Nnewts Book Two: The Rise of Herk

Nnewts 2: The Rise of Herk
Written by: Doug TenNapel
Illustrated by: Doug TenNapel
Publisher: Graphix
Format: Hardcover/Softcover, 6 x 9, 208 pages, Full Color, $19.99/$10.99
ISBN: HC: 978-0-54567-652-6/SC: 978-0-54567-654-0

Review

Perhaps the most clever fantasy and adventure stories currently on the market are the Nnewts graphic novel series by Doug TenNepal. Even the passing of time probably won't change my mind.

In the second installment of the Nnewts series our small but mighty and courageous hero, Herk, is pretty happy. He's found a new home and a new sense of "family." But those ever-lurking Lizzarks will just not leave him alone. They keep threatening him or any of the Nnewts he cares for in his new home of Amphibopolis. While the Lizzarks use a giant and threatening monster to do their dirty work in Amphibopolis, Herk recruits the help of a megasloth.

Will Herk and the megasloth be able to battle off the Lizzark and the giant monster invasion? Herk's done it once before. This time, however, some family news might take some extra attention away from Herk's mission, attention that Herk really needs to use in order to defeat the Lizzarks and their new pawn, the giant monster.

English Language Arts Elements of Story

Plots: Once again the Lizzarks are pestering Herk and his family and friends. In this second installment of the Nnewts graphic novel series Herk must once again protect his home and family. But how? With the Lizzarks bringing a giant monster into their attack on Amphibopolis Herk and his new ally the megasloth must find a way to save the day.

Major Characters: Herk, Zerk, Sissy, Lizzarks, Herk's newly adopted family, giant monster, megasloth

Major Settings: Amphiboles

Major Themes: Family, Heroism, Bravery and Courage, Protection, Identity and Motives

Reading Recommendations Using the Common Core Standards For Young Adult Readers

Key Ideas and Details

2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
* The number(s) referenced above corresponds to the number used by the Common Core Standards (www.commoncore.org)

Lesson Idea for Young Adult Readers:

Directions: Educators can use the following graphic organizer / table to focus on central ideas and themes in Nnewts 2: The Rise of Herk, complete with accompanying detailed textual analysis straight from the story.

Dr. Katie Monnin is an Associate Professor of Literacy at the University of North Florida. Besides the joy that comes with reading comic books and graphic novels, Dr. Monnin enjoys a Peter Pan-ish life of researching and writing her own books about teaching comics, graphic novels, and cartoons: Teaching Graphic Novels (2010), Teaching Early Reader Comics and Graphic Novels (2011), Using Content-Area Graphic Texts for Learning (2012), Teaching Reading Comprehension with Graphic Texts (2013), and Get Animated! Teaching 21st Century Early Reader and Young Adult Cartoons in Language Arts (2014); Teaching New Literacies in Elementary Language Arts (2015). When she is not writing (or sitting around wondering how she ended up making an awesome career out of studying comics and graphic novels), Dr. Monnin spends her time with her three wiener dogs, Samantha, Max, and Alex Morgan Monnin.