Module 10 Graphic Novels/Censorship Issues

Module 10 Graphic Novels/Censorship Issues

August 4-7, 2014

The Plain Janes 

By Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

Image Found Here

Bibliography: 

 Castellucci, C., Rugg, J., & Fletcher, J. K. (2007). The plain Janes. New York, NY: Minx.

Summary:

 This book is about a high school age girl who experienced a severe trauma. Her family decides to move to a quieter city to help her recover. Jane starts at her new school hoping to make a new start but finding her place is not as easy as she thought it would be. She final finds her place with a group would work together to wake up the community.

Impressions: 

 This was an interesting book. The illustrations were detailed and worked well together with the text. The panels break up the story into scenes that flow well. The cartoon effect added does well to show the emotion of the characters in the novel. I enjoyed the story and give it my  recommendation.

Reviews:

"The core of this timely novel . . . is Jane's struggle to see the beauty of the world rather than its dangers. Pulling everything together is Jane's poignant correspondence with the comatose John Doe, a young man she rescued in the aftermath of the bomb [attack] and whose sketchbook (bearing he mantra ‘Art Saves’) she borrowed for inspiration. The layered dialogue and emotion-laden visual close-ups suggest character depth, and the clean-lined graphic format is uniquely suited to the art attacks, Rugg's warm gray-scale scenes conveying not just detail and scope but the drama, impact, and joy of unfettered expression."

Gross, C. E. (2007). [The Plain Janes]. Horn Book Magazine, 83(4), 390-391.

Suggestions for Use:

This is a great book to use in a book club and as a follow up activity the group could plan their own art in neighborhoods project.