Graphic novels are real books.
I am doing a graphic novel read-a-thon challenge for this month. I have been unpacking some brand new books and I saved a stack of graphic novels for myself to read. I will be sharing these books with you as I read them.
I am doing this challenge because I have not been making reading graphic novels a priority in my professional reading. My sense was that kids are reading them already and so I don't need to promote them as much with a book talk. However, I noticed that graphic novels were huge winners in the recent American Library Youth Awards last month and the award committees are solidly supporting graphic novels as "real books". It is worth my while to intensify my support for this format of books with some dedication to reading and reviewing them.
In reading a graphic novel, you will find that you can easily read some in as little as a half-hour. Most of the middle-grade books I have picked up take me about an hour or more to read. You can't speed read because there are a lot of pictures to look at and "read". Sometimes I will go over a page several times as I try to understand what is going on and what each scene means to the story line. Take your time and slow down as you look at the pictures. They are essential to the flow of the plot as you make inferences about each graphic box; especially the ones without words. This type of reading is different from all text and you may find yourself a little confused if you just rush through the book and just read the words. It may feel strange...but keep reading and you should begin to find a rhythm.
In reading a graphic novel, you will find that you can easily read some in as little as a half-hour. Most of the middle-grade books I have picked up take me about an hour or more to read. You can't speed read because there are a lot of pictures to look at and "read". Sometimes I will go over a page several times as I try to understand what is going on and what each scene means to the story line. Take your time and slow down as you look at the pictures. They are essential to the flow of the plot as you make inferences about each graphic box; especially the ones without words. This type of reading is different from all text and you may find yourself a little confused if you just rush through the book and just read the words. It may feel strange...but keep reading and you should begin to find a rhythm.
First up is the book Sheets by Brenna Thummler. She is both the writer and the illustrator of this graphic novel. It is about a 13-year-old girl named Marjorie who is holding her family together while her father deals with depression and her mother's death. Marjorie is also trying to keep the laundromat business going as well as going to school and feeling at a loss herself. A villain character tries to con the business from Marjorie's family and resorts to sabotage to get it done. Meanwhile, a young ghost who isn't happy about settling into a typical ghost routine comes to the laundromat at night and manages to leave signs of his presence. He has to keep his "sheet" clean and finds the laundromat a good place to land. It turns out that the ghost and Marjorie need each other.
This book deals with some sad themes such as depression, grief, feelings of hopelessness, abandonment, and money problems. The ghosts are cute and friendly and look like Casper and not really creepy. There are some moments of humor and levity in the story but I would not classify this book as humor. It is a mash-up of realistic fiction and fantasy.
I rate this book a 3 out of 4. I liked it, but it was a sad story. Slow down and look at the pages carefully as you figure out the plot of the book.
This book deals with some sad themes such as depression, grief, feelings of hopelessness, abandonment, and money problems. The ghosts are cute and friendly and look like Casper and not really creepy. There are some moments of humor and levity in the story but I would not classify this book as humor. It is a mash-up of realistic fiction and fantasy.
I rate this book a 3 out of 4. I liked it, but it was a sad story. Slow down and look at the pages carefully as you figure out the plot of the book.
- Age Range: 9 and up
- Grade Level: 4 - 7
- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Oni Press (August 28, 2018)
I didn't read Anne until I was an adult and adored it and read the entire series. When the new graphic novel came out which is written by Mariah Marsden and illustrated by Brenna Thummler, I heard it was terrific. I was doubtful because I wasn't sure if the story would really translate well into graphics. So, I read the book. I loved it....and I laughed and cried. Another teacher read the book after my recommendation and felt the same. The true test was giving the book to a teacher who hadn't read the book. Unfortunately, it fell flat for her. She had a hard time figuring out the characters and didn't feel all of the emotions that I experienced. I suspect that this graphic novel is best read by someone who has already read the novel.
If you are a reluctant graphic novel reader. Try reading a book that has been made into a graphic novel that you are familiar with. See what kind of experience it is and how it compares with a book without graphics.
I rate this book a 4 out of 4. I really liked it and the graphics were wonderful, especially the fall scenery. It was nice to reread "Anne" without the time commitment of the entire novel.
I rate this book a 4 out of 4. I really liked it and the graphics were wonderful, especially the fall scenery. It was nice to reread "Anne" without the time commitment of the entire novel.
- Age Range: 8 - 11 years
- Grade Level: 2 - 6
- Hardcover: 234 pages
- Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (October 24, 2017)
No comments:
Post a Comment