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Bibliographic Information:
The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
ISBN: 978-1401225759
1995 Vertigo New York, NY
Plot Summary:
This installment in the
Endless series follows Dream, as he escapes from a prison he was held in by
wizards. Dream has to come to terms with the changes that have happened in his
world while he was in captivity. He must also regain the tools of his job.
Dream’s tools are his
helm, pouch, and ruby. The journey to regain his tools takes him all the way to
the gates of hell.
Dream learns along the
way that he has to perform duties without tools.
As Dream pursues his
belongings, we also meet his sister, Death.
Critical Evaluation:
This story is another
in a long list of young adult novels that deals with family relationships. As
Dream restores order to the world that was left without him for many years, he
must also patch up his relationship with his sister, Death.
The Endless have to work together because that coven of wizards is out to destroy them. If
the wizards destroy death, then the world as we know it will collapse.
This entire premise
harkens to folklore and legends, stories of myth. Zeus, Hades and Poseidon come
to mind as characters that would cause earthly destruction if their
relationship is unbalanced. Another modern idea that teens know of would be the
relationship between Thor and Loki, when they fight, the heavens fall into chaos.
So it is with the
Endless. Dream has to work with Death so that they can achieve the order necessary.
The illustrations in
this comic are rich and add to the text. The world around these characters is
multidimensional and colorful, but dark. There is a darkness in the world of
the Endless. That darkness is not death, but the division among the seven
siblings.
This graphic novel
leaves the reader clamoring for more, luckily, Neil Gaiman published an
extensive series for voracious readers who cannot get enough after they finish
pouring over the story and the pictures in Preludes and Nocturnes.
Reader’s Annotation:
Dream escapes his prison to find a new world he has to deal with.
Author Information:
Neil
Gaiman is credited with being one of the creators of modern comics, as well as
an author whose work crosses genres and reaches audiences of all ages. He is
listed in the Dictionary of Literary Biography as one of the top ten living
post-modern writers and is a prolific creator of works of prose, poetry, film,
journalism, comics, song lyrics, and drama.
Gaiman has achieved cult status and
attracted increased media attention, with recent profiles in The New Yorkermagazine and by CBS News Sunday Morning.
Retrieved from http://www.neilgaiman.com/About_Neil/Biography on 8/5/2015
Genre(s):
Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Curriculum Ties:N/A
Booktalk Ideas: Booktalks revolving around graphic novels.
Reading level: Grade 8+
Interest age: 15+
Challenge Issues:
Possible challenge issues are handling of supernatural things, sexuality, implied drug use
Why I chose this book:
This is a great example of the graphic novel genre for our collection.
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