Customer Reviews

Exploring the Americas (Chester the Crab's Comics with Content Series)

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As a teacher of language arts and interdisciplinary studies, I recommend Bentley Boyd's work to kids 10 and up. He developed a strong graphic sense over his years as a long-time political and educational cartoonist (full disclosure: I have known Bentley for many years, and saw early versions of many of the narratives that ended up in the Chester the Crab series). This makes his work visually stimulating for readers of all ages.

This series started as an educational tool aligned with Virginia's content-focused "Standards of Learning". The current educational environment promotes a focus on real content; a school that wants its students to learn plenty of real content could do no better than to connect with this author/artist's work. Each page is a stand-alone piece of history that addresses a clear content objective, and each book tells a handful of stories that put years of history in context. The color is great, the layout engaging, and the subtle references add layers of information and humor.

One note: even though this is a series for students, Bentley is unafraid to address sensitive issues and unwilling to gloss over the unpleasant aspects of history. "Heroic figures" are not larger-than-life, and their flaws are not airbrushed away. This is history and art from someone who loves and respects both.

My son is 8 and an avid reader. He'll read novels, biographies, and he LOVES Archie comics. The fact that this series coveries all of them makes it a home run for our house.

I think it would also be an excellent introduction for kids who might not have a great interest in reading. Everyone loves comics, right? Let them read these and they'll be entertained while actually learning something about early American history at the same time.