THE BEST COMICS FOR YOUR CLASSROOM
COMICS TEXTBOOKS FOR TEACHERS
MATHEMAGICK & MYSTIPHYSICS
By Kevin Hodgson
STORY REVIEW
It's an odd book that makes heroes of historical figures of deep thought such as Georg Cantor, Alan Turing and Maria Agnesi. But that's the beauty of graphic novels, isn't it? The canvas is wide open for creating worlds within worlds, bound only by imagination. MATHEMAGICK & MYSTIPHYSICS by James Davidge takes the reader on a journey into the realm of mathematics and philosophy as a sort of epic journey through all sorts of time and dimensions as a group known as The Wandering Stars (as the collection of heroes here is known) seek knowledge through theories and explain the world through thought experiments.
This volume (called "The Possibilities of Pandemonium") begins with the theft of an abstract piece of art but soon evolves over a series of collected stories to adventures in places like The Philosopher's Woods and alternative universes where ideas are the powerful currency. There were a few times that I lost track of the narrative, to be honest, but Davidge's writing always seemed to bring me back and I found myself hooked back in again. There's a certain unhinged quality that comes across with the characters, as if the world were held together by lunacy, and yet, their explanations for their magic are rooted in logic. It's a strange balance that Davidge is creating. At some point, I lost interest with the plot device of the stolen artwork and instead, I found myself wondering about these historical figures and their impact on the world.
A graphic novel like this makes you want to fire up your search engine and learn a bit more about Al-Khwarizmi (from ancient Bahgdad) and Hypatia (from ancient Greece) and the rest of the members of The Wandering Stars.
MATHEMAGICK & MYSTIPHYSICS is a black and white graphic novel but artist/illustrator Jesse Davidos packs a lot of punch into the many frames of this book. The use of imagery and images really compliments the very complex theories that are at the heart of the stories. Davidos and Davidge take advantage of the graphic medium here. I particularly like the section of "flatland" where the world becomes flat geometric shapes, as Davidos' rendering of the world takes on a life of its own. (And the nod to Lewis Carroll and Alice in Wonderland is a nice touch).
This book could be an ideal graphic novel to hand off to that gifted and talented student in the advanced math class. The theories behind these characters are quite complex, even with Davidge's inventiveness, but it could be a valuable resource for students who need a bit more challenge. For most students, however, I think even the use of a graphic novel format might be a bit intimidating.
Publisher: Bayeux Arts
Also, the website for the book has an interesting video to accompany the book.
I would recommend this book for an upper level high school class, but I think its audience may be limited by the complexity of the material that forms the core of the book. Many students might get lost easily in the ideas that surface here, but as I mentioned above, MATHEMAGICK & MYSTIPHYSICS might be a good tome to pass long to those higher-level students.
Posted by Mr. Wilson at 1:08 PM
Labels: Recommended
DAWN LAND
DAWN LAND is a story on a grand scale that intertwines the mythology of the Abenaki Nation of Native Americans who inhabited what we now call New England (where I live). Originally in novel form by Joseph Bruchac, this graphic adaptation by Will Davis is a magical book that is beautiful to read on so many levels that I can't wait to put the book into someone else's hands to read. But the heart of the enjoyment is the story itself, as an emerging hero known as Young Hunter must set off across the land with his three wolf/dog companions to confront and defeat the terrible Stone Giants who are slowly destroying all the tribes. By completing his mission, Young Hunter is also ushering in an entirely new era of life for his people. The book is an insightful look at New England 10,000 years in the past and the vision is frightful, raw and energizing.
I can't say enough about the brushwork of Will Davis in DAWN LAND. The art is so stunning that it has to be seen. Drawn in black and white, the book brings to life an almost dream-world existence to the reader, with the spirits of Ancestors fading in the backgrounds and the Gods looming in the skies. The landscape drawings are stunning as well. (A quick aside: my sons often reach for graphic novels as they arrive for review, and I tried to hand this one to my sons. Both of them flipped through the pages, and then declined. I asked, why not? Their answer: they don't like black and white graphic novels, which took me aback. They don't know what they are missing with this book.)
DAWN LAND would make a great addition to any class studying the Native Americans of our country, although there is some brief nudity, kidnapping that has violent and sexual overtones, and some limited profanity. The story is also told as a heroic journey. Young Hunter must journey alone, with animal companions, to confront evil, and if you are reading The Odyssey, this book might make for an interesting compare/contrast assignment. In the back of the graphic novel, both writer Joseph Bruchac and artist Will Davis write at length about the collaborative project and the mythology and history of the Abenaki Nation that inspired the story. This material is very informative and interesting, particularly as Burchac talks about his own ancestral roots in the Abenaki Nation.
Publisher: First Second
I highly recommend this book. It has emerged as one of my top reads this year. But, there are some reservations around some issues of nudity (some women's breasts are exposed), profanity (a little swearing in some dialogue), and two kidnapping scenes that hint at the possibility of rape. This makes the book appropriate for high school and perhaps some middle school classrooms, but not necessarily for elementary classrooms.
Posted by Mr. Wilson at 12:55 PM
Labels: Highly Recommended
By Chris Wilson
Editor-in-Geek
Few stories resonate with me more than when idiosyncratic characters –– weirdos, if you will –– find their place in the great wide world as loveable and typical people. Such is the story of midlife divorcee Marshall and Natalie his blind date.
When we were dating, my wife and I invariably got the table in the corner of the restaurant and stood at the intersection of walls at college parties and get-togethers. We are weirdos, Kathy and I. We are outsiders who always seem to live on the outskirts of the mainstream. In our younger days that was a source of frustration and sadness. Not so in college. Somewhere along the way we learned to embrace our eccentricities and kooky ways –– something safe and secure when freaks find geeks.
Marshall is much more comfortable with himself and his hysterical inner monologue than with other people, any people, all people really. With Natalie he feels oddly comfortable and in his own neurotic way becomes her Mister Wonderful almost overnight. When freaks meet geeks. It's adorable watching these two midlife losers find sanctuary in one another's insecurity and peculiarity, being there to understand one another's deep sorrow and scars.
Marshall and Natalie would most likely be ignored or misunderstood by most people in real life, left to their own devices wearing loneliness like chainmail. Daniel Clowes creates such a powerful narrative that the reader cannot help but relate to the rather quirky couple. That's what I love. Two people who go mostly ignored in life are celebrated and understood in MISTER WONDERFUL. That is true beauty in literature in my mind.
Clowes begins his narrative with an uncommon, nonconformist book size (6 x 11 inches) that sets the tone for the entire theme of the book. His art is colorful, cartoonish art with simple lines and moderate details. His use of dialogue and internal monologue is layered –– literally layered –– on top of one another, creating interplay between character conversation and Marshall's neurotic and self-deprecating thoughts.
Notice the layering of dialogue (internal and external) permeating the page.
It makes for an interesting and authentic read and allows the reader to make inferences.
Clowes even uses Super Deformed, a technique common in manga whereby the characters are drawn as chubby children displaying very strong emotions. As is the case in MISTER WONDERFUL, the SD technique is often used humorously.
Example of the Super Deformed technique in MISTER WONDERFUL.
It works. All of it: the book size, the coloring, the panel layout, the SD. Everything works together to project throw-away characters (in the real world anyway) to the stage and make them loveable and compelling and not so throw-away after all.
MISTER WONDERFUL is my kind of love story. It's as quirky and unique as my wife and I. For that I am most happy.
It's a special kind of love when freaks find geeks. One I can personally relate to.
Chris' Rating: High school
There's nothing inappropriate in the book, but the protagonists' plight is such that it might be uninteresting to more immature readers. High school seems the best starting place to me.
There is a significant amount of profanity, however it is always displayed as symbols (@#&%). There is a fight scene, but it is represented mostly outside the panels and inside the reader's mind.
MISTER WONDERFUL can do for students what it did for me: bring forth the freak pride and help build an understanding of those who live on the outside of the world. It would also make a fantastic character study where students could extrapolate from the comic and infer about the lives of Marshall and Natalie as children, teens and young adults. This could then morph into a writing assignment where students must create a weirdo (if you excuse my use) character, write about their lives and make them likable in the end. I could even see such an assignment used as part of an anti-bullying lesson, although the students would not need to know that ahead of time. They should come to that conclusion on their own as the lesson progresses.
Author & Illustrator: Daniel Clowes
Genre: Realistic fiction
ISBN-13: 978-0-307-373813-2
CHRIS' RECOMMENDATION:
TGC WRITES LESSON PLANS FOR COMICS PUBLISHER
Did you notice the press coverage of the lesson plans we've been writing for Blue Water Productions? It showed up on several comics news sites and blogs. In case you missed it, the article is here.
As studies continue to show the reading motivation of boys on the decline –– studies have shown boys are more interested in nonfiction –– comics on sports, biography and science will become more and more popular. I'm glad to see it.
Labels: Articles and Essays
PANG, THE WANDERING SHAOLIN MONK VOLUME 1: REFUGE OF THE HEART
By Ellen Ma
PANG Volume 1 is a collection of the ongoing historical fiction webcomic about a Shaolin monk attempting to search for his monk brothers who had survived the destruction of the Shaolin temples when the Qing rulers came into power.
Writer and artist Ben Costa explains in the afterward there are very few historical details about the Shaolin in general, with the word "Shaolin" conjuring images of the incredible monks in action films. But Costa puts the protagonist, Pang, in a more realistic and relatable position to the reader –– a young Buddhist monk on a journey to preserve his teachings while facing obstacles that may cause him to stray from his path. Also, Pang is very endearing and innocent as he travels within a country going through political changes. Still, he continues to remain kind-hearted with a strong sense of justice.
The beauty of this graphic novel rests not only in the historical setting but also how well Costa weaves and integrates the messy history of the Shaolin temple within the story. Furthermore, Costa also delivers a generous helping of kung fu action, drama, adventure, and comedy.
Get this in your classroom, now.
I had to re-read the first few pages to become familiar with the layout of the pages. I felt slightly overwhelmed with the number of panels, speech bubbles, and text all packed together in the beginning, but taking the time to break down everything one at a time led me to be engrossed with the rest of the story.
If you missed it the first time: Get this in your classroom, now. What I appreciate the most is that Costa included footnotes addressing the historical references he makes as well as Chinese words. I could already picture some great activities (researching the history of China during 1675) to get students prepared to dive into this graphic novel. I could also see myself using this graphic novel for an entire semester; the history, Shaolin monks, and even the kung fu genre could be analyzed and explored.
Author & Illustrator: Ben Costa
Publisher: Iron Crotch University Press
ISBN-13: 978-0-9845013-0-4
THE STORM IN THE BARN
The people in Kansas are choking on the soil they once cultivated with their farm-worn hands. Eleven-year-old Jack Clark's family –– town –– cannot make it much longer through the Dust Bowl. As Jack's father said, "The dust can have it." The crops are dead, friends have moved, Jack is bullied, their daughter is dying of dust pneumonia, and most of all the people's hope has dried up along with the soil. Call it "dust dementia" or a rain ghost, Jack believes he knows where the rain is hiding.
Matt Phelan's graphic novel combines historical fiction with a tall tale punctuated by gritty clouds of chalk and watercolor. It is a story that is suspenseful, heart wrenching and at times heinous, but it works as a piece of history and as a ghost story.
Initially, Phelan planned an illustrated graphic novel, according to an interview at Newsarama, later realizing that the graphic novel was a better choice. "I realized that I could convey the same information with a handful of drawings. Not only could I tell the story with more precision, I could use silence in the pictures. From that point on, I knew it had to be a graphic novel," said Phelan.
STORM IN THE BARN makes a place for itself among the ranks of good comic storytelling –– at all once describing the tragedy of the Dust Bowl era while spinning a sooty ghost yarn.
Chris' Rating: Ages 9 and older
Publisher's Rating: Ages 10 and older
In an act of frustration and desperation to save what land and green there is left, a group of men round up the swarming rabbits, hundreds or thousands perhaps, and club them to death. It is not a bloody scene but destructive and powerful nonetheless.
Ever the fan of dual text approaches, THE STORM IN THE BARN would braid nicely with a book of Dust Bowl photographs. In lieu of a photography book, a slide show of Dust Bowl photographs garnered from the Internet would make for an engaging introduction, supported by a nonfiction book of the time combined with this graphic novel. There are enough community members left who lived during that time, that an interview of a community member would also add depth to the unit. A teacher's guide is available as a pdf.
Author and Illustrator: Matt Phelan
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Click here to see the video trailer of the comic.
About TGC
The Graphic Classroom is a resource for teachers and librarians to help them stock high quality, educational-worthy, graphic novels and comics in their classroom or school library. I read and review every graphic novel or comic on this blog and give it a rating as to appropriateness for the classroom.
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Would you like your comic or graphic novel reviewed here at THE GRAPHIC CLASSROOM? You can do so in two ways, one of which is guaranteed and the other is not:
1. Send me a copy of the comic or graphic novel. I will read it and review it as soon as possible. You can email me privately and I will give you my mailing address. abikerbard@mac.com
2. You can simply tell me about your creation.
If you send me a copy, then I will review your submission. I will be honest and fair and do my best to get your book reviewed in a timely manner. I am a full time graduate student, so my time is limited. If I receive a lot of books, then I will put them on a first-come, first-reviewed list and do the best I can.
If you cannot or will not send me a media copy of your book, then you can just request that I review it. My money is short, as I am going to school and not working, so you are depending on my ability to afford your book. There is no guarantee that I will get to your work nor any guarantee that I will even review it. If I can afford it and have time to read it, then I will most certainly review it. It's all about the teachers, librarians and kids.
Reviews are never based on free media copies. I am writing my Master's Thesis on the subject of comics in the classroom, so this is important to me. I am committed to this and I take reviews very seriously. I do not rip into books in order to get readership. I will have a critical eye, but I am also excited about helping teachers find great books for the classroom.
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My name is Chris Wilson. My first name is Jack, which is why you see it on the posts, but I usually go by my middle name: Chris. Having worked as the Managing Editor for a weekly newspaper then as the Director of a non-profit for people with disabilities, I have gone back to school. I am now a full time graduate student in the college of education at Missouri State University. I am getting my Masters of Science in Education – Elementary Education.
I know that reading is a problem for many students today. I feel strongly that comics and graphic novels can be one way that we can combat this problem. Graphics novels should be in every public school library and classroom library. That is why I am choosing to write my thesis on using comics and graphic novels in the elementary classroom.
abikerbard@mac.com
Tegan Connor, Staff Writer
Catharina Evans, Staff Writer
Kevin Hodgson, Staff Writer
Ellen Ma, Staff Writer
Adrian Neibauer, Staff Writer
Some comic literature is not appropriate for every classroom, or every community. Some are not appropriate for any classroom. You need to review any piece of comic literature for yourself and determine if it is appropriate for your grade, class, curriculum, goals, school and community.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.