Bibliographic
Information: Jablonski, C. & Purvis, L. (Illustrator). (2010). Resistance. New York: First Second.
ISBN: 978-1596432918
Plot Summary: Set
in Vichy, France during the middle of World War II, the first in Jabonski’s
trilogy is a fictional account about a French family’s experience with the
French Resistance. Paul and Marie Tessier’s father has taken prisoner by
the German army, but when their friend Henri’s parents cannot be found and
Henri subsequently goes into hiding, Paul and Marie decide something must be
done and attempt to get recruited by the French Resistance—where they hope to
find their friend’s parents as well their father. To provide a bit of
context to the historical events, Jabonski gives a brief introduction to the
Nazi occupation of France as well as author’s notes providing information on
WWII, anti-Semitism, and the Resistance.
Critical Evaluation: The
most unique aspect of Resistance is
the varying illustrations that are presented. The protagonist is an
artist, always within reach of his sketchbook and pen. The illustrations switch
between the actual narrative and Paul’s drawings of the events he is witnessing
and participating in. In his drawings we see horrific treatment of Jews by
Germans. Though stories about the WWII are always difficult to read, telling it
from an adolescent perspective is refreshing.
Reader’s Annotation: Paul
and Marie want to keep their Jewish friendsafe in hiding, but tension is rising
with German forces and though they believe in the French Resistance, they are
scared for their own family’s lives.
Author Information:
From the author’s website, http://www.carlajablonski.com/,
it states, “Carla Jablonski is the author and editor of dozens of best-selling
books for middle-grade and young adult readers. "I kind of do it all --
adaptations, branching books (Choose Your Own Adventure style), serious novels
for teenagers, fantasy, and now, graphic novels."
Her most recent book, Resistance, the first of a
graphic novel trilogy (illustrated by Leland Purvis) is A SYDNEY TAYLOR SILVER
MEDAL winner. Book 2 in the series, Defiance, will be available in July. Two
of her books for teens, Thicker than Water and Silent Echoes, were
selected for the prestigious NYPL "Books for the Teen Age" list. She
is the author of the six-book series, The Books of Magic, based on Neil
Gaiman's comic classic of the same name.
Her books are sold in many countries, and she always gets a
kick seeing her titles in other languages. "My favorite is the Thai
version of Books of Magic," she says. "The alphabet is so
beautiful, and I find it funny that my own words are completely unrecognizable
to me!"
In addition to writing and editing books for YA readers, she
is at work on several books for adults, and is also an actress, a playwright
and a trapeze performer. These pursuits have allowed her to do a lot of
traveling, particularly to Scotland, and she's met many wonderful and amazing
people. "The trapeze thing is definitely what surprises most people --
even people who know me, and especially myself!"
Genre: Graphic
Novel, Historical Fiction
Subjects: WWII,
Holocaust, Jews, French resistance, Nazis
Curriculum Ties: World
War II, French Resistance
Booktalking Ideas: How
far would you go to protect someone from something you believe is wrong?
Reading
Level/Interest Age: 12+
Challenge
Issues/Defense: Due to depictions of violence, this book may be challenged.
If so, refer to:
1. The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy, Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection
documents.
2. The California Department of Education District Selection Policies,
Reading Lists, and Resources for Recommended Literature:
Pre-K-12.
4. Mixed book reviews from School Library
Journal, Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly.
5. Book selection rationale.
6. If necessary, The San Francisco Public
Library’s Request for Reconsideration of Library
Materials Form.
Reason for Selection:
This is a fantastic introduction to WWII themes for YA’s.
No comments:
Post a Comment