a. Audience for whom the book is written
b. Audience to whom it will appeal (might differ from a.)
c. Particular strengths of the book
d. Particular weaknesses of the book
e. Any special considerations (artwork, curriculum links, community values, beliefs espoused, etc)
f. And, in the School Library Journal’s format: Your verdict, supported with details
No plot summaries and no spoilers please. Failure to follow that rule will result in revocation of your authoring rights, guaranteed!!
A Fire Story, by Brian Fies
ReplyDeleteAudience. This graphic memoir originated as an online webcomic that Fies drew quickly with Sharpies to document the destruction of his family’s home and neighborhood immediately after the October 2017 wildfires in Northern California. Fies is a journalist and freelance writer, so his initial intention may have been to document his experiences and share them as news.
Appeal. The original webcomic went viral. The appeal for the highly personal, gut wrenching story about losing a home—and the over 6,000 other homes that were destroyed in the fires—is indeed very wide. The expanded version, this graphic memoir, of A Fire Story was released in March 2019, and includes the stories of his neighbors and the psychological impacts of losing everything you could not quickly shove in the back of your car before fleeing on the congested roads. Weather-related disasters are becoming more common so there is appeal for grade 8 through adults.
Strengths. The first words read, “On Monday, my house disappeared.” The portrayal of the wildfire destruction via a two/three color graphic format is a strength. A wordless panel with the charred remains of a house speaks volumes. Readers will appreciate the way the author and his wife traverse this tragedy—and eventually rebuild—together. Other strengths include the interruption of the main narrative with detailed stories of community members’ fire stories, commentary on how the firestorm “sliced through strata of class like a scalpel,” the FEMA and EPA responses, showing real people trying to reestablish their lives and identity, and the frustrating arbitrariness of the flames’ destructive power—100 yards makes a big difference. There is rebuilding, but not before the stages of grief and loss play out.
Weaknesses. Few come to mind. The fire stories of the community members do interrupt the main narrative, but they also add context and humanity to the disaster. Readers could skip these and then return to them later for more first-hand accounts of the effects of the devastation.
Special Considerations. The graphic panels add emotional realism to the tragedy. Fies is showing a natural disaster and how the responses to them are often not commensurate with the level of destruction, displacement, or human needs. There are no explicit scenes, and only a few panels with the F-word when the author sees the remains of his house and neighborhood. An afterword includes the original webcomic and a summary of events leading up to the publishing of this graphic memoir.
Verdict: Get it for your high school library and encourage interdisciplinary minded science, art, and language arts teachers to use it as a primary source. —Kendrick Davies, Library Media Specialist Candidate, Earle Brown Elementary STEAM, MN.
This sounds like a very interesting and engaging book. Thanks for sharing with everyone Kendrick! I'm including the Amazon link here in case anyone wants to look at the pictures: https://smile.amazon.com/Fire-Story-Brian-Fies/dp/1419735853/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=A+Fire+Story%2C+by+Brian+Fies&qid=1581633910&sr=8-1
ReplyDeleteA Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle
ReplyDeletea. This book is intended for ages 10 to 14.
b. I think that those in grades 4-8 would enjoy this book as well as any reader who enjoys fantasy and science fiction books.
c. Strengths - The graphic novel is beautifully illustrated and students who would not normally pick up this book might enjoy the graphic novel version. The ordinary characters are called upon to do brave, incredible things. The idea that parents can’t solve everything is something young adults are beginning to realize in their lives as well. Meg is relatable to young adults because she is misunderstood, awkward, and figuring out who she is as a person.
d. Weaknesses - The text is very similar to the original and some language or parts of the story could have been updated to be more relatable to young adults today. The parts of tessering are captured well in the graphic novel, but I think that the general creepiness of Camazotz and IT could have been better depicted in the graphic novel.
e. Special Considerations - There have been multiple movies of this book and readers might enjoy seeing the 2018 version and seeing differences between the book and movie. This book might also lend itself to good discussion about conformity and individuality. The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings would also be interesting to compare how the authors use religion in their stories.
f. Verdict - This version of the A Wrinkle in Time would be a good fit for those looking to add graphic novels to their collections at the elementary and middle school libraries. Many adults might prefer the original quintet, but this graphic novel would introduce the story to a new generation of readers in a new way.
I read the graphic novel of A Wrinkle in Time and thought it made the story accessible to today's reader. A child could consume the entire story in a few hours. Yes, much of the original language is used, but I thought the pictures were helpful in illustrating meaning.
ReplyDeleteBrazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu
ReplyDeletea. Audience for whom the book is written: gr 9-12
b. Audience to whom it will appeal: gr 7 and up to adults.
c. Particular strengths of the book: covers the stories of 29 amazing women in history. Some more well-known then others. Artwork is beautiful. Women have a variety of backgrounds and careers. Learn a lot about them in about 6 pages each.
d. Particular weaknesses of the book. The reader only gets 6 pages about each woman, it would be nice to get more of some of the stories.
e. Any special considerations (artwork, curriculum links, community values, beliefs espoused, etc). Totally a "girl power" book! Very empowering.
f. And, in the School Library Journal’s format: Your verdict, supported with details. This empowering book is a must-have for any middle school or high school library as it is a unique biographical format.
Sounds like a great book for Women's History Month!
DeleteThis One Summer by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki
ReplyDeleteAudience: This One Summer is a graphic novel by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki. The main character, Rose, is spending the summer at a cottage with her parents. She is too old for “kid stuff” but too young to hang out with the teenagers in town. I believe the intended audience is in the 13 to 16 year old range.
Appeal: This story contains bad language, drinking, and talk about sex. I think it would appeal to students that haven’t had direct experience with those topics, but are curious about them. It may also offend some students and their parents.
Strengths: The art work in this book is amazing. It is impressive how well it captures the day-to-day experience of vacation, especially in a summer cottage. It reminded me of many “up north” experiences I had as a child in Minnesota. It also captures that feeling of “in-betweenness,” when the things we did as kids are not quite as interesting and the behavior of older kids (sex, drinking, etc) is foreign to us.
Weaknesses: The language and behavior is a bit shocking to see in a young adult book. In graphic novel format, there isn’t much interpretation or evaluation of what is happening in Rose’s world either. I think certain students (and their parents) would be upset by the content.
Special Considerations: Caldecott Honor, Printz Honor, Eisner Award
Verdict: This is an honest and challenging book about growing up. It is worth having in secondary libraries, with a recommendation for eighth grade and up.
This book was a challenge for many elementary media specialist who religiously purchase all Caldecott Honor books annually sight unseen. This book is clearly for older audiences, so many professionals had to reflect on their selection criteria.
DeleteKristy’s Big Day (The Baby-Sitters Club Graphic #6) by Ann M. Martin
ReplyDeletea. The grades for this series are 3-7th.
b. I think that this would appeal to the lower end of that range, they are really easy to read, and some older students might be bored by that. However, the characters are in middle school so students can relate.
c. I think that these are realistic looks because of lot of people in this age range are babysitters or have babysitters. This is also a series that has ben around for a while and have been turned into graphic novels. I think they are a light easy read and I really enjoy the illustrations. As someone who read these books when I was younger, the illustrations were how I imagined the characters and scenarios would look.
d. It is a fairly short book so I think students would fly through them, I think your students would have to have a couple of different graphic novels from the series if your students enjoy them.
e. I really like the illustrations in the book. This is particular one is about one of the members moms remarrying and getting step siblings. I think this would be a good book for students going through similar situations.
f. I think that multiple books from this series would be great for an older elementary school / middle school media center. Students will enjoy the lightheartedness and will most likely identify with one of the main characters.
I could never keep any of the books in this series on the shelf! I was always hoping these could be a bridge to the original chapter books; my experience is that the graphic novel has an appeal all its own.
ReplyDeletePrimates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikas by Jim Ottaviani and Maris Wicks
ReplyDeleteAudience: According to Amazon.com, this book is intended for ages 12-18. Although this book is common place at elementary through high school libraries and book fairs. This book is appealing to a younger audience including upper elementary up to older high school students. Some of the content is a little mature, such as dealing with poachers, so parents may need to be cautious with younger readers.
Strengths: A strength in this book is showcasing the groundbreaking careers of three revolutionary female scientists. This book shows the struggle that women in science have faced while facing sexism and chauvinism. The women in this book triumph over naysayers and become noteworthy people in history. Another strength is using the more well known scientists of Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey to introduce readers to the lesser known Birute Galdikas.
Weaknesses: Some of the narrative in the book can get a bit confusing. There are multiple voices who all speak in first person. There were some pages I had to reread when I lost track of which character was narrating. The author also took liberty with some historic facts and glossed over others. Louis Leaky was portrayed in a better light than other first hand accounts by women who worked with him. These weaknesses where overcome by the stronger story of triumph and discovery.
Special Considerations: The artwork by Maris Wicks is intriguing and the cartoon style is accessible to new fans of graphic novels. There is a strong theme of feminism and environmental stewardship throughout this book. This book could also easily be tied to science and social studies curriculum with its ties to environmental science, ecology, feminism and social justice. It could also be used while learning about biographies in an ELA class.
Verdict: Get this book for your middle and high school libraries. Its ties to science, ELA and social studies curriculum make it a must have book for your collection.
I think it's good to teach kids of all ages about the work of Jane Goodall. Great messages about women in science, nature, and conservation.
DeleteNimona by Noelle Stevenson
ReplyDeletea. This book is recommended for grades 7 and up.
b. This book would appeal to middle school students, high school students, and adults. It would appeal to readers who like fantasy or action graphic novels.
c. Strengths: This book is visually engaging with a lot of detail in every panel. The narrative moves quickly, keeping the reader engaged. There is a little bit of mystery as to where Nimona came from that will leave readers guessing throughout the story. It is told from the point of view of the villains of the story and gives a new perspective to classic hero tales.
d. Weaknesses: While the visuals are engaging, the actual text is a very small font. This may make it more challenging for striving readers or those with visual impairments.
e. Special Considerations: This graphic novel was originally a web series, so it is broken down into shorter episodes, allowing readers to easily read it in shorter sessions, something that’s difficult with many graphic novels.
f. Verdict: This engaging graphic novel leads the reader on an unexpected journey and is a must for any middle or high school library.
You make a good point about the font being small. I do think font size is something to take into consideration when selecting a book.
ReplyDeleteThey Called Us Enemy by George Takei
ReplyDeletea. Audience: This book would be recommended for students in grade 7 and higher.
b. Appeal: This book appeals to anyone wanting to know more about the Asian-American historical experience, told by a famous actor who lived it when he was a child. This would also be a great entry level graphic novel for adults who may not view the genre as viable.
c. Strengths: Takei's writing style is incredibly logical and natural. He is able to take a critical look at his own relationships, particularly with his father as it relates to their entire internment experience. You get the full depth and breadth of the experience through the eyes of a child, one who went on to develop an incredible platform for advocacy.
d. Weaknesses: There were very few. The fact that this book is a graphic novel tackling a tough subject may give it less gravity for older readers.
e. Special Considerations: This book contains history that is not always included in history books, and providing some scaffolding would likely be a positive way of introducing something that students may have never heard of. New York Times Best Seller
f. Verdict: Takei's storytelling ability shines through in this graphic novel detailing the United States policy during World War Two of imprisoning 120,000 Japanese Americans. This book is a must stock for all middle and high school libraries.