For Manga and Comic Lovers!

Can’t get enough Manga or Comics? Then you must read The Name of the Flower by Ken Saito. Chouko Mizushima’s parents died from a car accident during her freshman year of high school. After the death of her parents, Chouko suffered from aphasia and no one could relate to her. She was passed from relative to relative until her father’s cousin, Kei Mizushima took her in.

Kei is a famous writer who won the Naoki Prize and he has many fans. He even has a stalker fan in the novel. At first, Kei was mean to Chouko because he is an introvert, but along the way, he has learned to appreciate her. Through their odd relationship Kei has loosened up and Chouko slowly begins to speak again. Chouko learned to cope with the loss of her parents through tending Kei’s garden. Before there was nothing in the garden, but now there are all sorts of beautiful flowers.

This is just the first book of the four volume series. If you want to find out what happens with Chouko and Kei, you must read on!

If a teacher was to teach this book to students, he/she must first teach the students how to read Manga. The teacher must remind the students to read from right to left, instead of left to right. That was one of the hardest parts of reading this book for me. I kept trying to read the way I usually do. There were also times where the comic parts were jumbled together, so I had a hard time figuring out which lines were meant to be read first. This particular book would be more suitable for junior high and early high school students because it doesn’t have much substance and it is very repetitive. This book could be useful in teaching art classes.

I think this book would be useful for teaching during a unit about other countries, backgrounds, and cultures. There is a lot about the Japanese culture that students could learn about just from reading this book. I know many students are very passionate about Manga now and there are Manga clubs at some schools. This book would definitely appeal to those students. The one thing that confused/bothered me while reading this novel is that Chouko and Kei are developing a romantic relationship. I found that very odd because they are second cousins! I know in other cultures that is not very odd, but that part of the story was very hard for me to get over.

The Authorized Adaptation: Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451

During the election of our current president, "change" became something we associated with advancement and prosperity. But what if "change" was instead something that was destructive and restrictive?

Guy Montag lives in a world where this type of change is occurring. He is a fireman, however his brigade creates fires instead of putting them out. Their purpose is to burn all books, which are deemed useless and banned in a world of three-wall T.V.s and drone-like viewers. With everyone engulfed by mindless media, books and in turn all critical thinking and meaningful relationships, are forbidden.

Guy does not question the usefulness or goodness of his livelihood until his young and free-spirited neighbor Clarisse awakens his senses during their late night walks. She begs him to answer why the once beautiful and thoughtful world has changed, and why men like him burn charming things like books. (A sneak peek of one of these conversations can be seen here.)

In his struggles to find himself and to define right and wrong, will he find answers in the very things he once burned? What will become of this nation with a lack of individuality; will it be destroyed or will it be healed? In a world on fire, anything can happen...

Ray Bradbury's timeless sci-fi novel is only strengthened by its entrance into the genre of graphic novel. Tim Hamilton's illustrations are at times stark, gray and rainy, casting shadows on main characters; and at other times are emblazoned with fire, lighting up the hellish world of Bradbury's Guy Montag. This adaptation brings the imaginative words of Bradbury to life, accurately setting the tone felt in the original text. As evident in this ExpandedBooks video, Bradbury could not agree more. Bradbury talks about how he was very influenced by newspaper comic-strip icons, like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, and how his science fiction writings beg to be made into graphic novels. Many of his short stories had already been adapted into comics in the 1950's.

Hamilton's wonderful adaptation is catchy, enticing, and introspective. Teens should read this modified classic because it opens the imagination and implores even the most reluctant readers to enjoy its strong visual and thematic messages. In his introduction to Hamilton's graphic recreation, Bradbury speaks to teachers and students about the importance of metaphors and uninhibited imagination. This book would make a great addition to the classroom and could serve as a companion to the original text nicely. It's intensity and nostalgic feel will surely fascinate student readers.