24-Hour History: The Complete Graphic Novel Collection

24-Hour History: The Complete Graphic Novel Collection

Some events in history not only unfold rapidly, but their impact can last for generations. That is the premise behind 24-Hour History, a beautifully illustrated graphic novel with a focused look at five critical days in U.S. history. In each of the five chapters, your child will learn about important events that happened in a concise amount of time but that still have an impact today.

Also included are short biographies of some of the main characters, timelines, pertinent maps or diagrams, and a glossary. 24-Hour History is an action-packed introduction to significant historical events.

Includes the following titles:

• The Apollo 11 Moon Landing
• The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
• The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr
• The Attack on Pearl Harbor
• D-Day

Note: Occasional language may merit a touch of white-out.

About Graphic Novels:

Experienced parents know that the amount of reading their child does will directly and positively impact his reading fluency and vocabulary development. That is why graphic novels, once relegated to the category of lowbrow reading, have experienced a surge in popularity.

You may think that the graphic novel is primarily for mainstream American children who are peppered by snack-size visual and audio bombardment. If you desire that your children slow down and feast on the written word, you may cringe at the idea of a graphic novel version of Moby Dick. But before you issue a home-wide ban on these books, consider the following.

If you have a reluctant or beginning reader, your first concern should be fluidity and competency. You will find that the graphic novel illustrations draw your child in even as the vocabulary becomes more complex. Then, because the graphics are so attention-grabbing, children often find themselves reading for pleasure.

If your reluctant reader is an older child, your primary concern may be making sure that he is culturally savvy. With graphic novels, vocabulary is introduced via contextual clues, making great literature accessible to more children. The interesting pictures and snappy dialogue (with little-to-no narration to bog the reader down) will encourage independent reading and learning. As the child's competence and confidence grow, his joy in literacy will increase.

Even if your older child is a competent reader, he will enjoy taking a break from the verbally intense books characteristic of higher-level learning. A 2006 study found that the amount of reading children did for fun decreased from the time they were eight through their teen years. Graphic books can re-engage them in the delights of reading for leisure and learning.

Some children may never read for pleasure. But most children, from the reluctant, faltering reader to the brilliant but easily bored adolescent will find graphic novels intriguing.