Artemis: Wild Goddess of the Hunt by George O’Connor

“I am wild, untamed, unattached, unfettered.”  O’Connor does not disappoint when he finally allows us to hear Artemis’ voice, but he takes a while to get there, permitting several other voices to narrate Artemis’ story.  While the transitions do not always go smoothly, it is a small price to pay for the overall effect of O’Connor’s manner of weaving together multiple storylines to present an Artemis with a rare emotional complexity and challenging family situation.  The quality of care and creativity displayed in the storytelling and artwork is surprisingly paralleled in the front- and backmatter, which includes a very helpful family tree, character pages, discussion questions, annotated bibliography, and notes.  The latter two do an admirable job conveying the author’s humorous and playful attitude toward his seriously well-done research and thus conveys the persona of a researcher/writer/artist in a context generally skipped over by casual young readers.  Artemis is a valuable teaching text students will be motivated to read independently.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

O’Connor, George.  Artemis:  Wild Goddess of the Hunt.  New York: First Second, 2017. 

Apollo by George O’Connor

In sixty-six pages of glorious color George O’Connor provides the eighth installment in his beloved Olympians series.  O’Connor uses the Mousai, more popularly known as the Muses, to tell seven tales of Greek god Apollo.  All eight Olympians volumes will be of great interest to fans of mythology, comics, and especially to teachers of young people following common core standards. Notably, this series offers layers of text complexity that are not commonly accessible to students who gravitate toward slimmer books.  O’Connor and his publisher have intelligently included generous backmatter making these books a great selection for educators: an author’s note, text notes, illustrated profiles of mythological characters, questions for discussion, and a bibliography are rounded off with a short list of suggested further reading.  My favorite part of this series, however, is the family tree on the inside of the front cover of each volume, providing a handy reference to the relational and familial connections that function as threads in the complex tapestry of Greek mythology. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Usagi Yojimbo Book 4: The Dragon Bellow Conspiracy by Stan Sakai

Welcome to Edo Japan! Usagi Yojimbo is the story of a rabbit named Miyamoto Usagi, a rounin (a samurai that doesn’t have a lord to serve) who wanders the land taking jobs as a yojimbo (bodyguard).  Throughout his journey Usagi meets many fascinating characters; some who become allies willing to aid him in his journey and others who turn into sworn enemies.  These characters help keep the story fresh as the focus is not constantly on Usagi. One of the series’ charms is the characters being anthropomorphic animals, which makes the otherwise bloody story more approachable.  The series is one of the longest I’ve seen, having well over 23 volumes. Although it is not necessary, I would recommend starting from book one since the story sometimes makes references to previous books.  The art is a cross between Japanese manga and western comics all drawn in black and white.  Teachers looking to introduce students to Japanese culture, history during the Edo era (1603 - 1868), and the Samurai code (Bushido) should look into this series.  Students that have enjoyed Buddha, Maus and Barefoot Gen would probably enjoy Usagi Yojimbo as well. --Claudio Leon