Rapunzel's Revenge

"Changing lies, righting wrongs, and changing their world forever."
Nathan Hale 2007


Bibliographic Information

Rapunzel's Revenge
by Shannon Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale
Publisher: Bloomsbury, 2008
ISBN: 9781599900704
Dewey: 741.5 Classification: nonfiction
Interest level: 5th-10th grade Reading level:: 5.4
Subjects: (fiction) revenge, hair, robbers and outlaws, witches, comics, fantasy , graphic novels.


Plot Summary

Rapunzel grows up in a castle. The woman who raises her has Rapunzel believe she is her mother. As she matures Rapunzel is curious about the outside world and attempts to see what is out there. Because she will not stop trying to view the world beyond her castle Rapunzel is punished and is put in a large hollow tree .. Rapunzel is able to escape her tree prison with the help of Jack to save her land from the evil of the witch. Rapunzel's character appears to be that of a cowgirl who is very independent and who faces all odds. This is a retelling of the Rapunzel tale with the major elements still there just presented differently and with added details that make this a fantasy tale full of adventure. It is the classic struggle of good vs. evil.

Critical Analysis

As in all fantasy this tale does not rely on any particular historical setting, Rapunzel lives in a castle and yet appears to be a cowgirl. Her adventures take place in a setting reminiscent of the old west. This tale is a retelling of a story that is a part of our folklore and is a story of heroes and magic. Thus it qualifies as a fantasy graphic novel. Rapunzel like so many other characters in fantasy deals with the questions such as," what if this is not my real family?' In fact Mother Gothel is not her real mother as Rapunzel discovers.According to Tunnell and Jacobs (Children's Literature in Action p. 205), "fantasy is defined by elements that violate the natural, physical laws of known world." This story does that through the creation of a world that is imaginary and filled with magic. Yet as in all well written fantasy it it believable
In this tale the reader will find all six ingredients listed in Children's Literature in Action by Sylvia M. Vardell.
There is magic the witch as an example, other worlds, the good versus evil theme that is what the text is about, heroism on the part of Rapunzel in particular, character archtypes; the prince in the original is Jack in this tale, ( the Jack from Jack in the Beanstalk).
Rapunzel and Jack are believable and can easily be related to as they travel on their quest to save their world. Rapunzel is the very epitome of an independent young woman and many young readers will delight at her strength. The tale itself is well written and one to savor. The pictures are vivid and well detailed and do in fact give the reader a vision of Rapunzel and her world.
Part of my joy in reading is creating my own internal movie of the text. This creates a problem for me in that graphic novels are filled with too much visual detail and it distracts me from the story line. This book is no exception. In my youth I really enjoyed reading comics and in particular a series called ,"Classics Illustrated." The pictures were not so exaggerated and overpowering, but were instead a backdrop for the story. Today's graphic art all looks the same and as though it were from a Japanese comic. However, I realize that is not a feeling shared by all, just like everyone does not appreciate the same artists. We live in a wonderfully diverse world and this genre is popular with many.
Despite my misgivings this is a beautiful book and one worth having in my collection. I am on a quest as Shannon Hale said in one of her interviews to find , "the right graphic novel," that will bring me over to this format. Rapunzel is beginning to do just that.

Review/Excerpts

School Library Journal: :Rapunzel's Revenge is a well-written, well-drawn and beautifully modernized version of the well-known tale of Rapunzel... more than just an enjoyable read, but a lush engaging adventure that will appeal to kids of all ages."

Booklist (September 1, 2008 (Vol. 105, No.1): "This graphic novel retelling of the fairy tale classic set in a swashbuckling Wild West puts action first and features some serious girl power in its spunky and strong heroine.

Horn Book (November-December, 2008): "Newbies may not realize how particularly well matched the Hale's gutsy tale is to its format, but this introduction - with its high action quotient, immediate sensory thrills, and wisecracking heroes- should win many converts."

Kirkus Review (August 1, 2008): "A beloved fairy tale gets a glossy graphic novel makeover, reworked in a fanciful Old West setting...A dash of typical fairy tale romance, a strong sense of social justice, and a spunky heroine make this a standout choice for younger teens,"

Library Media Connection (November/December 2008): Rapunzel and Jack are unique characters and there dialogue allows that uniqueness to shine through."



Connections

This is a perfect text to use for a writing lesson on how to write your own fairy tale. After sharing this novel with the students you can discuss the setting and the characters. Discuss how the setting impacts the characters, ask what would happen if the setting changed? Have the class brainstorm a list of other settings for this tale. Choose one of the settings and discuss how this might change the characters. For example if the setting were underwater would the characters even be human?
Have the students work in groups to choose a setting and characters to write own fairy tale.this can be their own original fairy tale or they can choose to do a retelling of a well-known fairy tale as the Hales did in Rapunzel's Revenge. Once their tale is written they can create their own graphic novel to publish
This will give them the experience of choosing text that narrates the story and that is illustrated as well. This experience will allow them to see that as in the Hales text that sometimes the story is best told in pictures and sometimes in text. This will give them a text to text connection with this type of literature.
This assignment cannot just be assigned without the proper foundation of background knowledge having been presented through previous lessons. A fairy tale unit discussing the elements found in fairy tales is necessary. This means that the students will need to have listened to, or read a number of this genre.Class discussions will have had to take place that allow the students to locate the elements in each particular story.
An introduction to the genre of graphic novels and its respective elements will also have to be done. all of this is possible to be accomplished in the library setting through shared reading, videos, book trailers even that show specific elements from chosen books. This would also be an excellent unit for a collaboration with teachers to share the responsibility of these lessons. Collaboration would make it possible for the students to develop a deeper understanding of these specific genres. Do not forgot to include the art teacher as they can be invaluable in sharing the art style with the students. The effect of collaboration will be to expand student learning and in the end enjoyment of these types of books.

Awards


An ALA 2009 Notable Children's Book
A YALSA 2009 Great Graphic Novel for Teens
An Al's Book Club for Kids selection (See Shannon and Dean on NBC's Today show)
Three starred reviews
A Kid's Indie Next for fall '08 (formerly known as Booksense Picks)
A Junior Library Guild Premiere Selection
Nominee for the Texas Lone Star reading list
A Best Book of the year from kidsread.com and teenreads.com
A Cybil Award winner
On the Dorothy Canfield Fisher ChildrenÕs Book Award Master List (Vermont)
Nominated for the 2010 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
On the 2009-2010 Maine Student Book Award Reading List
On the TriState YA Review Group Books of Note for 2009 (Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey)

Websites

The official website of Shannon Hale: www.squeetus.com
Biographical and contact information of Nathan Hale: http://jacketflap.com


Other Books by Shannon Hale

Actor Housewife
Princess Academy
The Goose Girl
Emma Bunting
River Secrets
Book of a Thousand Days
Austenland
Calamity Jack

Other Books written or illustrated by Nathan Hale
Written/Illustrated
Yellowbelly and Plum go to School
The Devil You Know
La Vache Orange- a CD by Nathan Hale and Lucille Batel

Books Illustrated by Nathan Hale
Calamity Jack (by Shannon Hale)
Balloon on the Moon ( by Dan McCann)
The Dinosaur Night Before Christmas ( by Anne Mueche)