Discussion Questions/Talking Points• Graphic novels typically contain some or all of the following: panels, word balloons, sound effects, motion lines, narration, and

background colors. Find examples of as many of these elements as possible in this book.• How do you read a graphic novel? Panel by panel? Pictures first and then text? Text first and then

pictures? There is no single “right” way. Compare your approach with a classmate’s.

• Look at pages 14–15. What do you learn from just the text on these pages? What do you learn from just the images? What words would you use to describe the relationship between Herk and his sister, Sissy, from their comments and expressions in these panels?

• Each panel in a graphic novel is similar to a single frame or shot in a movie. Look at pages 118–119 and consider the perspective of each image. From what angle are you viewing each one? What are you seeing in each panel, and what’s not being shown? Are you seeing a close-up or a distant view? How does the perspective of each image add to the events of the story?

• Compare pages 114–115, where Urch the Nnewt battles evil Lizzarks, with pages 168–169, where Herk discovers Amphibopolis. How do the size and shape of the panels themselves reflect what’s happening in these two scenes? How do they contribute to your understanding of the pacing or passage of time in these parts of the story? How would these two scenes be changed if Urch’s battle were told in five panels and Herk’s discovery in nineteen?

Extension Activities• Create panels and dialogue for a new scene in the novel. Perhaps Lizzurch catches up with

Herk, or Herk rescues Sissy before fleeing the Lizzarks.

• Make a graphic novel sound effects dictionary. Make a list of the sound effect words you find in Escape from the Lizzarks, such as “Rumble Rumble,” “Whap,” and “Fwum.” Alphabetize your list and then create an illustrated panel for each word or phrase that visually defines it.

• Start a graphic novel club with fellow students who especially enjoy this literary form. At monthly meetings, encourage members to book talk graphic novels they’ve read since the last meeting. Create “Great Graphics!” forms for students in the club to fill out to recommend individual titles. Post them in the school library for other students to see.

SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc. Art copyright © 2017 by Doug TenNapel.

ISBN 978-0-545-67647-2 hardcover

ISBN 978-0-545-67646-5 paperback

NNEWTS BOOK ONE

ESCAPE FROM THE LIZZARKSDoug TenNapelHerk is a lovable Nnewt who longs for stronger legs, something his mother and father wish they could give him. When his quaint village is attacked by the reptile Lizzarks, Herk is forced to flee his home and leave behind the only life he’s ever known. All alone and on the run, Herk navigates a dangerous world filled with strange creatures and mysterious wonders, where friends are few and an evil lord is in hot pursuit.

AN IMPRINT OF Some questions revised from Scholastic’s A Guide to Using Graphic Novels with Children and Teens, which can be

found at www.scholastic.com/discussionguides.

www.scholastic.com/graphix

Meet Creator Doug TenNapel Doug TenNapel iis the acclaimed author and illustrator of the highly

regarded graphic novels Ghostopolis, Bad Island, Cardboard, and Tommysaurus Rex. He also created the hugely popular

character Earthworm Jim, star of video games, toy lines, and a cartoon series. Doug is 6 feet, 8 inches tall, so he really

stands out in a crowd—literally! He and his wife have four children.

SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

Art copyright © 2017 by Doug TenNapel.

Don’t miss any Nnewts adventures!

NNEWTS BOOK ONE

Escape from the LizzarksISBN 978-0-545-67647-2 hardcoverISBN 978-0-545-67646-5 paperback

NNEWTS BOOK TWO

The Rise of HerkISBN 978-0-545-67652-6 hardcoverISBN 978-0-545-67654-0 paperback

NNEWTS BOOK THREE

The Battle for AmphibopolisISBN 978-0-545-67664-9 hardcoverISBN 978-0-545-67670-0 paperback

Available in June 2017!

GhostopolisISBN 978-0-545-21027-0 hardcover • ISBN 978-0-545-21028-7 paperback

Bad IslandISBN 978-0-545-31480-0 paperback

CardboardISBN 978-0-545-41873-7 paperback

Tommysaurus RexISBN 978-0-545-48382-7 hardcover • ISBN 978-0-545-48383-4 paperback

Additional graphic novels by Doug TenNapel

www.scholastic.com/graphix