Twilight 1: The Graphic Novel

Twilight 1: The Graphic Novel by Stephenie Meyer; Art and adaptation by Young Kim.
ISBN: 978-0-7595-2943-4

Bella moves to Forks, Washington to live with her father. The weather is drastically different from what is in Phoenix, Arizona. Attending a new high school, Bella makes some friends and becomes very interested in a group of teens who are intensely good looking, but "chalky pale" with "very dark eyes". Sitting next to one of them in Biology class, Bella thinks that he, Edward Cullend, doesn't like her. Later, she discovers that his feelings for her are so intense, he needs to take precautions to control himself around her. Edwards's very mysterious and attactive to Bella and Bella is growing more irresistable to Edward.

Graphic adaptation of the popular Twilight book. Predominately illustrated in black and white, most of the panels feature the characters. The few color pages add to the intensity and meaning of the scenes.

This graphic interpretation is a good introduction to the popular Twilight books; see the Stephanie Meyer site for more information. Gives insight into the main points of the first book, although the story lacks some continuity and the content is at a surface levl. May entice non-readers to want to pick up the original book.

The Storm in the Barn

The Storm in the Barn (2009) by Matt Phelan. 201 pages.
ISBN: 978-0-7636-3618-0

This story takes place in 1937 Kansas during the Dust Bowl. Jack Clark is 11 years old, living on a farm with his family; they have not seen rain for at least four years and the effects are taking their toll on the people. Jack's sister Dorothy is bedridden and enjoys reading Wizard of Oz books, parelleling some of the story lines. Mabel, his other sister is a curious youngster who likes to explore. The townspeople start believing in a mysterious illness, dust dementia, and suspect Jack may have it. Jack starts to see a creepy apparition in a neighbor's barn that foretales rain. Meanwhile, the townspeople are growing tired of the rabbits eating their meager amount of food and decide to eradicate them. These frames are unpleasant and disturbing.

Illustrations are pencil drawings with spudged shading; giving the reader the feeling that they can almost feel the dust. Muted tones provide for atmospherics that enhance the feeling of that time and place in history. Interesting read for 11 to 13 year olds.

-------------------------More books related to the Dust Bowl:

Years of Dust: The Story of the Dustbowl (2009) by Albert Marrin.
"Exceptional overview brings close the terrifying, bleak realities of the Dust Bowl; Marrin puts the era into both historical and environmental context". Gillian Engberg, Booklist Online



Out of the Dust (1997) by Karen Hesse.
A story about an Oklahoma family in the Dust Bowl. Told in free verse from the point of view of fourteen year old, Billie Jo Kelby.



Dust (2003) by Arthur Slade.
"Eleven-year-old Robert is the only one who can help when a mysterious stranger arrives, performing tricks and promising to bring rain, at the same time children begin to disappear from a dust bowl farm town in Saskatchewan in the 1930s. " - Book summary from http://catalog.plsinfo.org/

Bone 1: Out From Boneville

Bone 1: Out From Boneville (2005) by Jeff Smith. 138 pages.
ISBN: 0-439-70640-8

Fone, Phoney and Smiley Bone have been run out of Boneville for some bad business deals by Phoney. Lost, thirsty and not knowing where they are, a swarm of locusts separates them.

First we follow Fone as he wanders and searches for his cousins. He finds Smily's cigar butts, but not Smiley. Along his search, Fone comes across creatures, some scary and others friendly - leafs, rat creatures, and a dragon. He's warned that he needs to get out the valley before winter comes, but finds himself caught in the snow. At a hot spring, Fone meets Thorn. She takes him home where she lives with Gran'ma Ben, a woman who races cows.


Returning home from a cow race, Gran'ma Ben runs into feisty Phoney and brings him to her home. Hearing that there's money to be made in Barrelhaven, Phoney goes to the town. Rat creatures attack Gran'ma Ben, Thorn and Fone, but they eventually make it to Barrelhaven where all the cousins are reunited. The grim reaper lurks nearby.

Very quirky story; funny and a bit scary. Graphics are formatted in panels with cartoon characters against detailed backgrounds . Entertaining read for 10 to 13 year olds.

More on Jeff Smith and Boneville.