ALAN Picks: Graphic Novels

In this month’s ALAN Picks we feature graphic novels that are great for both middle and high school readers. Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey by Edel Rodriguez is a graphic memoir about growing up in Fidel Castro’s Cuba. In Huda F Cares? by Huda Fahmy, the hilarious series continues with a family road trip that challenges Huda’s perceptions of herself and others. Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega is a story of one middle schooler’s hair journey and all of the emotions and identity that is connected to that. Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam by Thien Pham is a graphic memoir where food takes a prominent role in telling one young man’s immigrant story. Based on Korean folklore, The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha challenges gender roles as the lead character finds her dreams changed to fit society’s expectations. 

Looking For Teen Reviewers: If you know students who are interested in writing book reviews of recently published young adult and middle grade books, let them know they can write for ALAN Picks too! 

ALAN Picks Book Selections: ALAN Picks accepts reviews of books published from spring 2020 to present-day, including soon-to-be-released books. This gives ALAN members who are interested in reviewing books more great titles to choose from, as well as accommodate some great books released during the beginning of the pandemic that still deserve highlighting. If you have some books in mind that you would like to review, please reach out to me!

Let Us Know How You Use ALAN Picks! If you read an ALAN Picks review and end up using the book with your students, let us know! We want to hear all of your great stories and engaging ways you are using young adult and middle grades literature in your classrooms. Remember, ALAN Picks are book reviews by educators for educators! Click on the archives to see previous editions. 

Submit a Review: Would you like to submit a review? Check out ALAN Picks for submission guidelines and email ALAN Picks Editor, Richetta Tooley at richetta.tooley@gmail.com with the book title you are interested in reviewing. Rolling deadline.

–  Richetta Tooley, ALAN Picks Editor

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Synopsis: A worm hides in the darkness of the dirt, digging and clawing its way through its life without knowledge of survival. In the world above, creatures bearing wings and legs search for the little worm. The worm does not know these things, but Edel Rodriguez does. In Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey, Rodriguez tells the tale of his early childhood growing up in Fidel Castro’s Cuba. Nicknamed “Worm” for his small stature, Edel is a very observational child full of artistic vision. His love for drawing shows his awareness of the loss of his freedom and expression as he continues to grow up. When the chance for an escape to America presents itself, Edel and his family join many other Cubans in a large, dangerous exodus in a journey of hope, immigration, and identity.

Review:

A worm hides in the darkness of the dirt, digging and clawing its way through its life without knowledge of survival. In the world above, creatures bearing wings and legs search for the little worm. The worm does not know these things, but Edel Rodriguez does. In Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey, Rodriguez tells the tale of his early childhood growing up in Fidel Castro’s Cuba. Nicknamed “Worm” for his small stature, Edel is a very observational child full of artistic vision. His love for drawing shows his awareness of the loss of his freedom and expression as he continues to grow up. When the chance for an escape to America presents itself, Edel and his family join many other Cubans in a large, dangerous exodus in a journey of hope, immigration, and identity.

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Create a visual memoir 

Students can take a story from their own lives and create a visual memoir in the style of Edel Rodrigues’s art. This would not only help students create a connection to the book but also create a connection to their lives and experiences. I recommend teachers read the book with the whole class, as the chapters go by fast in a graphic novel. Teachers should also introduce this project along with the book so students can read and build their memoirs as they soak in Edel’s story. 

Essential Questions

• How does Edel’s experience as an immigrant shape his sense of identity and belonging?
• In what ways does Edel’s journey challenge or reinforce his understanding of what “home” means?
• How does Worm show the impact of living under an oppressive government on individuals and families?
• What does freedom mean to Edel and his family, and how does their definition of it change over time?

This Builds:

• Student Engagement
• A Connection to the Text
• Showcases Student Identity
• Builds Student Expression 

Formative and Summative Assessments

Formative:

Have students answer questions in correspondence with the reading. As the teacher reads with the class, stop at key moments where the students can reflect and answer questions.

Summative:

After the graphic memoir project, have students write a 1-2 page reflection. This will include how their memoir connects to Edel’s memoir, how their story connects to a certain moment in the story, and explains their overall feelings about the project and the memoir itself.

• Critical Thinking Skills
• Reflection on literature and history
• Historical, political, and societal awareness

Review by: Cameron Taber Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA, undergraduate preservice teacher 

Synopsis: Fourteen year old Huda F is excited to look more normal amongst her peers at school after getting contacts for the first time, but she is then forced to go on a road trip with her Muslim family right after finishing her freshman year of high school. Huda and her sisters have not been getting along, so their parents created this trip so they can get closer. The vacation ruins Huda’s perception of others outside of her religion as she deals with racism by standing out at public parks due to her religion. However, she learns the value of sisterhood, knowing that her family will stand by her no matter what. She also learns to embrace her religion even if there are people who oppose it, which is exactly what her parents wanted her to learn.

Review

This graphic novel has great representation for Muslims, and the main characters are of Egyptian descent. The author is showing how it feels to be Arab and Muslim in a predominantly white environment that often has a negative view of them. The author chooses to have a teenage girl and her family as the main characters, which can help students to see that kids their age deal with hardships due to how they are viewed in society. Fahmy proves that they are just another family that are trying to live their lives as normal as possible in the United States. 

The story was easy to follow. The visuals fully describe what is happening at every specific moment of the story, proving just how powerful the dialogue is as well. The characters’ actions are just as impactful. The sisters all learn the same lessons together due to their eventual close bond and courage.

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Thematic Connections

Essential Questions:

• How can we learn to be proud of our identity?
• Why is it important to treat everyone with respect?
• What can we learn from the presence of other cultures and beliefs?

Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Teaching Strategies:

Activity: Reimagining Scenes

Whenever Huda is thinking about something, a floating figure of herself tells her what she should say. This activity has students rewriting a scene with Huda actually saying something that she wanted to say. It would focus on the reaction of the other characters, which teaches students that they have to be careful about what they say.

Strategies:

• Do not completely focus on the negative experiences the characters face in the novel. Teach students that these things can happen, but they are able to prevent them by being respectful and standing up for others whenever possible.
• Give as much information as possible about Islam and the Middle East without showing any opinions.

Assessments that can be used:

Formative: Learning and applying facts about the characters’ native country and religion while reading the novel

Students could be given the opportunity to learn more about Egyptian-Americans and Islam and apply their knowledge during group and class wide discussions while reading the novel. For example, there is a scene where the family has lunch on a picnic table in public. Students can learn more about or share about traditional Egyptian foods.

Summative: Sister Fact sheet

Students could be assigned one of Huda’s sisters (except for Amani) to talk about. They could be put into groups and work together to make a fact sheet about her age, personality, day she was with Huda, and more. They can also talk about why Huda gets along with this specific sister.

Reviewed by: Martina Ibrahim, English Education student at Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA

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Synopsis: Frizzy follows the life of a young girl named Marlene. Readers dive into how her family views her, seeing that her hair is a major point of contention. Throughout the graphic novel, Marlene’s family comments on how messy and unladylike she is when her hair is not straightened. This affects Marlene’s self esteem, showing her that her self worth is based on her looks, and how she is naturally not good enough. Not only does Marlene have to deal with her family’s judgment, she also has to deal with other kids at her school bullying her when her hair is left natural. The novel progresses as Marelene struggles to cope with the loss of her father, her family’s cruel comments, and trying to find a balance between loving herself while also making her mother happy by straightening her hair. With the help of her Tia Ruby, Marlene figures out a hair care routine that not only accentuates her curls, but helps her feel proud of herself. But, Tia Ruby reminds Marlene that it does not matter what she looks like, but who she is inside. This novel speaks to mother- daughter relationships, being comfortable in your own skin, and the strength it takes to talk about uncomfortable topics.

Review

This novel is a fantastic read for readers of all ages. Due to the stylistic choices of the book art itself and the comic-like set up, this novel is both a charming, yet thought provoking read. Ortega allows readers to transport themselves into Marlene’s life, with older readers able to feel those strange and awkward feelings of growing up all over again. For younger readers, this book speaks to all of the unspoken feelings they have bubbling inside of them. The acceptance of natural looks and the strength shown throughout the novel not only allows for students to feel comfortable in their own skin, but also helps build confidence for having tough conversations and expressing their emotions in a healthy and productive way. 

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Essential Questions: 

• How does one’s confidence in their appearance shape their identity?
• What does it mean to support those around you?

Ideas for Use In The Classroom (Activities and Strategies):

• Creating a classroom Frizzy book: Task students with writing and illustrating their own personal story about a unique aspect of themselves. After students create these stories, compile them into a collective class novel that students can take turns reading. The goal of this activity is for students to not only celebrate their own differences, but also learn how to empower their peers. 
• Hair-story: Assign students different hair textures to research, and the cultural impact of them in different communities. Students can create presentations of their findings, discussing different beauty standards and different cultures’ connections with hair. The goal of this project is to enlighten students about other cultures, and inform them about the importance of building confidence in what features they were born with.
• Students’ Backgrounds: Before reading the novel, ask students to share different beauty standards from their own cultures and have them reflect on them. By implementing this open discussion, students will feel more comfortable discussing the themes of this novel and relating it back to their own cultures.
• Student Voices: Give students the freedom to express their emotions upon reading this novel. Encourage asking for different perspectives, fostering a productive class wide discussion. 

Formative Assessments:

As students read, stop and allow them to discuss themes, important events within the novel, and key characters. Making sure students understand these topics can ensure their understanding of the novel, and allow them to critically think about what they are reading. 

Summative Assessment: 

After finishing the novel, ask students to write a letter to Marlene, acting as one of her peers. What would they say to her in order to show their support? How could they let her know that she is perfect the way that she is? This allows students to express their own feelings about the text, whilst also encouraging them to build their own morals surrounding diversity and self confidence. 

Review by: Emma Gillespie, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA, undergraduate preservice teacher. 

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Synopsis:  In this graphic memoir, Thien Pham recounts his life story through the foods that represented different challenges and/or victories at pivotal moments in his life. Each chapter tells part of Thien Pham’s journey beginning with his family leaving Vietnam as refugees and continuing through his young adulthood as he and his family chase the American Dream. Thien defines each point in his journey by the food that mattered most at that time – some periods are represented by Vietnamese recipes, others by American recipes. Thien wrestles with how to stay true to his roots while also fitting into a totally new culture. 

Review

An excellent graphic memoir that creatively expresses a life’s journey in terms of the foods that mattered most at each point. There is incredible depth in each page of illustrations that serves to bring greater understanding to the complexity of Thien’s story as a refugee and later as an American citizen. A beautiful read that also highlights the often underrepresented Vietnamese-American culture, this graphic memoir would be meaningful to all ages from middle to high school. 

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Themes 

• The American Dream 
• Immigration 
• Finding balance between different cultures 
• Conforming vs remaining true to yourself 

Essential Questions

• How can a person celebrate their unique identity in a culture that values conformity? 
• Is the American Dream worth the sacrifices made to attain it? 
• What does it mean to be American? 
• How does identity change after immigration, if at all? 

Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies to Encourage Student Engagement

• Graphic novel page analysis 
  • Students work in groups to analyze the text and illustrations of a section of the graphic novel. This should be done at the beginning of reading combined with a mini lesson on how to read graphic novels. 
• Cater Vietnamese food for lunch 
  • The novel is centered around the food that defines Thien’s culture and family life, and many students might not have any experience with Vietnamese culture and cuisine. Students are assigned a dish to research and present to the class. If possible, the school can facilitate bringing in authentic Vietnamese food.  
• Tell the story of your life through the foods that defined it 
  • Create a collage of the foods that were important to you at different periods of your life. Use words in the collage to describe the food and why it matters, or accompany the collage with a one-page explanation of your choices. 
• Ongoing concept map to keep track of Thien’s evolving identity and his connection to the American Dream
  • Students fill in the blanks on a concept map as they read. Questions ask about Thien’s choices in each chapter, the steps taken by his family in each chapter as they chase the American Dream, and how the family balances their culture with the new culture surrounding them. 
• Jigsaw on Vietnamese history and the history of Vietnamese refugees 
  • Each group is assigned a teacher-approved website to check out. Website topics include: information about Vietnamese refugees in 1970s/80s, understanding the conflict causing refugees to flee (for kids), challenges faced by Vietnamese refugees once in America. Students will work with their group to research their assigned website, then will share their information with another group and learn the other group’s information. 

Formative / Summative Assessments 

Formative: 

• Maintain a reading journal. 
  • Students complete prompts about themes and conflicts discussed in each chapter. Journal prompts should encourage deep thinking about the real-world issues presented in each chapter. 
  • Prompt examples with corresponding themes:
    • American Dream: Were the trials and tribulations faced by the Pham family throughout the book worth it at the end? In other words, does the destination justify the hard journey? Explain why or why not. 
    • Immigration and identity: Analyze the book’s title and what Thien Pham means by “memories of an American from Vietnam”. What does it mean to be an American from Vietnam??  Do you think people should choose one country to be part of, or can people consider themselves members of two countries?
• Reading quizzes 
  • Three reading quizzes to assess student understanding of the novel. 
• Character analysis 
  • Create a graphic representation of Thien’s evolving identity and beliefs as he moves through the novel. Create a document with three sections: one for Thien at the beginning of the book, one for Thien at the middle of the book, and one for Thien at the end. In each section, include one or two quotes that best define Thien at that time. Also, include Thein’s interests, worries, and overall attitude towards America at each stage. 

Summative: 

• Reflect on your identity
  • What aspects of your identity do you feel most define you? Create a poem, collage, or work of art that tells your story. Combined with a one-page reflection explaining what you represented, why this is important to you, and how these elements of your identity impact you and your life. 
• Class Potluck 
  • Choose a dish that represents your culture/identity and bring it to class to share with classmates. Need parent approval and participation. Combined with a one-page reflection about the origins of the dish and why the dish matters to your identity. 

Reviewed by Aine Campion

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Synopsis: Kai Song is the black sheep of her upper-class family. She dreams of following in her father’s footsteps and being the master of their martial arts school, but destiny and society have other plans. The Joseon Dynasty of Korea has strict rules and expectations for women, and everyone around Kai expects her to obey. Everything changes when Kai is plagued with the actions of her mother’s past and is forced into a destiny she could never imagine. Now, she must come to terms with her new way of life and learn about the truth of the Gumiho, an ancient fox spirit rumored to murder men and eat their livers. Can Kai learn to accept what she is and find a balance between her new world and the family she holds dear? 

Review

The Fox Maidens is a late middle-grade to early high school graphic novel surrounding the Korean folklore of Gumiho. The graphic novel is a page-turner and a quick read. It is easier to get through in one sitting. Although the story is set in sixteenth-century Korea, Robin Ha still touches on modern issues of gender, sexuality, and belonging. Ha’s story is one of resilience and fighting the family’s past mistakes. The novel is action-packed and suspenseful, definitely a good pick for lovers of the paranormal and dark side of folklore.

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Themes:

• Gender & Sexuality
• Social Class
• Family duty
• Guilt 
• Loss & Sacrifice 
• Self-discovery 
• Belonging 
• Generational trauma & issues

Essential questions:

• How do you deal with guilt?
• How are the plot and characters affected by class and gender norms?
• How can you fit into a society where you are viewed as an outsider?
• How do we deal with the consequences of prior generations’ actions?
• Why do we spread rumors and myths in society?

Teaching strategies and activities to use:

• Discussion about class system and gender roles in the Joseon period of Korea.
• Lesson on correctly pronouncing names, titles, and other Korean words in the text.
• Lesson on the basics of Buddhism and the phrases and objects used in the novel surrounding these beliefs.

Reviewed by Krystal Tolle, English Education Student at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida.