Alexander Graham Bell and the Telephone

Children's Literature Comprehensive Database

"Grabbing the visual learner’s attention, Fandel is writing for the “Graphic Library,” a series, a new graphic novel approach for non-fiction. The book uses a comic book format with brief narrative boxes and short, semi-punchy dialogue in balloons. This book is not a biography but a piece of the inventor’s life. In this case, Alexander Graham Bell struggles with his understanding of how ears work and fights the advice of his backers to keep working on improving telegraph. Because of the format the text is minimal, even as the story covers a fair number of details. The book’s most dramatic moment comes when Bell and his assistant Watson set up the new telephone within the house. Bell says into the speaker “Mr. Watson, come here. I want you.” And Watson is shown startled by the sound coming from the box. The illustrations are good, accurately showing snapshot-like images of the appropriate time period. They are not as exciting as, say, Spiderman, but they move the reader through the story. The vocabulary is not simple, but there are so few words and so many pictures that this works as a high-low book. Back matter includes a “Glossary,” a “Read More” section, a “Bibliography,” an “Index,” and a list of “Internet Sites.” The sites are maintained on Capstone’s Facthound Site, where URLs are checked to make sure they are both age appropriate and current." - Children's Literature Comprehensive Database

July 1, 2007