Turning Points: Little Rock Nine & Sons of Liberty & A House Divided

Turning Points is a series of graphic novels from Aladdin Paperbacks, that tell about important moments and events in US history. These books are portable and affordable, and I have had them on my "to read" pile for a while now, so there is no time like to present to see how good they are. All three of these books I review below were written by Marshall Poe, a writer and historian known for his work at The Atlantic and also as editor in chief of the New Books Network.

Little Rock Nine details the ongoing struggle in 1957 about integrating the public schools in Arkansas. Because of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, school integration was national law, but the state laws in Arkansas forbid it. This conflict is embodied by looking at two families, a common conceit in these books I found, which makes the issues both more pressing and personal. The two families, of course are black and white, and the main focus is on their children. Walter McNally, a 16 year old white boy, listens to his family squabbles over the integration. His father is a lawyer fighting for the rights of black people while his grandfather is the conservative foil who argues for keeping things as they are. Poe makes these characters somewhat sympathetic and human, but he also makes sure that they wear their views on their sleeves.

There is more nuance when looking at Thomas Johnson's family. He is a 15 year old black boy, and he took part in an attempt to integrate the schools the year prior. Of course, he wants to be treated equally, but he and his family have experienced the intense backlash from those who want to keep things as it was, and they are hesitant to deal with all the potential degradation and violence that came with social action. I appreciated that civil rights issues were here considered with more attention to the context, because I think for some students these matters are such cut and dried, facile decisions and I feel they should see how much of an actual struggle such change was.

All the reviews I have read about Little Rock Nine have been positive. Snow Wildsmith wrote, "Poe’s insistance [sic] on showing as many sides of a story as possible succeeds admirably here, resulting in two main character [sic] who are believable boys caught up in a storm they don’t quite understand and aren’t sure that they’re strong enough to face." The folks at the Historical Novel Society called it "exciting and historically accurate." Marya Jansen-Gruber offered this opinion, "This format will encourage young readers to ask questions about the civil rights movement, and the book will provide an excellent platform for a class segment about the Little Rock Nine."

The art in this volume is by Ellen Lindner. She is a cartoonist and illustrator known for her Ignatz Award nominated webcomic The Black Feather Falls and various other comics projects. Her artwork is somewhat cartoonish, but her storytelling is very clear. I also admire her ability to depict the emotions through her figures' faces and postures.

 

The artwork in the next two books is by Leland Purvis, whose other graphic novel works include the Resistance trilogy and a biography of Neils Bohr. His work in this volume is a combination of strong ink lines and sketch-like illustrations. I think he captures the historical flavor through costumes and backgrounds, though sometimes it is difficult to keep track of which character is which.

Sons of Liberty follows a period of US history from 1768-1776, a time of great change and a number of historical events leading up to the American Revolutionary War. The entryway into this story is Nathaniel Smithfield, a fictional apprentice to Paul Revere. He is ten years old when the book begins, and over time he meets a number of prominent patriots, including Sam Adams and John Hancock, and is witness to many events, such as the Boston Tea Party and combat in the battles of Lexington and Concord. Although this book is a piece of historical fiction and uses much original dialogue, there are a number of sections based in real accounts that feature first-hand descriptions of events.

Nathaniel throws a pretty mean rock.

The drama in this story is heightened by family tensions, with Nathaniel butting heads with his Loyalist father. In a clever way, this familial conflict mirrors the thought process of the colonists to rebel against England, and over time, the family dynamics shift and events cause people's minds to change. Even though I was pretty familiar with the actual events, I felt myself becoming concerned for the characters' lives. There is a lot to digest in the book, in terms of the sheer amount of facts, events, and characters, but I feel that the story is quite compelling and interesting.

The reviews I have read about Sons of Liberty are pretty mixed. Snow Wildsmith felt that this book was relatively weak, "mainly due to Poe attempting to cover too much time in too short of a book." The Historical Novel Society commented positively that it "gets to the heart of what it felt like to be a young boy in the middle of a thrilling period of history, with its conflicts, agreements and world-changing events." The Breed's Hill Institute summed it up as "an imperfect but interesting taste of history."

 

The third book in this series is A House Divided, set in the years leading up to the American Civil War.It follows a couple of brothers from the year 1856, Owen and Amos Bennington. They are close and very sympathetic to their parents' abolitionist rhetoric. After their parents deaths, they decide to take action and spread their message in the contentious soon-to-be state of Kansas. While there, they see just how violent and sneaky the pro-slavery contingents are, which leads them both to question how they can best help help the abolitionist cause. Younger brother Amos decides to join up with John Brown, because at least he is being proactive and taking the battle to those who would defend an unjust social system. Older brother Owen decides to go work for a politician he admires for his bold speeches, Abraham Lincoln.

The dual narratives shows two very different paths on the road to abolishing slavery, and there are a great many events enumerated in the storytelling. In addition, Purvis's artwork is less sketchy than in Sons of Liberty and includes more grey tones, which give it a more painterly sheen. The sum total of these features is an engaging set of tales that balance historical import with human emotion.

I was not able to find many reviews of A House Divided, but Snow Wildsmith praised it particularly because "one of the strongest points of this book (and of the series) is that Poe doesn’t neglect to tell both sides of a story as much as he can" and because "Purvis’ art is also stronger in this volume." I agree with her on both counts.

Previews and more information about all these Turning Points books can be found here from their publisher.

Resistance Book 3: Victory

In Victory we see France in the last days of World War II, and the effects the long war has had on the Tressier family. The son Paul is pushing more and more to be an active member of the resistance, drawing more attention to himself and placing himself in harm's way. His older sister Sylvie is still dating a Nazi soldier, but she seems unsure if she should regard him an enemy anymore as she gets to know him better. Youngest daughter Marie is frustrated by her limited role in any "important" work and fearful about the fate of their father. Also, she also has to deal with her brother's insults and dismissive manner. Ultimately, she finds a worthwhile task in hiding and nursing a wounded soldier in the village.

All the while, the family still has to deal with the prying eyes of their Nazi-sympathetic aunt as well as the increasing attention of the occupying Nazi soldiers. The leader of the troops especially seems to notice that the family is hiding something. This volume more than the others has more of an impending sense of doom. Not all things are as they seem, it turns out, and death awaits some of the characters. Also, the desperation of losing has driven the Nazis to lash out, and even when peace seems all but inevitable, great violence lurks and the hard work of rebuilding and reconciling must be done.


This third book in the trilogy is the product of Carla Jablonski, an accomplished YA author, and Leland Purvis, an illustrator who makes webcomics and other graphic novels, such as Pubo and Vox. He also drew the graphic novel biography Suspended in Language and the Turning Point series about American history.

The reviews I have read about this book have been very positive. Terry Hong praised Jablonski and Purvis's abilities to "present wrenching, dangerous events with urgency, insight, and plenty of humanity; their completed trilogy offers even stubborn young readers a worthy, engaging alternative to learning difficult history." Publishers Weekly wrote that "the authors do a good job of making it clear how bloody and morally messy even the most noble fighting can be." Alex Baugh also offered a positive review of this volume, stating that it "is every bit as exciting, informative and well done as the previous two volumes," and that it "is full of intrigue, adventure, danger, and suspense."

A preview is available here from the book's publisher, First Second.

Click here for reviews of books 1 and 2.

Thank you, Gina, for the review copy!

Suspended in Language: Niels Bohr's life, discoveries, and the century he shaped

One of the most influential and important scientists of the 20th century, Niels Bohr won the 1922 Nobel Prize for Physics for his work on determining the structure of atoms and went on to lay out important ideas in the conception of quantum mechanics. His model of electron orbits, although not technically correct, still is used to teach elementary chemistry and physics. This graphic biography follows Neils over his life, from his days as a fumbling doctoral student to his career as a professor and mentor to some of the most important scientists of the day. Many of the scientists who went his institute won Nobel Prizes of their own.

Also, this book details the harrowing days when he was held under house arrest by Nazis and eventually escaped to the US where he worked on the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb. It also follows his many efforts to redirect the course of political action regarding the development of nuclear weapons. In the course of this book some of his most important theories and discoveries are illustrated and explained. His influence is still felt in the field of physics, and his name lives on via the prestigious Neils Bohr Institute in his native Denmark.

Suspended in Language is the product of Jim Ottaviani, Leland Purvis, and a host of other contributors. Ottaviani is a librarian and ex-nuclear engineer who has written a shelf-full of science themed graphic novels. Purvis is an artist known for his work on various webcomics and the Resistance series of graphic novels published by First Second. The other artists illustrate a number of back-matter comics that shed further light on Bohr's life and work.

This graphic biography has been generally well received, even by non-physicists. Johanna Draper Carlson wrote that she appreciated the "playful tone" of the book and also that "one can’t read this book without being affected." Rick the Internet Librarian commented that although this book is not an easy read it is "a good introduction to a major twentieth century scientist and the world he helped create." Time Magazine's Andrew Arnold called the book both "educational and entertaining."

A preview and more information are available here from the book's publisher G.T. Labs.

Defiance (Resistance: Book 2)

This second book of Resistance depicts an area of France occupied by the Axis forces and collaborating with Germany during World War II. Life in Vichy France was not peaceful, as factions supporting France and ones supporting the Nazis were at odds with each other. Following the events of book 1, we see the Tessier children all becoming active in the resistance in various ways while trying to stay under the radar. 14-year-old Paul draws anti-Nazi posters and ends up running away to join the maquis in the countryside. The slightly older Sylvie gathers information from dating German soldiers, and the younger Marie tries her best to eavesdrop and keep up the family farm. Life becomes further complicated with the arrival of their aunt, who leans more towards the beliefs of the Nazi occupation force.

This sequel is the product of Carla Jablonski, an accomplished YA author, and Leland Purvis, an illustrator who makes webcomics and other graphic novels, such as Pubo and Vox. This interview with Purvis sheds more light on his life and career. This interview with Jablonski touches on this book and also where the series is heading.

Reviews on this second volume have been largely positive. Michael May wrote that "there are plenty of thrills and suspense in Defiance, but it’s the family drama that sticks with me longest after closing the book." Paste Magazine's reviewers applauded the book's refusal to turn historical subject matter into simple black and white issues. The reviewer at Publishers Weekly offered a contrary opinion that the story was slow and overly didactic. I found the book very compelling, and I was hard pressed to see what would happen to the Tessier children.

A preview and more is available here from the book's publisher First Second.

Thank you to Gina for the review copy!

Resistance, Book 1

This volume of Resistance is the first of a trilogy of graphic novels about children who get involved in the French Resistance in World War II. Paul and his sister Marie are helping their mother to run a hotel in Vichy France while his father is a prisoner of war of the Germans. Paul's best friend Henri is Jewish, and after his parents mysteriously disappear, the boys hatch a plan to hide Henri to protect him from the Germans. They soon figure out that their long-term prospects of success aren't good.

Paul likes to draw and Marie is very inquisitive and great at memorizing names, numbers, and other information. When they start prying into the actions of the adults around them, they stumble into Resistance activities. The children offer to assist in a plot to relay some information that will help those at the front while also shuttling Henri to safety. Because they are so young, they bank on the hope that the Germans will not suspect anything. However, once the children embark on their mission the reality and danger of the situation begin to set in.

The book has informative text pieces at the beginning and end that help to set the scene and also comment on the historical accuracy of the story. Author Carla Jablonski writes primarily young adult novels and her works have been recognized by the New York Public Library. Artist Leland Purvis is a former Xeric Award winner for his black and white anthology of stories Vóx. He also won the 2004 Ignatz Award for Promising New Talent.

The reviews for the book have been positive. Krisitian Williams said that seeing these events from children's perspectives was both "naive and refreshing." In a long, thoughtful review, Greg Burgas called it a "good book for kids but doesn't shy away from tough topics that makes it more adult-oriented." Kris Bather called it a "satisfying read," and the mother-daughter book club "highly recommend" it.

A number of resources, including a summary, preview, and reading group guide are available here from the publisher First Second.

Thank you to Gina Gagliano for the review copy!