A matter of life and death. As Claire laid on her death bed she asked her big brother for the most important favor of her short life. Claire asked Ken, her brother, to raise her ten year old son Lester. Putting Lester with strangers would have killed her faster than the cancer. Ken being scared half to death decided to follow his sister's wishes, and take in her son. This begins Lester's new life as orphaned boy. Lester is having the hardest time dealing with his loss. He and his uncle attempt to communicate, but neither knows how.
Lester relies heavily on his security blanket to get him through. His security blanket consists of his phantom cape and mask, along with his Flash comics. Ken and Lester visit town one day and while uncle Ken takes care of business for his farm in Essex County Lester buys his favorite comic and meets the man who will change his life, for the better.
Lester and this stranger become buddies and realize they have multiple interests including their love of hockey and their love of the unknown. Through this relationship Ken develops a better communicative relationship with his uncle and begins to let go of his coping mechanisms. Lester finds freedom by finding himself in this stranger.
Overall, this book is an awesome story of growth in a small town. efflemire.com/.">Jeff Lemire has transformed his childhood community into a place that leads to redemption for a family. The graphics of the text are a dynamic feature of this book. The grittyness of the pictures puts you in Essex County on Ken's farm. The graphics also allow the reader to have a complete picture of Lester's life the bleakness, then the hope that comes. The protagonist is only ten years old, which would lead some to wonder if this text is really young adult literature, but it takes on the themes of death, life, anger, and hope in a manor that is far beyond the grasp of a child. This book attacks every theme from a young adult perspective, even the langauge appeals more to teenagers than children. Jeff Lemire has done an excellent job of drawing the reader in and hooking you from the first graphic to the last graphic.
3 comments:
I have also read a graphic novel and I found it somewhat challenging to follow and grasp the layout of the text. Did you feel this way as well? Do you think that junior high and high school students would struggle with this because it is so uncommon in an educational setting or do you think they would find it more intriguing and an "easier" read?
When I went to get this book a 12 year old was in the graphic novels section looking for books. I also have Kindergartners who's big brothers read graphic novels now they are into them. I guess it just depends on the person. I like the graphics more so then the regular novels because you can see the person and imagine him/her living life. I love the graphic novels. Plus we have to reach students with a variety of books that hold their interests.. can you imagine Canterbury Tales as a graphic novel? I would have been more eager to read it Junior year of HS.
It's funny that you mention the Canterbury Tales as a graphic novel. I've been teaching it to a high school class for the past week and it would be an amazing resourse if someone adapted the story into a graphic novel! I've actually just given the students an assignment that allows them to create their own modern day character and relate their story in several possible ways--one of them being a short graphic novel form! :)
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