A crisp, edge-of-your seat historical tale. (Historical graphic fiction. 12 & up)
A sharp follow-up to Resistance (2010) takes place one year after French teenager Paul Tessier joined the Resistance and helped his Jewish friend Henri escape the Nazis.
With the Germans still occupying France, Paul’s village has hit hard times; there are sudden arrests, dwindling ration coupons and a general sense of distrust and fear among his peers. The Tessier patriarch is still a POW, and with his absence, the family grows ever more apprehensive. Paul’s artistic talent lands him in trouble’s way after he uses them to aid the Resistance. This act of defiance hurtles his two sisters, Sylvie and Marie, into a dangerous search to locate Paul and bring him home safely when they suspect he’s taken to the woods to join a group of radical Resistance fighters hiding in the mountains. Sylvie and young Marie find themselves on an extremely perilous mission; they are two young girls very much in a man’s world—and war. Stylistically tighter than the previous volume, this offering has clearly plotted word balloons against a brighter, less scratchy background. Jablonski adds an author’s note with a terse history of Charles DeGaulle, a helpful addendum that provides depth to the historical scope. Paul's tale does not resolve at story's close, leaving readers waiting for the third and final volume.
A crisp, edge-of-your seat historical tale. (Historical graphic fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: July 19, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-292-5
Page Count: 128
Publisher: First Second/Roaring Brook
Review Posted Online: June 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2011
Shakespeare’s fantastical dream in an appealing format that can be shared with a wider audience.
Manga that brings to life Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy.
This third entry in Manga Classics’ adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays maintains their practice of reproducing the full text of the original. The black-and-white illustrations allow readers to easily follow the plot while also picking up on subtle themes that are significant to understanding the play. For example, the abundant imagery surrounding the moon is emphasized by the moon’s presence in the backgrounds of many panels throughout the book, drawing readers’ attention. Long dialogues are also explained visually, which allows young readers to grasp what is being discussed without the need for a glossary or translation into modern English. The nobility is portrayed in a typical manga fashion with large eyes, small noses, and well-defined ears—but with appropriate Grecian clothing—while the commoners are easily visually distinguishable from them in style. The guide to reading manga at the beginning unfortunately describes the right-to-left reading order as “backwards from the normal books you know,” a strangely judgment-laden description for a book using manga to broaden the cultural exposure of young readers. However, the creators’ notes at the end offer fascinating insights into the adaptation process and may inspire budding manga artists to attempt their own works.
Shakespeare’s fantastical dream in an appealing format that can be shared with a wider audience. (cast, creators’ notes, character design sheet) (Graphic fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: April 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-947808-10-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Manga Classics
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
A gem from start to bittersweet finish.
Seventeen-year-old Valora Luck boards the Titanicin search of her twin brother—and destiny.
As children, Val and Jamie performed acrobatics to bring in money during lean times, dreaming of one day becoming circus stars. But after their White British mother’s death, Jamie left to work for the Atlantic Steam Company while Val stayed in London to care for their Chinese father. Now, with both parents gone, Val is determined to find what’s left of her family and forge a new path in America. There is, of course, the Chinese Exclusion Act to contend with, but Val is confident that she and Jamie can convince one of the ship’s passengers, a part owner of the Ringling Brothers Circus, to hire them and bring them into the country. Unexpected allies provide help along the way, including an American couture designer and Jamie’s fellow Chinese steamship workers. Issues of racial and class discrimination are seamlessly woven into the story as Val’s adventure takes her through the Titanic’s various decks, from a first-class suite to the boiler rooms. Her wit and pluck give the story such buoyancy that when tragedy strikes, it almost comes as a surprise. Anticipation of the inevitable adds a layer of tension to the narrative, especially with a sober note prefacing the book that informs readers, “Of the eight Chinese passengers aboard the Titanic, six survived.”
A gem from start to bittersweet finish. (Titanic diagram, list of characters, author's notes) (Historical fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5247-4098-6
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
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