Great graphic reads: these new books are packed with comic-book elements and visual surprises to hook young readers

Instructor, Nov-Dec, 2004 by Lynne T. Burke

Lunchroom Lizard

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By Daniel Kirk. Putnam, 2004; 32 pages; $15.99. Gr. PreK-3. When Gil the Gecko takes a field trip to the cafeteria, the drama of lunchtime is exposed! Most of the dialogue is in balloons. Challenge students to rewrite the story by giving them pre-cut, empty word balloons.

Elslna's Clouds

By Jeanette Winter. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2004; 40 pages; $16. Gr. PreK-3. A young African girl paints her house with colorful designs to implore her ancestors to send rain. As students read, enhance their understanding of the visual cues by asking, "How can you tell if Elsina is speaking or thinking?"

The Incredible Water Show By Debra Frasier. Harcourt, 2004; 40 pages; $16. Gr. 1-3. When students transform a project on the water cycle into a play, science becomes theater. The art carries the water theme ingeniously, and all dialogue is contained in word (or should that be water?) balloons.

Mutton Soup: More Adventures of Johnny Mutton

By James Proimos. Harcourt, 2004; 48 pages; $16. Gr. 1-4. Johnny Mutton's zany antics are showcased in this third volume of his adventures, told in comic-strip format. Use the book to discuss how icons convey information. For example, what does a glowing light bulb represent?

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Geronimo Stilton

By Geronimo Stilton. Scholastic; 122 pages; $5.99. Gr. 2-4. This rollicking, pseudonymous series relates the adventures of a troupe of sophisticated rodents. Though they don't employ panels, these books do make use of expressive lettering. Encourage students to experiment with punctuation and various fonts in their own writing!

Seadogs: An Epic Ocean Operetta

By Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Mark Siegel. Atheneum, 2004; 40 pages; $16.95. Gr. 2-5. This canine production is told completely in brilliantly-colored comic panels. Most of the text is in a separate accompanying poem. Have students try to figure out what's happening without reading the words. Drawing conclusions through inference is called "closure" in the world of comics.

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Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Medieval Castle

By Joanna Cole, illustrated by Bruce Degen. Scholastic, 2003; 48 pages; $15.95. Gr. 2-5. The fabulous team that brought us Ms. Frizzle used call outs and insets in the science-oriented Magic School Bus books. They explore history the same way in their new series. As a class, discuss how these techniques relay information.

Votel By Eileen Christelow. Clarion, 2004; 48 pages; $5.95. Gr. 2-5. Children will learn how the election process works by reading about a young girl whose mom runs for office. Snappy watercolor illustrations include lots of word-balloon dialogue, and informational text outside the comic frames provides a broader context.

When Bugs Were Big, Plants Were Strange, and Tetrapods Stalked the Earth

By Hannah Bonner. National Geographic, 2003; 48 pages; $16.95. Gr. 3-6. This description of the Paleozoic Era is packed with information. Silly cartoons, like those featuring a reptilian TV weather forecaster, are inserted to emphasize specific facts. As a follow-up, have students draw cartoons that accentuate (and help them remember) facts from your current curriculum.

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Adventures in the Ice Age By Linda Bailey, illustrated by Bill Slavin. Kids Can Press, 2004; 48 pages; $14.95. Gr. 3-6. This latest episode in the Good Times Travel Agency series takes the three Binkerton children to a time when all anyone can do is chill. As you read, ask students how they know if someone is yelling, whispering, or singing. How do cartoonists get this across?

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Alia's Mission: Saving the Books of Iraq By Mark Alan Stamaty. Knopf, 2004; 32 pages; $12.95. Gr. 3-8. In 2003, with war inevitable, the Basra librarian worried about how to protect the volumes in her charge. With the aid of neighbors, she smuggled 30,000 books to safety. Compare this story to editorial cartoons about the war. They're both based on current news--what's the difference?

Tales of the Dead: Ancient Greece

By Stewart Ross, illustrated by Richard Bonson and Inklink. DK, 2004; 32 pages; $14.99. Gr. 3-7. This one's a twofer: an excellent reference book packed with facts and a complete graphic novel whose strips snake around every page. Students can read either one in its entirety without partaking of the other, or read them in tandem--a great way to learn how to synthesize information.

Amella Earhart: Free in the Skies

By Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Bill Wylie. Harcourt, 2003; 48 pages; $16. Gr. 3-5. This novel is part of the American Heroes collection, a series rendered in full-color and with the feel of a traditional comic book. After reading, challenge students to write a book report as a six-panel strip. They'll have to think critically about what to include!

Regarding the Sink

By Kate Klise, illustrated by M. Sarah Klise. Harcourt, 2004; 144 pages; $15. Gr. 4-7. Not a graphic novel in the typical sense, this hilarious mystery is a collection of newspaper clippings, e-mails, and letters. Try gathering the flotsam and jetsam of a typical week (lunch menus, announcements, field-trip photos, etc.) and having your class create a story from all of it.