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77jeWilliam ShakespeareOriginal Text:978-l-9OÓ332-á9-3Plain Text:976^1-906332-70-9Quick Text:978-1-906332-71-6

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Romeo S }ulietWilliam Shakespeare

Original Text:978-1-906332-61-7Plain Text:978^1-906332-62-4Quick Text:978-I-9OÓ332-63-I

Ulli III II GRAPHIC NOV

THEN BUY INTO THEÔEEDUCATIONAL ÖRAPHICNOVELÓ FRO/W ...

FALL 2009

$16.95

FULL-COLORARTWORKAVAILABLE IN3 TEXT LEVELS:

The fu l l , unabridged play, just asShakespeare intended.

Plain Text Suitatris for grades ¿

LThe full play translated into plainEnglish.

SüíMWf for grades 5+

The full story In access[ble,simpllf)edlanguage with h3lF the word count. I

'S TALKING ABOUT US..."A clever twisi on the now ubiquitous Shai(espearegraphic adaptation is the three-msion, curriculumfriendly concept from Classical Comics. Each bookhas identical art and backmaner, but featuresdifferent text: the Original Text with Shakespeare'soriginal in its entirety, a Plain Text modern Englishtrûnslation, and a Quick Text that reads with thespeed and pace of an aaion cartcoh — or more tothe point, a Cliff Note edition... The Quick Text Isideal, however, to be read beside the other twoversions as a lesson in the multiple levels on whichShakespeare's work can function. Includes extensivebackmatter on the play's history and Shakespearehimself." Jesse Karp, Booklist Advanced Review

BRINGING CLASSICS TO LIFE

Available from Ingram, Baker M Taylor, Follett,and all of your usual suppliers.

Distributed by Publishers Group West

www.pgw.com Sales: 800-788-3123

To preview these and other full-colorgraphic novels in the series visit:

www.classicalcomics.com

own weight issues. While Lay does men-tion a few resources, J short bibliography of"print and web resources would have beenusefiiL Recommended for teen and adultcollections. (See also Jude MUner's Fat Free:TIte Amasing All-True Adi-entures ofSupcrsizeWoman!, LJ l/07.)-M.C.

Meluer, Brad & Geoff Johns (text) & others.Justice League of AnierJca. VoL 2: TheLightning Saga. DC. 2008.224p. ISBN 978-1-4012-1652-8. $24.99. FIn dns f-lrif tbilow-iip to their excellent firstJustice League volume. Tlie Tornado's Path {LJ11/] 5/07), novelist Meltzer (The Book ofUes)and anist Ed Benes are joined by top DCwriter Johns {Creeti Lantern) and a rotatingart team on a tale tii.it builds upon a classicbit of silver age DC history. When sevenmemben ofthe 31st-century Legion of Su-per-Heroes (Supemian's friends during hisdays as Superboy) mysteriously appear in thepresent with no memory of their previousidentities, the Justice League and the JusticeSociety team up to track down and help theLegionnaires. But when a futuristic lightning

rod—-a device Superman has seen before—reveals the terrible secret ofthe Legion'smission in the 21st century, the present-dayheroes are forced to try to stop them—evenif the Legion's success might mean the re-turn of a long-lost comrade. Three backupstories are also featured; all display Meltzer'sstrengths in characterization and rt'Iation-ship-building among the heroes, includingthe lesser-known Geo-Force, Hawkgirl. andRed Arrow. Featuring a bit of gore, this isrecommended for all teen and adult I )C fansand any general readers interested in sam-pling contemporary superheroics.—S.R.

Rabagliati, Michel. Paul Goes Fishing. Drawn& Quarterly. 2008.187p. tr. from French byHelge Dascher. ISBN 978-1-897299-2B-9.pap. $19.95. FNow in his midforties with a teenagedaughter, Rabagliati in his semiautobio-graphical series follows alter ego "Paul"through his meandering, bittersweet life.Paul in the Comitr)' (2Ut)C)) introduces Paul inhis midthirties with a young daughter, dis-enchanted and reminiscing about his own

Best Graphic Novels of 2008If comics output shrank a bit last year,

best-of comics iists sure didn't. BesidePublishers Weekly's regular Top 10 Mangaand its Annuai Critics Poll of graphic nov-els, lists appeared from National PublicRadio, the New York Times, New York

Magazine, and Amazon Editors' Choice.In the library world, ßooW/si and SchoolLibrary Journal declared their picks, andYALSA announced its annual Great GraphicNovels for Teens. For even more lists, see"Best of the Best of 2008 lists," PublishersWeekly's PW Comics Week, 1/6/09.

Below, we list a few favorites amongnew titles. Among reprints, Steve singlesout Jack Kirby's Fourth World and the firstvolume of DCs Starmati Omnibus, whileMartha loves the colorized Bone, whosefinal volume appeared in January.

Abel, Jessica & Matt Madden. DrawingWords & Writing Pictures. First Second.282p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-59643-131-7. pap. $29.95. GRAPHIC ARTS

How to quit griping that you can't drawor don't know where to start and actuallymake some real comics.—M.C. (/J7/08)

Abel, Jessica & Gabe Soria (text) & WarrenPleeceiillus.). . i - í :•<. FirstSecond.192p. ISBN 978-1-59643-107-2. pap.$19.95. F

The REAL truth about vampires: not aglamorous elite but low-rent class of out-casts. Sad and very funny—and a YALSAtop-ten pick.—M.C. ÍZJ7/08)

Bertozzi, Nick. The Salon. Griffin: St.Martin's. 178p. ISBN 978-0-312-35485-5.pap. $19.95. F

Strictly speaking, this is a 2007 title,but it was reviewed after last year's best-ofround up. This bit of magical mystery historydeftly slips art education into a crime storystarring Gertrude Stein's salon as a bum-bling team of sleuths.—M.C. (L/ 5/15/08)

Brubaker, Ed (text) & otbers. CaptainAmerica: The Death of Captain America.Vol. 2: The Burden of Dreams. Marvel.160p. ISBN 978-0-7851-2424-5. pap.$14.99. F

Award-winning scribe Brubaker's rivet-ing, dramatic tale of the death of a legendcontinues as the torch is passed to a newwould-be hero. Volume 3, The Man WhoBought America, was released in November2008.—S.R.

Hennessey, Jonathan (text) & AaronMcConnell (illus.). The United StatesConstitution: A Graphic Adaptation. Hill& Wang. 160p. ISBN 978-0-8090-9487-5. $35; pap. ISBN 978-0-8090-9470-7.

9Ü I LIBRARYJOURNAL i MAJÍ.CH 15.2009

childhood. Paul Has a Summer Job (2003)finds him toward the end of chat childhood,quitting high school and working .is coun-selor at a camp for underprivileged children.In Pdtd Mows Out (2005), he ventures fur-ther into iidulchood by moving into his first.ipartnient—with copacecic girlfriend Lu-cie. Now in Paul Cot's Fishii^ Paul and thepregnant Lude vacation with family at afishing camp. Camp life becomes a framenot only for musings on fishing and how-modernity has twisted nature out of shapebut also for memories of I^iul's first fish-ing trip and several adolescent experiencessignificant for their blend of hope and an-guish. I'aul never does leam to fish, and thevacation is cut short when Lucie miscarries.Eventually, however, the young couple liasa "happy ending." which then illuminatesin a warmly satisfying way the otherwisepuzzling frontispiece sequence. Rabagliati'ssweetly introspective narrative, combinedwith simple, detailed drawings, makes Paulan Everyman and the most mundane eventsworthy of interest and respect. Sexual themesmake this for high school and up.—M.C.

$16.95 . pot SCI

Who knew that political history couldbe so interesting? Forming a more perfectunion has taken over 200 years, and it'snot finished yet. But we the people havealways been in there fighting for some-thing better.—M.C. ( U 11/15/08)

McCloud, Scott. Zot!: The CompleteBlack and White Collection, 1987-1991.HarperCollins. 576p. ISBN 978-0-06-153727-1. pap. $24.95. F

Pre-Understanding Comics indie su-perhero stories by famed comics theoristMcCtoud, starring a cheerful, headstrongteen good guy in adventures on both hisown shining alternate Eartb and our darker,more backwards one.—S.R. ( U 9/15/08)

Simmons, Posy. Tamara Drewe. Mariner:Houghton Mifflin. 138p. pap. ISBN 978-0-547-15412-1. $16.95. f

Wben a pretty journalist sashays into arustic Britisb writers" colony, men and mar-riages fall in ber wake, and everyone be-baves badly.—M.C. (See review, top rigbt.)

Way, Gerard (text) & Gabriel Bá (JllusJ. The; , : . ;. '•: ' Vol. 1: ApocalypseSuite. Dark Horse. 192p. ISBN 978-1-59307-978-9. pap. $17.95. F

A superfamity member turns rogue, andthe team reunites to stop ber. But no onesaw it coming—sbe was just a violinist,rigbt?—M.C. (See review, bottom right.)

^ Simmons, Posy. Tamara Drewe. Mariner:Houghton Mifflin. 2008.138p. pap. ISBN 978-0-547-15412-1. $16.95. FBucolic British melodrama goes a bit off the

rails ill chis wonderful, loosely modernizedversion of Tbomas Hardy's Far /ñ'/íj the Mad-ding; Crowd. Wben a pretty journalist (Ta-mara/Hardy's Bathsheba) waltzes chirpilyinto a seemingly serene writers' colony, menand marriages tumble in her wake. FrumpyBeth and suave bounder Nicholas run thewriters' retreat, which orbits around Nich-olas's celebrity status as best-selling author.Then London-based Tamara, who's struttingher stuff post-nose job, moves back into hernearl'iy tamily house. She soon pairs up withrock dniminer Ben but draws attention fromeveryone else in the community, male andfemale: Beth, Nicholas, gardener/handymanAndy, American academic Glen, and med-dling stiirstmck teens Jody and Casey. Sim-mons shines at mixing comedy and tragedyin a satirical ballet of appealing yet all-too-bu-nian characters who bungle their lives badly.But like Simmons's earlier winner GeinmyBovery, Tamara Drewe is simply droll, tragicor not. and her masterv' of British dialog andsuperb plotring riiakc tbi.s a real poster childfor tlie literary graphic novel. Or. it you will,the graphic novel ior grown-ups. With sexualtbcmes and occasionally strong largage, foradult collections.-M.C.

>-' Way, Gerard (text) & Gabriet Bá (illus.).The Umbrella Academy. Vol 1: ApocalypseSuite. Dark Horse. 2008. 192p. ISBN 978-1-59307-978-9. pap. $17.95. FThe space squid in the opening panel haslittle to do witb the plot but sets the tone:outré and sardonic, with cool art. A mys-terious alien professor in human disguiseadopts seven mysterious superchildren sotliat they can "save the world"—first froma zombie-robot using tbe Eiffel Tower asa weapon, then from another fiend whoturns amusement park vehicles into killerdroids, and finally from one ot their own.Early on, child Number 7 learns from theprofessor tbat there's "nothing special" abouther (yeah, rigbt). Along the way, the plotdelivers twists and flashbacks, droppingclues about why tbis dysfunctional familyteam disbanded for 2(' years and how comeNumber 1 is hanging out on the moon. Butquestions remain for the next volume: Whathappened to Number 6? Who was this alienprotessor and his plastic mannequin "wife"?It's a tour-de-force debut and a HarveyAward winner for Way, lead singer ot theband My Cbemical Romance. Bá's viva-cious and detailed panels compel tbe eye tolinger Just because. Forage 16 and up owingto violence and inexplicit nudity. A YALSAtop-ten pick.—M.C.

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A Christmas^Jifeyki Carol' ¿ < U l C i Charles Dickens

Original Text:

>-l-9O6332-51-8

Quick Text:

978-I-9O6332-S2-5

TIREZ? OFHEROEÔ IN

AH\P6CI-FI?

GreatExpectationsCliarles Dickens

Original Text:

978-1-906332-59^

Quick Text;

978-1-906332-60-^

THEN Buy INTO THEÔEEPUCATIOUALNOVELL FROM

$16.95 COVER PRICEFULL-COLOR ARTWORKAVAILABLE IN 2 TEXT LEVELS:

The classic novel brought to IIFein full color!

The ful! story in accessible, simplifiedlanguage with li.ilf ilie word coLint.

JALHINQ ABOUT US...

"Whether the cotnk contains the original text

or an adapted versm, it's about emklng

young readers to read, introducing them to the

Classics, and providing them with a chance to

appreciate and understand great literature.

That's how horizons are broadened. That's

education."

Chad Boudreau, www.CotnlcReaders.cofn

BRINGING CLASSICS TO LIFEAvailable fram ¡ngram, Baker iS Taylor, Follett,

and all of your usual suppliers.

Distributed by Publishers Group Westwww.pgw.com Sales: 800-788-3123

To preview these and other full-colorgraphic novels in the series visit:

www.classicalcomics.com

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