True Stories of War Graphic Novels 3-Book Set

True Stories of the Civil War

Experience the horrors of the Civil War through the stories of the people who lived through it. From the first shots on Fort Sumter to the surrender at Appomattox, True Stories of the Civil War will give your child a visual look at the war that nearly tore our nation apart. Written and illustrated in an engaging graphic-novel style, True Stories of the Civil War includes a brief summary of the war, a timeline, and a map.

True Stories of World War I

During World War I, known as the Great War, many soldiers kept journals about their experiences. True Stories of World War I encapsulates six of them, including Alvin York and the Red Baron. Your child will learn of the horror of gas warfare and the tragic sinking of the Lusitania. Written and illustrated in an engaging graphic-novel style, True Stories of World War I also includes a brief summary of the war, a timeline, and a map.

True Stories of World War II

Using the unique accounts taken from actual diaries and letters, True Stories of World War II tells the stories of five men and women who fought for their countries during World War II. From the Bataan Death March to the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, this graphic novel will open your child's eyes to the horrors of a war that can never be repeated. It also includes a brief summary of the war, a timeline, and a map.

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.