Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Jane, the fox & me / Fanny Britt & Isabelle Arsenault / 101 pages

 A graphic novel disguised as a children's picture book is an interesting twist. A story of a young woman Helene who is bullied by her classmates. She finds solace in reading Jane Eyre. The class is given a surprise camping trip as a reward and Helene is forced to go. She places herself in a tent with other girls who don't fit in. While reading one evening a fox walks out of the forest. There is almost a connection and then a tent mate scares the animal away.  Soon after a young woman, Geraldine appears who has been kicked out of her tent. She immediately makes everyone feel comfortable and important. These two become the best of friends and Helene finds confidence in herself, leading to many more smiles aimed at the world.
 One of the interesting parts about this graphic novel is the art. There are colored pencils with dark lines when Helene is lost in the world of Jane Eyre. Lush scenes with vivid colors and fully drawn characters. But when Helene is thinking about her reality, the colors are dreary and pencil lines with little to no color. What a striking contrast! This is a perfect book to help children understand the effects of bullying and that one person can make all the difference. A New York Times Best Illustrated Book.

6 Degrees of Reading: Virginia Wolf by Kyo Maclear, Advice to Little Girls by Mark Twain, The Dark by Lemony Snicket.

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