I have always been a great fan of graphic novels. I really do believe that they can become a great resource when it comes to the English Curriculum. Reading and interpreting illustrations takes a lot of focus and work.
The author /illustrator of "The Shadow Hero", Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew bring us a revival of a golden age comic series from the 1940's called "The Green Turtle". It showcases the first Asian American Hero. Our main character Hank and his family live in Chinatown. They own a grocery store where Hank helps his father on a daily basis. His mother feels he is wasting his life so she persuades him to become a super hero. After a lot of persuasion and training on his part, he is send out for his first fight. Of course he ends up beaten and almost hospitalized, but he does meet a girl that will play an important role later on in the story.
Hank's life changes when something horrible happens to his family and at that point he has to choose who he is going to be and what path his life will take to not only protect his family but also his community.
This book deals with identity and the feeling of belonging which a lot of adolescents deal with. Just like Kamara in Ms. Marvel, Hank has to figure out what identity means to him. The idea of being a super hero evolves in the story from the idea of being famous and doing something rather than sitting around to actually believing in oneself and doing good for the right reasons. The revival of the green turtle's story is thought provoking and very humorous. I can see students being engaged with this graphic novel.
I have always been a great fan of graphic novels. I really do believe that they can become a great resource when it comes to the English Curriculum. Reading and interpreting illustrations takes a lot of focus and work.
The author /illustrator of "The Shadow Hero", Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew bring us a revival of a golden age comic series from the 1940's called "The Green Turtle". It showcases the first Asian American Hero. Our main character Hank and his family live in Chinatown. They own a grocery store where Hank helps his father on a daily basis. His mother feels he is wasting his life so she persuades him to become a super hero. After a lot of persuasion and training on his part, he is send out for his first fight. Of course he ends up beaten and almost hospitalized, but he does meet a girl that will play an important role later on in the story.
Hank's life changes when something horrible happens to his family and at that point he has to choose who he is going to be and what path his life will take to not only protect his family but also his community.
This book deals with identity and the feeling of belonging which a lot of adolescents deal with. Just like Kamara in Ms. Marvel, Hank has to figure out what identity means to him. The idea of being a super hero evolves in the story from the idea of being famous and doing something rather than sitting around to actually believing in oneself and doing good for the right reasons. The revival of the green turtle's story is thought provoking and very humorous. I can see students being engaged with this graphic novel.