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Ashley Rae Harris

Teoksen The Prank (Night Fall (Quality)) tekijä

12 teosta 127 jäsentä 1 Review

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The book Graphic Novels by Ashley Rae Harris, published in 2013, is a nonfiction survey book. It aligns in this category because the book is an introduction to and history of graphic novels. The book claims to be for grades 3-6, but it could appeal to an even broader age range. The book would be an interesting read even for some high school students. Graphic Novels also includes many sidebars and illustrations.

Harris, according to the About the Author note, has written “several books for adolescents,” but the titles of these books are not disclosed. It also says she is a “graphic novel fan” and that she has a master’s degree from the University of Chicago, though in which subject it does not say. The lack of details about the author does not inspire great confidence that Harris has a vast knowledge of the subject or of the art of writing. When I looked her up later, I found she has written 23 nonfiction books on such subjects as Facebook, Microsoft, relationships, technology, Tupac Shakur and Nikki Minaj.
The author uses many facts to back up her assertions. This is an informational book that follows a timeline approach that includes many, many dates in the book. Harris uses no noticeable opinions, generalizations or stereotyping. Harris is obviously a fan of graphic novels, as stated in About the Author, and pushes them for use in schools, saying they’re a “great way to appeal to students.”

The book’s scope is wide but not very deep. For example, Harris gives a cursory overview of the 1940s, when the comic book industry was worth $30 million. I wondered why comic books were so popular during this time period, and what the demographic of comic books was.

The book is very clearly written with a low language level. The clarity comes from the book’s chronological organization. The glossary in the back of the book would help students unfamiliar with some of the words introduced. The book claims to be appropriate for students in grades 3-6, which appears to be a wide range. However, I found a few areas in the book that would even be of interest to my 10th grade students. The tone is neutral, straightforward and precise, bordering on clinical; there is not much of the author’s voice associated with the book.

Graphic Novels is organized chronologically after Chapter 1. Chapter 1, “the hook,” begins with the advent of graphic novels in 1985. Chapter 2 explains how comic strips started being printed in the late 1800s, and how they were transformed into comic books in the 1930s, when Superman and Batman were introduced. The book traces comic books into the Archie Comics heydey of the 1940s to 1954, when an organization was formed to enforce comic book rules. Then it was the superheroes and indies popular in the1960s through the 1980s and onto the Japanese comics that burst on the scene in the 1990s. Educational graphic novels are now commonly used in schools, and the evolution continues.

There are just five chapters in the book. The table of contents uses straightforward language for its chapters, such as, “How Comic Books Began” and “Graphic Novels in School.” Though the chapters are short, the book contains many section heads – sometimes too many. In a few instances, the section is just one paragraph. At the end of each chapter are writing prompts for teachers to use. The book is part of Core Library, which feature nonfiction books that align with Common Core Standards. It’s very obvious that the book is made to be used in a classroom. There is about three-quarters of a page of index. Interestingly, the Web Links section lists only two links: one to ABDO Publishing (who published the book) and one to the Core Library site. This part appears to be a bit self-serving and not especially helpful to young readers who would like to find out more information about graphic novels. Also, just three books are listed under the Learn More title, and two of those books are published by ABDO. The glossary contains nine words that may be unfamiliar to students.

The book contains many visual representations of comic books, photographs of comic book authors, but the most interesting parts were the sidebars containing more detailed information about subjects mentioned in the main text of the book, such as Captain America’s symbolization of U.S. soldiers fighting against Germany during World War II. A timeline traces the industry from the 1800s to 2003 (although events in 2008 are mentioned in the book). No maps are included.

I would use this book in English class. The timeline of graphic novels would be especially interesting for my 10th grade students. I will use some of the sidebars, such as the 1940s-era cover of Captain America as contrasted with a 2011 cover. It will be a good exercise for students to discover how artists appeal to their audiences in different time periods.

The UNO library contains just two books about graphic novels, and both are how-to-write-a-graphic-novel books. The library contains 38 graphic novels. There are no books that chart the history of graphic novels as a genre. Therefore, I would suggest adding this book to the UNO collection.

It was very difficult to find a review on Graphic Novels, which was published in January 2012. The book has not yet been reviewed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble, School Library Journal, Powells, Hornbook, Mackin.com, VOYA, Booklist or Kirkus. The only review I could find was on goodreads.com in which the reviewer gave the book just one star, saying that it contained a lot of errors (although the reviewer does not mention where these mistakes are found).

Body Image and the Media, a survey book, by Celeste Conway shares a similar style, format, and organization as Graphic Novels. Body Image also is a Core Library book published by ABDO. The About the Author note is similarly vague. It says that Conway’s books “include a picture book and several middle-grade and young adult novels.”
The tone is also neutral and borders on clinical. The subject matter would appeal to a higher reader, but the book is written in simple prose aimed at grades 3-6. The sidebars contain web sites that would be of interest of teens. I have already copied a few of the pages that contain statistics to weave into lessons about body image, and I would use the book in an English classroom. The timeline does not work as well as the timeline in Graphic Novels, because the items – such as “Miss America has a BMI of 22” and “G.I. Joe action figures became more muscular” -- selected seem disjointed. A section on Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” program also appears out of place. However, the book contains many interesting facts and the UNO library contains just three other books on body image, so I would recommend adding this book to the UNO collection. Like the Graphic Novels book, I was unable to find a professional review of the book, and I found no reader reviews either.
… (lisätietoja)
 
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erinchauff | Mar 17, 2013 |

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Tilastot

Teokset
12
Jäseniä
127
Arvio (tähdet)
½ 2.5
Kirja-arvosteluja
1
ISBN:t
38

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