Welcome and Introduction
Graphic novels, comics, and graphic nonfiction continue to grow in popularity with young adult and adult readers alike. They also continue to be recognized more and more as serious literature rather than just as simple comic books. The purpose of this blog is to consider graphic novels and graphic nonfiction seriously, especially their potential for use in middle schools and the extent to which they might be integrated into middle grades content area instruction.
This blog features reviews of specific graphic novels and nonfiction titles composed by pre-service teachers ? reviews that provide candid assessments of how particular graphic novels and nonfiction may or may not work well in middle grades content area teaching and learning.
We hope you find the information and resources created and referenced here helpful.
Best,
Dr. Young and the Students of ECI 306
Note: This blog is a companion site to our ECI 306 course wiki.
Posted at 10:37AM Oct 03, 2008 by YOUNG, CARL in General | Comments[1]
Graphic Nonfiction Review: Cesar Chavez
Our graphic nonfiction book is titled Cesar Chavez: Fighting for Farmworkers by Eric Braun. In this graphic novel, the life of Cesar Chavez is depicted. Chavez realized at an early age, due to his family's conditions, that farmworkers were being treated unfairly. Therefore, as he grew older, he decided that he wanted to change the conditions of the farmworkers. He did this by organizing farmworkers into a union called UFW (United Farmworkers). In the end, UFW boycotted products such as grapes and his efforts succeeded in giving farmworkers better working conditions and more pay.
In the back of this novel, there is a glossary that contains vocabulary words used throughout the text. Also, there is a timeline of Chavez's life. These two tools are beneficial to the reader, because they give extra background knowledge that would help the reader understand the text. The artwork is colorful and eye-catching. However, there are weaknesses in this book. The text seems too elementary and there is not enough detail included.
Although this book seems too young for middle school students, it could still potentially be integrated into the classroom. In the 8th grade social studies curriculum, North Carolina is studied in depth. Since NC is an agricultural state, it would be interesting to learn about Chavez and how his work out west has influenced North Carolina today. This could be used in one or more lessons as a supplemental reading and could be relevant for one or two classes--you could probably not stretch it out further unless you used it with additional materials. In our opinion, students would probably find this text interesting, and it would be easy for them to read.
Our recommendation to preservice teachers is to use this text if it fits into the curriculum, because Chavez is a very interesting and influential man whose impact on labor in this country should be part of what our students know about U.S. history.
-- Sarah Edwards and Caroline Baum, Spring 2008
Posted at 11:33PM Sep 29, 2008 by Sarah Edwardsse in Graphic Nonfiction Reviews | Comments[0]
Graphic Nonfiction Review
I chose to read Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad by Micheal Martin illustrated by Dave Hoover and Bill Anderson. Overall, this book would be helpful in an 8th grade social studies class when teaching my students about the contribution of slavery to the NC economy. This would allow me to show my students the effects of slavery on the lives of the enslaved, a piece all too often left out of the history books or in small quantities when it is present.
1.Summary: Harriet Tubman and the Underground Rail Road is the true story of one young slave girl and her journey to Pennsylvania in search of freedom. The story opens with little bit about Harriet Tubman's life as a young slave girl. Then the author tells the story of how Tubman is hit in the head with a heavy iron weight, by a slave owner trying to stop one of his own slaves from running away. While working in the fields one day, Tubman is told that she will be sold off in an auction, thus she decides to run to freedom leaving behind her husband and other family. After reaching freedom, on what came to be known as the Underground Railroad, Tubman finds a job and works for a while until she hears that her niece will soon be sold off. She then decided to travel back down south to rescue them. After making this journey successfully, Tubman travels back down south many more times bringing several more families to the freedom of the north on the Underground Railroad. At the end of her journey, Tubman was responsible for helping over 300 slaves escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad.
This graphic nonfiction book uses comic strip like art and images with action to tell the story of a fugitive slave woman and her journey to free herself and others who had been bound by the institution of slavery in the south.
2. Strengths: This graphic nonfiction text tells the story of the Underground Railroad with out the potential to bore students to death. This text discusses the fugitive slave laws, the underground railroad, slave stations and other key elements of the slavery experience without the dry reading my students associate with textbook reading.
3.Weaknesses: I do not believe that there are any weaknesses to be mentioned in this text.
4.Content Area Connections: This would be a great book to use as a supplement when teaching slavery and the causes of the Civil War. I could use this book, accompanied by other literature on former slaves like Fredrick Douglas and have the students take an inside look at the torment of the institution of slavery and how it contributed to the onset of the Civil War. An eight-grade social studies classroom would be a perfect place for this text.
5. Enhancing Content: This book does a good job of bringing up some of the issues with the institution of slavery which contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War in the south including direct references to: slavery, fugitive slave laws, rewards for runaways, and the onset of the civil war. Of course this text alone would not be sufficient because it does not go in depth enough, however it does touch on all of these areas. Seeing that eight grade social studies is the history of NC and that NC was a slave state and that some of the slaves who utilized the Underground Railroad were from NC, this text could be well integrated.
6.How middle school students will respond: I believe that middle schoolers will take well to this reading, seeing that it is a step above the traditional textbook format. Middle schoolers like picture and this book had a lot of them. Presenting the information in this form gives the students a chance to see what they are reading about, which is usually helpful to most middle schoolers. This book presents the information in a low intimidation-high participation way by providing a limited number of words for the students to have to read and a very simple middle school vocabulary.
7. Recommendation: I would definitely recommend this book to pre-service and in-service teachers. Its a text that can be used as supplementary and it is a simple way to present the issue of slavery to middle schoolers in a format that is easy for them to identify with. It has simple vocabulary and a small amount of reading. This book will aid the linguistic learner and the visual learner alike in their understanding of the institution of slavery, in the years prior to the civil war. I definitely encourage middle school teachers everywhere to pick up a copy of this book!!!
Posted at 11:28PM Sep 29, 2008 by Michelle Rena Harris in Graphic Nonfiction Reviews | Comments[0]
Graphic Nonfiction Review: Exploring Ecosystems...
The first section of the graphic nonfiction title, Exploring Ecosystems with Max Axiom Super Scientist, discusses ecosystems. The main character, Max, defines organisms, communities, populations, and ecosystems. In section two of the graphic novel, Max describes consumers, producers, and decomposers in nature. Rich illustrations are used to provide examples. Max also describes and defines photosynthesis, carnivores, and omnivores. In this section, Max takes a ride on a boat where he uses marine wildlife to provide examples in describing food chains and food webs. Predator/prey relationships are also described. The predator/prey relationship discussion feeds into a discussion about the water cycle. Illustrations of maps, desert, and rainforest help to convey the factual information of section three: ?world?s biomes?. Max explains to the reader the differences between deciduous forests, grasslands, and tundra. In the final section of this graphic novel, Max discusses the importance of taking care of our ecosystem.
I feel that the strength of this book is the depth of information provided. This book is full of facts and useful examples. The only weakness I might find in this book is that it could be providing an information overload for some students. The book should be read over a period of time and could be used to supplement a class textbook or notes. The material in this book perfectly matches the curriculum for sixth grade standard course of study. Ecosystems, predator/prey relationships, and the water cycle are all sixth grade curriculum topics. The book addresses these topics well and the illustrations with the information might make this book more engaging than a normal textbook.
I think that middle school students would be more interested in reading this book than the textbook. I would strongly recommend this book to teachers. The book has tons of information directly linked to sixth grade curriculum and shares the information in a fun and interesting way.
- Melissa Williams, Spring 2008
Posted at 02:35PM Aug 13, 2008 by Melissa Williams in Graphic Nonfiction Reviews | Comments[0]
Graphic Nonfiction Review: Nat Turner
The graphic nonfiction title that I read was Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion, by Micheal Burgan. This book is about the slave revolt that happend during the 1800's and was led by Nat Turner. The novel talks about why Nat Turner decided to start the slave revolt, along with who he killed and how he got the people who were involved in the revolt.
The graphics in the novel are set up in comic style. This where the page is split up into boxes and each part of the story is told in each box. The art work is drawn and in color to help show the intensity of the story. The words that the people are saying are in conversation bubbles, and the narriative part is written at the bottom of the boxes.
I feel the strength of the book is the actual story itself, and the color of the drawings in the book. The color is very vibrant, I feel this is to show the intesity of the story.
I think the weakness the book has is the point of view of the story. I know that the revolt was a horrible thing and that it shouldn't have happend but there is more emphasis on how terrible he was instead of how the conditions that he was in.
I would use this book to help explain the conditions of slavery, and how it affected the people. This book would be good for eigth grade students who are learning about the civil war, and the slave conditions. This will help explain things that are happening in the US compared to North Carolina. In eight grade students are suppose to learn about the civil war especially in North Carolina.
The book shows how the slave revolt affected the people in the south. I thought it was very good, and even though the point of view isn't the best. It still shows how intense the slave situation was in the south. The students will be able to understand the feeling of people during that time.
I think that the students will like this book. It has great pictures for them to look at, along with the story line. Kids like to hear about how people are being killed, and then being arrested.
I think teachers should use this book to help get students understand the intensity in the south during this time. Teachers should also use this book to help show what type of things happend during this time, such as revolts.
- Nicole Lessar, Spring 2008
Posted at 02:34PM Aug 13, 2008 by Nichole Lessard in Graphic Nonfiction Reviews | Comments[0]
Graphic Nonfiction Review: The Wright Brothers...
I choose to read The Wright Brothers and the Airplane by Xavier Niz. This book tells the story of the Wright borthers and there quest to fly an airplane. The book shows all of the trial and error that they went throught to get to their goal to pilot this first aircraft. I believe one strength of the book is the fact that it is not very long and easy to read. The pictures in the book are very detailed and can almost tell the story without words. I did feel that it was sometimes confusing where the words were placed on the pictures. At times I had to figure out the exact order that they went in and for an inexperienced reader this might be difficult.
This could be used in the North Carolina curriculm in the 8th grade becuse this is when they teach the history of North Carolina and that is where Wilber and Orville flew for the first time. I think that most students would recieve this book well becuase it would be better than reading the material straight out of a textbook. I think that graphic nonfiction books are a great way for teacher to incorporate material into their lessons becuse if a student is reading that is appealing to them they will get more out of the book.
- Erin Shattuck, Spring 2008
Posted at 02:33PM Aug 13, 2008 by Erin Shattuck in Graphic Nonfiction Reviews | Comments[0]
Lindsey and Sarah
Lindsey Guffey
Sarah Hoyle
Graphic Nonfiction Title: Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow
Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow is a graphic novel that describes the life of a sharecropper under the control of landowners, that lives in a small town with his son where the Jim Crow laws are in full force. He had once played in the African American baseball league and actually played against Satchel Paige. The story shows segregation among the people in the sharecropper?s town and the tragic events that were occurring there, like lynching. As the story progresses, the landowners and other whites in the town schedule a baseball game against Satchel Paige and his team. During the game, the African Americans are ridiculed against and it really shows how awful these times were. In the end, Satchel Paige does a remarkable thing and shows not only the town, but the whole world, that eras like the Jim Crow period should have never existed. The graphics in this novel are very simple and are done in black/white/gray shades. The pages almost look like they have been painted with water colors.
The story in and of itself is a strength. We thought it was fabulous that the realness of Jim Crow laws could be portrayed through a story that deals with baseball. It was truly an inspirational story, even though it did discuss some of the tragedies that were occurring during this time. The artwork was also great. The drawings were done so simply, yet effectively. It was not too much that it took away from the story. Another strength was that the novel is only around 85 pages. It is short enough that kids will be able to finish it very quickly, all while proving the point about Jim Crow.
The only real aspect that might make the book hard to teach is the use of African American Vernacular English. Some students might find it difficult to read and follow along with some of the phrases that are used, but it can definitely be done. We will just have to work hard to make sure they can follow along easily. It was really a great graphic novel and this is the only thing that we could note.
Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow could be used in conjunction with teaching eighth grade Social Studies. In eighth grade students learn about North Carolina history, which includes slavery and the Jim Crow laws. Reading this graphic novel allows students to better understand the conditions of the segregated South from 1929 ? 1944. The novel reveals the injustices that African Americans faced during this time and uses the All-American sport of baseball to add interest for the elimination of the Jim Crow laws and segregation in the South.
The novel addresses North Carolina history content in such a way that students can truly enjoy learning about it, and they actually may not even realize they are learning at all! Using the famous professional baseball player, Satchel Paige, in a story about life for African Americans, particularly the sharecropper, during the Jim Crow era in the South is a fantastic way to captivate the students? interests. The novel addresses historical content such as sharecropping, racial segregation and the Jim Crow laws. It also allows students to see how African Americans felt when faced such cruelty and mistreatment during this time period.
We truly think middle school students will enjoy reading Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow. Since the book has a focus on baseball and includes the famous baseball player, Satchel Paige, we think middle school boys especially will enjoy reading the book; it brings in an element of something they can relate to. I think that even middle school girls will enjoy reading the book, as well.
I would definitely recommend using Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow in eighth grade Social Studies. The novel offers an interesting way to look at an important piece of history.
Posted at 02:28PM Apr 24, 2008 by Lindsey Michelle Guffey in Graphic Nonfiction Reviews | Comments[0]
Graphic Nonfiction Review
I chose to read The Wright Brothers and the Airplane by Xavier Niz. This book tells the story of how Orville and Wilbur Wright came to be the first people in history to pilot a powered aircraft. The story begins when the brothers are young boys, and it describes the events in their lives and specific details about the types of aircraft they built. All of the graphics are in color and are large enough to allow the reader to see the details. The story is told in boxes that explain the important details and dialogue boxes that show conversations between the characters of the story. This book has many strengths, especially for middle school students. For example, the book is short enough that it will not take most students very long to read (an important detail, not to be overlooked). Also, the book's artwork boxes are large enough to ensure that the reader will not get lost on the page. Other strengths of this book are an Interesting Facts section and a glossary of flight terms that were used in the story. The only weakness that I see with this book is that there are a lot of dates, which might get confusing. If the book were reprinted, I would like to see a timeline of events added to the back of the book.
This book could be used very effectively in any middle grades classroom. The book specifically addresses the social studies content area because 8th grade students study
I believe that most middle school students would respond very positively to this book, but I think it would appeal more to males than females. When I asked an 8th grade female to look the book over, she said that she didn't care for it and probably wouldn't choose to read it. She found "comics" to be too confusing because there is a lot of reading up and down the page rather than the usual left to right. She also told me that she only knew one person that read "comics," and he read
While there will be students who dislike graphic novels, I think this title could go over well if it were used as supplementary reading to a social studies textbook. The fact that it appears to be a very short book would be the biggest draw for most students. However, once they began to read it, they would find it pretty interesting and the graphics would help keep their attention.
I would definitely recommend this book to pre-service and in-service middle school teachers; however, I would make sure that it was supplemented with another text. The book's ability to connect many content areas and subjects makes it worthwhile to have in all core classes. It would also make a great addition to a bookshelf that students could access when they had free time--at least for the students who like graphic novels! --Melissa Zerbs
Posted at 11:21AM Apr 24, 2008 by Melissa Zerbs in Graphic Nonfiction Reviews | Comments[0]
Review of my graphic nonfiction title: Fallout
My graphic novel is "Fallout" and deals with the creation of the atomic bomb, as well as the political and social issues that arose after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I don't know what kind of graphics and artwork were used. One weakness I perceived was that there is no color used throughout the book. After reading, I do think now that this book is more suited for a social science class since the scientific aspects of the bomb are only mentioned briefly. I was disappointed by this book and would not use it in my science class. It seemed boring even for my age; I would not want to know how boring it would be for the kids. This book goes too much into the political aspects and really does not explore the main characters in depth.
Posted at 10:43AM Apr 24, 2008 by Kerstin Bevill in Graphic Nonfiction Reviews | Comments[0]
ECI306 Graphic Novel Review!
Nevermore: A Graphic Adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's Short Stories by Various Artists/Authors
This graphic novel is a compilation of several of Edgar Allan Poe's most famous poems and short stories. The selection of graphic novels that would be educationally appealing and not necessarily Manga was surprisedly slim when I began my search for the ultimate graphic novel. As I scanned the shelves, the eye-catching title of this graphic novel immediately jumped out at me. I immediately recognized the title from one of the most memorable Edgar Allan Poe poems, The Raven. As I picked it up to scan through the pictures, I was impressed! The graphics reminded me of an early Marvel comic and before each section, the artist consideratly provides a brief summary of the selected poem or short story so that readers will have a better understanding of the plot and graphics. Robert Corman's foreward provides readers with what to expect from the various artists, just in case avid Poe readers are surprised by the modern twist that has been given to his short stories and poems.
Although it is a wonderful and educational graphic novel, I would have liked to see more color images. I feel that it would have made it more visually appealing to young readers. Not to be sexist/ feminist but I felt that most of the graphic novel was very masculine so it may be more challenging to sell this to a middle school girl (but who knows, I may be wrong). There is a section that provides information about Edgar Allan Poe and his style of writing, but it isn't quite as detailed and that will be important when trying to introduce this author in a Language Arts class. In 6th grade, I remember reading "The Raven" and I feel that this book would have been a good way to reemphasize Poe's work, famous and not-so famous. Teachers can use this book to teach about audience, themes, types of literary genres, setting, imagery, etc. The modern twist that has been given to the short stories and poems will make it much easier for middle school students to read, follow and understand. I would definitely recommend this book for any English/Language Arts teacher to teach literature from different time periods, style and other literary terms. Personally, I didn't like every piece in this graphic novel, but I definitely chose a favorite and thoroughly enjoyed reading it!
Posted at 04:01AM Apr 24, 2008 by Iwinosa Idahor in Graphic Novel Reviews | Comments[1]
Graphic Nonfiction Review
Graphic Novel - Marie Curie and Radioactivity
1. This graphic novel is about the life of Marie Curie and her discovery of radioactivity and the elements radium and polonium. This book is sort of like a comic strip with ?bubbles? telling the story from the character?s point of view, and it also has boxes with facts throughout the story.
2. I feel the major strength of this book is that it isn?t a textbook. It tells the story of Marie Curie in a way that students can learn in a more entertaining way.
3. The major weakness of this book is that students may perceive it as being too ?babyish? for them.
4. This book goes along with the 8th Grade Science Standard Course of Study. This book could also be used with Sixth Grade Social Studies Competency Goal 7 that ?assesses connections between historical events and contemporary issues since Marie Curie helped France in the war.
5. The book does a great job of displaying the facts in a more entertaining way. It will be a great way of breaking up the normal text readings.
6. I believe that students would not take this assignment seriously because they may perceive it as childish. I would recommend that teachers use this book during class to be sure that students actually read it. I think that some of the students may not want to admit it, but they will enjoy this reading because it is like a Superman comic book.
7. I would definitely recommend this book. I think that students could definitely respond to this book in a positive way because it is a different form of learning the material.
-Deanna Godbout
Posted at 11:44PM Apr 23, 2008 by Deanna Godbout in Graphic Nonfiction Reviews | Comments[0]
Graphic Nonfiction Title Review by Laura Smith
- Summary:
This graphic novel highlights Elizabeth Cady Stanton?s struggle for women?s
rights. Starting at the age of eleven,
- Strengths: The story is easy to read and is presented in an entertaining way. It is hard to remember that you?re reading about important historical characters and events because you really get into the story. I also liked how the book provided vocabulary terms at the end of the story.
- Weaknesses: I do not think there are any weaknesses.
- Content Area Connections: This would be a good book to use in an eighth grade English class. It would follow these DPI competency goals:
-Goal 2: The learner will explore and analyze information from a variety of sources.
-Goal
5: The learner will respond to various literary genres using interpretive and evaluative processes.
- Addressing
Content: I could do a unit on biographies and we could read this biography
about Elizabeth Cady Stanton. It covers her life from the age of eleven
until 92 and all of the accomplishments she achieved. A biography would be
one type of literary genre that the students could analyze. It also
addressed issues that the students would be learning about in
- Students: I think that students would respond well to this book because it is easy to read and has a lot of illustrations. I?m sure that they would prefer to read this instead of a boring textbook.
- Recommendation: I would definitely recommend this graphic novel to other teachers. I wasn?t sure how well I was going to like graphic novels at first, but I have come to realize that they are really interesting and fun. It will encourage students to learn about history.
Posted at 11:38PM Apr 23, 2008 by Laura Ashley Smith in Graphic Nonfiction Reviews | Comments[0]
Graphic Novel Title
My Graphic Novel Title is Runaways Vol. 1 by Brian K Vaughan.
Seems cool! I'll let you know how it turns out (may have to read all three volumes to get the entire story, though).
Review:1. Summary: Six teenagers come together in a fight to save the world from their Supervillian parents. They use their owns gifts of magic, superhero gadgets, and spell casting to try to infiltrate their parents' plans. Something goes awry and one the teens dies (due to his betrayal to the Runaways). By the end of the story members of the group have left (either by death, choice, or theft) and other groups have come to the aid of the Runaways, leaving you on edge until you read the rest of the trilogy.
2. The strengths of the novel include the artwork and plot. Since the novel was created by Marvel Comics, the graphics are pretty awesome. The story itself was great due to the twists and turns that were involved.
3. A weakness of the novel is that some of the events seem unbelievable (it's a comic about superheroes, so that's to be expected, I guess).
4. & 5. This novel is like a futuristic version of The Outsiders, so I would use it for 7th grade Language Arts. This novel could be used to teach students how to infer and make predictions. It could also be used to teach them about different genres of literature and how to analyze what they are reading.
6. I think that students will love this book because they would be getting to read a comic book for school (something many of them probably wouldn't think they were able to do). Since the book is focused on teenagers and the difficulties they face with building their morals, I think students would identify with this because they are usually having to make a decision between what is right and what is cool.
7. I would recommend this book, but I would be cautious about the content (a girl being sacrificed, teenage love, etc.)--so I would probably seek approval by the principal and see if he/she thinks that a permission slip should be signed before the students are allowed to read it.
~Malissa Braxton
Posted at 09:38PM Apr 23, 2008 by Malissa Braxton in Graphic Novel Reviews | Comments[0]
Review of The Arrival
Graphic Novel Review
Shaun Tan takes his readers on an adventure on the sole basis of letting the reader decide his/her interpretation of the book. His graphic novel, The Arrival is made up entirely of pictures that are strategically placed in such a way to secure the meaning of the story. The graphics in this book are amazing, they invoke the emotions of the characters within and transmit that emotion to whom ever is reading. Shaun Tan has a great talent of illustrating the issues important in today?s society through the depiction within his books. His graphics allow young readers to gain a better understanding of certain complex issues that surround them even if they are not fully aware of the issues. The story takes the reader on the journey of an immigrant who has left his family and everything that is familiar to him and come to a foreign land. The Arrival shows the very real issue of immigration through the eyes of an immigrant and the strange world they see upon arrival to a new place. Unlike the stereotypical portrayal of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island and the statue of liberty being figuratively lit up in the foreground with joyful expressions on the faces of immigrants as they arrive on a ship to America; this book shows a different reaction to coming to America, that of one where the immigrants are scared, alone, and unsure of what to expect.
The strength of this book is the manifestation of emotions that are invoked through pictures;
I am going to use this book when I enter the classroom. I will be certified in both Language Arts/English and Social Studies, which I have a passion for both and this book is a great resource for each of those areas. This book would serve as a great window into the eyes and perspective of immigrants to any country, Social Studies covers the history of migration and gives the raw material behind the reason and results of migration. Children respond well to any subject that they can relate to their personal lives or experience an emotion related to the information learned. This book provides the opportunity for the students to couple the curriculum of immigrants to a new country with the feelings generated by a character in that situation, from his perspective. The Arrival is a multi-dimensional resource for Language Arts/English because the book has no words the only way to gain an understanding is to inference the meaning of the pictures. As the story progresses, the reader has to make connections based off of previous pictures to gain a greater understanding of the meaning. The Arrival provides a great chance for a teacher to incorporate a writing portion in correlation with the use of the book. Having the class translate the meaning of the graphics and put the book into words is a great way to give them a chance to be creative. An activity such as this would lead to a great culminating activity where students could to present his/her interpretation of what the book was about. Each interpretation would be unique in some way and it would lend the opportunity for a great interactive discussion.
One major theme in this book is the idea of belonging. Middle school students deal with this emotion on a daily basis. Giving students the opportunity to be engaged in a book that depicts an understanding of what they are going through on a personal level, is a great tool to connect to children while teaching them important information and skills that they will need to succeed in the future. Throughout life people are faced with feeling of wanting to belong and this book relates to how any person of any age might deal with that issue. This book helps to shed light on the fact that everyone has a different understanding of life and regardless of their background or beliefs, everyone deserves to treated as an equal and not be made to feel like an alien in a new world. Students will relate well to this topic because in middle school they are faced with this notion on a daily basis. By reading this book, it has the potential to open up a discussion to those feelings and give the students the opportunity to share times when they have felt both a sense of belonging as well as a sense of loneliness. Adolescents love to talk and to have the opportunity to share their feelings; this book gives them the chance to do that. After completing the reading of this book a great follow-up activity would be having the students write a narrative about times in their lives where they have felt similar to the main character in The Arrival.
This book should be used by both pre-service and in-service teachers. The Arrival would lend the opportunity for new teachers to understand the feeling of being nervous and not belonging. A pre-service/new teacher could implement this book in the classroom to engage students in the themes and issues that are addressed each of the pages. This book is a great resource to lead to an interactive discussion on the many themes found within the illustrations. Graphic novels are a great resource that needs to be facilitated in the classroom and all teachers should be open to implementing them into their curriculum.
Posted at 01:20AM Apr 23, 2008 by Allyson Spencer in Graphic Novel Reviews | Comments[0]
The Apollo 13 Mission book review by Jason West
This is a well written story. It is not very long so students should be able to complete it fairly quickly. The story concludes on page 27. The following 2 pages gives the reader more details about the mission than what was mentioned in the story. The last 3 pages conclude with: Glossary, Internet Sites, Read More, Bibliography, and Index. The artwork is equivalent to modern day comic books.
The story begins with the crew waving good bye to their work associates as they load on board the space craft. The rocket is then blasted into space on the way to the moon. While in space, they heard an explosion. They looked out their space craft window and saw gas leaking to outer space. The computers were beginning to read low levels of oxygen in tanks 1 and 2. To make matters worse, fuel cells 1 and 3 were dead. The mission to the moon was now called off. Survival and returning home was their new mission. Returning home would be no easy matter. They were scared to fire the service module engine because they feared it may be damage. They also feared to slingshot around the moon because the oxygen level would not last the entire trip. After 5.5 hours of debating, they decided to fire the engines for 30 seconds and sling shot around the moon. They began to ration their supply. Each astronaut was only allowed 6 ounces of water each day. The space craft was moving too slow to make it back to earth in time so they fired the engines again. They were now traveling fast enough to make it in time; however, a new problem had occurred. Carbon Dioxide levels were rising to dangerous levels.
The story keeps the student's attention by the constant problems NASA is forced into. You never know how they will defeat the problem, and when they do, a new one rises. The book also does an excellent job in giving the students more information about the mission if they choose to go further with it. One example is two pages titled "More about Apollo 13." Another example is a list of internet sites students may go to learn more about Apollo 13. The book also does an excellent job defining words in the story in the glossary section. The only improvement I can see that would make the book better is for the author to include more pages in the section "More about Apollo 13." Two pages just aren't enough to fill my appetite. The author does however give us some web sites to further our investigations. This is fine for me; however, for students who don't yet have access to the web may be left unfulfilled.
This story goes well with the 6th grade science curriculum. Objective 4.01 says, "Water, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen are substances cycled between the living and non-living environments." The non living environment in this story is obviously the space capsule. The water levels were low, and the carbon dioxide level was rising. In Objective 5.04 it says, "Describe space explorations and the understandings gained from them including: N.A.S.A., Technologies used to explore space, Historic timeline, Apollo mission to the moon, Space Shuttle, International Space Station, and Future goals." Notice it even mentions the Apollo mission in the objective. Objective 6.02 says, "Analyze heat flow through materials or across space from warm objects to cooler objects until both objects are at equilibrium." In our story, the equilibrium settled to 38 degrees. In Objective 7.02 it says, "Investigate factors that determine the growth and survival of organisms including: temperature range, water, and energy." Notice that the astronauts lost a total of 31.5 pounds in 6 days because of the compromised environment. The story also goes well for the 7th grade science curriculum it goes well also. Objective 1.05 says, "Analyze evidence to: Explain observations, and make inferences and predictions. The astronauts observed an explosion and gas leaking. This led them to take immediate action. Objective 2.02 says, "Use information systems to: Identify scientific needs, human needs, or problems that are subject to technological solution."
I do believe middle school students will respond rather positively to this book. First of all it is short enough to read in one sitting. Secondly it has cool graphics. And finally it keeps you in suspense the entire story. I do highly recommend this book for consideration in middle school reading. This book will give real life examples of the many concepts covered in class.
Posted at 10:17PM Apr 22, 2008 by Jason Lee West in Graphic Nonfiction Reviews | Comments[0]
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