Literacy Now

The Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group reviews of new graphic novels continues with this list of texts to enchant and inspire readers of all ages.

GRADES K-2

Knight, Hilary. (2011). Nina in that makes me mad! New York: Toon Books/Candlewick Press.

This graphic novel is for beginning readers. Each full page spread discusses a new reason why Nina is mad. For example, Nina gets mad when her parents blame her for something she didn't do. In the accompanying illustrations Nina is taking care of her baby brother in the bathtub. Tony gets carried away and splashes a lot of water on the floor. The speech bubble states, “No more bath for you tonight” (p. 9). Nina has a perplexed face with pointy eyebrows. Other reasons Nina gets mad include: “When you don’t let me help” (p. 12), “When I try and it doesn’t work” (p. 14) and “When I need you and you make me wait” (p. 20). The last page closes with, “But I feel better when I can tell you that I’m mad!” (p. 30). This fun picture book will definitely bring about discussion. Teachers and parents could ask—Do you ever get mad like Nina? or What are some of the things that cause you to get mad?

- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver

Eaton, Maxwell. (2012). The flying Beaver brothers and the fishy business. New York: Random House Children’s Books. 

The Beaver brothers, Ace and Bub, uncover a plot by a corporation to use up the island’s trees to create Fish Stix for consumers in this second title in the graphic novel series. In its advertisement campaign, the corporation claims that Fish Stix, made from ground-up trees, are somehow good for the environment. The campaign promoting Fish Stix features the brothers' nemesis Bruce. It will take an alliance made up of Ace, Bub, some evil penguins who aren't all that evil, and yes, even Bruce to stop the corporation before the trees are all gone. There are plenty of funny lines and visual humor as well to keep young readers entertained as well as informed. Using spots of green in the pen and ink and digitally colored illustrations complements perfectly the forests being destroyed so casually and so purposelessly. Older readers will recognize the greed behind the corporation's marketing of a product for which there really is no need and possibly compare those actions with some advertising campaigns by corporations today. 

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman 

GRADES 3-5

Eaton, Maxwell. (2012). The flying beaver brothers and the evil penguin plan. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 

In this second book, the Beaver brothers are swinging off a rope, hang gliding to a beach, and surfing some waves. All of a sudden some penguins steal one of the beaver’s surfboards. An immediate chase begins. Fortunately, beavers can make bridges between cliffs pretty quickly by gnawing down trees. The beavers follow the penguins under water to a large refrigerator at the bottom of the ocean. They notice that the penguins are viewing large blue prints, but aren’t sure what is going on. Readers will have many questions at this point in the book, making inferences and predictions. Later, Ace and Bub return to the ocean to enter the large refrigerator. They learn that the penguins are planning to create a frozen paradise using the ice machine. One beaver escapes and shuts down the refrigerator’s turbine, thus saving their island. This humorous book seems to have a deeper meaning—are humans destroying the penguin habitat? 

- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver 

Krosoczka, Jarrett J. (2012). Lunch Lady and the mutant mathletes. New York: Knopf. 

Dee, Hector, and Terrence, also known as the Breakfast Bunch, are forced to join the extracurricular Mathletes as their punishment for missing the museum field trip in the previous title. In this, the seventh installment of the Lunch Lady graphic novel series, the friends are definitely not thrilled to spend time after school solving math problems. But joining the Mathletes turns out to be less painful than they had expected. Even Dee comes around once the private school kids from Willoughby Academy denigrate the public school kids of Thompson Brook. The two teams roll on inexorably toward the final round of competition where they face each other. But there's something odd about the private school students and their competitive teacher, and it's up to Lunch Lady and her cafeteria side-kick Betty to figure out what's going on. Not only does she come through, yellow gloves, Cannoli-oculars, and Pineapple mace in tow, but so do Orson, the Mathlete over-achiever, and Mr. Kalowski, the school janitor. The book’s lessons are sound, accompanied by the Lunch Lady’s expostulations such as "Moldy Bread!" and "Sweet BBQ sauce!” Not only does the ever-ready Lunch Lady fight for justice, but she can also be depended upon to whip up a yummy batch of cookies just when they're needed. 

- Barbara A. Ward Washington State University Pullman 

GRADES 6-7 

Neel, Julien. (2012) Lou! Secret Diary. Translation by Carol Klio Burrell. Minneapolis: Graphic Universe. 

Translated from its original French and winner of the Youth Prize of the Angouleme International Comics Festival, this graphic novel looks exactly like a comic book that might be found on store shelves. It stars twelve-year old Lou who is plowing headlong into adolescence. Trying to catch the eye of the boy across the street, in addition to finding a boyfriend for her single mom as well as designing her own clothes and fashion statement, this tween also keeps a diary of her thoughts and opinions, some of which are colorfully portrayed on the end pages of the book. Lou’s diary provides a fun yet also serious look at that stage of pre-dating, dealing with crushes on boys and peer pressures. It’s easy to see why Lou is so popular in so many different countries. 

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Reading and Library Consultant 

Nelson, O. T., & Jolley, Dan. (2012). The girl who owned a city: The graphic novel. Illus. by Joelle Jones. Minneapolis: Graphic Universe. 

Originally written in 1975, this book of survival after an apocalyptic event translates well to the graphic novel format. After a virus kills everyone older than twelve, leaving those left behind to fend for themselves, Lisa Nelson and her younger brother are managing to survive, thanks to Lisa's ability to find food and supplies. Others use numbers and intimidation to take what they need, and Lisa forms a neighborhood coalition to guard against the marauding gangs. When the alliance fails, she fortifies a former school where her allies will be safe. Everyone has jobs to do, but Lisa feels responsible for everyone in her city. This graphic novel only hints at what may lie ahead for the survivors of the virus once they turn 12—or the emotional cost of being responsible for so many other dependents. Lisa's self-reliance and her determination to help others be self-reliant are particularly appealing in the original story and in this adaptation. While she and her friend Craig may have very different ways of finding happiness, both seek self-reliance. The title raises many issues; for instance, how will the survivors cope when all the available supplies have been depleted, and what happens when the society with which we are familiar has disappeared? 

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman 

Phelan, Matt. (2011). Three remarkable journeys around the world. Somerville, MA: Candlewick. 

Jules Vern’s Around the World in Eighty Days provided the inspiration for three adventurers who set out on their own worldwide journeys. First, questioning the value of ten years spent working in a mine, Thomas Stevens purchased a large-wheeled bicycle in 1884 and then rode it 3,700 miles from San Francisco to Boston. Upon reaching Boston, Stevens decided he was ready for a larger challenge and took off on an around the world bicycle ride. Reports of his journey were published over a three-year period in Outing magazine. Nellie Bly, a daring and dashing female reporter, embarked on her own journey around the world in 1889. She met her goal to return in less than 80 days since her travels lasted 72 days. During that time, the New York World, the newspaper for which she worked, sold record numbers of papers with updates on Bly’s fabled journey. Finally, Joshua Slocum set out in 1895 to become the first person to traverse the globe alone in a small boat. Neither storms nor pirates stopped Slocum from reaching his goal. The inspiring stories of these three independent individuals fit the graphic novel format well with Phelan’s artwork almost seeming to resemble a film screen. 

- Terrell A. Young, Brigham Young University 

GRADES 9-12 

Hicks, Faith Erin. (2012). Friends with boys. New York: First Second/Roaring Brook Press. 

Maggie, who has been homeschooled all of her life, is understandably nervous about her first day at high school. Her three older brothers insist that she must go it alone since they did. She navigates the school corridors, alone except for the ghost that keeps following her, eventually making friends with two siblings, Lucy and Alistair. There are hints about the story behind the rift between the Mohawk-wearing Alistair and volleyball star Matt. When Alistair finally tells Maggie the story behind his haircut, it's easy to understand his reluctance to stand up for his sister or for the males who have been ridiculed for their preference for drama rather than sports. It's impossible not to like Maggie and understand her confusion about the often cruel high school social order. While there are some similarities to Anya's Ghost, this graphic novel can be savored for its own strengths, including its accurate depiction of the sometimes rocky shoals of high school and family. The author encourages readers to examine their own tendencies to judge others by their appearances when appearances are often masks behind which others may hide their true nature.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman 

Long, Mark & Demonakas, Jim. (2012). The silence of our friends. Illus. by Nate Powell. New York: First Second/Roaring Brook. 

Set in the late part of the racially volatile 1960s in Houston, Texas, this graphic novel tackles the challenging topic of civil rights. The story follows two different individuals whose lives come together unexpectedly: a white television newsman reporting on the city’s civil rights protests, and an African-American Texas Southern University faculty member involved in the protests. When the protests turn violent, leading to the death of a police officer, the blame is placed on a handful of TSU students. The trial that results divides the city even more. The starkly stunning black and white illustrations evoke a sense of a time and place during which it was hard to know who to trust or what to believe. This graphic novel plunges readers right in the midst of this turmoil-filled period. 

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman 

Lyga, Barry. (2011). Manga man. Illus. by Colleen Doran. New York: Houghton Mifflin. 

When Ryoko, an attractive androgynous young man with beautiful feminine and masculine features, falls through a rip in time and space and lands in our world, he is shunned by many humans. The difference that makes others shun him makes him more attractive to Marissa Montaigne, a popular, beautiful teen who is bored with her life and her relationship with a hard-drinking football player. The romance between Ryoko and Marissa parallels that of Romeo and Juliet, complete with scenes in which Ryoko leans from his window and talks about his growing attraction to Marissa while she overhears him while hiding in the bushes beneath his compound. When he shows Marissa the different dimensions, she is able to move from one cartoon panel to the next. The pen and ink illustrations are beautiful and show the inner and outer beauty of this unlikely couple. 

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman 

O’Connor, George. (2012). Hades: Lord of the dead. New York: First Second/Roaring Brook Press. 

Sticking closely for the most part to the original story of Demeter, Hades, and Persephone in this fourth title in the Olympian series, the creator of this graphic novel describes how Hades kidnaps Persephone—known as Kore on Earth—and shows her around his kingdom. While she is gone, her mother, Demeter, allows the crops to fail as she searches for her daughter. Once she finds Kore again, she agrees to allow new life to bud on Earth to celebrate her daughter’s return. Of course, during the time her daughter must return to Hades, cold weather will cover the Earth, representing Demeter’s sadness at being separated from her child. But this updated story contains a twist as Persephone comes into her own while in the Underworld. Out from under the control of her mother, she flourishes, and although she is glad to be reunited with her mother, she is also relieved to return to Hades, enough so that she lies about having consumed any foods while in Hades the first time around. This is an empowered version of Persephone, unwilling to be a pawn in a game played by the gods. The different perspective is refreshing, allowing Persephone to make her own mark on how things are done in her new kingdom. One of the best illustrations is the last one, which shows the two rulers on their underground thrones, Hades with just the slightest smile on his lips. Fans of mythology will relish this moody version of the classic story. 

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman 

Yang, Gene Luen. (2011). Level up. Illus. by Thien Pham. New York: First Second/Roaring Brook Press. 

In the latest offering from the creator of American Born Chinese, Gene Luen Yang returns to the themes he covered in his earlier graphic novel: the clash between parental expectations and one's own dreams, cultural expectations, coming of age, and the journey to self-acceptance, among others. The story focuses on Dennis Ouyang, a boy whose attraction to video games has been denigrated by his parents in favor of academic success. After his father dies, Dennis plays games so much that he is kicked out of college. Four angels intervene and set him back on the path of success, but they allow him to have no fun whatsoever. His hard work pays off, and he is accepted into med school, but still he wonders about his life goals and whether he wants to spend the rest of his life doing what his father wanted him to do. Dennis ends up quitting med school and starts playing games for cash prizes. He returns to medical school after he realizes that he wants to make a difference in the world, only to find that the manual dexterity honed by all those games will actually be useful in his chosen area of specialization. The lines between reality and fantasy blur interestingly in this book with soft colored artwork and slight but pertinent visual references to video games at the beginning of each section. 

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

by Jen Donovan

ReadWriteThink.org recently introduced Cube Creator, an online interactive tool that provides students with a special type of graphic organizer. The interactive organizer is in the form of a six-sided cube with different information appearing on each side. Students must record an answer or observation to the prompts on each side. After the student records their information, the cube flips to a different side with a new prompt. The concept of the Cube Creator works by breaking the subject down into smaller elements that eventually come together to form a bigger picture or main idea. As the student records their answers the cube becomes complete, leaving them with fun-shaped, organized chart of information.

This interactive tool includes a planning sheet, which allows  students to think about their answers and simplify them for their final cube. Cube Creator also has a special save feature that allows students and teachers to save and edit their cubes at any time. (Visit ReadWriteThink.org for a video tutorial on saving interactives.)

The final result is a print-out pattern of the cube that can be cut out and assembled into a tangible representation of the topic. Students can actually hold the 3-D organizer in their hands and see how it visually represents what they’ve learned. 

Cube Creator presents its users with four different options for summarizing, organizing, and planning:

• Bio Cube was the original interactive cube organizer and the inspiration for Cube Creator. It allows students to create an outline of the subject of a biography or autobiography that they've read in class. It prompts them to record thoughts on the person’s significance, background, and personality. Students can also use this tool for organizing and writing their own autobiography. 
• Mystery Cube helps students organize clues to solve their favorite mystery stories. It also helps them with creating their own mystery by identifying the necessary mystery elements and vocabulary. Questions prompt students to describe the setting, clues, mystery, victim, detective, and solution to the mystery story.
• Story Cube introduces students to the key elements of a story. Students will be able to identify character, setting, conflict, resolution, and theme. This introduces students to the basic elements and vocabulary of literary analysis.
• Create-Your-Own Cube can be used for any subject. This tool allows teachers to create their own prompts and topics and save the file to be shared with students as a class exercise. Students can also use this cube to create their own interactive learning tool on any topic of their choosing. The Create-Your-Own Cube is a blank canvas for any subject, and it’s perfect for science, math, and social studies units.

Unlike traditional prewriting webs or charts, filling out the Cube Creator is more like completing a puzzle. It challenges students to organize information, creating a comprehensive summary of their topic by completing the cube. Cube Creator is a fun and visually engaging learning tool that students are excited to use. 

ReadWriteThink.org is a project of Verizon Thinkfinity, the International Reading Association, and the National Council for Teachers of English. Visit www.readwritethink.org for more interactives and lesson plans.

by Thomas DeVere Wolsey

Personal learning environments (abbreviated as PLEs), are a way of organizing, curating, and bringing coherence to the many digital interactions students have with other students, teachers, digital others on the Internet, and the content they find online and on paper. Personal learning environments provide entry points, organization, and a network that makes sense; these entry points serve as a table of contents to an individual user’s multiple digital interactions. As important, the class learning environments teachers create can become important components of the personal learning environments their students create.

A key aspect of the personal learning environment is that it is created by individual users. My personal learning environment will look quite different from yours, for example. Personal learning environments may also intersect in a network. For example, Sabrina is a 10th-grade student. Her science teacher shared a set of readings via links on Delicious. Her English-language arts teacher has assigned a reading from a digital library (for example, SunSITE), and her social studies teacher has asked her to examine several artifacts from the World Digital Library. In mathematics, she created an online presentation in SlideShare showing practical applications of triangulation. Keeping track of the assignments and emails from teachers and classmates can be difficult. In addition, she maintains her own digital presence on Facebook and collects links about her interest in the piano on Diigo, which she shares with friends.

Sabrina could be overwhelmed with all the digital content with which she is expected to interact; however, her homeroom teacher helped her design a personal learning environment using SymbalooEDU as one entry point. With Symbaloo, Sabrina can add links to web sources and her teachers’ assignments and schedules, code sources by color, and produce task lists to be sure she accomplishes her goals.  In addition, she can choose webmixes created by other users on topics such as writing tools or biology resources. As important, Sabrina can integrate her own interests via links and RSS feeds. She shares the elements of her personal learning environment that she chooses, while keeping other elements private. In this video, a student, JJGeorgy, describes how to get started using Symbaloo.

Because personal learning environments are, indeed, personal, they take many forms.  The graphic organizers linked on the Edtechpost http://edtechpost.wikispaces.com/PLE+Diagrams wiki illustrate the many variations of the PLE.  A PLE is an approach users take to aggregate content, organize it, and lend context to it. Owners can create their own content and gather it from teachers, peers, and other Internet sources. Sometimes, teachers provide a basic framework and share elements of their own personal or classroom learning environments to help further learning.

In the video below, a technology coordinator explains how teachers and students use Symbaloo in first through third grades in Memphis, Tennessee.

Thomas DeVere Wolsey is a literacy specialization coordinator in the Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership at Walden University.

This article is part of a series from the Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG).

Technology Professional Development Sessions at the IRA Annual Convention

More and more teachers and parents are realizing that graphic novels are an easy way to hook reluctant readers as well as keep older readers engaged. While many readers are familiar with Jennifer and Matthew Holm’s Babymouse series, Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Jeff Smith’s Bone series, and even Kazu Kibuishi’s Amulet series, there are more and more graphic novels on a wide variety of topics available for the readers of all ages. If you’re interested in dipping your toes into some graphic novels, check out the books reviewed this week by members of the International Reading Association's Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group, and be sure to visit the informative No Flying No Tights website at http://noflyingnotights.com. The site serves up graphic novel reviews and resources for those who want to be in the know. 

GRADES 1-2

Kroll, Steven. (2012). Chick and Chickie Play All Day! Ill. by Claude Ponti. Somerville, MA: Toon Books/Candlewick. 

As do most good friends, Chick and Chickie have fun playing together. First, they decide to make masks, and they take turns scaring one another. Next they decide to play school and have a good time with the letter A. They try different things with the first letter of the alphabet to see what sounds it will make. Beginning readers will enjoy a graphic novel such as this one that they can read independently.

- Terrell A. Young, Brigham Young University

GRADES 3-5

Aguirre, Jorge. (2012). Giants, beware! Illus. by Rafael Rosado. New York: First Second/Roaring Brook. 

Outspoken and ill-mannered, Claudette refuses to accept the palatable but simplified version of how her town was saved from a giant many years ago. When signs seem to indicate that the giant, who was allowed to return to his home, has reverted to his taste for babies’ toes, Claudette has had enough and takes matters into her own hands. While her friend Marie is interested only in becoming a princess, and her younger brother Gaston dreams of owning his own pastry shop, Claudette tricks the two into joining her quest. Relying on their wits and Claudette's physical prowess as a fighter, they make their way through various perils—including a hag guarding an apple crop while dreaming of the beauty she lost because of a spell and a water king in search of a consort for his son—only to meet a giant. But this giant only wants to play, and in order to trick the townspeople who want to rescue the children and kill the giant, they concoct a simple ruse to fool them into thinking the giant has been killed. The story is great fun to read since the characters have such vivid personalities—even Valiant, a pug who often leaves his signs everywhere they go. While there are some loose ends at the story's conclusion, it would be impossible not to like these loyal friends. While giants might want to beware, so should readers since this title is so addictive. 

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Holm, Jennifer & Holm, Matt. (2011). Squish No.2: Brave New Pond.  New York: Random House.

Following his oozy introduction in Squish No. 1: Super Amoeba, Squish prepares for the first day of school, which he vows will be different this time. He’s even made a to-do list that includes trying to be accepted by the “in” crowd led by the six super-cool Algae brothers. The book is reminiscent of a teen novel with intimidating high school bullies but with a twist: it’s filled with pond vocabulary. If Squish wants to hang out with the big Algae brothers, he must dump nacho cheese over his nerdy friend Pod. Squish reflects on what his comic book hero Super Amoeba might do in order to resolve this moral dilemma and makes the right decision. Green highlights throughout this graphic novel keep the idea of the pond culture ever present, even in the school administrator’s name—Principal Planaria. This is a great book to use at the start of the school year or even throughout the year since it tackles many issues faced by middle graders, such as fitting in, loyalty, and bullying. Teachers might like to use the book trailer on author Jennifer Holm’s website at www.jenniferholm.com to introduce Squish and create some predictions about the beginning of school. The fun doesn’t end when the book does since readers can create their own slime from a recipe in the “Fun Science with Pod” section at the book’s conclusion.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Reading and Library Consultant

GRADES 6-7

Ignatow, Amy. (2012). The Popularity Papers: The rocky road trip of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang. New York: Amulet Books.

As sixth grade finally ends, best friends Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang have great plans for the summer. But those plans are changed when Lydia’s mother must return to London for her job and her Goth sister Melody heads to Guatemala for a work project. The two friends end up on a road trip with Julie's two fathers. After a cross-country flight, they help Julie’s grandparents move and then drive across the United States, making stops along the way to see the sights and visit family members. A brief visit with Lydia's father ends disappointingly since he has no time to spend with her and her stepbrothers are just as bratty as Melody described them. While some of the sections featuring neat facts about the places they have visited have a decidedly informative element, the storyline allows all the characters, even Melody, to evolve. As they watch the adults in their lives navigate their own family dynamics, Julie and Lydia record their observations in their notebook and realize that growing up doesn’t mean escaping from parental expectations. The ink, colored pencil, colored marker, yarn, and digital illustrations fit the girls' personalities perfectly, adding immeasurably to the pleasures of reading this fourth title in the popular series.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Kibuishi, Kazu. (2012). Explorer: The mystery boxes: Seven graphic stories. New York: Amulet Books. 

Seven short graphic stories are connected by their authors’ various attempts to answer the question of “What exactly is in the box?” Each separate and unique story has the appearance of the mysterious box at the core of the plot, leaving the reader to figure out each box’s contents. In addition to the popular graphic novel artist Kibuishi, the other stories are illustrated by such distinguished artists as Raina Telgemeier, Rad Sechrist, Jason Caffoe, Stuart Livingston, Johane Matte, Dave Roman, and newcomer Emily Carroll. The stories cover a broad range of territory, including war, the Earth’s possible future, and all sorts of trickery, and each approach to the question is different. While some stories are filled with humor and suspense, others may be more suited for mature readers. The cover art is perfect for enticing kids to reach for a title where much mystery awaits.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Reading and Library Consultant

GRADES 9-12

Arni, Samhita. (2011). Sita’s Ramayana.  Art by Moyna Chitrakar. Toronto: Groundwood Books. 

Departing from the traditional way of telling this epic tale from India, the author has chosen to relate the story from a more feminist point of view through the voice of Sita, the wife of King Rama, as the storyteller. Although the story stays true to its traditional roots dating from 300 B.C.E. and the illustrator has used Indian Patua scrolls on which to base the newly designed graphic style, the artwork stays true to the original story of demons stealing the queen after Rama has foolishly and harshly insulted them. Now a prisoner kidnapped by the demons, Sita can rely only on hearsay and the friendship of animals to make her existence bearable. Battles are waged for her return, and eventually are successful although Sita’s experiences have marked her, and her newfound independence continues after she has been rescued. The illustrations are engaging, vibrant and bold to give the story new life. The title was selected as an ALA Notable. The author, who lives in India, can be heard in this television interview discussing the book and back story and her reasons for using Sita’s strong female voice at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5MisgSFP1Q&feature=youtu.be.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Reading and Library Consultant

Bertozzi, Nick. (2011). Lewis & Clark.  New York: First Second Books/ Macmillan.

Using a more oversized format than most graphic novels, Bertozzi describes a journey based on historical fact but with a hint of humor to the story of the explorers and their entourage. These historical characters are portrayed with awareness of their unique personalities and foibles as they face hardships in search of the passage to the West. Readers view a tableau of this epic historic journey through the stories of encounters with treacherous mountains and rivers and attempts to appease the sometimes difficult Lewis as well as watching Sacagawea, the only woman on the trek, act as translator. Then, too, there are scenes that make it clear just how exasperating it must have been to deal with the clumsy Charbonneau’s attempts to assist the group. Following the speech bubbles, the author/illustrator expresses the feelings and emotions of the characters in each new situation along the trail. This is the first in a planned series of graphic novels on explorers with the next title focusing on Ernest Shackleton’s expedition to Antarctica. 

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Reading and Library Consultant

Brosgol, Vera. (2011). Anya’s ghost. New York: First Second/Roaring Brook Press. 

As do so many teens, Anya finds it difficult to fit in at her high school. For one thing, there’s her name—the hard-to-pronounce Borzakovskaya, which hints at her Russian immigrant background. Plus, compared with her slender classmates, she considers herself too plump. Then, too, she is haunted by the ghost of Emily, a girl who died almost a century earlier. Anya feels sorry for Emily when she hears the story of how she died, and when she is rescued, Emily's ghost comes along with her. At first, things are great: Emily helps Anya cheat on her exams and gives her advice about how to attract the attentions of Sean, the basketball star on whom she has a crush. But eventually, Anya’s eyes are opened to the truth about both Sean and her ghost friend who seems, with each passing day, to be less a friend than someone trying to take over Anya’s life unless she puts Emily back where she belongs. Although this wonderful graphic novel about being an outsider is downright scary, it is also very, very funny. It’s hard to decide what aspect is most frightening—a ghost who doesn’t know her place or high school with its particular pecking order where knowing your place seems essential for survival.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University

Jablonski, Carla. (2011) Resistance Book 2: Defiance. Art by Leland Purvis. New York: First Second Books/Roaring Brook Press.

Book 2 in the planned trilogy Resistance, Defiance is historical fiction and graphic novel steeped in facts from WWII and the French Resistance. Set in a village in France, the story focuses on Paul, his mother and two sisters. Their father has been taken away by the Nazis. Paul’s hatred of the Germans and what is happening to his occupied country compels him to become the youngest member of the resistance group hiding in the forests nearby. Not only does Paul’s artwork provide maps for the resistance fighters, but his anti-Nazi posters get him into real trouble. His sisters demonstrate ways of resistance that are more subtle than their brother’s, such as refusing to sing the new government’s songs at schools. Sylvie, the older sister, dates a German soldier to gather information and learns the Nazis are planning to raid a suspected group, the Maquis, within the resistance. The story ends on a suspenseful note that will leave readers anxious for the third and final volume. The pictures and speech bubbles work well together to bring this period of history to life through engaging characters. The author has provided historical notes at the beginning and end of the book that was selected for the ALA Great Graphic Novels for Teens list.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Reading and Library Consultant

Kerns, Ann. (2012). I date dead people. Illus. by Janina Gorrissen. Minneapolis: Graphic Universe. 

The My Boyfriend Is a Monster graphic novel series is delightful, and this one, the fifth in the series, is sure to bring new fans to the series. Jane Austen-fan Nora Reilly despairs of finding a Mr. Darcy or even a Heathcliff in today's modern world, and even the eligible guys at school don’t pay any attention to her.  Nora’s friend Kirsty suggests that popular guy Nick Harris might fit the bill, but Nora is certain that he doesn’t even know who she is. Romance comes for Nora when her parents’ plan to get rid of the grandfather clock in the house prompts a ghostly visit from Thomas Barnes who died when he was eighteen. The two teens spend time together, falling in love, and fighting off the evil spirits in the house with the help of a psychic. Because of Nora's help, Tom is finally able to cross over into the spirit world, leaving her free to love someone who's been waiting for her all along. This is a cool story with a strong-minded heroine and a storyline with many possibilities.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

by Jen Donovan

The International Reading Association partners with the NCTE and Verizon Thinkfinity to produce ReadWriteThink.org, a website devoted to providing literacy instruction and interactive resources for grades K-12. ReadWriteThink presents teachers with effective lesson plans and strategies, a professional community, and engaging online interactive student tools. One of their most popular interactives that can be applied to almost any literacy lesson is the K-W-L Creator.

Just as modern technology has replaced blackboards with smart-boards, and turned written papers into online assignments, the traditional K-W-L chart has been transformed from its paper format to a new online interactive tool. The K-W-L method helps students prepare for what they are reading by organizing what they know (K), what they want (W) to learn, and reflecting on what they’ve learned (L). The K-W-L Creator provides teachers and students with an interactive way to learn through reading comprehension.

The interactive tool is easy to use and understand. Because it is accessible online, students can use the internet to further explore their topic. They can include links to images, videos, and other online resources in their own K-W-L charts, creating visual presentations of what they’ve learned. Teachers can also display the tool on their interactive whiteboards and use it for a class exercise. Each individual chart can be printed separately, so the teacher can focus on a certain area with the entire class. For example, the “L” section can be used to consider and summarize what the class has learned from the readings. 

The worksaver feature is what makes this interactive really unique. It allows users to save their work to either their computer or to their e-mail. Teachers are able to modify the K-W-L charts by asking their own questions and save these modifications for the next lesson. The worksaver functionality also enables students to save their progress and reflect on the overall process of completing the entire K-W-L exercise online. ReadWriteThink has an online video tutorial about saving work for those who need assistance. 

The K-W-L Creator is a highly customizable tool that can be as interactive as you want it to be. Printouts of the K-W-L chart as well as individual charts are available for download from the website. There are also several different versions of K-W-L graphic organizers which create print-out graphic organizers on any specific topic, creating an instant classroom exercise.

The K-W-L Creator, along with all the other interactive tools from the website, is an engaging way of teaching literacy and organization to students. It’s easy to use and the students have fun with the interactive, online-learning component of the tool. ReadWriteThink.org gives teachers the freedom and the resources to tailor their lesson plans, making learning literacy fun and exciting. Visit the K-W-L Creator webpage for more information. 

Jen Donovan is an intern in the Strategic Communications Department of the International Reading Association.