Annotated Bibliography- Graphic Novels and Comics





Chmakova, S. (2015). awkward. New York, NY: Yen Press. 
Reading level: Grades 6-8
Themes: Coming of Age, friendship, survival. 
Summary: Penelope "Peppi" Torres' first day at a new school starts with a stumble. When she trips into Jaime and his books fly everywhere, she realizes he is the butt of jokes at the school. Her two cardinal rules for surviving school include: don't get noticed by the mean kids, seek out groups with similar interests and join them. It's a rough start for her. Peppi and Jaime, with the help of others in the art club and school, eventually turn the tide of the school dynamic despite a series of awkward encounters that display the realities of middle school. In the end, after the tables are turned by a bully teasing Peppi and Jaime, a third rule is written: "Build. Build things. Build friendships. Build yourself. Bit by little bit. It may feel like you're not adding that much...but in the end it will add up to a lot" (210). 

Jamieson, V. (2015). Roller Girl. New York, NY: Dial, Penguin Publishing. 
Reading level: Grades 6-8
Themes: Coming of age, friendship, parent-child relationships, mothering, perseverance. 
Summary: This Newbery Honor Book chronicles Astrid, who along with her best friend Nicole frequents the opera, art gallery and poetry slams thanks to her mother. When they surprisingly go to the roller derby, Astrid is hooked. Astrid shows interest in going to roller derby summer camp, but Nicole is interested in ballet, and soon befriends Astrid's enemy, Rachel. After a falling out, Astrid struggles alone at summer camp. Although she is encouraged by a new friend, Zoe, Astrid needs extra time to practice and develop her skating skills. Overcoming friend issues, difficulty skating, self-identity crisis, and lying to her mother, Astrid experiences a summer of hardship. Her summer can be salvaged if Astrid earns the jammer position at the end-of-summer bout. When Zoe is awarded the position, Astrid is disappointed and her friendship with Zoe becomes fractured. At the bout, however, with her roller derby idol Rainbow Brite watching, Astrid sacrifices and takes a hit for the team, ensuring a win. Rather than join Nicole, who came to watch, for dinner, Astrid stays with her team to celebrate, capping off a confusing summer of her life. 

Setevenson, N. (2015). Nimona. New York, NY: HarperTeen, HarperCollins. 
Reading level: Grades 6-12
Themes: Heroes, morality, loyalty.
Summary: Nimona is a sidekick to supervillain Lord Ballister Blackheart. They embark on a mission to prove that the kingdom isn't ruled by a hero in Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his cohorts at the Institution of Law Enforcement. The graphic novel is full of nemeses, dragons, science, symbolism, and the epic is filled with deadpan humor. Nimona is a shapeshifter, and she and Lord Blackheart set out to prove the rulers are corrupt. Blackheart is after Goldenloin for shooting off his arm, and the two former friends have now become enemies. Blackheart, a man of science and morals, and Nimona, who likes magic and is full of passion, go on a journey operating under a moral code. They kill only when they absolutely have to, and must avoid assassination after exposing Goldenloin following a theft of secret files. Blackheart are Nimona are both captured, but Nimona's anger splits her in half and the dragon resulting from it performs killings and wrecks the city. Blackheart and Goldenloin work together to put Nimona back together.

Shakespeare, W. (2011). A Midsummer Night's Dream. Litchborough, Towcester, United Kingdom: Classical Comics.
Reading level: Grades 9-12
Themes: Love, loyalty, nature. 
Summary: William Shakespeare's play is put into a graphic novel format accompanied by quick, modern English text. The marriage of Theseus to Hippolyta connects four parallel plots in the  Fairyland realm.Drama like the Fairy Queen and King, Titania and Oberon, and intersections of the Fairy Kingdom and real world of the forest are interwoven and illustrated in this adaptation of The Bard's 1595 play. 

Telgemeier, R. (2012). Drama. New York, NY: Graphix, Scholastic Publishing. 
Reading level: Grades 6-12
Themes: Coming of age, friendship, determination, inclusion.
Summary:When Callie, who loves the theater, becomes the set designer for her middle school's dramatic version of Moon over Mississippi, she sets her sights on designing a Broadway quality set. With a middle-school budget, lack of carpentry skills, low ticket sales, and chaos within the crew, there are obstacles ahead. The onstage and offstage drama of middle school plays a big role in the relationships between the actors and students. Offset crushes and the roles in the play drive the plot. In the end, the play is a success and Callie is chosen as crew manager for next year's production. The book has been on banned books lists for a variety of complaints including being sexually explicit in nature and including the character Justin, who is gay. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Annotated Bibliography- Magazine Articles

Image
Brown, B. (2017, December). Removing the veil.  Junior Scholastic , 6-7. Reading level: Grades 6-8 Theme: Oppression.  Summary: Stemming from a new, proposed law in Quebec that would restrict Muslims from wearing veils in public, Brown examines cultural identity and religious freedom while giving a guide to Muslim veils. The controversy is between safeguarding cultural values and biased views. Although America is not perfect, there is greater acceptance of religious freedom than other counties, but the usually accepting Canada may go back on its promise for fairness. The guide describes the burqa, niqab, abaya, chador, and hijab.  Brown, B. (2018, February). The Civil Rights hero you've never heard of.  Junior Scholastic , 18-21. Reading level: Grades 6-8 Theme: Oppression.  Summary: Brown chronicles the story of Elizabeth Jennings, an African-American woman who was thrown off a bus at the age of 27 in 1854. In segregated New York, aft...
Read more

Annotated Bibliography book list- Nonfiction

Image
Bascomb, N. (2013).   The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World's Most Notorious Nazi . New York, NY: Levine Books (Scholastic, Inc.) Reading level: Grades 9-12 Themes: Abuse of Power, Manipulation, Revenge, Secrecy, Heritage, Justice.  Summary: Bascomb details the search, capture, and trial of Nazi and Holocaust figure Adolf Eichmann by Israeli spies in 1961. Bascomb includes pictures, original documents, travel logs, and perspectives from the spies, as well as Holocaust survivors to portray the downfall of Eichmann and the harsh realities of the German plan to systematically wipe the Jewish people from the face of the earth. At age 38, in 1944, Eichmann is the director of "Department IVB," the code name for the genocidal operation by Hitler's Nazis. In 1947, survivors Zeev Sapir and Simon Wiesenthal work with Manus Diamant in hopes of tracking down former SS officers that fled to Argentina after the war. Nine years later, Sylvia...
Read more