Your Turn, Adrian
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A stunningly illustrated graphic novel about feeling vulnerable and struggling to meet expectations, and about friendship and the power of the imagination.
Almost every day, Adrian goes to school with knots in his stomach. He feels different from the other children, and alone. Whenever the teacher calls on him, his heart starts to pound and time stops. But he finds respite in his rich imagination — a world full of color and joy in which he is a circus performer, capable of spectacular feats.
One day Adrian encounters a huge wolfhound that seems to be lost. He names her Heidi, takes her home, and soon the two of them are inseparable. Heidi’s comforting presence provides friendship and tranquility, and even enables Adrian to read aloud in front of the class. This brief period of happiness ends when Heidi is reunited with her owner and Adrian finds himself alone again … until a chance meeting leads to a heartwarming discovery.
Key Text Features
table of contents
comic
speech bubbles
map
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7
Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.7
Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7
Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this Swedish graphic novel, somber pencil drawings by Lidstr m introduce Adrian, a boy who daydreams in color about circus acrobatics but is defeated by school. First, a bully steals and ruins his hat; then his teacher asks him to read, and he freezes. Scenes at home make it clear that the family is stretched thin, but there's genuine love between father and son. One day, Adrian meets Heidi, a huge wire-haired dog he finds wandering about, her leash still attached. He revels in her quiet companionship, and her love makes the impossible possible: "I could feel Heidi's soft fur. The words came to me. I was reading." Soon afterward, Heidi's owner takes her back, and Adrian is bereft. But another twist leads to a gratifying reunion and shared interests. Text by berg, ably translated by Apelqvist, is crystalline in its economy. Full-color spreads of happy moments punctuate the dreary gray of everyday reality, especially in Adrian's dream world, in which his tumbling form is liberated from earthly cares. The creators draw a convincing portrait of a boy whose lucky break gives provides a sense of redemption and relief. Ages 7 10.
