year of publication: 2006

City of publication: New York

Publisher: First Second

ISBN: 978-1-59643-373-1

Author website: http://www.humblecomics.com/

Illustrator website: http://www.humblecomics.com/

Media used for illustrations: Simple/direct drawings with detailed backgrounds, muted colors, panel style comics, stereotypes of characters

Annotation: Three humorous and poignant stories tell the problems of Jin, who deals with racism; Danny, who is ashamed of his stereotypical Chinese cousin; and the Monkey King, a traditional Chinese folklore character.

Personal reaction to the book: Readers who page through the book and believe they are picking up a funny comic are in for a surprise. While the book is funny, even hilarious, it presents serious discussions about self-acceptance, racism, stereotyping, and bigotry. The three interwoven stories draw on popular culture as well as Chinese folklore to create the tales. The story is told in words and pictures, each complementing the other. The story can be read on the surface and then re-read to find clever references and devices such as Chin-Kee’s name. (Say it quickly; it is the ethnic slur “chinky”.) The book seems to be three short stories, but the author ties them together in an ending that will take most readers by surprise and leave them smiling and nodding their heads in delight and agreement. Even though the subject is racism targeting Chinese Americans, the feelings of not fitting into a group and being an outcast are universal. The artwork and layout are striking. The cartoon drawings are clear. The layout is not busy and crowded which can be the case with graphic novels. Each page includes from one to six panels. The panel sets are surrounded by white and are easy to follow. They are not crowded by too much text. The color is rich and helps focus the eye enabling the reader to easily move through the panels. The book is sure to capture the readers and attention and be recommended to friends. 

General curricular connections:

• Health and Human Development Class / Discussion about racism
• Health and Human Development Class / Discussion about friendship
• Reading for pleasure / Graphic novels

Recommended grade levels:
School Library Journal recommends the book for grade 7- up

Booklist recommends the book for grades 10-12

Peach’s Picks recommends the book for grades 9-12

Awards/Recognitions:
School Library Journal starred review

Michael L. Printz Award Winner 2007

Eisner Award Winner 2007 (Best Graphic Album-New)

National Book Award Nominee 2006

Notes: This book was selected from "The Top Ten Favorites List / Summer Session 2009", San Jose State University, School of Library and Information Science, LIBR 271A, Genres & Topics in Youth Literature, Professor Partington. This entry meets the assignment criteria to review graphic novels/fiction.

Onomatopoeia: Page 10; “Bonk!” when the Monkey King hits a monkey on the head

Onomatopoeia: Page 10; “Krak!” when the Monkey King punches the air

Onomatopoeia: Page 10; “Boom!” when the Monkey King kicks

Simile: Page 10; “fist-like-lightning”

Symbolism: Chin-Kee symbolizes the racist stereotype of a Chinese male

Book cover picture retrieved from: http://geneyang.com/american-born-chinese