"Lily Renée, Escape Artist" by Trina Robbins, Anne Timmons, and Mo Oh

Lerner Publishing Group, 2011

Lily Renée, Escape Artist was written by Trina Robbins and illustrated by Anne Timmons and Mo Oh. This historical narrative is a graphic novel about the true story of Lily Renée Wilheim. The novel is documents the incredible journey of a young girl born in Vienna beginning in 1938. The story opens with pages detailing the extravagant lifestyle of a privileged girl with wealthy parents. Lily attended an art school, participated in cultural events, and was a member of the upper crust of Vienna. The story quickly changes when the unification of Germany and Austria begins. Lily is given the chance to travel to England, where she will be sponsored by an English family for the duration of conflict. This historically accurate program was offered to children 17 or under who were identified Jews. After traveling to England, Lily is immediately shocked by the treatment of her sponsor family. The family housekeeper is rather prejudiced towards Lily because of Lily's status in society. Lily eventually runs away from this household and joins the Red Cross as a nurse. War marks the end of communication between Lily and her parents, and she begins to fear for their livelihoods. Lily's character is tested when she is identified by the English government as an "enemy alien." Any immigrant from Austria that was living in England during this time was identified as an enemy alien because they were suspected spies. Women like Lily were forced to check in with the police on a weekly basis. After receiving news that her parents had escaped to America, Lily becomes extremely anxious to leave England. Lily is heartbroken when she learns that her title may prevent her from leaving the country, and possibly live in an internment camp. Guilt directs Lily to turn herself in to the police after several weeks avoiding check-ins. The police respond unexpectedly with wonderful news. Her parents have sent for her departure and she may leave the country immediately for New York. Lily finds herself in New York and sees her parents for the first time in several years. The three family members rejoice momentarily, but are quickly taken by the natural hardships of American life during the war. Lily eventually takes a job as a cartoonist, editing pencil lines made by the primary artists. Her own work blossoms as she takes on new assignments, working on comic books where heroes defeat the Nazis. Comics quickly better the lives of the Wilheim family and Lily pursues a life-long career in illustration. 

I was originally under the impression that this graphic novel was a historical fiction, but this incredible journey is the true account of an actual comic artist. Lily Wilheim illustrated many comics during WWII that inspired nationalistic community by introducing characters that resisted the tyranny of Hitler. Trina Robbins was a member of the Underground Comics Movement in the 1960's and is the illustrator of Wonder Woman. She is undoubtedly drawn to Lily Wilheim because of the powerful female role that she played in an industry consumed by male artists. With the help of Timmons and Oh, Robbins segments the life of Wilheim by dividing her story into concise chapters. I feel that the pacing of the novel is far too accelerated. The reader is left with predigested fragments of Lily's journey with very little transitional cues. For this reason, I found the story to be slightly monochromatic. Each chapter begins with bad news, and ends with a near miracle. The end result of this story is undoubtedly a wonderful victory, yet I was humorously entertained by the way the everything worked out for each character. Information relating to the actual tragedies of the war were contained in the last text bubble in each chapter. I wish that Robbins would have shown this information visually to the reader. I can not imagine attempting to write a story from WWII without a certain macabre or somber tone. Interestingly, the color palette used by Timmons and Oh was appropriately augmented to highlight this feature of the story. The beginning of the novel is sculpted through the use of light to represent a bright atmosphere. The middle passages are darker in color and emotion. The back of the book contains an appendix with additional information about Lily's life. There is information about high tea in England, internment and concentration camps, and the comics of Lily's professional career in America. 

Lily Renée, Escape Artist is a quick read for a graphic novel detailing an incredibly influential and powerful female comic book artist. The choice to illustrate this story in a graphic novel is a wonderful technique. I feel that many readers will be drawn to the compelling story line, but I would not place this text on my top-ten list. I think that this text would serve as a wonderful representation of story mapping. An extension to this text would be to have students depict their own stories and introduce key features of a comic book. The National Council of Teacher of English published an article in the Council Chronicle about the use of graphic novels in the English Curriculum: http://www.ncte.org/magazine/archives/122031

"Freak The Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick

Freak the Mighty was written by Rodman Philbrick in 2001 and published by Scholastic Press. Philbrick introduces the relationship of two young boys in middle school. During a time when even the most mainstream of children face bullying, these two boys encounter a world of prejudices. Max is a mentally challenged boy of grandiose proportions. Max is also the narrator of the story. Much larger than other boys of his age, Max faces discrimination from his classmates who call him terrible names. The other boy is named Kevin, a very small, physically handicapped, and brilliant individual. The two boys meet in eighth grade, after not seeing each other since day care. Max, the reader comes to learn, is from a torn family. His father ended the life of his mother in a horrific murder. As the novel progresses, the reader learns that Max's grandparents fear that Max also contains part of his father. The summer of the following year is filled with adventure from the two friends. Named Freak the Mighty, Kevin sits on the shoulders of Max and they rescue helpless maidens all over town. The two boys attribute their strength to the combination of their talents. Max is the strength of the operation, while Kevin acts as the brain power. After rescuing a friend of Max's newly released father, Max's father kidnaps Max and holds him hostage in an abandoned house. Kevin heroically rescues his friend by claiming to have a squirt gun full of acid. The two friends escape from danger and are relieved. Several days later, Kevin suffers from a stroke and passes away. Before Kevin passes, he gives Max a book without any pages. Kevin asks Max to fill the pages with the story of their adventures. This wish becomes the journey that the reader comes to learn is the story of Freak the Mighty. In a hear wrenching final chapter, Max expresses his grief over the loss of his best friend.

I rediscovered this book after reading it originally in high school. While technically realistic fiction, the adventures of these two friends are almost fantastical. The description of friendship is almost magical. I found the second reading of this text to be just as heartfelt as the first. Our current education system is at war with bullying. A buzzword in every school, the insults that occupy a modern elementary or middle school are insidious. As the digital landscape shapes the hatred that students project at one another, a story of genuine friendship between two disadvantaged students is a call for peace. Philbrick introduces very mature scenes of suspense and fear, perhaps not appropriate for elementary audiences whatsoever, as an explicit representation of what bullied children go through everyday. The hardships that these two fictional characters faced are present in the classrooms that we see everyday. Philbrick includes particular language and situations that I feel are inappropriate for perhaps all elementary students. I think that if this text was introduced shortly after matriculation into middle school with careful rehearsal for possibly tough questions, the story may captivate many readers and challenge the actions and words that they throw around so carelessly to students that may be different. My development as a young man was generic in many senses. I have maintained average health and grew up in a safe environment. I can recall feeling remorseful for students who were given a hard time for something beyond their control. Hatred and misunderstanding is contagious in a middle school with developing characters. I recommend this novel for teachers who desire to highlight the victories of two individuals who truly overcame all expectations.

For other Philbrick titles: http://www.rodmanphilbrick.com/

"Pictures of Hollis Woods" by Patricia Reilly Giff

Pictures of Hollis Woods, written by Patricia Reilly Giff, was published by Yearling Press in 2004. Giff's portrayal of a young artist received the Newbury Honor. Set in both upstate New York (Branches), and Long Island, Giff writes of a young girl who struggles with identifying where she belongs. Hollis Woods, orphaned at a young age, approached early life with resentment. Giff writes that Hollis displayed serious behavioral problems that paralleled her immediate disapproval of new foster parents. The reader finds Hollis at the start of the book describing images that she has created of a boy named Steven, a woman named Izzy, and a male figure simply called Old Man. The reader discovers through the descriptions of these images that these characters are members of Hollis' last foster home. Steven, the son of Izzy and Old Man, is described in Hollis' pictures as a lost partner in her scattered life. The book begins with internal, hypothetical conversations between Hollis and this past family. As a reader, one is unaware of why this relationship came to an end.

Hollis Woods finds herself placed in the home of an elderly woman, named Josie Cahill. Hollis is immediately drawn to Josie because she is also an artists. Josie creates wood carvings on the surfaces of tree branches from her backyard garden. Josie is very poor, and is best friends with a woman called Beatrice that operates a movie theater in town. Beatrice and Josie immediately recognize the talent of the young girl, and the three enjoy many meals and adventures. Amidst this picture perfect scenario, Hollis recalls, in fragments, the pictures of the family that she left behind when she last ran. While Josie begins her depiction of Hollis on a tree branch, Hollis records her surroundings as they are influenced by her experiences. The character of Josie's cat, Henry, and the interactions with Beatrice inform the compositions that Hollis creates. Hollis' temperament is influenced, however, by the sadness of her lost family.

The fragments of her past family are revealed as the book continues. The reader learns that the Old man and Steven argued over minute details of family life. The mother, Izzy, the reader learns is completely taken by Hollis' character exclaiming, "I have always wanted a daughter." The relationship of Steven and Hollis was a true partnership. Giff decides to reveal this relationship as an emotional friendship, rather than a romance. The last segment of the novel reveals the past and informs the future relationship of Hollis and Josie. The two travel to Branches to the old house of Steven, Izzy, and Old Man. With the family gone, the two break in to the house and live during the christmas holiday. The end of the book reveals the tragic accident that led Hollis to run away from the previous family. Giff also beautifully describes the continued relationship between Josie and Hollis during the holiday. The fate of Hollis' family membership is decided as Josie ages.

Pictures of Hollis Woods is a magnificent story for dissecting family dynamics and addressing the hardships of an orphan. The relationship of Josie and Hollis is beautifully crafted because both characters are on the same plane. Giff describes Josie as being a mentor and an influence in Hollis' life, just as Hollis gives guidance to Josie. The inventory of history that Hollis collects and recalls from her previous journeys is a wonderful way to document Hollis' development throughout the text. I do, however, find it surprising that there are no images in the text. Perhaps wishing to not explicitly address these images, Giff leaves out the opportunity for the reader to view Hollis' craft.

I am fortunate to have both a mother and a father. My experiences as a developing child were almost entirely privileged. As a young reader, I would have struggled in identifying with a twelve year old character that takes a bus across the state alone and is unsure of whether or not she will have a meal at the end of the day. A child with a potentially disadvantaged upbringing may access this text is a completely different manner. I feel that the challenges Hollis encounters are life-like in many ways. The severity of one's obstacles is undoubtedly varied in comparison to the challenges that Hollis faced, yet the themes of care and friendship that Giff explores are more than accommodating to all audiences.

To remain updated on news from Patricia Reilly Giff, her webpage can be found on the Random House Books website: http://www.randomhouse.com/features/patriciareillygiff/

"My Parents Think Im Sleeping" poems by Jack Prelutsky

My Parents Think Im Sleeping is a wonderful collection of short poems crafted by Jack Prelutsky with illustrations by Yossi Abolafia. Each poem explores the inverse qualities of day and night from the eyes of a young boy. The main character has a relationship with light and dark because during the dark hours of the night he is falling asleep. His experiences are written from the imaginative perspective of a child who views the night as an explorer. Yossi Abolafia illustrates the stories using charcoal with ink wash. Charcoal has the ability to create wonderful gradients of color. Applied heavily, this material can create a matte finish. Using a brush or a finger, one can remove charcoal to create an almost smoky effect. Interestingly, the illustrator only uses ink wash for the characters and immediate surrounding within the bedroom. The night sky, our stage, is left very dark in anticipation of its audience.

One poem titled The Clouds I Watched this Afternoon begins, "The clouds I watched this afternoon were flocks of silent sheep, but now they've turned to smoky wolves that watch me while I sleep." The night sky fills the top half of the two-page poem depicting the intersection between white sheep and dark wolves. The sheep are the negative spaces between the menacing wolves, and the wolves are in pursuit of the sheep. When the main character rises, the poem continues, "then once again white fleecy sheep will float across the skies."

A Spooky Sort of Shadow explores the fear that occurs when a shadow of unknown origin appears on the wall in the middle of the night. I find this connection to be personally significant. "...its a creature that I've never seen before, it's creepy, and it's eerie, and so positively tall, that it stretches from the ceiling to the floor" The poem continues as the boy reacts to the scary, needle like teeth that appear on the wall. This fear leads the boy to cry out, "I hope it's had enough to eat today." The poem closes with a revealing image that places the boy as the creator of this beast upon the wall. The boy is holding two combs in his hands and smiling at the wall. Prelutsky leaves the ending subjective, since the reader is unaware of whether or not the boy is truly scared or is playing a scary game with shadow. Many adult readers of this poem may immediately recall similar feelings when trying to fall asleep as a youth. I know that I battled for many years to get over the fear of what laid beneath my bed. Yet during the day, the bed was a safe and uneventful place. Once night ensued, however, the bed transformed into a different place of unknown territory.

Chocolate Cake documents the midnight hunger pain. "I am lying in the darkness with a smile upon my face, as I'm thinking of my stomach, which has got an empty space..." We learn immediately after this declaration that there is a piece of chocolate cake waiting to eaten in the kitchen. The boy then believes that he can surely have this cake tonight if he is able to sneak past his sleeping parents. The noise of snoring will inform him of whether or not they are asleep. "...and if I'm really careful, I will have that cake tonight." As the poem closes, the illustration shows the boy tiptoeing into the kitchen with a look of shock on his face. Before him in the kitchen, his father is eating the cake. The illustration beautifully captures this moment before dialogue between a hungry father and son.

Each poem in this collection is written with very colorful and exciting language. The rhythm of each poem would serve as a powerful read aloud for any age group. I think that for younger elementary students, these fears and misconceptions about the night would be daily experiences. Personally, I could identify with this text when I was very young. My mother read these poems to me when I was little, my name is printed on the front cover of the book. They each bring such tactile memories to my childhood, and I know they would contribute to the lives of any young audience who is mesmerized by just how different the night time can seem.

Here is a wonderful link on the properties of light and energy. One may wish to introduce a science topic after this read aloud to investigate why things really do appear differently at night. http://www.explainthatstuff.com/light.html