Staff Picks

Make Classic Literature Come Alive!

by Johanna Sorrentino

Graphic novels are a great way to encourage the reluctant reader to turn off the television, take a break from the video game and get between the pages of a good story--where words and enticing images work together in the telling.

Now, reluctant readers and book worms alike can delight in classic tales like The Man in the Iron Mask, Dracula, Treasure Island, and Moby-Dick--retold in comic book style with lively images and easy-to-comprehend dialogue. These beautiful hard-cover books, all part of Barron's Graphic Classics Series, bring works of literature to life for kids. Through the use of thought bubbles and illustrations detailing every expression, kids can wrap their minds around these compelling characters and the remarkable challenges they face. The twists and turns in these tales are explained in straight-forward narrative, helping kids through each advancement in the plot. What young child wouldn't delight in the story of a mysterious blood-sucking monster or a swashbuckling mission to replace a bad king with his secret twin brother?

Though the books focus on making these stories accessible and exciting, they don't shy away from teaching kids a thing or two. The books provide definitions for challenging words like loathsome and abominable at the bottom of each page. They also provide detailed information about the famous authors behind these works, the background to the book, and information about places in the story.

These classics are recommended for kids ages 9-12, and though the original novels may not be part of your child's curriculum for quite some time, that doesn't mean with a little bit of translation they can't appreciate these well-known tales. And, when these novels finally make their way on your child's mandatory reading list, they may just have a leg up!