Graphic Novels

I really became interested in graphic novels this past semester and I think they are a great way to get tweens and teens interested in reading. My mini-collection tries to pick from a wide variety of graphic novels to show what creativity authors have been coming up with. Feel free to click on the links throughout the page... they will take you to some fun and interesting places!

My first Foray into Podcasting

First off, I wanted to say that podcasting is super complicated... at least the way that I did it. I am impressed that there are people out there who do this on a daily basis.

Here are my podcasts in no particular order, just click on the link to go to the cast:

Cameron and His Dinosaurs by Scott Christian Sava.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.

Owly: The Way Home by Andy Runton.

Adam Wreck and the Kalosian Space Pirates by Michael S. Bracco.

Maus: A Survivors Tale by Art Spiegelman

Babymouse

"Babymouse: Our Hero" by Jennifer and Matthew Holm is about a young mouse named Babymouse who is afraid of facing the mean and excellent dodgeball playing cat, Felicia, in gym class. Babymouse has always been able to get out of dodgeball, but this year there is no escape. Her best friend, Wilson, a weasel, helps her practice, but she doesn't get any better and the day of the game she is still scared. However, when Wilson needs her help, Babymouse faces her fears and becomes a hero.

Hilarious. Clever. Imaginative. Endearing. How else can I praise this book? Tween girls would eat these up, and several of the boys as well. I love the black and white illustrations with pink as the one and only splash of color. Very fitting for Babymouse. The narrative bubbles are really, really funny. I loved how they are almost another character in the book. Babymouse's dialogue and quirks are also memorable and, you guessed it, really funny. I laughed out loud throughout the book. Also, the Babymouse character just seemed so genuine. Her plights are all very relatable--the desire to sleep in, missing the bus, forgetting your gym shoes, having an enemy, feeling dumb in class, wishing you could be somewhere else, avoiding chores--all kids experience these things. Babymouse makes those daily struggles and desires a little more conquerable, and a lot more funny. Two thumbs up, particularly for their target audience of tween girls.

Bond, James Bond.

"Silverfin: A James Bond Adventure" by Charlie Higson and Kev Walker tells the story of a teenage James Bond. After his parents are killed in a tragic mountain climbing accident, James is adopted by his loving aunt and uncle. He is sent off to school in England where he quickly becomes enemies with Randolf Hellebore. James and Randolf compete bitterly in school athletic competitions where James publicly humiliates Randolf. James then leaves for Scotland to spend time with his dying uncle. On the train he meets a boy named Red who is going to investigate the death of his cousin in the same town of James' relatives. It turns out Randolf lives in the same town in a castle on the loch. James and Red suspect the loch has something strange going on and they sneak into the castle to discover that Mr. Hellebore, Randolf's father, is trying to create genetically enhanced humans but is just making monsters out of people. James and Randolf team up to destroy the lab.

Silverfin had an exciting story that was filled with twists and turns throughout. The story was well told and the pictures did well to supplement the text. Many of the events of the book seemed forced, however, and it felt like there was just a bit too much coincidence bringing James and Randolf together. It seemed that whenever they wanted to get away from each other fate brought them to the same getaway. The character development, however, was exciting as Randolf came around to realize the villainy of his father. Overall, Silverfin was pretty entertaining.

Wow... that is cute.

"Owly: A Time to be Brave" written by Andy Runton tells about Owly, and owl, and his friends. The story begins with Owly telling a scary story about a dragon. Owly's friend, Wormy, is very frightened by the story. Owly suggests everyone go outside and play ball. Outside, Wormy sees a baby possum, who had been observing the friends play ball. Wormy mistakes the possum for a dragon and subsequently misses the ball, which flies into and breaks a sapling that wormy planted. Owly comes out and puts a protective fence around the tree. During the night the possum gets stuck in the fence while playing with the ball. Owly wants to help the possum but the possum is too scared. Wormy is less imposing than Owly and he musters up the courage to help the possum. They then become friends.

Owly is an interesting read because there are virtually no words. It is told almost completely in pictures. One would think that this style of storytelling would make for some quick reading. Not so! Phrases were expressed as pictures in word bubbles with arrows and exclamations. It was a very interesting and unique way of telling the story. I found myself having to really concentrate and study the expressions to fully understand what was going on. I found it refreshing. However, a tween might find it frustrating and bewildering. There were some parts of the book that even I couldn't quite understand. In any case, the story was whimsical and engaging and I found myself feeling like I really knew the characters, which is quite the accomplishment for the author.

The Storm in the Barn

"The Storm in the Barn" by Matt Phelan is set during the 1930s in the Dust Bowl. Jack Clark is our protagonist and he faces a host of challenges-- bullies, a disappointed and hard to please father, two sisters, one who is seriously ill from all the dust, and one who tends to go places she shouldn't be. But when Jack wanders into an abandoned barn and discovers a man who looks like rain, he must decide if he is strong enough to protect the people he loves and bring back the rain.

What a great mixing of genres. This book had historical fiction, folk lore, and adventure--all in a graphic novel format! And it did them all well. The showdown between the eerie Rain king and Jack was intense and creepy. The wordless panels in this section were well used as they increased the tension and drama of the fight. However, this same ploy didn't work so well elsewhere. There were times where I thought, "This is the third time in a row he's used that picture and I'm not sure why." That is a small complaint compared to the praise I have for this book, though. The pictures captured perfectly the dry, dusty setting of the dust bowl and the down trodden nature of those who lived there. The self discovery and redemption of Jack in the end was very satisfying and the journey to the end was both poignant and exciting. I would especially recommend to boys. See the trailer here! I didn't make this trailer, so the recognition goes to the author.

The Worst Graphic Novel Ever!

"Into the Volcano" by Don Wood follows brothers Sumo and Duffy as they are taken suddenly from school and shipped off to an island to stay with an aunt they've never met while their mother is doing research in another country and their father is called away on business. What is supposed to be a "culturally rewarding experience" turns into a dangerous fight for their lives as the brothers battle nature, their family members who are not what they seem, and their own weaknesses and fears.

I didn't get this book. I didn't get the story, I didn't think it was very interesting, I didn't care for any of the characters, and the illustrations were not my taste. But I must be the exception because I only found very positive reviews, both for the story and the drawings. Although I didn't love the drawings, I was able to see how they might appeal to others; however, the story just plain didn't make sense at times. I kept thinking everything would be explained and it would be as awesome as everyone said it was, but the ending just confused me more. I was impressed with the idea of setting the adventure inside an erupting volcano and I think the volcanology terms and explanations were correct, so you could probably learn some interesting facts about volcanoes and the people that study them. However, these things didn't make it worth my while, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, let alone a tween. You may find this video more interesting than the book.

The Erratic Journey

"Journey to the Center of the Earth", originally written by Jules Verne, was retold by Davis Miller and Katherine Brevard. Otto, Axel and Hans embark on a journey to the center of the earth, following the path of one Arne Saknussemm. They find the entrance to the cave and begin a trek downward. They encounter several challenges including no water, large (thought to be extinct) predatory animals, Amazing cyclones, lightning storms, and 10 foot prehistoric cattle-herding men just to name a few. They travel hundreds of miles to finally be launched out of a volcano 300 miles away from the volcano they started in.

I was interested in seeing how well this book would be retold in graphic novel form. The story was engaging and exciting, but it was told in a very rushed manner. There were no smooth transitions between finding out how to journey to the center of the earth and then journeying there. The book almost seemed composed of mini stories placed end to end and tied together with a string. I believe the most serious flaw of many graphic novels is the idea that the pictures tell what the words don't. Unfortunately, this book feels like something is missing in every stage of the story. Even though I didn't really enjoy this retelling, it is very possible that the exciting pictures and quick progression of the story could get some otherwise uninterested tweens excited about a literary classic.

Let Down Your Hair... and Kick Some Butt!

"Rapunzel's Revenge" by Shannon and Dean Hale is based off the famous fairy tale, Rapunzel. Rapunzel finds out the woman she believed to be her mother, Mother Gothel, is actually an evil dictator who controls the growth of all vegetation for miles and miles. Rapunzel was stolen from her real parents as a young girl and her mother forced to work in the mines. Once Rapunzel finds out the truth, Mother Gothel locks her in the top of a tall tree tower. Rapunzel's Revenge follows Rapunzel as she fights for her freedom, her mother's freedom, and the freedom of all those who live under Mother Gothel's evil rule.

The Hale's are from Utah and people here love them, so I had heard a lot of hype about this book. I think it lived up to the hype. The Hale's dialogue is snappy and funny, and I appreciated that the story was clear cut and coherent. I have read some graphic novels where the storyline seemed convoluted and secondary to the pictures. Not the case with Rapunzel's Revenge, and Nathan Hale does a terrific job with the illustrations. Also, Rapunzel is such a great heroine. She doesn't rely on others to save her, she saves herself. She is kind, honest, and loyal. And funny! I also loved Rapunzel's sidekick, Jack, of Jack and the Beanstalk fame. The camaraderie that grows between Jack and Rapunzel is pretty terrific, and Rapunzel's pluck and moral courage bring out the best in Jack. Fun read for both boys and girls. Here is a creative book trailer created by Gaijr.

Do You Dare? Alison Does...

"Alison Dare: The Heart of the Maiden" by J. Torres and J. Bone is about Alison and her two friend's experience in catholic school. Alison's mom is a famous archeologist who is often called in to provide "expert opinion". Alison, who has an indomitable adventurous spirit, tells her class mates in class of the fantastic adventure she had with her mother over the summer. It turns out the tale is true, but exaggerated a bit. After class, Alison and her friends then notice some nuns disappearing behind a statue and follow them to find a secret hidden chamber where the nuns are discussing a powerful relic called the Heart of the Maiden. It seems all sorts of nefarious groups are looking for the Heart and the nuns are stewards overseeing its protection and the protection of a map that leads to the Heart. Alison and her friends are often right in the midst of the nuns and the nefarious groups, and after the nuns successfully apprehend the bad guys, they use a special sleeping gas on Alison and her friends. This happens multiple times. Eventually, Alison's keen perceptions lead everyone to the map.

The story is fun and interesting. I found myself enjoying the progressions of the plot but being confused a lot of the time. The start of the book tells about how Alison super-exaggerated a story. We then go on the rest of the book where some pretty fantastic things are happening. Are these things exaggerations too? Are we experiencing this story from Alison's narrative? I just wasn't sure. The dialogue also seemed very fragmented and hard to follow. Aside from this confusion, the book as a lot of fun.

Holy Cow!

The second book in the Bone series by Jeff Smith, "The Great Cow Race"carries on the saga of the Bone cousins, Smiley Bone (clueless), Fone (smart and honest), and Phoney (lying schemer) after they've been kicked out of Boneville. They've found their way to a valley where Fone is living with Grandma Ben and her grandaughter, Thorn, who Fone has a crush on. Phoney and Smiley are working for Lucius, the village Bartender, because of bad behavior, but are far from reformed--they're too busy trying to con the whole village out of their life savings by setting up a betting racket for the big cow race. The Bone cousins are also being chased by rat creatures, although they have yet to figure out why, and Thorn has a mysterious past that she is slowly starting to remember that might be the answer to everything.

This has a little something for everyone. There is humor galore, some more sophisticated, but definitely humor kids can appreciate, too. Although the Bones aren't human, their plights are very relatable. Fone's crush on Thorn and his desire for her to know, coupled with his insecurity about his looks are something that most kids (and adults) feel at some point. There can also be a moral of sorts taken from the Phoney and Smiley storyline, that cheaters never prosper, although I'm not sure kids would just think of this on their own. Overall, a fun, engaging read for tweens...and their parents!

Frankie Pickle

"Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000" by Eric Wight. Frankie Pickle is a kid with an overactive imagination. He is a member of the possum scouts and this scout meeting they were passing off knots. Unfortunately Frankie did not pass off the knot like he was supposed to and did not get enough possum points, or awesome points as Frankie puts it, to advance in rank with the rest of his troop. Frankie desperately wants to advance with everyone else and realizes that if he wins the Pun Run 3000 that weekend he can get enough points to advance. His dad offers to help him build a car, but Frankie wants to do it alone. The car Frankie made is destroyed in a race at school and Frankie then asks his dad for help after Frankie learns his dad was a Pine Run 3000 champion himself. Frankie and his dad make an awesome car and he races in the Pine Run 300 to win his points.

Frankie Pickle is a lot like I was as a kid, always off in another world. I really enjoyed how Wight seamlessly transitioned from reality to the imaginative world as Frankie was seeing it. The graphic aspect of the book was excellent which conveyed some rather hilarious scenes, especially the one where Frankie's car is destroyed. The story, although simple and somewhat predictable, gives a good lesson about doing things right the first time. Overall it is a very well written book.