Reading Rumpus

Gettysburg, The Graphic Novel by C.M. Butzer - Book Review & Teaching Support

They used to be called Comics, geeky connotation firmly attached, but now, Graphic Novels are the big deal. Yes, the comics name has been reinvented to a less geeky, more in the know, form. And sure, graphic novels might hold more storyline than a comic, but lets face it: Someone finally got smart and realized that all those years of hot comic sales should be repackaged for a new generation.

Smart, well, drawn and sweeping in its subject, Gettysburg, The Graphic Novel is exactly the right thing for today’s young reader. Wrapped in well-drawn, subtle, black & white rendering is the dark tale of the Battle of Gettysburg. The author does an excellent job keeping to the facts and adding just enough drama. The novel ends with Lincoln’s most perfect of speeches and drawings that evoke the sweep of the tragedy.

Parents with a desire to see their child engaged in history might want to look for this title when it is released in December. Teachers would also do well to put away those textbooks and add graphic novels like Gettysburg, The Graphic Novel to their collections. Struggling readers are especially well-served with the graphic novel format of short text bursts and pictures for added support.

-------------------- Resources --------------------

Genre: Historical Nonfiction. Age: 9-12. Pages: 80.

Publisher: Harper Collins. Date: December 2008.
ISBN-10: 0061561754 / ISBN-13: 978-0061561757

Buy Gettysburg, The Graphic Novel Here

Activity ideas?

• The novel begins with a cast of characters page. Assign reports on each person.
• Have students write imagined conversations between characters.
• Have students conduct a mock interview with one of the cast of characters.
• Research Gettysburg, Pennsylvania then & now. How has it changed? What memorial stands on the site? Why is it important to remember battles like Gettysburg?
• Have students draw their own graphic novel (much shorter, of course) for another battle in the Civil War.
• Have students use the extensive notes & bibliography for research into additional aspects of the battle as well as the war.

I thought these up in five minutes. There are enumerable ideas that would easily flow from this book. I hope graphic novels continue to be a trend in nonfiction books and educational supplementals. With modern inundation of information, students need engaging forms to motivate their attention.

C.M Butzer is editor-in-chief of Rabid Rabbit, a magazine of comic artists. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can see more of his work on his website. Gettysburg, The Graphic Novel is his first children's book, but I'll be looking for more.
____________________________________________________________

Nation by Terry Pratchett - Book Review

I’ve read a quite a few Terry Pratchett novels and Good Omens, co-written with Neil Gaiman, is a personal favorite so I was excited to read Pratchett’s new novel, Nation. The story is standard Pratchett fare with humor and lofty ideals as common cohorts; yet, this one seems a bit heavier handed and I couldn’t help thinking Pratchett’s recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis was guiding his hand.

Nation is an alternate universe story of Mau, a young man on the cusp of manhood, and Daphne, a young girl stranded on Mau’s island. They meet after a giant tidal wave kills the members of shipwrecked Daphne’s English vessel and Mau’s island tribal-like nation. As a side note, the world is in a state of upheaval with many having succumbed to a plague. Gradually Daphne and Mau march toward maturity and form a new nation, but not without having first grappled with themes of religion, faith, cultural identity, prejudice and most core belief systems. The story itself is told in standard adventure style, but it hides a much deeper lining.

Nation is a valuable addition to the dystopia/utopia & alternate universe genres. The story of rebuilding a nation after devastating loss is easily comparable to current world events. This will prove valuable for educators who wish to use Nation as a jumping off point for current history, cultural or political discussions. And though Nation has been categorized young adult, I suspect many adults will take pleasure in it also.

I found Pratchett’s resistance to steer the romantic nuances in a different direction especially refreshing, leaving the idea that men and woman can form true friendships and lasting bonds without all the lovey-dovey folly associated with many young adult novels. I continually pictured Pratchett imagining a tsunami or plague overtaking the Western World and wiping out all the bad. If the ending chapter were to stand alone as a thesis on the soul of mankind, it’d form a very good nation, indeed.

Sea Queens by Jane Yolen - Book Review

Sea Queens tells the stories of thirteen infamous female pirates in an enlightening manner with sidebar clarifications and added tidbits that are perfect for pirate collections, something the kids are clamoring for since pirates went Disney.

Jane Yolen gives us girl villains and treachery that can easily stand up to their male counterparts. She does a good job separating what we know and what must be left to speculation with regard to the sketchy details of pirating. The sidebar additions of geography, history, facts and rumor add depth and spark further interest. Illustrator Christine Joy Pratt’s woodcut-styled illustrations add much delight.

It’s especially helpful that the pirates are depicted in chronological order lending reference to the historical context of piracy. The end features a bibliography, as well as websites for further research. The large text is fairly simple and, though I’ve not completed a readability count, I suspect it would work well with the early independent reader while meeting the interest level for an older student with a curiosity about pirate lore.

Jane Yolan has written two additional pirate themed books which might work well in a compare and contrast context: The Ballad of the Pirate Queens & Pirates In Petticoats.

A stunning addition to Yolen’s fantastic body of work and a must for pirate book collector’s Sea Queens is a book you’ll want to check out.

-------------------- Resources --------------------

Genre: Historical Nonfiction. Age: Pages: 9-12. 112.

Themes:Piracy, History, Daring
Thank You to The Picnic Basket.
Publisher: Charlesbridge. Date: June 2008.
ISBN-10: 1580891314 / ISBN-13: 978-1580891318

Buy Sea Queens HERE

Fuse #8 School Library Journal review

More on the publisher, Charlesbridge, site.

Jane Yolen thinks she has written more than 280 books. She has been awarded many honors. She seems to have acquired the storytelling gene as she has been called both "America's Hans Christian Andersen" and "a modern equivalent of Aesop." You can read more about her on Penguin Publishing's website or on her own.

____________________________________________________________

We Have A Winner!

Using random.org, I have found the winner for my Farworld: Water Keep Giveaway!
Book Zombie (aka: Joanne) is the winner :-)
I've sent Book Zombie an email.
Thanks to everyone who entered.
_____________________________________________________

Judy Moody Goes To College by Megan McDonald - Mini Book Review

Judy Moody does it again. Her attitude and perfect third-grade persona shine through in her eighth incarnation: Judy Moody Goes to College.

Judy’s teacher is attending one of those things where teachers go to learn more teaching stuff and Judy has a substitute teacher. The substitute thinks Judy has a math deficiency so Judy’s parents get her a tutor. Judy’s tutor is a college student, Chloe, who exudes coolness. Soon, Judy’s not only cool with math, but also cool with all her third grade peeps.

It is no wonder that the Judy Moody series is a hit. Judy is this generation’s Ramona, great company of which to be compared. Teachers will find many opportunities to discuss classroom & family dynamics, facing obstacles and attitude in this title. The title is also great for independent readers who like humor and/or realistic fiction.

-------------------- Resources --------------------

Genre: Realistic Fiction. Age: 4-8. Pages: 144.

Themes: Determination, Humor

Awards: Thank You: Advisory:
Publisher: Candlewick. Date: July 2008.
ISBN-10: 0763628336 / ISBN-13: 978-0763628338

Buy Judy Moody Goes to College Here

Learn More about the Judy Moody series HERE.

Some Judy Moody lesson plans

Author Megan McDonald is well known to many elementary readers as the author of the wildly popular Judy Moody books. She's worked as a children's librarian and in a children's bookstore where she once caught a burglar trying to steal books! You can read a lot more fun facts about the author on her website.
____________________________________________________________

Great places you probably already know about, but ...

Worth mentioning, even though many educators and parents might already know:

J. Scott Savage & Farworld: Water Keep- Author Interview & Book Giveaway

I was very excited to receive an advanced copy of Farworld: Water Keep and even more excited when I enjoyed the book and could write a positive review HERE.

As promised, I have ~~interviewed~~ quizzed Mr. Savage in the oldest schoolhouse in the USA, located in Saint Augustine, Florida. He was a good student and had much to say about the release of Farworld: Water Keep on September 12th, 2008:

Teacher Tasses has an exam and pop quiz for you young Mr. Savage... So sit up straight and throw away the chewing gum.

"Uh, oh. Hope I don’t get sent to the Principal. He and I were often on a first name basis. I wasn’t actively bad... I had an imagination that often got me into hot water."

Exam Question #1. It's been said that high fantasy will always be compared to Tolkien and Christian allegory to Lewis. Do you think bildungsroman tales will now always invite comparisons to Harry Potter and/or Star Wars?

"Always is a long, long time. But I think that for at least this generation they will. The same thing can be said for vampire tales and the Twilight series. You can’t write any type of YA fantasy at all right now without at least considering if parts of it will be too close to HP. I honestly don’t worry about it all that much though. The trail of your story may start out near the same point. But once the path diverges, and the plot takes hold, readers should stop comparing your book and focus on the story. At the end, they may look back and compare favorably or not. But there are certainly worse authors to be compared to than Ms. Rowling."

Exam Question #2. Will Marcus and Kyja's tale evolve as a bildungsroman?

"Only to people who know what that word means. I’m actually in a car right now, so I’m taking a chance. But I believe we are talking about a story in which a youthful character learns or grows. Am I close? That being the case, I would say yes. This is definitely a story about the growth of Marcus and Kyja. But I will also say that there are some elements of the fifth book that probably don’t fall into the classical bildungsroman model. That part of the story might fall more into the epic fantasy model where the world is actually a character. Does that make any sense at all?"

There's no talking during the exam. Please hold your questions for the end.

Exam Question #3. The urban dictionary defines 'skyte' as an "dirty, common, ragged vermin." I don't like to think of Riph Raph as unwanted vermin; he's my favorite character! Were you aware of this negative connotation when you identified Riph Raph?

"I actually Googled the word skyte before I used it, and the urban dictionary definition doesn’t come up. So, no, I wasn’t aware of it. But I’m not super concerned about that. There are some really odd “definitions” on there. Hopefully in another couple of years you’ll see skyte defined as an oddly endearing little dragon-like creature with floppy ears and bulbous yellow eyes. Not a lizard."

Teachers have masters degrees in Googleology. You can find the definition Here.
I hope you're correct because Riph Raph deserves better.

Exam Question #4. The portrayal of Marcus as handicapped, but fully equal to any task, is very powerful. Did you ever reconsider having your protagonist handicapped or did he come to you fully formed?

"He came fully formed. There was a brief discussion with my senior editor about how Marcus’s physical disabilities could make movie rights harder to sell. But I can’t worry about that. I write books not movies. And this is a key part of the book."

Exam Question #5. Is it difficult to balance the perspectives of two equal protagonists?

"First time I’ve been asked that. It may be my favorite question. Yes it really is. I didn’t want people to see Marcus or Kyja as a sidekick to the other. Because Marcus appears first, some people assume that he is the main hero. But I’ve had an equal number of people say that they related to Kyja as those who related most to Marcus. So hopefully I got it at least close to right."

POP QUIZ: 10 questions in 10 seconds - GO!
Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars (episodes 4-6) with Next Generation a somewhat close second.
Coke or Pepsi? Coke.
Vampires or Zombies? Vampires. But not Edward type vampires. True hardcore vampires.
Dogs or cats? Cats are actually minor demons. Dogs.
Football or baseball? Hardest question of the bunch. Football on TV, baseball in person. Either being played.
Fall or spring? Fall.
Halloween or Valentine's Day? Halloween in a landslide.
Playstation or Wii? Wii for the moment.
Mac or PC? PC
Pie or Cake? Pie

Exam Question #6. What drew you to children's literature?

"A story that just wouldn’t leave my head."

Exam Question #7. How is writing for a children's market different from writing for an adult market?

"Not as different as you might think. I believe in writing for children, but no “to” them. I’m really not that fond of books that feel like they are being written down. I don’t go out of my way to use big words. But I also don’t avoid hard words if they are the right words. I think it’s okay for a kid to pick up a dictionary occasionally or learn the meaning of a word from it’s context. I am a little careful in how graphic I make my violence and I keep all profanity out. They’ll find plenty of books with those, so I don’t need to add to it."

Exam Question #8. The story is long (not in a negative way, just in a page length way). Did you worry about young readers sustainability?

"Yes and no. I worried about length because I didn’t want younger readers to get scared off. But I didn’t worry about kids getting bored and tuning out. I tend to write books with a pretty fast pace. So if you read enough to get hooked, you will probably stick with the story to the end."

Exam Question #9. What would you like young readers to take away from the story?

"Most of all? A love for books and reading. I want them to come away from reading Farworld with a desire to go find another book and start reading that."

Exam Question#10. If you could be one thing, without fear of failure, with assurance of success, what would you be?

"This is going to sound really lame. I’m sure that after I send these answers to you, I’ll come up with something amazing. But the first answer that popped into my head was “a parent.” I just love being a dad. I love teaching my kids new things. I love getting hugs when I come home from work. There are lots of things that pay the bills or get more attention or fame or money. But nothing is as rewarding to me as being my kids’ dad."

Excellent exam Mr. Savage! 100%.

Now about that pop quiz.... I might have to disagree with you on the Mac/PC answer, but you get a bonus mark for the 'cats are demons' comment! So, that's 100% on the quiz too!

Enter to win an advanced copy of Farworld: Water Keep by leaving your name & email address in the comment section at the top ('start a rumpus here' link). Drawing will be held September 1, 2008 @ 10:00 PM EST
____________________________________________________________

Creepers by Joanne Dahme - Mini Book Review

Creepers tells the story of thirteen year-old Courtney who has just moved into a three hundred year old house sidled by a graveyard and covered in English ivy. She soon befriends an odd man, Mr. Geyer, and his teen daughter Margaret. They are historical researchers probing a mystery in the cemetery next to Courtney’s house. The mystery involves a witch, a bereaved father and magical ivy.

The makings of a decent mystery are present, but the execution is a bit muddled. The prose is strained and the foreshadowing a bit heavy handed, merely leading to an ambiguous ending. That being said, I do believe that the younger mystery enthusiast (9-12) could find something of interest in the story.

Buy Creepers Here
____________________________________________________________