Graphic novels | Page 6 of 6

Alcatoe and the Turnip Child, retro/modern charming graphic novel magic

Fables get a bad rap with upper elementary and middle school students. I taught a class to ESL students that were comprised mostly of fables, you know, those stories that teach lessons. And if there’s one thing that some kids that age don’t want, it’s a lesson. Alcatoe and the Turnip Child is not a fable. It’s also not a fairy tale and not entirely a folktale either. To some readers, Alcatoe could have elements of all of those things, but for us it’s a beautifully paced book about kids, a grumpy witch, the quaint town they live in, and magic.

Alcatoe and the Turnip Child is a graphic novel with a timeless vibe, a slightly evil undercurrent and an irrepressibly quirky demeanor.

Don’t call it a folk story, unless you want to

Neurocomic, a graphic novel on the brain for middle school and up

The other day in the podcast and over on Youtube I mentioned that I read a graphic novel and had no idea of how to accurately describe its content. It’s not that it was bad or poorly presented; it’s just that the subject matter was high level and required a second reading. Having said that, even after reading Neurocomic twice I’m still unable to tell you the details from memory, despite the fact that I enjoyed reading it both times. That is also quite ironic or appropriate, given the fact that Neurocomic is about the brain, memories, and how they’re made, or in my case, forgotten.

Neurocomic has the seemingly impossible task of making a graphic novel on the brain approachable and entertaining and nails it to the cerebellum, in a good way.

A graphic novel that makes the brain understandable? Yup.

Investigators: Heist and Seek, a pun-laden, mandatory graphic novel for 8 and up

It’s great to see things mature and evolve as new books come out in a series. Investigators is not that book series. Instead, Investigators came into the all-age graphic novel space as a plucky, genuinely very funny elementary school book that older readers will also want to jump into. When the first Investigators graphic novel came out we said something along the lines that it was the next must-read book series for elementary school readers and that there was a new captain (underpants) in town. Now, five books after their debut, Investigators: Heist and Seek is still providing dependable, smart laughs, all the while making young readers enjoy something that they need to do.

Investigators: Heist and Seek is the sixth book in this mandatory graphic novel series for ages 8 and up. It’s smart, funny, positive and one that kids will seek out and share.

#6 and still rolling in the wit

Tokyo Rose-Zero Hour, a WWII graphic novel you only think that you know

As an adult, there are things that I know about, and things that I know. I knew of Tokyo Rose, but the actual reason why I knew about her was a mystery. However, I thought about it and realized that the largest reason it resonated with me was its inclusion in that David Lee Roth song. But then I realized that song was actually Yankee Rose, which wasn’t that bad in hindsight. After traipsing down 80’s nostalgia I kicked the pebbles in my mind and knocked over a memory about Tokyo Rose having something to do with WWII and broadcasting. Her story was a Venn Diagram of propaganda, nationalism, the evils of war, politics, and the massive numbers of innocents who get caught in their nation’s crossfire. After reading Tokyo Rose-Zero Hour I realized that I had a couple of her main characteristics correct, but was missing most of the major plot points.

Tokyo Rose-Zero Hour is a non-fiction graphic novel that’s deep in story and details about propaganda, people and WWII.

History in graphic novel form can be challenging, this nails it