I came across an old episode of The Twilight Zone the other day on TV (it was the one with the monster on the wing of the plane and no one believes the guy that he saw it) and it reminded me that I have a few graphic novel versions of these stories in the library. Since I'd enjoyed watching the episode so much, I figured I'd give the books a shot!
The 8th grade teachers use the episode The Mosters are Due on Maple Street when teaching about the 1050's and paranoia. This graphic novel does a good job of translating that classic episode without losing much of the fear and intensity of the time.
I love to travel, but don't like flying. Actually, I don't mind the flying so much - I just can't stand the taking-off and landing parts. The Oddysey of Flight 33 is my worst nightmare!! It would be just my luck to end up with dinosaurs and not a library anywhere to be had!!
"Will the real Slim Shady Please Stand Up, Please Stand Up, Please Stand Up...." OK, quick - get that song out of my head! But having read Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up? it's just running in a loop in my head. The ill-fated,but well intentioned,cops are trying to make sure everyone is safe after a "UFO" crashes in the woods, but can't figure out who is the alien in the diner. It seems everyone has a logical reason for being there. But when strange things begin to happen, everyone is nervous. After the bus leaves with it's passengers it is revealed that there isn't just one alien, but one from Mars and one from Venus, it's pretty creepy.
Now for a little love story... I adore Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg's Plain Janes and I equally adore Janes in Love. The PLAIN Janes (People Loving Art in Neighborhoods) are back at it, "attacking" their town with beautiful art to inspire people and brighten their day. Unfortunately, after an anthrax attack, the police and some other people in town can't appreciate the good work the Janes are trying to do. When Jane is awarded a big grant to help her transform an abandoned lot, she gets no support. All is not lost however, her fellow artists and classmates support her cause and sign a petition in her favor. Plus, Jane gets a new secret admirer and gets the courage to tell the boy she likes how she feels. I enjoyed this one as much as the first.
Last up - Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. We are reading this one for our Parent-Child Book Discussion group and I just love it. A meteor is going to hit the moon, but Miranda isn't really that interested in it at the moment. She'd much rather think of her favorite skater's chances at the Olympics. But when that meteor turns out to be much larger than anyone anticipated and it knocks the moon out of its orbit - all hell breaks loose. That's when Miranda starts to pay attention. Earthquakes, tsunamis, erupting volcanoes and other natural disasters happen all around the world disrupting phone and electric service, food production, travel and more. Miranda and her family realize life as we knew it will never be the same again. This is a very scary story. The whole time I was reading I kept thinking "Should I have extra water and cans of soup in the closet? Do I know how to catch fish and hunt? Gee I wish I had a wood stove!" Since we're discussing this one at tonight's Parent Child Book Club the participating students have anxiously checked out the sequels, The Dead and the Gone and This World We Live In. I can't wait for them to be returned so I can check them out myself!
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