IN THE CLASSROOM THIS WEEK

From the Editor

Funny how first-year teaching really zaps it out of you. I haven’t had time to read comics too much since August. Writing lesson plans and sleeping have taken over, but I accept that fact and embrace it. It’s just that I miss reading my comics. I do, however, really enjoy watching the fourth graders enjoy reading so much. In fact, I’ve had a handful of new kids request to join the club in the last week. Several of them are girls, which I find wonderful.

On Monday the HALL OF HEROES comic book club at Mathews Elementary in Nixa, MO will convene. School was closed last Monday and I really missed seeing the kids. This week we are creating our own superhero personas. The question posed to kids (via my Facebook page and word-of-mouth) is this: If you were a superhero who would you be? Would you have super powers, gadgets, sidekicks? What would your costume look like? What would you do? How would you change the world? Where would you live? Who would be your enemy? (Actually, I just thought of the last question and will have to post on my Facebook page and present to the kids on Monday.)

Here are the titles that came in this week. Pay special attention to my favorite samurai rabbit, Usagi Yojimbo and the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid parody by Tales from the Crypt.

• Ball Peen Hammer
• Tales from the Crypt: Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid
• The Eternal Smile
• Iron Man Armor Wars #4 (of 6)
• The Marvelous Land of OZ #1 (of 8)
• Sky Pirates of Neo Terra #2 (of 5)
• Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai

MOTHER TO SON/HARLEM NIGHT SONG

 

By Kevin Hodgson
Staff Writer

 

STORY REVIEW
Poetry, with its use of imagery and word choice, is an interesting twist to the graphic novel format and this collection of two of Langston Hughes' poems – MOTHER TO SON and HARLEM NIGHT SONG – offer up a wonderful convergence of reader interpretation and the deep rhythm of Hughes' poetic voice. Put out by Scholastic and Rubicon Publishing, this book is part of a graphic poetry collection I think can have real value to the classroom. (Although the editors wisely note: "... we made many choices interpreting the poet's original language and ideas. Our hope is that these graphic poems will get you to see poetry – literally and figuratively – in a whole new way.")

The two poems in this particular book are quite different, although both capture Hughes' focus of Harlem, NY, as a teeming community of life, energy and hope. In the first poem, MOTHER TO SON, a working mother chides her son to keep pushing himself for a better life through education, reminding him that "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair." And the mother forcefully tells him: "So boy, don't you turn back!" The other poem, HARLEM NIGHT SONG, is of a different tenor altogether as Hughes seeks to capture the energy, music and vitality of Harlem, repeating the refrain "I love you" throughout the stanzas.

ART REVIEW
The artwork here by Martin Wittfoot is a nice match to the poetry of Langston Hughes, alternating between the serious and emotional voice in MOTHER TO SON and the playfulness with HARLEM NIGHT SONG. We see the pain of life and hardship on the mother's face as she talks to her son in the first and the reader is brought up on a rooftop tour of buildings in Harlem in the second. The images are colorful and meaningful.

 

IN THE CLASSROOM
This book is designed for the classroom and it has more than just the graphic poems here. The editors have thoughtfully included the two poems on their own, too, so that the reader can experience the poem as a graphic reading and by itself. The back of this book also has an overview of Langston Hughes' style of poetry and expands into his use of diction and tone for MOTHER TO SON, even pointing to pages to show examples of these terms.

Finally, there are a few follow-up activities for the reader, focusing the attention on the writing of a poem (suggesting the reader write a poem back to their own mother, for example). There is also a wonderful biography of Langston Hughes. Taken together, this one small book provides an entry into the world of Langston Hughes on many levels.

 

MORE INFORMATION
Format: Paperback

Pages: 48
Publisher: Rubricon Publishing and Scholastic Books
ISBN: 978-1-55448-724-0

MY RECOMMENDATION
This book is highly appropriate for students in elementary through high school classrooms, particularly as an introduction to Langston Hughes. I would highly recommend this book for any classroom poetry collection. There is no profanity or violence in this poetry book.

BUZZ BEAKER BRAINSTORM: BILLIONS OF BATS

By Larry Litle
Contributing Writer

Author: Scott Nickel
Illustrator: Andy J. Smith
Publisher: Stone Arch Books

Genre: Science fiction
Format: Library binding
Pages: 33
Color: Full color
ISBN-10: 1-59889-313-0
ISBN-13: 978-1-59889-313-7

Guided Reading Level: L

Lexile: GN 390L

ATOS Level: 2.3

AR Quiz No.: 112355

Dewey: 741.5


STORY SYNOPSIS
Buzz Beaker is the smartest kid in school; he is brilliant when it comes to science. Then Sarah Bellum, certified girl genius, starts school with Buzz and continues to show him up in academics. She even beats him at Dodge Ball. Sarah creates a Cosmic Copier that can make an exact duplicate of anything placed inside. When she tries to make a copy of Bobo, her pet Bat, it accidentally makes numerous copies. Sarah and Buzz have to work together to fix the problem of billions of bats.


STORY REVIEW

This story is a wonderful way to demonstrate how we have to deal with change. Buzz prides himself on his grades and intellect, but finds himself learning to deal with someone smarter getting all the attention. He feels the jealously that comes from someone doing something better and it is a tough life lesson.

My daughter enjoyed the story saying it was very funny. She also appreciated that Sarah was smarter than Buzz.

 

ART REVIEW
The illustrators by Andy J. Smith are very kid-friendly, fun and help the story move along.

 

AGE RECOMMENDATION
My Rating: Ages 7 to 10
Publisher’s Rating: Ages 8 to 10
 

IN THE CLASSROOM
This is a great story for the classroom of second to fourth graders. It helps kids think about change and what makes them special. It can also be used to help a class deal with a new kid in the class.

This story has a Reader’s Theater along with a teacher’s version. This allows it to be read allowed in class and discussed afterwards. The book does have questions at the end of the story and offers readers ideas to contemplate. It also has writing prompts and Internet sites.

MY RECOMMENDATION:
I highly recommend this book for grades 2-4.

ALL-ACTION CLASSICS: DRACULA

 

By Tracy Edmunds
Staff Writer

Original Author: Bram Stoker
Writer: Michael Mucci
Illustrator: Ben Caldwell
Colorist: Bill Halliar
Publisher: Sterling
Genre: Horror

Format: Softcover
Pages: 128
Color: Full color
ISBN-13: 978-1402731525


STORY SYNOPSIS
A graphic adaptation of the iconic novel by Bram Stoker featuring the familiar tale of Jonathan Harker’s strange journey to the castle of Count Dracula and the evil doings of the Count in England.

REVIEW
ALL-ACTION CLASSICS: DRACULA is a wonderful adaptation that will surely appeal to younger readers. I know many kids find the original novel daunting because of the archaic language, but through the use of the comic medium, where art and text share the storytelling, this classic literature becomes accessible to a wider audience. There’s nothing new or clever in Mucci and Caldwell’s use of the medium, which is a good thing in this case. The simple panel layouts,;clear, easy-to-follow text placement; and careful combination of pictures with words all work in service of the story and result in  an engrossing read.

The art is not as gothic and gloomy as many adaptations; it’s more colorful and, as the title suggests,  action-packed. It reads like an animated cartoon and I found myself marveling at Halliar’s colors – I have never thought of Dracula as a colorful story, but his reds and blues and purples and yellows are perfectly suited to the tale and help to turn up the volume of the story.

This is a character-driven story and Caldwell has created memorable visual representations of the classic Dracula characters. I particularly liked his dapper Dr. Seward, the Twain-esque American Quincy Morris, the deadly beautiful Brides, and Dracula himself, who looks nothing like Bela Lugosi. The violence and bloodshed are kept to a minimum visually, but of course, it’s a horror story, so sensitive readers may find it difficult.


AGE RECOMMENDATION
Tracy’s Rating: Ages 10 and up
Publisher’s rating: Ages 10 - 14


IN THE CLASSROOM
This is a great introduction to the original that will hook younger readers immediately. After reading this version, it would be great to read the original and then compare and contrast. Which parts of the novel did the writer of the All-Action version choose to include or omit and why? Where did the writer and illustrator allow the pictures to convey information in place of text? You could have students choose a single page or panel of this graphic novel and match it to the page or pages of text from which it was adapted. The novel is presented as a series of diary entries and letters. Students could discuss how the graphic adaptation varies from this format and how each version might affect the reader.


TRACY’S RECOMMENDATION
Highly Recommended 

IN THE CLASSROOM THIS WEEK & LAST

From the Editor

You are correct. I did miss my deadline last week, neglecting to publish so much as a “not this week” post. I was terribly sick last weekend and had little time for rest as our schedule was jam-packed. I offer my humblest of apologies.

To make up, I am posting early this week and adding an extra review. I can only hope all is forgotten.

Scary Day is almost upon us. Our annual horror fest is finished with this series of posts. We will get back to other genres next week. I hope you enjoyed fright fest with The Graphic Classroom, and please remember that the horror genre is very popular in school libraries.

Here is the list of titles that came into the Classroom this week (and last):

• Batman: The Brave and the Bold #10  
• Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! #9  
• Female Force TPB  
• Kit Feeney: On the Move
• Kit Feeny: The Ugly Necklace
• Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers hardcover
• The Lone Ranger & Tonto #3
• Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #56
• The Mice Templar: Destiny #4
• Muppet Peter Pan #2
• Red Ted and the Lost Things
• Sonic Universe #9
• The Stand: Soul Survivors #1 (of 5)
• Tiny Titans #21

DUNGEON: MONSTRES VOL. 2 (THE DARK LORD)

By Chris Wilson
Editor-in-Geek


REVIEW 

Periodically, I run into a book that has a strange dichotomy being either questionable or unsuitable for the classroom on one hand, and at the same time diabolically enjoyable on the other. For me DUNGEON is one of those strange books. It has enough questionable material (cursing, violence, sorcery and sex or brief sexual situations) to make a classroom recommendation difficult if not painful.

DUNGEON, at least the volume I read, was one of those books that slowly punctured my side with its dragon claws, clasped onto my ribs and held tight. By the end of the book, I was sad to see the story end. In fact, I was eyeing the other volume sent to me (DUNGEON: ZENITH VOL. 3, BACK IN STYLE) and contemplating if I had the time to spare to read it, too. The large queue of books to review sitting on my shelf ultimately won out. Dang. I’ll come back to this book in a future review.

Fans of fantasy and parody will delight in the swashbuckling swordplay and sorcery, map hunting, world-saving, planet-exploding nature of the DUNGEON universe. But teachers must take care to ensure that DUNGEON is appropriate for their classroom, school and community. The cursing is pretty mild by today’s standards (butt, crap, hell, damn, damned, dammit, and the ever-clever damn crap).

On page 24 Nicole the cat tells Marvin that they are sleeping together and the jealous Zakutu, asks Marvin if her encounter with him was simply a one-night stand. On page 26, one panel depicts Marvin and Nicole in bed together. Of course, there is all manner of sorcery and magic to contend with. There is also some level of sword-stabbing and throat-opening violence. It’s mild, along with the cursing, but it is present. The mixture of violence, magic, brief sexual scenarios and light profanity make for a straight-from-the-oven loaf of hot controversy in many communities.

On the other hand, I can see some out-of-the-mainstream middle school and high school students latching onto DUNGEON and holding on for dear life, laughing and cheering their way through the entire series. Why not? DUNGEON is absurd and fantastic and an all around hoot while still offering a literary journey.

Teachers could make use of DUNGEON, especially to hook those fringe students with a clever wit and desire for serious action-adventure. The series is inspiring; it makes me want to write. How engaging would it be for students to read the series then write their own epic poem about one of the many characters in the DUNGEON mythos. A student-created poem about a character would link back to our canon and the classic poems of Homer and others. Using modern comics to connect to the classics – it doesn’t get any better than that.

CHRIS' RECOMMENDATIONS
My Suggested Age Recommendation: High School
My Overall Recommendation: Highly Recommended with Strong Reservations


OTHER INFORMATION:
Authors: Joann Sfar and Louis Trondheim
Guest Illustrator (chapter 1): Andreas
Guest Illustrator (chapter 2): Stéphane Blanquet
Publisher: NBM
Genre: Fantasy

Format: Softcover
Volume: 2
Pages: 96
Color: Color
ISBN-10: 1-56163-540-5
ISBN-13: 978-1-56163-540-5


There are numerous other titles in this series originally published in French. The DUNGEON books translated into English include:

Dungeon: Zenith Vol. 1 (Duck Heart)
Dungeon: Zenith Vol. 2 (The Barbarian Princess)
Dungeon: Zenith Vol. 3 (Back in Style)
Dungeon: Parade Vol. 1 (A Dungeon Too Many)
Dungeon: Parade Vol. 2 (Day of the Toads)
Dungeon: The Early Years Vol. 1 (The Night Shirt) nominated for an Eisner Award
Dungeon: Twilight Vol. 1 (Dragon Cemetery)
Dungeon: Twilight Vol. 2 (Armageddon)
Dungeon: Monstres Vol. 1 (The Crying Giant)

THE STAND

By Chris Wilson
Editor-in-Geek


Original Author: Stephen King
Adaptation: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Pencils & Inks: Mike Perkins
Colors: Laura Martin
Lettering: Chris Eliopoulos
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Genre: Horror

Format: Comic
Issues: Captain Trips #1-#5; American Nightmares #1-#4
Color: Full color

STORY SYNOPSIS
THE STAND is a heavy-duty apocalyptic story of a horrific, military-engineered airborne virus that gets released by mistake and infects 99.6 percent of the population. Death comes within four days or so and there is no treatment, no cure, no inoculations.

The government, with an iron fist and loaded gun, takes over all media outlets – newspaper, radio and television – working hard to cover, conceal and contain before widespread panic ensues. Facilities run by the military and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) get infected, too, leaving no scientists to engineer a cure even if there was such a possibility.

The few immune survivors set out on their individual paths to find safety and company and to make sense of the chaotic new world. All the while a stranger, the faceless malevolent beast Randall Flagg, is making his way through the carnage in preparation for his rebirth.

REVIEW
I knew going in that it would be hard, if not impossible, to recommend the comic adaptation of Stephen King’s THE STAND for elementary or secondary students. Something about it coming from King and the fact that it carries a parental advisory on the front of every issue indicated that my efforts might just be a bit futile as far as a  review was concerned.

That’s okay. I accepted that fact.

I didn’t read THE STAND for students as much as I read it for myself. I wanted to read it; I have been collecting the issues since September 2008 and for many people King is the supreme chancellor of horror fiction.

So I offer to you this strangle little review that is more for my own benefit, for my own desire to read, from my own beliefs of comic literature as the catalyst that creates life long readers. I hope you find it less of a review and more of an homage to the great art form that is comics.

THE STAND is apropos as many worldwide governments are fighting and preparing for the pandemic viral H1N1 flu, better known as the Swine Flu. The reality of that flu adds to the authenticity of the story and underscores the stomach-punched feeling of dread that occured as I read the Aguirre-Sacasa/Perkins/Martin comic adaptation.

It’s downright scary to think that King’s story (or parts of it at least) could come alive in the 21st century. The first two story arcs are focused on the real-life biohazard with little emphasis on the transcendental character of Flagg. While the paranormal aspect has barely begun, it is clear Flagg brings nothing but death with him.

How will the characters respond? What path will they choose? Most have weaknesses, some more than others and Flagg is certainly prepared to exploit those character flaws. This story will undoubtedly end in a day of reckoning between good and evil. But themes such as individual versus society, as well as redemption, destiny, and religion will appear.

THE STAND has proven to be a great October comic, something that made me uncomfortable and excited at the same time. This really hit home in THE STAND: CAPTAIN TRIPS #4 when I came to the two-page spread after the story. In it the writer gives us a list of several of the world’s great viral infections that have killed millions. Incidentally, this included the Spanish Flu of 1918, which I learned was a strain of the Influenza A subtype H1N1 virus. How about that for scary? What a perfect detail to add to this comic. Kudos to whoever thought that up. I had to use hand sanitizer after reading the epilogue.

I loved the book. I am excited to finish it out with SOUL SURVIVORS. However, I do offer this cautionary advice: Reading THE STAND right now may cause you to become a hypervigilant, OCD, germaphobe. Reader beware of the impact literature can have on one’s psyche.

I love it when literature affects me, especially if it can scare the beejeebers out of me. THE STAND has definitely done that and more thanks to outstanding writing and art.


CHRIS’ RECOMMENDATION:
Not Recommended for the Classroom
For what should be obvious reasons (strong language, bloody violence, grotesque situations) I would not recommend this comic for the elementary/secondary classroom. Now, the college classroom is another story. I would recommend it as a stand-alone reading or as a dual text reading (novel and comic), given the right classroom.

EEK & ACK VS THE WOLFMAN

 

 

By Chris Wilson
Editor-in-Geek


Author: Blake A. Hoena
Illustrator: Steve Harpster
Publisher: Stone Arch Books
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 40
Color: Full color
ISBN-13: 978-1-4342-1189-7


STORY SYNOPSIS
Eek and Ack, the comedic extraterrestrial duo, fly to Earth in their washing machine-shaped ship for the sinister purposing of determining the best way to conquer the third rock from the sun.

It just so happens that they land at Lake Lobo, which we already know is home to at least one werewolf. Dressed as a space alien (duh) and a ballerina they head out incognito on … you guessed it … Halloween.

The discovery of candy is a nice treat, but the trick is that they also stumble onto a real-life werewolf. Narrowly escaping his cluthes – by the cotton of their space alien Underoos – Eek and Ack do their best to fix the situation. Once back on their home planet, they realize that the monster’s bite is worse than his howl.


REVIEW
EEK & ACK VS THE WOLFMAN is more comedy than horror with just enough monster goodness to tickle a child’s fancy but not enough to give anyone the slightest nightmare. I laughed throughout the book and constantly thought of the kids at my school and how they would really dig this book. The girls and the boys would laugh at the crazy antics of Eek and Ack. There’s an underpants scene, vomit, a washing machine space ship, and two goofy looking aliens. How could kids not love this book?

The pacing is right on with plenty of funny dialogue, great situations, and hysterical action. Of course we have a glossary, pronunciation guide, bios of the creators, discussion questions, writing prompts, further information on werewolves, and even a Fact Hound Internet site.


ART REVIEW
The dark purple page backgrounds and heavy inks on the panel’s frames make for a bit of a creepy crawly tone. The illustration of the characters is a hoot. The two together make for a nice Halloween combination that is just right for little ones.


AGE RECOMMENDATION
Chris’ Rating: Ages 7 and older
Publisher’s Reading Level: Grades 1-3
Publisher’s Interest Level: Grades 2-5

Guided Reading Level: J
Lexile: GN 500L
ATOS: 2.1
AR Quiz No.: 127551
Dewey: 741.5


IN THE CLASSROOM
The book provides some interesting discussion questions and writing prompts that kids would Think-Pair-Share about. It might be interesting to have the students create their own comic about two aliens invading Earth. What would happen? Could students make text-to-world connections in the writing to make it funny and appealing? Sounds like that might be asking them to consider their audience, too, which we know is a national standard for this age group.

 

CHRIS’ RECOMMENDATION:
Highly Recommendation

USING FACEBOOK

As you know, I am the K-4 Technology Lab teacher at Mathews Elementary in Nixa, MO. I have a Facebook site for my tech lab/comic book club. I use it to connect with parents and students and just make information available. Feel free to become a fan using the widget in the sidebar.

It is a school-related page where students and their parents will post comments and read information. Therefore, I require elementary school-appropriate language at all times.

IN THE CLASSROOM THIS WEEK & LAST

From the Editor

The tales of October continue for another week. I hope you enjoy our annual trek down haunted lane. It just so happens that I was so busy last week, I didn’t post the comics that came into the Classroom last week. So you get a double dose this week.

And now, to the comics:

Adventure Comics #3
Batgirl #3
Free Realms #2 (of 12)
G-Man #3 (of 4)
The Incredibles: City of Incredibles #1
Iron Man: Armor Wars #3 (of 4)
Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #16
Muppet Robin Hood
The Shield: America’s 1st Patriotic Comic Book Hero (org. pub. 1940)
Super Friends #20
Super Hero Squad #2

CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED: THE RAVEN AND OTHER POEMS

By Chris Wilson
Editor-in-Geek

Original Author: Edgar Allen Poe
Illustrator: Gaham Wilson
Publisher: Papercutz

Genre: Poetry
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 56
Color: Full color
ISBN-10: 978-1-59707-140-6


REVIEW
Poe is a masterful poet of the macabre and a book of his for elementary children might seem a bit overreaching. However, Wilson’s illustrations are composed of bug-eyed, creepy cartoons infused with a calming pastel wash, making his art queasy yet palatable to the young reader. It really is a nice dichotomy between horror and heart, and tones down the intense emotions and imagery of Poe for a younger crowd.

Interestingly, what we have presented in THE RAVEN AND OTHER POEMS is not comic litrature in its true sense. It is merely an illustrated picture book of poems. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I would offer it to my daughter and consider using it to talk about the difference between comics and picture books.

Still, there is no sequential art. What we have is a series of poems each presented with an often singular picture depicting an entire scene, rather than an art-infused work in which the illustrations demonstrate some element of time and are just as important as the text. Despite that fact, I enjoyed the book. I simply wish it was more … comicy.


AGE RECOMMENDATION
Chris’ Rating: Ages 10 and older
Publisher’s Recommendation: Ages 10 and older


BE AWARE
Gaham Wilson, the illustrator, has created work for magazines including Playboy. The publishers chose to mention that tidbit twice in a book geared toward children – a fact that I find disheartening considering the target audience.


IN THE CLASSROOM
Poems are important additions to our rich literary history, yet so many elementary teachers stick to female-oriented, flower and rainbow poetry in their classrooms. This undoubtedly alienates boys right off the bat. There is so much more to poetry than unicorns, baby birds, love and lilies. I would go as far as to claim that while I adore Shel Silverstein, there are many other poets who write for children that we should focus on. As teachers, we should explore other poets, free verse, concrete poems, poems about basketball, dragons, monsters, pizza, pimples, muscles, cars, and heroes. We should even consider death and pain. Poe knows those last two quite well. As a teacher who uses comics on a weekly basis, I find concrete poems an especially interesting form of poetry that is closely related to comics.


CHRIS’ RECOMMENDATION:
Not Recommended
Had the publishers insisted on a comic adaptation of the book, rather than a picture book, I quite likely would have highly recommended the book. Up to this point, I have never been disappointed in a Classics Illustrated publication by Papercutz.

The fact that they mentioned the men's magazine twice means I cannot recommend the book as is. I would have no problem using it in the classroom with a document camera, but I would not just hand the book over to kids with that title reference in it. The parents in my district would call the principal.

MAGIC TRIXIE

By Tracy Edmunds
Staff Writer

Author: Jill Thompson
Illustrator: Jill Thompson
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: Fantasy

Format: Softcover
Pages: 93
Color: Full color
ISBN-13: 978-0061170454


STORY SYNOPSIS
Magic Trixie has a problem; everyone loves her baby sister, Abby Cadabra, and no one is paying attention to Magic Trixie! On top of that, she has to come up with a “wow” for show and tell day at Monstersorri School to impress her friends; Loupe Garou, the sassy werewolf girl; Stitch Patch, the sweet Frankenstein’s monster; and Nefi, the beautiful mummy girl. When Magic Trixie finds a way to fix both problems at once, she learns that sometimes a change in attitude is the best remedy.


REVIEW
From the candy-hued watercolors, to the adorable characters, to the sweet and witty story, MAGIC TRIXIE is a delight all around. Magic Trixie herself is a very bright, mischievous bundle of energy with a knack for getting in trouble and her friends are cute, cuddly takes on classic monsters with personalities that could easily belong to real, live children. The adult characters feel so real that I wonder if Thompson modeled them on her own friends and family. Young readers will relate to the relationships and family dynamics in the story and laugh out loud at the craziness. Thompson’s watercolors are truly stunning; she’s a master at mixing words and pictures seamlessly into a compelling story. I can’t recommend MAGIC TRIXIE highly enough – it’s jumped straight into my top ten all-ages comics of all time.

Sarah (age 10, grade 6) says: MAGIC TRIXIE is really super, awesomely cute and funny and has a good story. I think Magic Trixie is kind of like a magical JUNIE B. JONES. Everybody would really like MAGIC TRIXIE because it’s funny and everyone will get it and the story is simple and easy to understand, and the art is bold, colorful, and very detailed.

Shelby (age 13, grade 8) says: This is probably the most colorful book I have ever seen in the world! All the art is watercolor and that is a really hard medium to use because you can’t fix anything if you mess up, but Jill is a master. Everything looks so realistic, yet it’s still cartoony and adorable beyond words. My friends will pretend it’s dumb because it’s cute, but I think everyone will like it, even if they won’t admit it.


AGE RECOMMENDATION
Tracy’s Rating: All Ages
Lexile: GN 420L
ATOS: 2.2
AR Quiz No.: 127281
Dewey: 741.5


IN THE CLASSROOM
Elementary-aged kids will relate to Magic Trixie’s antics, her relationships with her friends, and the sometimes complicated relationships in her family. MAGIC TRIXIE would be an excellent starting point for a social studies discussion of different types of families and relationships.

This is the first book in a series; MAGIC TRIXIE SLEEPS OVER and MAGIC TRIXIE AND THE DRAGON are equally as wonderful. For students (and teachers!) who fall in love with the character, Magic Trixie has her own blog.


BE AWARE
The theme of this book revolves around witches and monsters, in the cutest way possible. Though there is nothing frightening, some families may object to the themes.


TRACY’S RECOMMENDATION
Highly Recommended

COMIC BOOK LITERACY DOCUMENTARY

By Tracy Edmunds
Staff Writer

Advocates for comics in education are about to get some great support from the world of independent film. A documentary about using comics in education is currently in production by independent filmmaker Todd Kent. Why a documentary about comics in education?

“Comics are a diverse, misunderstood medium that, for too long, have been the dirty little secret of the literary world. From the immigrant who learns English by reading Superman comics to the child who develops a love of literature from the X-Men, comics have kept America reading for decades with fantastic tales, well structured stories and amazing fantasies.”

–Comic Book Literacy

The film features interviews with a host of comic creators and publishers including Paul Dini, Scott McCloud, Terry Moore, Art Spiegelman, Francoise Mouly, Gail Simone, and Joe Quesada. No release date has been scheduled yet, but Kent plans to submit the film to festivals and comic book conventions in 2010.

You can view the trailer for the film on the Comic Book Literacy YouTube Channel. The YouTube channel also features a video of kindergarten teacher Khindra Kent speaking about using comics in early childhood education. This short presentation is a great resource for teachers wanting to use comics with very young children.

THE MONSTER OF LAKE LOBO

By Chris Wilson
Editor-in-Geek

Author: Scott Nickel
Illustrator: Enrique Corts
Publisher: Stone Arch Books
Genre: Horror

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 40
Color: Full color
ISBN-13: 978-1-59889-836-1

REVIEW
There’s trouble brewing at Lake Lobo (which is Spanish for “wolf”) after all these years. The Legend, which we are privy to thanks to the intro, tells of a menacing shape-shifter sporting one green eye (and an eye of another color) who will stop at nothing to have the lake to itself.

THE MONSTER OF LAKE LOBO is a fast-paced adventure from the get-go. On the first page of the story, we see fear in Kevin’s eye, leading the reader two pages later to the climactic two-page, single-panel image where Kevin faces the great menace. Who is the mysterious monster – the one who (as legend tells it) is a friend by day and a carnivorous stalker by night? Who is his nemesis, the protector of the lake, the defender? How will young Kevin tell the difference?

It is perfect for young, struggling or inexperienced readers. The action and mystery are high, the reading level is for early grades (1-3) and the images create a spooky, scary setting thanks to most of the scenes occurring at night and the fact that the background behind the panels is black rather than white. For students looking for an age-appropriate monster book, THE MONSTER OF LAKE LOBO will satisfy.


AGE RECOMMENDATION
Chris’ Rating: Ages 8 and older
Publisher’s Reading Level: Grades 1-3
Publisher’s Interest Level: Grades 2-5
Guided Reading Level: K
Lexile: GN 420L
ATOS: 2.6
AR Quiz No.: 115410
Dewey: 741.5


IN THE CLASSROOM
Pay attention, kids. The clues are there, hidden in the art and text of the story. By the end, the kids should be able to make excellent predictions of who is the monster of Lake Lobo. They should also be able to support those predictions with specific examples from the story (page 12, panel 1; or perhaps page 14, panels 1-2).

This book is a great resource to practice those all-important reading skills (infer, predict, retell, connect, analyze, interpret) Because of the length, a teacher could easily read it aloud to the class using a document camera. I would suggest leaving it up so students could continue to refer to it. The students could easily work in small groups to discuss the five elements of fiction (character, setting, plot, theme, and style) as well as practice those reading skills listed above.


CHRIS’ RECOMMENDATION
Recommended

HANSEL AND GRETEL

By Kevin Hodgson
Staff Writer

STORY REVIEW
Do I really need to give a plot overview of this one? Better yet, let me explain why this story creeps me out. Ever since I was a young child who came across this tale in a Grimm Brothers Fairy Tale book on my parents' bookshelf, I have been spooked by the story of Hansel and Gretel. First, the two siblings clearly have lost their loving mom, only to be replaced by a cold-hearted stepmother (abandonment). Then, the stepmother hatches a plan with dear ol' dad to leave the kids out in the forest so that the grown-ups have enough to eat and not have to share with Hansel and Gretel (adults rule the world).

The kids hatch a plan to make it back home. It doesn't work (ineptitude). The wandering children stumble upon a house of sweetness, only to find themselves on the dinner menu for a witch disguised first as a kindly grandmother (powerlessness). Sure, the kids get even in the end (cooked witch, anyone?), but still ... each step of the way, I felt some part of my secure and safe childhood being toyed with in an evil way.

I always wondered: could this happen to me, too? How would I survive if I were left alone to my own devices? Which brings me to this graphic novel version of the classic tale and I can say that this Stone Arch version, adapted by Donald Lemke and illustrated by Sean Dietrich, is strange and odd and creepy in every way you would want the story to be. HANSEL AND GRETEL make good use of the graphic novel format as we see the fragility of the situation etched on the faces of the kids.


ART REVIEW
The artwork by San Dietrich really stands out here. He uses bold and dark colors throughout the book, giving the story an eerie glow of uncertainty. I was put off at first, and still am unsettled, by the huge eyeballs of Hansel and Gretel. They are like spinning globes on their faces, as if some Manga maniac went a little too wild with their pen set. But it has an emotional effect on the reader, which is to show the strange wonder of the situations on the faces of the children.

In contrast, the father and stepmother have almost rectangular eyes that represent cunning and evil. And the eyes of the half-blind witch? Hers are dead black – like pools of black ink in which there is no escape. The eyes in this version of the story tell a lot about character, which is fascinating to consider in the graphic novel format.


MORE INFORMATION
Format Paperback
Pages: 40
Publisher: Stone Arch Books
ISBN-13: 978-1434208637


IN THE CLASSROOM
Obviously, this book is a classic fairy tale, and this graphic novel would enhance any unit on fairy tales. As I mentioned in the art review, the use of colors and facial features really could spark an interesting conversation about the choices that an artist makes when trying to retell a classic story.

One huge bonus to the Stone Arch fairy tale collection is that in the back of the book, there is a nice overview of where and how the story originated (in this case, the Grimm Brothers may have heard the story of Hansel and Gretel from a woman named Henriette Dorothea Wild, Germany, in the 1800s). The book also features three discussion questions, three writing prompts and then urges readers to explore more about the story on their own. These additions are a nice touch for teachers and students using graphic novels in the classroom.


MY RECOMMENDATION
I would highly recommend this book for any upper elementary or younger middle school classroom. The story might not hold much interest with older readers and may be a bit too unsettling for very young readers. There is no inappropriate language or images.

TEACHING NEW LITERACIES: RESOURCES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY CLASSROOMS

Two years ago I started working on a chapter for a textbook edited by Barbara Moss, PhD and Diane Lapp, EdD and published by Guilford Press. That rewarding process has turned into two chapters split between two textbooks. Naturally, my contribution to the books involves comic literature and provides actual research and lesson plans.


Teaching New Literacies in Grades K-3
November 2009
Paperback (also available in hardback)
ISBN: 978-1-60623-497-6

Teaching New Literacies in Grades 4-6
December 2009
Paperback (also available in hardback)
ISBN: 978-1-60623-501-0


Each book features more than 20 complete lesson plans, including practical activities and assessments. Comic literature, fiction, poetry, plays, information texts, web-based texts, hip-hop and other types of texts are examined. Clear explanations of the research base for instruction in each genre is also included.

Each book will cost $28; however, if you use the promotional code 2E when ordering, you will receive 15 percent off. By both and save $12. You can use the form below when ordering from Guilford Press.




My friend and comics scholar, Dr. Bucky Carter, is also a contributor. He is a great resource when it comes to comic literature. He wrote about editorial and political cartoons, which sounds fascinating.

MONSTER AND ME

By Chris Wilson
Editor-in-Geek

Author: Robert Marsh
Illustrator: Tom Percival
Publisher: Stone Arch Books
Genre: Fantasy

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 40
Color: Full color
ISBN-13: 978-1-4342-1589-5


REVIEW
Little Gabby Gibbons wants nothing more than to show off her monster, Dwight, to the rest of the student body, but her mother will have none of it. So Gabby sneaks the hungry critter to school under the guise of being a new student so he can try out for the school play, A Christmas Carol. If he gets the part, then her mother will have to let Dwight come to school. He does and she does (and it all works out in the end) but not after Dwight tries to eat a few people and hack up gunk on the principal.

Outside the main plot there lies another story, the one where Gabby’s dad is always gone, always busy, always missing things important to her. Even he manages to make the play, albeit late, and is the first to clap.

MONSTER AND ME is a breezy read with some nice vocabulary to boot: blubbering, enrolled, equal rights, ghoul, growling, humbug, ovation, self-esteem, showbiz and whine. The books (like all the graphic novels from Stone Arch) sport a glossary with pronunciation guide, discussion questions and writing prompts. It even has a section telling the student how to draw his or her own monster.

MONSTER AND ME has a happy ending, one of the kinds with a pretty bow on top, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that our protagonist must deal with real life big kid problems, like an absent father. On that front, the book gives kids hope that there problems might just work out, too.


ART REVIEW
Tom Percival’s art is sketchy, rough, rugged – a compliment to the monster story. It has a 21st century, urban feel and is kid friendly without being childish.


AGE RECOMMENDATION
Chris’ Rating: Ages 7 and older
Publisher’s Reading Level: Grades 1-3
Publisher’s Interest Level: Grades 2-5

Guided Reading Level: K
Lexile: GN 240L
ATOS: 1.8
AR Quiz No.: 130881 Dewey: 741.5


BE AWARE
It has elements of kid humor. Gabby goes to school with the zipper of her jeans down and a bit of barfing on the part of Dwight the monster.


IN THE CLASSROOM
This early reader comic is great for little minds and little hands. The vocabulary offers substance without being overwhelming to the child. The story offers plenty of text-to connection opportunities and chances to talk about responsibility and choices.


CHRIS’ RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended

THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ

By Chris Wilson

Editor-in-Geek

Original Author: L. Frank Baum

Author: Eric Shanower

Illustrator: Skottie Young

Colors: Jean-Francois Beaulieu

Lettering: Jeff Eckleberry

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Genre: Traditional Literature in Comic Format

Format: Hardcover

Issues: Covering issues 1-8

Pages: 192

Color: Full color

ISBN-13: 978-0-7851-2921-9

REVIEW

I do not recall ever starting a review writing about the art, but I simply know of no other way to talk about Marvel’s THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ. It is because the art is so striking, so tantalizing, so incredibly harmonious with the story that it redefines the way I think of the cult favorite.

The movie has defined L. Frank Baum’s work for decades, searing its imagery and details into the consciousness of our culture. We think of OZ in terms of how the movie defined it, which is unfortunate if one knows the actual story. We all know that Dorothy’s slippers were supposed to be silver, but the movie has such a hold upon us that we really want the slippers to be ruby red and sparkling, don’t we? Be honest.

From the get-go, I was enthralled with Skottie Young’s artistic vision for this comic. Somehow his illustrations are so in line with the tone of the original novel that I find it possible to actually separate the story from the movie and view this book in terms of it’s own authenticity. In fact, I would go so far as to say that I was anxious and ready to see the story with a new eye. It is because of Young’s art that I came to a place where I was ready to do that.

Eric Shanower does his part, too, holding up his side of the bargain and he does not disappoint. His narrative takes Baum’s words and tone and allows us to hear and feel the original book. Shanower took care in this adaptation by giving us details that have – for most people anyway – been lost because of the celluloid translation. In fact, so many details were left out of the movie that many parts of this book give the reader new insight – new teeth – with which to chomp into this new-old story. From the green goggles worn in the Emerald City to Dorothy’s magic kiss, to the fact that Oz sees each of the four individually (and always in a different form), or the fact that the flying monkeys only did the Wicked Witch’s bidding because they were forced to, it is to the reader’s delight that the old story is fresh.

It is like no other comic adaptation of a traditional novel and I am excited and thankful to have it in my library and make it available to my students, who have, incidentally, been waiting in line for it.

AGE RECOMMENDATION

Chris’ Rating: Ages 9 and older

Publisher’s Rating: All Ages

IN THE CLASSROOM

It surely goes without saying that the movie version is so ingrained into American culture that nearly all children have seen it multiple times. A compare/contrast lesson between the comic and the movie would be all too easy and fun. Students could not only make text-to connections and discuss details found in both, that so many state standards could be met.

Older students could also compare/contrast the original book-comic-movie versions and talk about theme and style. Did Baum’s vision remain intact in the different adaptations? Give specific examples. If you were writing your own adaptation how would you do it: book, comic, poem, movie, music video, play, musical, interpretive dance? What details would you keep in your translation and what details would you leave out? Would you change anything? What would you change and why? The enthusiastic high school teacher could even allow students to create their own version.

OTHER INFORMATION

Marvel is continuing the OZ series with a comic adaptation of THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ. Shanower and Young will continue as the creative team bringing yet another Baum book to the 21st century reader.

CHRIS’ RECOMMENDATION:

Highly Recommended

IN THE CLASSROOM THIS WEEK

From the Editor

Creepy-crawly, sleepy, slimy, cold days of Halloween fast approach and while public schools cannot celebrate the costumed holiday, it is a great time to celebrate the scary stories that kids love. Just ask any librarian and they will tell you that the Goosebumps series (and other scary titles just like them) are hot commodities. By the way, Scholastic has adapted R.L Stine's books into comics.

In keeping with The Graphic Classroom tradition, we will feature several horror-mystery-monster-thriller themed comics all month long. Pull your blanket up around your neck, snuggle down safe and sound, and read yourself into a fright-filled frenzy.

Here are the comics that came into the classroom this month:

• Batman: The Brave and the Bold #9
• The Dark Tower: Fall of Gilead #5 (of 6)
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow #1
• Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #55
• Previews # 253
• Sky Pirates of Neo Terra #1 (of 4)
• Thor #603
• Usagi Yojimbo #123

IN THE CLASSROOM THIS WEEK

From the Editor

Life is good. Students are reading because they want to not because they have to and I could not be happier as an educator or a parent. Studies clearly show that when students have choice in reading, several things happen:

They are motivated to read.

They excitedly and openly share what they are reading.

They enjoy the art of sitting down and engaging in story.

Studies also show that comic literature is in the top three choices for students. All we have to do now is provide students access to high quality comics, and use those comics in the classroom in order to achieve our state and national standards.

Following are the comics that came into the classroom this week:

Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! #8
G.I. Joe #9
G.I. Joe: Origins #7
Muppet Peter Pan #1 (of 4)
The Muppet Show: Treasure of Peg Leg Wilson #3 (of 4)
Sonic Universe #8
Super Friends #19

HACKERTEEN: INTERNET BLACKOUT

By Kevin Hodgson
Staff Writer

STORY REVIEW
This is one graphic novel with a message that seeks to dispel the myth of the subversive computer hacker out to cripple the world, although whether the target audience is the child growing up in the age of technology or their parents is not always clear. HACKERTEEN: INTERNET BLACKOUT centers on a main character, Yago, who is first seen cloistered as a 12-year-old in a room lit up by the computer screen. His worried parents shout for him to get off the computer, to little avail. Yago skips school so that he can play computer games and lies about what he is doing. Finally, Yago's parents bring him to a fictional organization called Hackerteen, where martial-arts-style instructors teach the young boy the ethics of using his skills for good, and not for evil. But evil lurks anyway, and as he grows up, Yago is caught up in conflict between using technology skills for nefarious reasons or for improving life. This dilemma comes to a head as the government releases a computerized balloting system for elections that requires voters to submit a genetic sample for verification.

HACKERTEEN: INTERNET BLACKOUT is told at a brisk pace – almost too brisk. The plot can be confusing to follow, as Yago uses his considerable abilities to help his father's bakery business survive in the face of corporate expansion, a blackmail plot is launched against a girl with a webcam, a new law sends an adult hacker into jail, Yago's friends compete to solve a hacking code in a contest, and Yago's freelancing for customers seeking to catch others in cyber-lies leads to a fateful turn of events that pushes the entire network of the Internet into the brink of collapse. The story would have benefited from a narrowing of the story lines.

The story is published by O'Reilly Media, which has long been at the forefront of the open source movement and the ethical use of technology. So the overarching theme of the book is no surprise and it is an interesting one to explore. As this is the first in a series of HACKERTEEN: INTERNET BLACKOUT, perhaps Marcelo Marques, the author, wanted to create a web of plot lines that could be followed in later books. It also should be noted that the Hackerteen concept is also a web-based education site for parents and kids to learn more about ethical use of computers, and it sometimes seems as if the book is an advertising supplement for the website.

ART REVIEW
The illustrations work in tandem with the story and are expressive in colors and design. The characters are drawn somewhat stereotypically. For example, one of the bad guys looks quite odd and scary, with a too-short t-shirt that rides up his belly in a disconcerting way. The teenage heroes are dressed in cool, techie clothes, with Star Trek-like glasses. Yago and his friends are the stereotypical geeks in all ways, which is not a bad thing in a graphic novel like this.

IN THE CLASSROOM
HACKERTEEN: INTERNET BLACKOUT explores important issues, such as the dangers of online information and the exploitation of data. It also delves deeply into government intervention (or interference) and the spirit of the Open Source developers. These are important issues and the graphic novel would provide a good source for discussions, particularly for high school students. One thing that O'Reilly Media has done is also to provide website references for various terms cited within the book. This allows readers to investigate further the concepts being explored (such as the reference to DNS.)


OTHER INFORMATOIN

Author & Illustrator: Marcelo Marques
Publisher: O’Reilly Media
Pages: 108
ISBN 13: 9780596516475

MY RECOMMENDATION

I would recommend this for middle school and high school students. The book provides a good rationale for ethical use of technology. There is no profanity or violence in this book.

INVESTIGATING THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD WITH MAX AXIOM, SUPER SCIENTIST

By Kevin Hodgson

Staff Writer

REVIEW
Capstone Press has created its own brand of superhero – Max Axiom, Super Scientist – whose exploits uncover the mysteries of the scientific world. Max Axiom, who sports a bald head and cool glasses, dives into many adventures in the series, exploring such concepts as sound, energy, ecosystems, and others.

With INVESTIGATING THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD WITH MAX AXIOM, the reader goes through the steps of the process of scientific discovery in a very meaningful way. The story doesn't skimp on explanations and the writer (Donald B. Lemke) and illustrators (Tod Smith and Al Migrom) use the graphics inherent in this form to its advantages, showing detailed illustrations that reinforce the story and explanations.

Since I am not a science teacher, I passed on INVESTIGATING THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD WITH MAX AXIOM to my sixth grade teaching colleague, Lisa Rice, and I asked for her impressions. (A side note: it is heartening to see that Max Axiom is a scientist of color as it breaks down the stereotypes of white, geeky nerd scientists tinkering around with chemicals in the lab. Max is not only cool, but he is smart, intuitive and light on his feet).

Here is my podcast interview with Lisa in which she talks about her impressions of the book and also the possibilities for the classroom:


Click here for an alternate podcast link.

More Information

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 32
• Publisher: Capstone Press
• ISBN-10: 1429617608
• ISBN-13: 978-1429617604

This title is also available in an interactive CD format (motion comic). You can click here to read our story of that format.

My Recommendation
I would highly recommend this book for the middle school classroom. It is informative and lively and engages students on a variety of levels.

WHO NEEDS CANDY WHEN YOU CAN GIVE COMICS FOR HALLOWEEN?

It has been a habit of this geek to order Halloween mini-comics for trick-or-treaters over the past few years. The mini-comics are perfectly suited for little hands and they are nearly as cheap as candy. They come in bundles of 25 and are a much better choice than tooth-rot. I ordered several bundles last month, but if you hurry you will still have time to order yours from your local comic book shop. You can also order most of the mini-comics online at Badger Comics. Here's what I bought:

• Betty Cooper Confidential (Archie Comics)
• Casper/Little Lulu (Dark Horse)
• Domo: The Manga (TokyoPop)
• Popeye: Popeye vs. The "Ghosk" (King Features)
• Star Wars (Dark Horse)

I have left0vers from previous years and I plan on giving these out to the students in the HALL OF HEROES comic book club at school. Incidentally, the comics make for good classroom rewards and can also be part of a classroom economy.

USAGI YOJIMBO

By Chris Wilson
Editor-in-Geek

Author & Illustrator: Stan Sakai
Publisher: Dark Horse
Genre: Animal Fantasy


STORY SYNOPSIS
Miyamoto Usagi is a ronin – a masterless samurai – wandering the world on a warrior’s path. Usagi’s story takes place in the early 17th century, known as the Edo Period of Feudal Japan. It is a tumultuous time in Japan’s history. The Tokugawa Shogunate has prevailed in the civil war and taken control over the empire, establishing a time of peace. Now the skills of the samurai, the aristocratic warrior class, are outmoded leaving them to fend for themselves. Many ronin lose their sense of honor and duty becoming hired thugs for new lords while others choose thievery. Some, though, continue the path of the warrior cultivating their spirits and skills, keeping the old ways, maintaining Japanese chivalry, and remaining bound to their oath to serve only one lord. This is the way of Miyamoto Usagi.


REVIEW
Stan Sakai’s anthropomorphic samurai tale is an epic quest of a hero who remains good and chivalrous despite a world that has abandoned his kind. I started the series late (issue 102) and have fallen in love with the story. The 19 issues I have read have done nothing but pique my intrigue for what I suspect has been an incredible journey leading up to my entrance into the mythos.

The Usagi I have seen is kind hearted and empathetic to the plight of others, inserting himself into the business of others in order to help or guide them. The reactions of others lead me toward the observation that this behavior is typical of USAGI YOJIMBO (transliterated as “rabbit bodyguard”).

Sakai brilliantly immerses his stories in Japanese culture and mythology until they drip with authenticity and accuracy. The swords, the regalia, the monsters and demons, armor, attitudes, language, culture, religion, and architecture are all so meticulous one cannot help but feel deeply connected to the time period, the people, and their stories.

Beyond the attention to detail, Sakai has studied the art of storytelling, taking his time to develop characters we can love and hate and question and care about. He does something that so many comic creators and publishers cannot seem to master or allow: He takes his time.

While taking his time, Sakai also gives the reader the action that we expect in a samurai tale. There are swords and sword fights, one-on-one duels and monumental battles between armies. Even with the impalings and beheadings, the violence is cartoonesque and secondary to the overall storytelling. It is not macabre or shocking; in fact I would say the sword violence is unbelievably non-gory and the blood is often hidden or nonexistent. It is merely a detail of the time period. The fact that the characters are animals and the art is black and white also lends to the lessoned effect of the violence.

USAGI YOJIMBO is undoubtedly one of the greatest ongoing comics I have read. I lament the fact that I did not discover the rabbit bodyguard until 100 issues had gone by as I have missed out on an incredible journey. It is now time to go back and purchase some back issues or trade paperbacks.

AGE RECOMMENDATION
Chris’ Rating: Ages 10 and older
Publisher’s Rating: Ages 10 and older

BE AWARE
It is a samurai tale and there is cartoon violence. As discussed earlier, the violence is fitting the historical context and appropriate to the subject. The black and white art and the anthropomorphic characters make for a less violent and more appropriate title. The title does deal with Japanese culture, including mythological creatures and demons. The characters are mostly Buddhist.


IN THE CLASSROOM
USAGI YOJIMBO is educational in its ability to weave an honorable warrior’s tale with overtones of empathy and kindness. Usagi is a quality military character whose traits children could learn to emulate. He represents several modern ideals from many camps of thought.

The vastness of the storyline also gives students a chance to understand Japanese culture and history from a viewpoint not likely accessible or otherwise interesting to most students. The cast system, code of conduct, chivalry, and strong mythology give rise to so many aspects within the classroom, is hardly possible to write about it briefly.


OTHER INFORMATION
USAGI YOJIMBO is loosely based upon the famous samurai, Miyamoto Musashi. Sakai’s influences include the resplendent filmmaker, Akira Kurosawa; LONE WOLF AND CUB; and GROO THE WANDERER.

Awards for USAGI include:

• Parents Choice Award for Children Ages 7 and Older, 1990
• Inkpot Award, 1991
• Eisner Award for Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition, 1996
• Eisner Award for Best Letterer, 1996
• Haxtur Award for Best Short Story, 1999
• Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story, 1999
• Haxtur Award for Best Script, 2000

CHRIS’ RECOMMENDATION
Highly Recommended
USAGI YOJIMBO offers something entirely different to students. The historical and cultural benefits alone make the story worthwhile in the classroom. The character study and the forces of good and evil make for a story that will grab students and not let go. There’s no more violence in this than in any STAR WARS yarn.

TEACHING WITH PICTURES

By Nate Stearns
Staff Writer

As a High School English teacher I have a number of go-to moves, party tricks, techniques that have been honed through years of practice and zen-like study. You might, if you're feeling uncharitable, also call these ruts – stolid, unimaginative ways of looking at literature and writing that have become ossified and boring. That is one of the reasons that including graphic novels in the high school classroom has been so useful to me. All of a sudden, expectations about what is English and what is something else get blown up. There is art to contend with as well as words. Dialog is more common than either exposition or description. Even the spaces beween panels can be as important as the panels themselves, and OMG, the main character is a mouse that smokes!

My first attempt at teaching graphic novels involved combining two classic works: Scott McCloud's UNDERSTANDING COMICS and the big 1000-pound gorilla of the graphic novel world Art Spiegelman's MAUS. Students can and do tackle Maus on their own without McCloud's exhaustive analysis of how a comic page is put together, because Spiegelman's work does a masterful job of teaching you how to read it as it goes, even for students who have little experience with graphic novels or comic books.

For a teacher, though, it's very helpful to have someone else parse the elements of grammar in a graphic novel. It's difficult to suddenly confront a puzzle-like page of cartoon characters grappling with the enormity of the Holocaust and its effect on the author's father when your training (and all of your free time?) involves pages and pages of text. How do I diagram a speech bubble?

English teachers will often look to find entry points in text along common literary terms. We teach concepts like theme, characterization, and symbolism as a way of making sense of large narratives, to begin to see beyond our emotional reactions to a story and to analyze what an author is trying to accomplish. Graphic novels play with the same tools, but how we analyze them needs to change with the medium.

For instance, when we discuss theme in a piece of literature, we're often looking for conflicts of ideas, how a writer is using the literary work to make sense of big abstractions in the personal lives of the characters depicted. Sometimes it is overt and didactic: Upton Sinclair's THE JUNGLE wants you to know that capitalism is bad news when it comes to making sausage. A book like Maus is more circumspect. Does the horrific experince that Spiegelman's father experiences in the Holocaust justify his less-than-stellar actions as a father? Are we captives to history? The artist's decision to render his father as a mouse, along with other mice being savaged by Nazi cats suggests powerlessness. But the narrative constantly references his father's ability to use his wits to survive; he doesn't seem powerless in the story he tells.

Or if, as is an English teacher's wont, we try to construct how an author develops a character (characterization) and we use a short list of characterization methods such as: actions, thoughts, description, reaction to a character, and dialog. In this way, Maus is like a novel in that we seem to be getting a classic depiction of a complex character. We see Vladek conduct himself in the most difficult of situations with courage and compassion; we also see him in the present day, consumed by racism and petty jealousy. One subtle aspect of this is facial expression. Of course, a novelist might describe a facial expression, but the power of an excellent artist in using the face can transcend words; people are well-trained to extract meaning quickly from faces and McCloud spends whole chapters unpacking how artists can mix, match, and combine facial expressions for complex effects.

Again, any English teacher with a modicum of self-respect will at some time ask students to look at the scrambled eggs, the plum tree, or the haunting eyeglasses of TJ Eckleburg and connect it to something larger. Symbolism is our super power, but graphic novels introduce another layer of complexity. As McCloud notes, graphic novelists use a spectrum of realism in their art (from smiley face to photo realistic portraiture) to invoke increasing or decreasing levels of particularity or universality. In MAUS, though the story is about the author's father, he seems physically indistinguishable from his fellow Jews. Is that a commentary on the Nazi tendency to see all Jews through the same lens or of Spiegeleman's attempt to connect Vladek's story to a larger narrative? Is it about the artist's ability to depict something or a conscious choice meant to evoke a more primal emotion?

As McCloud explains (more graphically and more eloquently than here) comics require a new set of both grammar, vocabulary, and an understanding of time than we are used to in our study of literary works. For instance, he notes that almost all of the action in a graphic novel has to come from how a reader fills in the connecting movement between panels. If panel one shows an innocent face, panel two a face with a pie attached, and panel three a smirking face, readers quickly connect these isolated moments into complete story. That insight is particularly helpful in a conflicted narrative such as MAUS where the author is never sure whether he is capable (or even if it is possible) to capture the enormity of the Holocaust in pictures/words.

When we do return to the world of words, it's helpful to remember that words themselves often teach us more in what they suggest and fail to say as much as they do in what they spell out.


Some Resources:

UNDERSTANDING COMICS summary in Wikibooks
Browse inside UNDERSTANDING COMICS
Browse UNDERSTANDING COMICS at HarperCollins

Browse MAUS at Google Books
Teacher's guide to MAUS by Random House
Robert S. Leventhal's analysis of the structure of MAUS

IN THE CLASSROOM THIS WEEK

From the Editor

The HALL OF HEROES comic book club started this week and almost all the students checked out comics and took them home – because they wanted to read. Some shared their comics and stories while others found a quiet spot in the corner and read. Score one for reading motivation.
We plan on doing some shared readings, story sharing, maybe some reviews, and thinking about reading and how these stories connect to our lives. All week, I’ve had teachers and parents tell me how excited their kids were to read comics. The trend shall continue.

Following are the comics that came into the classroom this week:

1. Batgirl #2
2. Lone Rangers #18
3. Thor: Annual #1
4. Tiny Titans #20

THE DC-WB CONNECTION

One week after the news that Disney bought Marvel, we find out that Warner Bros. is taking over the reins at DC Comics. The comics publisher will report directly to Warner Pictures. Said former Warner Premiere prez and now president of DC Entertainment Diane Nelson:

“The founding of DC Entertainment fully recognizes our desire to provide both the DC properties and fans the type of content that is only possible through a concerted cross-company, multi-platform effort. DC Entertainment will help us to formally take the great working relationships between DC Comics and various Warner Bros. businesses to the next level in order to maximize every opportunity to bring DC’s unrivalled collection of titles and characters to life."

There you have it. Both major comics publishers purchased by Hollywood conglomerates. Comic lovers pause waiting to see how it all plays out. Comic characters in theme parks? More comic-based movies? What of the monthly magazines and the mythos therein?

MOUSE GUARD: WINTER 1152

By Chris Wilson
Editor-in-Geek

Author & Illustrator: David Peteren
Publisher: Archaia
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 192 Color: Full color
ISBN-13: 978-1-932386-74-5


STORY SYNOPSIS
It is winter and the Mouse Guard has been betrayed. Now the defenders of the community must unite the people under one banner and defeat the mice who seek to destroy the culture from the inside.


REVIEW
Volume two in the MOUSE GUARD series is as exemplary as any piece of literature today – be it comic or traditional. Petersen’s storytelling is not only compelling in it’s ability to bring the reader into the wee squeakers’ world, but his character development and willingness to allow a character to die for the good of the tale is beyond the norm for most books, comics or otherwise.

Petersen takes his time – a characteristic I cannot stress enough in literature, television or movies. There is plenty of intrigue and medieval swordplay to satisfy the action-adventure soul, but the characters are also dimensional with faults, complexities and potential for growth. The ramifications of the death of one of the culture’s greats is yet to be seen, but we feel for the civilization’s loss and for Lieam who must silently carry the black mantle of the fallen hero and become more than he is.

MOUSE GUARD is not a story but a rich mythos. Powerful. Addictive. Enthralling. Rich. None of these words do justice to Petersen’s rodent civilization. It is one of my all-time favorite pieces of comic literature and I cannot wait for the next season to begin.


AGE RECOMMENDATION
Chris’ Rating: Ages 10 and older
Publisher’s Rating: Ages 10 and older


BE AWARE
Mice with swords battle birds and snakes and opossums in order to keep their realm safe. That means there is mild fantasy cartoon violence afoot.


IN THE CLASSROOM
Petersen does something I do not recall seeing in any other piece of comic literature. At the end of each chapter, he provides a two-page artistic rendering foreshadowing an important aspect that will occur in the following chapter.

This is the perfect way to 1) keep children interested in reading and 2) a way to teach students to predict, which is an important reading strategy. Children can look at the wordless image and predict what will occur in the next chapter based on the available information. Then they can read to find out if their prediction was correct or not.

From an artistic perspective, this is a way to enhance the beauty of the book and further engross the reader into the mythos. From a reading comprehension point of view, these end-of-chapter illustrations are a brilliant way to help readers engage in research-based reading strategies whether they know it or not.


OTHER INFORMATION
Read our review of MOUSE GUARD: FALL 1152.


CHRIS’ RECOMMENDATION
Highly Recommended

IN THE CLASSROOM THIS WEEK

From the Editor

The list of comics for the week took a hiatus this summer as my student income dwindled. With gainful employment in a school district and a consistent paycheck, things are looking up. I picked up a few comics this week – more about those in a moment.

The HALL OF HEROES comic book club starts tomorrow and I cannot wait. Everyday I have a student tell me how excited they are for our club. The librarian is now co-sponsoring the club with me, so we were able to accept more students. We took 26, which is approximately 25 percent of the fourth grade class. Not for bad for a first year club that begins at 7:50 a.m. every week.

I’ll keep you updated on the goings-on of the club. This comics this week include:

1. Adventure Comics featuring Superboy #2
2. Astro Boy The Movie #4
3. G-Man #2 (of 5)
4. Super Hero Squad #1
5. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz