a higher power, the cit)' is at its tnost vulner- FRIEDNLVN, Aimee.

Breaking Vp: A
GRAPHIC NOVELS able. The illttstrations are of high quaiit)', Fashion High Graphic Novel, illtis. by
especially cotisidering the mixture of robots, Ghristine Norrie. 19Ip. Scholastic/
Eiementary and Middle Schooi sttperheroes. atid humans [look for a few fe-
miiiar pop-etilhtre faces among the "extras"
Craphix. 2007. pap. SS.99. ISBN 978-0-
439-74867-4, LG number utiavailable,
throughout the stop.'). The colors are crisp Gr 6-8-Dreainy, artislie Cliloe alienates
D/\NING, Tom. Mesoamerican Mythology: and clear and give Neopolis an air of dark- her friends Erika. Isabel, atid Mackenzie
Quetzalcoatl. ISBN 978-1-4042-3401-7. ness atid despair. With its wheti she falls for .Adam,
tnix of species, superpow- lite biggest otitcast in
HERDIJNG. Glettti. Greek Mythology: ers, attd political leatiitigs. Iheir high sehool. The
jasou and the Golden Fleece. ISBN 978-1- Farthest Precinct makes a fonvetitiotial eartooti
4042-5^96^. LC 2005037338. solid addition to collee- ^lyle of the hlack-and-
ca vol: 24p. (|r. Graphic Mythologies Series), tions that include titles in uhite drawitigs is attrae-
ilhis, glossun,-. index. Web sites. GIP. Rosen/ the "X-Men" stries.-Sarah live and accessible, giv-
PowcrKidsPr 2006. PI,B $22.50. Kr}'gier, Solano Count}- Li- ing the stor\ the look of
Gr 3-6-'Hicst' retcllitigs are straightforward brary, Fairfield, CA .1 lti])per "Arehie" eotnic.
atid sottiewliat sintplified, tttakitig tlietti fit The rcsnltitig tone is light
iitore easily itito the pmtel-by-patiel format, DIGKENS, Charles. Oli- ,itid s<.|ueaky cleati. Ghloe
rite siyle works well for Ilie shorter creation vcrTwisi. retold by ]ohti attd Adatn's rontancc is
myth, hut is less suecessfiil in Jason's tale: Malaiii. illns. b\' Penko sv\ectly awkuard, and the
ihc ttuntber of major characters and qttiek Gelev. 48p. (Grai)ltic Irieiids ultitnately sttpport
sytiopscs tnay leave readers wondering wliy Classics Series), photos. otie another with heartfelt
ihc goddess Hera helped Jasoti, or why it is advice. There are some
reprods. ehron. index.
itttportant that one of the Argotiauts was mature themes: Mack-
notes. Weh sites. Bar-
dtow nc<! by what I lerdlitig refers to as a "wa- enzie has already lost
ron's. 2006. Tr $1S.99.
ter fait\." The tnyths arc accttrately retold. her vifgitiity, and Erika's
ISBN 978-0-7641-5975-
lliuiigh Dattittg uses the Aiiglieized spelling hoyfriettd is pressttritig
6; pap, $8.99. ISBN ltd lo have sex. Still, this etitcrtaitiing yet
ol fhe hot lie of the gods (lalocatt rather (hati 97S-0-7641-3490-6. LG 2005936255.
lite more traditiottal Tlaiocatt). and the illus- Gr 4-8-This graphic adaptation of tlte siniplistie stor\' tttay appeal to hveeiis tnore
Irations fcattire landscapes, clothing slyles, classic retains the excitement of Oliver's than teens.-Lisci Goldstein, Brooklyn Pub-
iind otlier details to e\oke the cnlhtre from eaptures, eseapes, reseues, and evetitual sal- lic Library, NY
whieh the tale eame. Each Ixmk has a short vation. Maiain has kept sotne of Diekens s
description of the major characters and a fam- original dialogue, stiitahly explained in foot-
GRINE, Chris. Chickenhare: The House of
ily tree. Mytholog) buffs ntay find the tellittgs notes, so that the work does preserve some
Klaus, illus. by attthor. 156j), Dark I lorse,
overly itttroditctorv'. but fatts of the "Graphic of its fla\'or. Each page fcatttres up to ttine
2006. pap. $9:95, ISBN 97S-1-S9307-574-
Hiograpliies" scries (World /Mttianae Library) small illustrations in a fairly dint palette with
3. LC nuttiber uttavailahic.
will be thrilled to see these new topics in the browns and grays dominating. The panels
Gr 6 llp-Chiekenharc is a hare with the
graphic-novel fomiat.-A/ana Abbott, James featnre eaptiotts nnderneath that tell the
teet and feathers ofa chicken, atid he and his
Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT story alotig u'ith dialogue and thotight bal-
tttrtle friend, Abe, are the vaktable property of
looits. bitt speaking char- Klaus, a twisted taxidennist
DI RLIPPO, Paul. Top W: Be}'ond the acters do not always have who ha.s killed many of the
Farthest Precinct, ilhts. b\' ]crr\' Ordway. open niottths. The art is atiitnals in the snrrotind-
!22p. Atnerica's Best Gotnics. 2006. pap. curiotisly static for a ston, ing area "for home decor
SI4.99. ISBN 978-1-4012-0991-9. LC filled with fleeing and purposes." They tnanage
nnmber ttnavailahle. fighting. Tlte hook opetts lo esca]>e along with two
Gr 5-9-ltt a post-9/11 worid filled with se- with a page of characters ether prisoners atid now
i ttrity checks attd ihe con.stant threat of new that helps readers keep Riiltons, Klatts's beloved,
lomis of terror. Preeittct 10, an elile police track of thent. The work deceased pet goat, watits to
corps, keeps wateh in Neopolis. This voluttie eonehtdes with brief in- help them end his lonner
opens with the officers enjoyitig a pienic formation on Dickens, owner's t\Tantiy, A simple
with their fiiniJly and firiettds. Their onting sotne early eritieisni of hiyout with clean lines
is cut short when a terrifj'itig specter appears the origitial story, notes and coiiveittiotial panel-
in the sky. It most resembles a sctni-robotic on stage and screen pro- ing make this book suitable
Skeletor [of the He-Man series) and fills the duetions, atid a few pages tor yoitttg readers new to
citizens of Neopolis with horror. The spec- on Londoti's poor dnring comics, but the dark hti-
ter con\'inees the mayor that the tettitre of Oliver's day that help to mor is not. It catt be t|uite
the ttmch-rcspeeted Chaplain Traynnr has ptil lite stor\- ittto context. L;ruesonic: Klaus's house is
ended and appoints Major C^itidercott. a Will ['",istter's Fagin the filled with eerie display's of
iiiati/robot who bunts sttifur tor ftiel. The jew {Doubledaj, 2003) retells Olivers stoty his ta\identi\' \ietims atid, at the end of ihe
officers of the deparlineiit react hadly to the within Pagin's own and is for sotitewhat stoiy, vietorions anitnals eat their htmtan cti-
lepiaeeniettt of their l>eloved captain atid to older atidiences. 'I'hough not as appealing emies, Uliile the charaeters are quirky and
the restrictiotts applied hy his suceessor-no as one might hope for a graphic adaptation, likahle, the story is resolved withont tnuch
vacation or siek leave atid eheck-ins every 15 Oliver is a suitable alternative for kids who development on their part, Chickenhare owes
rtiinttles. With cliseontent in Precinct 10, the want some vjstials w ith their texts.-Eric Nor- an iitfluence to Jeff Smith's "Botie" series
I ontititted appearance of the specter, and a ton. McMillan Memorial lAbrar\-, Wisconsin (Scholastic) bul lacks its eompiexit) of plot
new robot dnig that connects its users with Rapids, Wl and charaeter, as well as its emotional depth.

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