Rapunzel's Revenge

Hale, Shannon and Dean Hale.  Rapunzel’s Revenge. Illustrated by Nathan Hale. Bloombury, 2008. Paperback $15.99, ISBN 978-1599902883.

What’s it about?

In this graphic novel fractured fairy-tale, Rapunzel is not a dainty damsel in distress--she rescues herself with her whip-like braids. After her escape from the tower, Rapunzel teams up with the brave, impetuous Jack to free Rapunzel’s mother from the evil Mother Gothel’s mines.     

Find out more:

Mother Gothel and Rapunzel live in luxury, in a 78 room villa. But Rapunzel becomes curious about the world outside.  When Rapunzel sneaks out on her twelfth birthday to see what lies beyond the great wall, she discovers that Mother Gothel is not her mother. In fact, she stole her from her mother, enslaved and starved in the mine that lies beyond the wall of the castle.  Rapunzel is briefly re-united with her mother and after she angrily confronts Mother Gothel, she is taken away and imprisoned in an enchanted tree, which towers impossibly high over the forest floor.  Rapunzel is trapped for years, having little to do but grow her hair and learn to use it as a lasso and a swing. Finally, her hair grows long enough to allow her escape, and she meets with a young man, Jack, who sees her use her braids as a weapons. He is impressed with her fighting abilities and they team up to fight against the evil Mother Gothel and her far-reaching influence, attempting to free Rapunzel’s mother from slavery.

Rapunzel’s Revenge is a fun fractured fairy tale set in the Wild West. Rapunzel is not helpless a traditional damsel in distress —she’s a strong, feisty heroine who can hold her own.  The Hales put a fun spin on Rapunzel’s story by introducing another fairy-tale character, Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk), who turns out to be Rapunzel’s romantic interest.  The energetic artwork of this graphic novel is colorful and funny—and sometimes frightening, as when Rapunzel is nearly eaten by an enormous rattlesnake. This is a well-paced, witty read that is perfect for reluctant readers, fairy-tale enthusiasts, and anyone who likes their adventure with a generous helping of adventure.

Genre: Fractured fairy-tale, Fantasy, Adventure, Humor

Reading level: 3^rd grade

Interest level: Grades 5 & up

Read-alikes:

Levine’s Ella Enchanted

Napoli’s Zel

McKinley’s Beauty

Awards:

ALA Notable Book for Children

On YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens list

Utah Book Award

Subjects: Fairy-tales, slavery, heroes, magic

Series information:

Calamity Jack 

The Plain Janes

Castellucci, Cecil. The Plain Janes. Illustrated by Jim Rugg. Minx, 2007. Paperback $9.99, ISBN 13 978-1-4012-1115-8

What’s it about?

Jane transfers to a new school in the suburbs and meets a group of girls at the misfit table—all also named Jane. Together, they form the group P.L.A.I.N. (People Loving Art in Neighborhoods) and breathe life into their stuffy town by creating random artwork around the neighborhood.  

Find out more:

When Jane survives a bomb attack in Metro City, her parents decide the city is too dangerous and move to the stultifying suburbs. Jane makes herself over, decides that that popular crowd is not where she belongs anymore, and plants herself at the loser table, where she meets three girls, also named Jane. They aren’t exactly welcoming. After the Janes warm up to her, an idea stirs in Main Jane and together with the Janes, she forms a group called P.L.A.I.N. (People Loving Art in Neighborhoods). The “art attacks” are seen as threatening to authority figures, and participating may even land teens in a juvenile detention facility. These ridiculous threats inspire classmates to become involved in the art attacks and this ends up uniting classmates, formerly fixated in rigid cliques.

The artwork of this graphic novel reminds me a bit of the art of Clowes’ Ghost World.  The books have some similarities, but the subversion of Main Jane, however, is not mean-spirited like Enid’s.  The message of Plain Janes is the power of art, the power of expressing oneself, and the power of communication.  The community was a stifling place for creativity, but Jane’s influence helped breathe life into her classmates.  This is a novel about having the bravery to stand up for ones beliefs, and to be a non-conformist, even if it is uncomfortable, even if others feel threatened.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction, Friendship Fiction

Subjects: Survivors, Art, High school, Misfits, Conformity, Friendship, Moving

Reading level/ Interest level: Grades 7-12

Read-alikes:

Gulledge’s Page by Paige

For adults and older teens: Clowes’ Ghost World

Series information:

Janes in Love

Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation

Bradbury, Ray. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation. Illustrated by Tim Hamilton. Hill and Wang, 2009. Paperback $16.95, ISBN 978-0-8090-5101-4.

What’s it about?

In fireman Guy Montag’s world, firemen burn books and have forgotten that firemen used to put out fires. When Guy begins to read the books he’s assigned to burn, he becomes the fire captain’s next target.

Find out more:

Welcome to Guy Montag’s world, where firemen don’t put out fires, they start them. These firemen burn books, which are considered a threat to society, a threat to the government, and a threat to the status quo, where people are told what to think about by the ubiquitous TV screens. Books are the most dangerous contraband in existence.  What kind of fireman would start hiding books and secretly reading them? Guy Montag, deeply affected by a strange girl who takes walks, tastes rains and rarely watches the TV screens that cover the parlor walls, begins to re-consider his profession and asks dangerous questions. When a woman is burned alive with her books, Guy is wracked with guilt—and curiosity. “There must be something in books . . .to make a woman stay in a burning house.”  He begins to rescue books from the burnings, and hides them in his home. He reads them, and begins to ask too many questions. People are scared by this, and report him to the fire captain who comes to Guys house for a book burning. Guy, an unwilling host, lashes out in defense, killing the fire captain, and becomes a wanted man. He flees the city and finds like-minded people, who, fearing the danger physical books hold, read, memorize and burn books, becoming “bums on the outside, libraries inside.”

Ray Bradbury’s classic novel about book burning and totalitarian government was adapted into a graphic novel format a few years ago.  This is an authorized adaptation, and holds the power and beauty of the novel. Hamilton’s artwork is striking and masterful, and in sync with the text.  The wordless panels are exquisite, which show not only Hamilton’s skill but how deeply the story resonates with him. Toward the beginning of the story, when Guy meets his new neighbor, Clarisse, who helps him re-connect with the world, there is a scene where the two are talking in the rain. Clarisse explains that sometimes she just likes to tilt her head back and let the rain fall into her mouth. “It tastes like wine,” she says. Several panels later, we see Guy, in the distance, alone in the rain. Then we pan in on his head, and we see the wheels turning in his head, as he tilts his head and opens his mouth to taste the rain.

This graphic novel was marketed to older teens and adults (some reviewers guesstimate the interest level to be grades 10 and up) but I think it will resonate with many younger teens, and even some pre-teens, particularly those who enjoy dystopian science fiction.  People interested in this genre tend to question the status quo, fear the loss of privacy, personal freedom and intellectual freedom. Intellectually curious young teens will devour this amazing graphic novel, but it may take some time for it to start flying off the shelves.  So. . . if a teen walks into the library, loved Hunger Games, Divergent, The Giver—hand them Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation.  Chances are they’ll also want to check out the novel version after they’ve finished the graphic novel!

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian

Subjects: Book burning, Totalitarianism, Dystopia, Conformity, Intellectual Freedom, Personal Freedom, Knowledge, Books

Reading level/Interest level: Grades 7 & up

Read-alikes:

Collins’ Hunger Games, Catching Fire & Mockingjay

Roth’s Divergent

Lowry’s The Giver

Orwell’s 1984

Huxley’s Brave New World

Page by Paige

Gulledge, Laura Lee. Page by Paige. Amulet Books, 2011.  Paperback $9.95, ISBN-13  978-0-8109-9722-6

What’s it about?

Paige is a reserved young artist who has recently moved to New York City. With the help of a group of new friends, she begins to show people her artwork—and, page by page, the real Paige.

Find out more:

Paige moves from Virginia to New York City, an overwhelming change for the sensitive young artist. She feels distant from her parents, who don’t really know the real Paige. She is terrified to show anyone her sketchbook, because her artwork reveals who she really is. At her new school, she meets an artsy, quirky group of friends who like her and accept her, including her first boyfriend, Gabe, a sensitive writer. She eventually overcomes her shyness enough to show her sketchbook to Gabe, completely exposing herself. She becomes more courageous, and begins to post her artwork online and share her art with the world in anonymous installments of art (including pasting beautiful hand-drawn paper trees to plain brick walls) by the “Agents of Whimsy” (with the help of her friends).   

This is an excellent graphic novel, and a great choice to hand young creative tweens and teens.  At first, I was a little skeptical about the extremely dramatic reactions to her parents, but the angst Paige feels about something as mundane as having to clean her room for company masks some deeper identity and self-esteem issues. While Paige may have it far easier than many of today’s tweens and teens, I think kids can relate to feeling like people don’t really know the person they really are.  The strongest part of this book is the amazing artwork, full of expression and interesting metaphors. Gulledge uses washes for many panels, which give this book a softer, more realistic look than the pen and ink panels. She does this for emphasis, and it’s an effective technique. I look forward to seeing more from this artist. 

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Subjects: Art, Artists, Self-Esteem, Self-Perception, Teenagers, Friendship

Reading level/ Interest level: Grades 6-12

Read-alikes:

Castellucci’s The Plain Janes 

Defiance

Jablonski, Carla. Defiance. Illustrated by Leland Purvis. First Second, 2011. Paperback $16.99, ISBN-13 978-1596432925.   

What’s it about?

In this sequel to 2010’s Resistance, 1943 France is a perilous time to be part of the French Resistance, thanks to the Milice, the French Military Police. This doesn’t stop Paul, Marie and Sylvie Tessier, three courageous young siblings, from continuing to risk their lives through acts of defiance and espionage.  

 Find out more:

Defiance is the second book in a planned trilogy about the acts of ordinary citizens supporting the French Resistance. This second installment continues the story of the Tessier siblings, particularly Paul, whose new acts of defiance, inflammatory caricatures of German soldiers and anti-German propaganda, place him in danger. When Paul is nearly caught red-handed by the Milice, (French Military Police), he flees to the forest where he knows there are members of the French Resistance. Meanwhile, Marie is suspended from school for refusing to sing a song praising the treasonous Chief of Vichy France, Marshal Petain, and Sylvie is acts as an intelligence agent, dating and duping a young German soldier into telling her key information that ultimately saves several members of the Resistance.

This book, like Resistance, is does a great job of expressing the wide range of emotions experienced by its main characters—joy, tension, terror and anger. The artwork isn’t stand-out, with the exception of the black and white sketched panels that depict Paul’s caricatures, but it is adequate, and the storytelling and pacing is outstanding. Jablonski does an excellent job at providing readers with historical context in her forward about the occupation and the French Military Police (Milice) and her author’s note about Charles de Gaulle.  Defiance is a great follow-up to Resistance, and will interest older kids and teens interested in history and historical fiction, particularly those that enjoy graphic novel formats. 

   

Reading level/ Interest level: Gr. 5-12

Genre:  Historical fiction, Historical graphic novel

Subjects: World War II, French Resistance, Occupied France, Nazi Germany

Series information:

Book 1: Resistance

Read-alikes:

 The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography

Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campell Bartoletti

Babymouse: Queen of the World

Holm, Jennifer & Matthew Holm. Babymouse: Queen of the World!. Random House, 2005. Paperback $6.99, ISBN-13  978-0375832291

What’s it about? When Babymouse hears about Felicia Furrypaws’ party, she tries everything to get invited. But is Felicia really a friend?

Find out more:

Babymouse feels overshadowed by the popular mean girl, queen bee Felicia Furrypaws. When Felicia throws a party and Babymouse is not invited, she tries to ingratiate herself to get an invitation. She tries different tactics, none successful, until Felicia forgets her book report and Babymouse lets her turn in hers. Finally, Babymouse has an in to the cool crowd!  She is over the moon until she remembers her plans with Wilson, her best friend. She feels guilty, but decides he will understand. Once she is at the party, she discovers how boring and mean Felicia really is. Felicia ignores Babymouse, having her do things for Felicia and her friends. Finally Babymouse gets frustrated and dumps butter and popcorn on Felicia and goes to spend the rest of the evening with Wilson, and has a blast.

Babymouse is a humorous graphic novel about popularity, its costs, standing up for oneself, and the importance of each individual. What differentiates this tale from other books for children about popularity is the format (graphic novels for this age group tend to be more action/fantasy oriented), the humorous interjections of Babymouse’s imagination, and the choice of character design. The reader is easily able to distinguish between the Babymouse’s fantasies and reality since the fantasies are splashed liberally with pink, while real-life is a more mundance black and white. Rather than using human characters or animal characters of the same species, the characters include giraffes, cats, hippos, and, of course, mice. This could be reading too much into things, but perhaps this reflects the vast differences between people and their roles and abilities. Despite these differences, everyone’s worth is the same, everyone’s important and a queen in their own life. This is something Babymouse discovers by the end of the novel.  

Genre label: Humor, Friendship Fiction

Reading level: 2^nd grade

Interest level: Grades 3-5

Read-alikes:

Watterson’s Calvin & Hobbes series 

Spires’ Binky series

Cabot’s Ally Finkle’s Rules for Girls series

Subjects: Popularity, friendship, imagination

Series information:

#2 Our Hero

#3 Beach Babe

#4 Rock Star

#5 Heartbreaker

#6 Camp Babymouse

#7 Skater Girl

#8 Puppy Love

#9 Monster Mash

#10 The Musical

#11 Dragonslayer

#12 Burns Rubber

#13 Cupcake Tycoon

#14 Mad Scientist

#15 A Very Babymouse Christmas

Characters:

Babymouse—imaginative mouse who wants adventure, glamour and excitement!

Felicia Furrypaws—the Queen Bee mean girl at Babymouse’s school

Wilson the Weasel—Babymouse’s longtime best friend

Babysitter's Club Graphic Novel: Kristy's Great Idea

Telgemeier, Raina. The Baby Sitters Club: Kristy’s Great Idea. Graphix, 2006. Paperback $8.99 ISBN-10 0-439-73933-0

What’s it about?

Kristy Thomas and her friends are baby-sitting pros. Kristy gets an idea that will increase their business—forming a Baby-Sitters Club, where parents need to place just one call to find a group of experienced babysitters.

Find out more:

 This graphic novel adaptation of the first Baby-sitter’s Club book (BSC) in the popular, long-lived series which began in the late eighties, is not just about babysitting. Babysitting is the backdrop of the lives of four girls, Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey, each with their own private dramas, like divorce, the death of a parent, diabetes, crushes, sibling rivalry and family pressure. This story centers around Kristy’s experiences, with the central drama being her parent’s divorce. Kristy is vehemently opposed to her mother remarrying, and initially refuses to have anything to do with her mother’s fiancé, Watson, and his children Karen and Andrew. When Mary Ann babysits for them (because Kristy won’t), she writes in a Baby-sitter’s Club log that the kids are cute, and that Kristy would like them if she gave them a chance. Eventually, Kristy warms up to the idea of her mother remarrying. Another sub-plot in this graphic novel is the friendship between the four girls, which becomes strained when some girls feel that the jobs aren’t being evenly distributed.

All told, this is a very tween-friendly graphic novel that portrays a group of pre-teen friends starting their own business. The story-telling is light-hearted and humorous, and the darker elements aren’t heavy-handed.  The girls’ response to Stacey’s diabetes is relief that she is not anorexic, a somewhat puzzling reaction, since both are serious and potentially life-threatening conditions. What carries these girls through their struggles, including jealousy and resentment, is the high value place on their friendship. Friendship is a central theme of this graphic novel, as well as the series it is based upon. This is a positive, upbeat book, and while some of the heavier elements are wrapped up a little too neatly in an after-school special sort of manner, the deft, appealing artwork and the fast-paced, readable dialog makes this an enjoyable read for tween girls.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction, Friendship Fiction, Humor

Reading level: 4^th grade

Interest level: Grades 3-6

Read-alikes:

McDonald’s The Sisters Club

Myracle’s Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen

Naylor’s Alice series

Subjects: Friendship, Family, Divorce, Baby-sitting, Tween girls, Entrepreners

Series information:

The Baby-Sitters Club: The Truth About Stacy (BSC Graphix, 2006)

The Baby-Sitters Club: Mary Anne Saves The Day (BSC Graphix, 2007)

 The Baby-Sitters Club: Claudia and Mean Janine (BSC Graphix, 2008)

Characters:

Kristy—tomboyish, impulsive mastermind of the Baby-Sitter’s Club

Claudia—creative and fun-loving, with a phone in her room and a Grammar-Nazi sister

Mary Anne—shy and studious, and being raised by her strict single father

Stacey—new to Stonybrook, a friendly girl recently diagnosed with diabetes

Smile!

Telegemeier, Raina. Smile. Graphix, 2010. Tr. $10.99 ISBN 978-0-545-13206-0.

What’s it about?

Smile is a graphic novel memoir that tells the story of Raina, who knocks out her two front teeth when she is eleven and undergoes years of dental surgery, braces, head-gear and an embarrassing retainer with fake teeth attached.    

Find out more:

Eleven-year-old Raina trips and knocks out her two front teeth after a Girl Scout meeting, and her smile is never quite the same, as she undergoes years of dental surgery, braces, head-gear and even an embarrassing retainer that has fake teeth attached.  After the initial treatment, when the dentist is able to pull the impacted tooth back down and put back the one that fell out, Raina’s teeth still don’t look quite right. They are much shorter than her other teeth because the bone has been damaged as well.  Smile shows the impact the seemingly endless dental trauma has on her self-esteem and the teasing  she endures because of it. 

Smile is a great book to hand pre-teens and young teens, particularly girls, because these are awkward years, with lots of physical changes, teasing, and battles with personal appearance.  Raina eventually finds a new group of friends that don’t hassle her about her appearance, and when the novel closes, she seems more comfortable in her own skin.  The colorful, lively artwork has many comic moments, and the tone is never overly serious.  Telegemeier does a good job of keeping things in perspective—after Raina weathers a major earthquake, she comments “I guess in the grand scheme of things losing a couple of teeth isn’t the end of the world.”

Genre: Non-fiction; Humor; Graphic Novel Memoir

Reading level: 3^rd grade

Interest level: Grades 5-9

Read-alikes:

Steinberger’s Japan Ai: A Tall Girl’s Adventures in Japan

Hicks’ War at Ellsmere

Awards:

Appears on Kirkus’ “Best Young Adult Books” list (2010)

On YALSA’s 2011 list “Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens”

Subjects: Dental injuries, Middle school, High School, Fitting in, Appearance, Relationships, Earthquakes, Self-esteem

The Strongest Man in the World: Louis Cyr

Debon, Nicolas. The Strongest Man in the World, Louis Cyr. Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press, 2007. Tr. $18.95, ISBN 978-0-88899-731-9.

           What’s it about?

This short, unique biography in a graphic novel format tells the story of little-known Quebecois strongman Louis Cyr through the eyes of his young daughter, Emiliana.

Want to find out more? 

 The Strongest Man in the World, Louis Cyr by French author and artist Nicolas Debon is a well-crafted biography about a little-known Canadian. Readers today may not be familiar with the Louis Cyr, the Quebecois weight lifter who died a century ago. This graphic-novel style biography invites them to learn about this humble man and his amazing feats of strength. The book opens in November, 1900 with a warning from a doctor: if Louis does not retire from weightlifting, he may not live to see 1901. Emiliana, his daughter, reminisces with him about his career, beginning with his childhood memories of his grandfather, also a man of considerable strength.  As Louis tells of his feats of strength and the founding of his own circus, Emiliana asks more questions that unfold the story.

The expressive panels have a retro feel, which is enhanced by the simple palette of muted browns, reds, grays and blues. The endpapers are illustrated with sideshow performers who appeared in the Louis Cyr circus, including contortionists and a man who bent nails and coins with his teeth. The author’s afterward notes the dark side and eventual decline of circus sideshows. There are reproduced archival photos of Louis Cyr and his family and a poster from 1898, complete with Cyr’s $25,000 challenge to competitors worldwide.  Amazingly, Debon notes, some of Cyr’s records still hold today, despite the large improvements in training and nutrition in this sport.  This is a story with heart; Louis is an admirable man and father because he refused to cheat, winning well-deserved worldwide acclaim in an era where tricks and exaggeration were commonplace-- even expected-- for weightlifters. Louis retires with grace, noting to his daughter that “the strongest of all is the man who knows how to leave what he has loved with no regret.” Tweens will enjoy the non-traditional format of this little-known historical figure. Circuses and feats of strength are curious topics, especially to children that gobble up the Guinness World Book of Records.  This is an unassuming and unique gem of a book that more people need to know about.    

Genre label: Nonfiction (biography in graphic novel format)

Subjects/themes: Weight-lifting, History, Biography, Strongmen, French Canadians, Circuses, Sideshows, Fathers

Reading level: 5^th grade

Interest level: Grades 3-6

Awards:

Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner, Nonfiction, 2007 

Bone: A Modern Graphic Novel Classic

Smith, Jeff. Out From Boneville. Graphix, 2005. Tr. $10.99, ISBN 978-0-439-70640-7

What’s it about?

 The Bones, Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone have been banished from Boneville, where Phoney’s latest selfish scheme has gotten them in big trouble. The three of them get separated, and Fone Bone must face perils including rat creatures, a dragon, and a mysterious cloaked figure that wants something from Fone Bone.  

Find out more:

Cousins Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone are in big trouble. They’ve been chased out of town, thanks to the greedy and unscrupulous Phoney Bone’s latest scheme, and find themselves lost in a desert, with no water in sight. A swarm of insects engulfs them, and the three become separated. Bone follows the adventures of Fone Bone, who encounters frightening creatures, such as the voracious rat people, as well as kind ones, like the beautiful Thorn and her ultra-tough grandmother, (who bears a resemblance to Popeye) take in Bone. Eventually, the cousins cross paths, and find themselves tested by the strange new land. Bones, you’re not in Boneville anymore.

The Bone graphic novel series began as a well-received comic in the early nineties. Its strengths are in its artwork, humor, and fast-paced storyline. The rat creatures are particularly memorable, with their quasi-Bigfoot appearance and humorous squabbles. The plot has the feel of several fractured fairytales strung together to form a whole adventure story. The characters are exaggerated and sometimes surreal, more hilarious caricatures than complex beings.  Phoney Bone’s schemes, such as combining a slaughterhouse with a petting zoo, are ludicrous, but this works with the tone of the tale.  Bone is hardly meant to be realistic! Hand Bone to tween boys, especially those who enjoy humor and adventure, as well as tween and teen girls and older graphic novel enthusiasts looking excitement and laughter.

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Humor

Reading level: 4^th grade

Interest level: Grades 4-9 --and beyond

Awards/reviews:

Publisher’s Weekly starred review

On ALA’s list of the Top 25 Graphic Novels for Young Adults   

The Comic’s Journal Book of the Year

Series information:

Vol 2: The Great Cow Race

Vol 3: Eyes of the Storm

Vol 4: The Dragonslayer

Vol 5: Rock Jaw, Master of the Eastern Border

Vol 6: Old Man’s Cave

Vol 7: Ghost Circles

Vol 8: Treasure Hunters

Vol 9: Crown of Thorns

Bone Prequel: Rose

Read-alike graphic novels:

Spy vs Spy

 Asterix

Simpsons comics

Resistance

Jablonski, Carla. Resistance. Illustrated by Leland Purvis. First Second, 2010. 128 pages. Tr. $16.99, ISBN 978-1596432918.   

What’s it about?

In 1942 France, it is dangerous to be Jewish—and to help the Jews. Paul, Marie and Sylvie Tessiers, three young siblings, risk their lives by joining the resistance movement to help their Jewish friend Henri reunite with his parents.

 Find out more:

Resistance is a graphic novel, the first book in a planned trilogy, set during World War II in 1942 Vichy France. This compelling story centers around thirteen year old Paul Tessier, an artistic boy whose father is a P.O.W. Paul and his younger sister Marie hide their Jewish friend Henri from the Germans after his parents are taken away by the Germans. When a French Resistance member, Jacques, discovers their secret, the children, along with Paul’s older sister, Sylvie, join the resistance movement. The three siblings risk their lives to help Henri reunite with his parents.

What is unsettling about this book is the ordinary scenes taking place amidst a backdrop of tension and hatred always potentially ready to boil over. One scene, toward the beginning, depicts a group of children goofing off, splashing water from a fountain on each other, and then gleefully dumping a bucket of water on a girl passing by. This girl screams, “I’ll denounce you!” Her face, contorted with hatred is rendered into a black and white rough sketch, stylistically very different from the colorful comic style panels that form the majority of the artwork. This happens throughout the book, an interesting way to not only emphasize a character’s extreme emotions, but also to imply that Paul may be channeling his struggles and those of his country into his art.  This book is exciting, rich, and the artwork, though not stellar, deftly conveys a wide range of emotion.  

For readers unfamiliar with the French Resistance, there is a helpful introduction explaining the German occupation and the French response. The author differentiates between para-military groups and the Maquis and people who took action whenever could to oppose German occupiers, noting that is more apt to call these people part of the resistance movement rather than members of “The Resistance.” The author’s note at the end is very interesting as well, noting that “living history is messy, filled with missteps, confusion, mistakes, and choices made on the fly, in the moment, on the spot—with consequences that can be unpredictable and intended.”  Resistance is a great title to hand to tweens interested in history and historical fiction. Interest in graphic novels isn’t necessary, but may be helpful.   

Reading level: Gr. 2-3

Interest level: Gr. 5-12

Genre:  Historical fiction, Historical graphic novel

Subjects: World War II, French Resistance, Occupied France, Nazi Germany

Awards:

Sydney Taylor Honor Book (2010)

 Booklist starred review

Read-alikes:

 The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography

Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campell Bartoletti

Characters:

Henri—Jewish boy whose parents, hotel owners, are taken away by the Germans

Paul Tessier—an artistic boy & best friend of Henri; his parents have taken over the hotel during the war so that Henri’s parents could come back to it after the war

Marie Tessier—Paul’s younger sister, an intelligent girl whose great memory and attention to detail may prove useful to the French Resistance

Sylvie Tessier—Paul’s older sister, also becomes involved in the Resistance movement

Jacques—A Resistance member, who catches Paul and Marie hiding Henri