Module 6: Fiction, Fantasy, and Graphic Novels

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Alamo All-Stars

Written by: Nathan Hale

Bibliography: 

Hale, N. (2016). Nathan Hales’ hazardous tales: Alamo all stars. Amulet Books.

ISBN: 978-1419719028

Plot Summary: Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Alamo All-Stars is a graphic novel in the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series that tells about the true story of the Texas Revolution and the Battle of the Alamo. The novel begins with Nathan Hale introducing Moses Austin's call to action for his son, Stephen Austin, to bring the 300 settlers to Texas. Nathan Hale is also joined in his narration of this tale by Vicente Guerrero, a historical figure who plays a role in the tale. The reader learns about the history of Mexico's and Texas' origins, with many different events occurring before the battle of the Alamo that th story's title is in reference to. The beginning chapters give brief but detailed overviews of events such as the James Long expedition of 1819, the settling of the Old 300, the antics of filibusters trying to take land from Mexico, the Convention of San Felipe, and more. Additionally, many historical figures are introduced in detail, including Jim Bowie, William B. Travis, and Davy Crockett, among many more. 

Eventually, the tale of the battle of the Alamo is told, with Texians defending the fort while they are vastly outnumbered by Santa Anna's army. After the battle, when all of the defenders of the Alamo have perished, Sam Houston leads soldiers to battle at San Jacinto, where the famous words, "Remember the Alamo!" are said. 

Critical Analysis: This graphic novel tells the history of the Texas Revolution in an engaging way that will appeal to young readers; it is both informative and detailed while also keeping the interests of students who might not have a wide knowledge of the history of the Texas Revolution yet. Many facts are told in sidebars and captions throughout the story, and the pictures help the reader understand the logistics of the battles as they occurred. 

Hale is able to seamlessly blend his signature humor and adventure with true facts of this time in history, and he brings depth and emotion to each of the figures portrayed in the novel. While history, with all the dates and battles to keep track of, can be confusing to students at times, Hale provides thorough explanations of the events that led up to the Texas Revolution and ultimately, the battle of the Alamo. The story maintains a quick pace and keeps the reader turning the pages.

Awards and Recognition:

Bluebonnet Award Master List

Review Excerpts:

From School Library Journal: "Hale's vivid illustrations—rendered in black, white, and shades of gray, with tinges of yellow—and witty text tell the story, from Texas's near wilderness beginnings to the Battle of the Alamo and Gen. Sam Houston's ultimate victory over Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. Complete with maps, this title is far more effective in telling the complete history than a straightforward state history book."

From The Children's Book Review: "Hale relays the facts, politics, military actions, and prominent personalities that defined the Texas Revolution in factual yet humorous scenes that will capture the attention of reluctant readers and fans of history alike."

Connections:

• Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series:
• One Dead Spy: A Revolutionary War Tale
• Big Bad Ironclad! A Civil War Tale
• Donner Dinner Party: A Pioneer Tale
• Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood: A World War I Tale
• The Underground Abductor: An Abolitionist Tale
• Raid of No Return: A World War II Tale of the Doolittle Raid
• Lafayette!
• Major Impossible
• Blades of Freedom: A Louisiana Purchase Tale
• Cold War Correspondent: A Korean War Tale
• Above the Trenches
• Susanna of the Alamo by John Jakes
• What Was the Alamo? by Pam Pollack
• A Picture Book of Davy Crockett by David A. Adler

Sources:

Hale, N. (2016). Nathan Hales’ hazardous tales: Alamo all stars. Amulet Books.

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute

Written by: Jarret J. Krosoczka

Bibliography: 

Krosoczka, J. (2014). Lunch lady. Alfred A. Knopf.

ISBN: 978-0375846830

Plot Summary: Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute is a humorous and unique graphic novel about Lunch Lady, an unlikely superhero who serves lunch for the students by day and fights crime with her special lunch lady skills after hours. Hector, Dee, and Terrance, three curious students, want to know more about the mysterious lunch lady. Milmoe, the school bully, starts messing with the friends and demands their lunch money, when a mysterious new substitute named Mr. Pasteur steps in. They find the substitute's sudden presence strange, since Mr. O'Connell, the teacher he is substituting for, is never absent. Lunch Lady also finds this suspicious, and decides to follow him after school. The three friends also secretly follow Lunch Lady after school, only to discover that she is a secret superhero, along with Betty her sidekick. 

Lunch Lady discovers that Mr. Pasteur is a cyborg substitute, created by villainous Mr. Edison. When discovered by Mr. Edison, an action-packed fight ensues. Lunch Lady uses her gadgets and crime fighting skills to stop the cyborgs, including a helicopter spatula, fish stick nunchucks, and exploding chicken nuggets. Inspired by Lunch Lady's valiant effort against Mr. Edison, the story ends with Hector, Dee, and Terrence returning to school to stand up to Milmoe.

Critical Analysis: This graphic novel is full of action, puns, and humor, with a creative imagining of what a lunch lady could use kitchen gadgets and food for, if she were secretly a superhero. Each page includes details that the reader will not want to miss, with humorous puns such as "Justice is served", and using a banana as a boomerang. While the story has a simple plot, there is still an underlying theme of bravery and standing up for one's friends, as the three students, Hector, Dee, and Terrence, use the bravery they learned from Lunch Lady to stand up to the school bully. In this way, the author still makes this fantastical story relatable to young readers, while also keeping a fast, action-packed pace throughout. This story will encourage readers to imagine who else could be secret superheroes, and students will be eager to read the next book in the series.

Awards and Recognition:

Children's Choice Book Award Winner

Review Excerpts:

From Kirkus Reviews: "This graphic novel alternates between boxy, regular panels and full-page spreads, keeping readers’ visual interest piqued. Filled with goofy puns and grayscale art with cheery yellow accents, this is a delightfully fun escapist read."

From Publisher's Weekly: "With plenty of silliness and slapstick in the text and panel art alike, this comic should alleviate lunch-line boredom with visions of servers wielding fishstick-nunchucks and growling, “Today's special is a knuckle sandwich.” 

Connections:

• Lunch Lady series:
• Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians
• Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta
• Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown
• Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit
• Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco
• Lunch Lady and the Mutant Mathletes
• Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril
• Lunch Lady and the Video Game Villain
• Lunch Lady and the Schoolwide Scuffle
• The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
• My Weird School series by Dan Gutman
• Students can create their own comic strip

Sources:

Krosoczka, J. (2014). Lunch lady. Alfred A. Knopf.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Written by: Grace Lin

Bibliography: 

Lin, G. (2011). Where the mountain meets the Moon. Little, Brown.

ISBN: 978-0316038638

Plot Summary: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is the story of young Minli, a girl who lives in a small village near Fruitless Mountain with her parents, Ma and Ba. Minli enjoys hearing the fantastical tales from Ba about creatures such as the Jade Dragon, who is searching for her lost children, resulting in the mountain nearby becoming unable to grow any life. Minli's family works tirelessly for little results, causing Minli to one day set off to find the Old Man on the Moon, who she thinks will grant her family fortune. Ma and Ba are heartbroken to learn that Minli has left for this journey all on her own, and throughout the story, the reader experiences Ma and Ba's journey to find their daughter, eventually coming to terms with needing to accept their family's fortunes of being together. Along the way, Minli meets various characters who impact her literal and figurative journey, including a goldfish seller, a boy orphan and his buffalo, and a lonely dragon named Dragon. Minli and Dragon team up to find the Old Man on the Moon, as Dragon wants to be able to fly. 

Throughout the story, short folktales are interspersed that provide backstory or further explanation of why things are the way they are. Minli learns that she must seek the "borrowed line", resulting in two different interpretations of what this line is; Dragon is given a thread that could be the borrowed line, while Minli is given a line of text that could be the borrowed line. Minli also meets two clever children, Da-Fu and A-Fu, who trick and vanquish the Green Tiger and whose family gives dragon much needed medicine to save his life after he is injured saving Minli. Eventuallu, Minli meets the Old Man on the Moon, who informs her that he can only answer one question. Torn between wanting fortune for her family and wanting to help her friend Dragon, Minli realizes that the key to her family's fortune is being grateful for what she already has, and Dragon receives his wish of being able to fly. Dragon flies Minli home, and the story ends with Minli and her family achieving true happiness and embracing the joy of being together as a family.

Critical Analysis: This fantasy story is heartwarming and thoughtful in its telling of Minli's journey to find happiness and fortune. Elements of Chinese culture and folktales are embedded throughout the story, with a helpful author's note at the end explaining how some of the details came to be included in the story. The setting is detailed and significant to the story, as Minli journeys far and wide to accomplish her goal. Illustrations also bring the scenes to life and authentically portray the cultural traditions and architecture of the text. 

The characters each have distinctive characteristics that undergo thoughtful changes from beginning to end, with Minli and her family learning the lesson of the importance of family and thankfulness. Minli's relationship with Dragon is also central to the story, as Minli puts his needs before her own when asking the Old Man on the Moon for him to be able to fly rather than asking her own question. The themes included in the story make the reader think, including thankfulness, the power of family love, friendship, and sharing culture through storytelling. 

Awards and Recognition:

Newbery Honor, 2010

Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature, 2010

Review Excerpts:

From Kirkus Reviews: "Lin deftly incorporates elements from Chinese folk- and fairy tales to create stories within the main story and provide context for Minli’s quest. With her “lively and impulsive spirit,” Minli emerges a stalwart female role model who learns the importance of family, friendship and faith during her amazing journey."

From Booklist: "With beautiful language, Lin creates a strong, memorable heroine and a mystical land. Stories, drawn from a rich history of Chinese folktales, weave throughout her narrative, deepening the sense of both the characters and the setting and smoothly furthering the plot. Children will embrace this accessible, timeless story about the evil of greed and the joy of gratitude."

Connections:

• Author study about Grace Lin:
• Where the Sea Turned to Silver
• Starry River of the Sky
• The Year of the Dog
• Dim Sum for Everyone!
• Books about dragons:
• Wings of Fire series by Tui Sutherland
• Dragon Masters series by Tracey West
• Dragon Girls by Maddy Mara
• The Secret Rescuers by Paula Harrison
• Explore myths and folktales from cultures around the world

Sources:

Lin, G. (2011). Where the mountain meets the Moon. Little, Brown.

 

Merci Suarez Changes Gears

Written by: Meg Medina

Bibliography: 

Medina, M. (2018b). Merci suárez changes gears. Candlewick Press.

ISBN: 978-0763690496

Plot Summary: Merci Suarez Changes Gears is a relatable and moving story of a young girl learning the ins and outs of middle school life, as well as navigating friends, family, and growing up. Merci Suarez is an eleven year old girl starting sixth grade at Seaward Pines Academy, a prestigious school in Florida. Merci attends the school on a scholarship, and she often feels a divide between herself and her classmates. Merci's extended family all live in three houses neighboring each other, with one house for her grandparents, Lolo and Abuela, one house for Tia Ines and the rambunctious twins Axel and Tomas, and one house for Merci, Mami, Papi, and her brother Roli. Throughout the story, Merci is preparing for soccer tryouts while also serving as a Sunshine Buddy, a friend to a new student. Merci is hesitant to embrace the role of Sunshine Buddy to her assigned buddy, a new student from Minnesota named Michael, and she deals with the teasing from popular Edna and her friends as she grapples with being welcoming and trying to fit in. 

The story follows many relatable middle school scenarios, such as working on group projects, taking care of her younger cousins, saving up her own money to buy a bike, and trying to fit in with friends, as well as experiencing the illness of a close family member. Merci and her grandfather, Lolo, have a close relationship; he is often referred to as the one person in her family that understands her the most. However, instances begin to appear in the story that show Lolo becoming confused, lost, and even acting out of character for himself. Towards the climax of the novel, Lolo becomes confused while at the store with Abuela and walks out to the middle of the road, trying to find his way home. Roli and Merci try to drive over to help Lolo and end up getting rear-ended in a car accident, which leads to Merci learning that Lolo has Alzheimer's disease, and it has been progressively getting worse. The story ends on a hopeful note in which Merci understands that change can be inevitable but it is all about adjusting to your circumstances and "changing gears" as you go, a lesson that leaves readers optimistic about Merci's journey and eager for the next book in the series.

Critical Analysis: This realistic fiction novel is both uplifting, grounding, and relatable for readers who have ever experienced the confusion of trying to fit in with friends, the struggles of growing up, and the pain of seeing a loved one change before your eyes. There are many realistic scenarios in this story, and Medina captures an authentic portrait of a Latino family; there are many traditions and cultural details woven throughout the story that bring the Suarez family to life. There is a clear contrast between Merci's life at her elite private school Seaward Pines Academy and her home life at "Las Casitas", the three houses that her family shares. The reader can feel Merci's love towards and close bond with her family as well as her desire to fit in with her classmates, which is an accurate struggle that many young teens in their middle school years.

Medina offers a realistic portrayal of the affect that Alzheimer's has on not only the person who has it but the loved ones around them, slowly showing instances that are confusing for Merci, such as Lolo's repeated questions that she has just answered, or his walking out of the store and getting lost in the road. While heartbreaking to see this unfold through Merci's eyes, it is helpful for readers who may be experiencing someone in their life who reminds them of Lolo, while also shedding light on the ways that Alzheimer's can have long-reaching affects on families lives. The characters are the heart of the story, with Merci's point of view offering an honest portrayal of a variety of topics that will appeal to middle-grade readers. Each character has a distinct personality that Medina expertly crafts, and while this story deals with profound topics, there are also many lighthearted scenes that make this a well-balanced and impactful story.

Awards and Recognition:

Newbery Medal Winner, 2019

Review Excerpts:

From Kirkus Reviews: "Medina writes about the joys of multigenerational home life (a staple of the Latinx community) with a touching, humorous authenticity. Merci’s relationship with Lolo is heartbreakingly beautiful and will particularly strike readers who can relate to the close, chaotic, and complicated bonds of live-in grandparents. Medina delivers another stellar and deeply moving story."

From School Library Journal: "The realistic portrayal of a complex young Latina's life is one many readers will relate to as she discovers that change can be hard, but it's the ride that matters."

Connections:

• Other books in the Merci Suarez series:
• Merci Suarez Can't Dance
• Merci Suarez Play it Cool
• Books about being new to school
• New Kid by Jerry Craft
• Save Me a Seat by Gita Varadarajan and Sarah Weeks
• The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
• The Day. You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

Sources:

Medina, M. (2018b). Merci suárez changes gears. Candlewick Press.