Graphic novel

Four children are wandering through town hungry. There parents had just passed away, and they do not want to go to their grandfather's house because he might be mean. They end up finding an old boxcar to protect them from the rain. They really enjoy the boxcar and stay there for many days. Henry, the oldest, goes into town everyday where he does various jobs for a doctor. One day, Violet gets sick and the doctor brings them all to his house. He also calls their grandfather to meet hem. When they find out who he is, they realize he is a nice man and decide to stay with him. Later, they realize they miss the old boxcar, so their grandfather surprises them with the boxcar in the backyard.

I used to love reading the actual books when I was younger. This version was very interesting to read.  The pictures look like the classic comic book style. It is also so fast paced that it feels like I'm missing a bunch of content in between the scenes. This would be a good book for children reluctant to read as there isn't much text but a lot of pictures.

Title: The Boxcar Children
Author: Shannon Eric Denton
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Publication Date: 2009
ISBN: 978-0807528679
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Geronimo Stilton is a book series that follows the adventures of a mouse named Geronimo and his friends. He is the editor of popular newspaper. In this book, they traveled back in time to Paris in 1896. Their mission is to defeat the pirate cats who traveled back to the past, so they could change history and become rich and famous. However, Geronimo and friends manages to stop them and save history.

This book was very entertaining. It was fast paced and action packed. Children will like it for the characters and adventure. It is also informative as it contained some educational information. For example, there was a little blurb on a cinematograph and who invented it.

Title: Geronimo Stilton: Lights, Camera, Stilton!
Author: Geronimo Stilton
Publisher: BAO Publishing
Publication Date: 2014
ISBN: 978-1629912080
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars








This book includes 17 different fairy tales presented in the form of a graphic novel. It has the most well known fairy tales like Snow White but also obscure ones such as The Boy Who Drew Cats.

This book was very interesting. I think older children will appreciate it more as they will recognize the more famous tales but enjoy reading new ones. Since each story was told by a different author, it is interesting to compare the different styles. The styles are all very different from each other. However, one common theme is humor. All the stories added a little humor to their story.

Title: Fairy Tale Comics
Author: Various authors
Publisher: First Second
Publication Date: 2013
ISBN: 978-1596438231
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Poetry

Gerald the giraffe loves to dance. However, he can't because his knees are crooked, and his legs are thin. When he dances, all the other animals laugh at him. Gerald later receives advice from a cricket who tells him that he just needs a different song. Soon, he is dancing and swaying to the moon music. The other animals become entranced with his dancing and start asking him where he learned to dance.

This picture book is full of rhymes. The rhythm of this book is very lyrical, and I think children will enjoy it. The story itself is also inspiring for children who may feel different from others. Additionally, the illustrations are vibrant with bright colors that really pop in the night sky background.

Title: Giraffes Can't Dance

Author: Giles Andreae

Publisher: Cartwheel Books

Publication Date: 2012

ISBN: 978-0545392556

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Parts tells the story of a little boy who thinks he beginning to fall apart. He notices things like his hair on the comb and his skin shedding. He thinks he is going bald, he'll start losing his skin to the bone. However, his tooth coming out scared him so much, he decides to use masking tape to keep his body intact. In the end, his parents explain everything to him, and he is able to relax.

This is a hilarious rhyming book that children will enjoy. The story itself is amusing and sure to keep a child's attention. The illustrations are very detailed and depict the text well. Everything the boy is imagining really comes to life on the page. 

Title: Parts

Author: Tedd Arnold

Publisher: Puffin Books

Publication Date: 2000

ISBN: 978-0140565331

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Madeline is a mischievous little girl who isn't afraid of anything, not even the tiger in the zoo. One night, Madeline wakes up the house with her cries. She ends up going to the hospital due to appendicitis. When Miss Clavel brings all the girls from the house to visit Madeline, only the scar on her stomach interests the girls.

I have always loved watching and reading Madeline when I was younger. I never noticed the rhyming aspect of it, but I think it gives the story a nice rhythm. Children will enjoy seeing and anticipating what Madeline will do next. 

Title: Madeline

Author: Ludwig Bemelmans

Publisher: Puffin Books

Publication Date: 2000

ISBN: 978-0140564396

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Historical Fiction

Going Home tells the story of a migrant family going back to Mexico to visit their homeland for Christmas. The children are nervous as they will miss their friends and are going to an unfamiliar place even though they were born there. In the end, they come to realize why their parents love Mexico so much. It is because it is their home, and they left what they loved in order for their children to get a better life.

This was a beautiful story with vibrant illustrations. Eve Bunting told the story in a way that the reader can feel the emotions of the characters, especially when the children come to realize why their parents left Mexico. It really tells the story of a family that left the land they knew and loved in order to come to America for opportunities. The illustrations are also beautiful with bold colors. The illustrations depict the scene well. I also liked how the background are pictures of different decorative arts and crafts that seem to originate from Mexico.

Title: Going Home

Author: Eve Bunting 

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: 1996 

ISBN: 9780064435093

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

Eve Bunting tells the story of a family fleeing their country in hopes of entering America. The journey is difficult. They were crammed onto a small boat and faced many obstacles such as bad weather and thieves. However, they finally reach America and it happens to be Thanksgiving Day. The family gives thanks as they are now free and safe.

This is a heartfelt story of a family's journey to America. Bunting focuses on the the family's hardship and the idea of freedom, not the politics behind it. She tells it in a simple and though provoking way that I think will be appropriate for children. Additionally, the illustrations are beautiful and go well with the story. As they start the journey, the pages are filled with dark gloomy color. Towards the end when the family starts reaching refuge, the colors start to lighten up with colors like yellow and orange.

Title: How Many Days to America: A Thanksgiving Story

Author: Eve Bunting 

Publisher: Clarion Books

Publication Date: 1988 

ISBN: 9780899195216 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

Mirette on the High Wire is set in a boarding house in 19th century Paris. Many traveling performers stay at this place where little Mirette works. She is particularly taken by one guest, who she spies walking the clothesline in the courtyard one day. Mirette begs him to teach her, but he refuses. She practices constantly until she is able to walk along the entire rope. Later on, she learns he is the great Bellini who has walked across treacherous heights. However, he has developed a fear for the tightrope. In the end, he tries to overcome it by performing, but he freezes. Mirette ends up saving him by walking across the rope, and they perform together.

This story is a great lesson in perseverance for children. It teaches them that they can overcome things even if they originally think they can't. Mirette practiced for hours until she succeeded and Bellini decided to perform even though he was scared. Additionally, this book has won a Caldecott Medal. I found the illustrations interesting and appealing. 

Title: Mirette on the High Wire

Author: Emily Arnold McCully 

Publisher: Putnam Berkley Group

Publication Date: 19997 

ISBN: 9780606116282

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 

Informational Text

Mummies, Pyramids, and Pharaohs travels back to the time of ancient Egypt. Readers learn the secret of the people,society, mummies, pyramids, pharaohs, and hieroglyphics.  

This book provides a lot of information about Egypt in a very child friendly way. The author uses simple text along with illustrations to help out with bigger words that children may not understand. It may not be the most entertaining book but it is a great start for children to begin using books for research. I like how Gibbons also mentioned less interesting topics such as the society, farming, and clothing along with more exciting topics like mummification. In all of Gibbons' books, there is a fun facts page about that specific topic that is interesting for both children and adults. 

Title: Mummies, Pyramids, and Pharaohs: A Book about Ancient Egypt 

Author: Gail Gibbons 

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company 

Publication Date: 2004 

ISBN: 9780316309288 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

Fruits are an important part of our diet, and they come in many different colors and sizes. In The Fruits We Eat, readers can see the different ways and climates that fruits grow in.   

This book provides a lot of information on fruits. I got to learn things that I never knew. The bright colorful pictures go well with the text and help explain it. However, there is a lot of information and pictures on each page that it looks very cluttered. The eye doesn't know where to look and one may miss something because there is so much.  

Title: The Fruits We Eat 

Author: Gail Gibbons 

Publisher: Holiday House 

Publication Date: 2015 

ISBN: 9780823432042 

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars 

Behold...The Unicorns! explains how the mythology of unicorns came to be. The book begins with the origins of the name and its relation to other one horned creatures. It then discusses different cultures and stories that included the unicorn and its evolution into a majestic creature. 

I wanted to include this book specifically, because it is a little different from the other two. It still is an informational text even though it is about a creature from fantasy. The illustrations are beautiful and support the text well. The depiction of the unicorn displays how majestic and magical they are. The illustrations of the different cultures are also well done. I like how Gibbons included the tapestries with images of unicorns on it. One downside is that readers may go in expecting to read about tales about a magical creature may be upset about how factual this book is. Obviously these books will be geared towards older children, so I think the presentation is appropriate and serves the purpose it's supposed to. It can be more or less entertaining depending on the child's interests. 

Title: Behold...The Unicorns! 

Author: Gail Gibbons 

Publisher: HarperCollins 

Publication Date: 2002 

ISBN: 9780688179557 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars