Educational graphic novels

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During a recent trip to Amsterdam I visited the Dutch Resistance Museum and, as it happens, I couldn’t help but stopping at the museum’s bookshop on my way out. Whatever the language, books are books and need to be looked at and admired!

My eyes were immediately drawn to two displays on neighbouring shelves: each highlighting a graphic novel by Eric Heuvel in the original Dutch and in its English and German translations. On closer inspection, I found out that A Family Secret and The Search - paperbacks in a light A4 format - are everything that you could ever wish books for teenagers to be: well-drawn, entertaining and informative. Both focus on the Second World War and the Holocaust in a way that will catch the kids’ attention and make them think and learn about the past without being too harrowing.

If you click on each of the two titles above, you can see in which other languages they are available and where they can be purchased from. Some editions come with learning materials as well; they were not on display in the shop so I can’t offer my opinion. However, if they are half as good as the graphic novels that they accompany, I am sure that they are worth buying.

I hope that the series will expand and that all titles will become available in more countries as, despite it having been said innumerable times, it is true and people should never stop believing that is important for younger generations to learn about the past so that they can avoid making the same mistakes in the future.

Comments

  1. Patricia18 January 2011 at 16:26

    To go off on a bit of a tangent...last October we were also in Holland and visited the Dutch Resistance Museum. I did not notice that book in the bookshop, but the visit to the museum was one of the most impactful of our entire trip...well worth the time spent there.
    Patricia

    ReplyDelete
  2. Silvia_reads22 January 2011 at 21:30

    Hi Patricia! Yes, the Dutch Resistance Museum is realy worth a visit. I've learnt so many things and it was a great follow-up to Anne Frank's house, which I had visited the previous year.

    ReplyDelete

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