Graphic Novel -- Bone: Out of Boneville

Title: Bone: Out from Boneville

Author: Jeff Smith

Date: 2005 (reprint, originally published in 1995)


Publisher: Graphix, an Imprint of Scholastic Inc.

ISBN: 0-439-70640-0

Format: Print paperback

Summary: Wealthy Boneville resident Phoney Bone gets chased out of town after upsetting the citizens with another of his schemes gone wrong. His cousins Smiley Bone and Fone Bone go with him to help him escape the townspeople. The cousins are separated after attempting to escape a swarm of locusts. Fone Bone finds himself lost in a strange forested valley filled with monsters and dragons. He is saved by the kindness of valley resident Thorn, but still needs to find his cousins before he can try and get back to Boneville.

Audience: The age range for this book is 9 and up. While the book is appropriate for this group, it also features content that can be enjoyed by an older audience.

Strengths: A major strength of this graphic novel is the complexity of the plot and narrative structure. This allows it to be flexible in the readers it attracts. The comic format and use of dialog make it ideal for struggling readers who can use these tools to help understand the text. While the plot and narrative make it appealing to more advanced readers, the book not only appeals to but is beneficial to both groups. Another strength is subtleties that Smith includes throughout the text. These help make the book attractive to older readers as well because it provides content they can understand and enjoy, but it is presented in a way that still makes it appropriate for younger readers. This accounts for the books popularity with both readers in the recommended age range as well as adults. Finally, this book is the first in a series, so readers who enjoy it have it eight more books to look forward to reading.

Weaknesses: The weakness of this book is also one of its strengths: it is a series. While the first book introduces the characters and gets the adventure going, it also sparks questions in the reader that are not resolved in this book. Because of this, some readers may feel an incompleteness after finishing the book and in order to fully resolve this, eight more books will have to be read. This could be a turn off for some readers who want more closure to each book. It could also cause some readers to give up on the series if it does not hook them enough to want to find the answers to the lingering questions.

Uses: This book, as well as the rest of the Bone series, is a great way to reach reluctant readers. This group, typically boys, seem to gravitate toward graphic novels and this book is popular because it offers something for everyone. The illustrations that accompany the text assist struggling readers with understanding the context. This can also be beneficial with ESL readers, improving reading and language skills while inspiring a love of reading. Because the book features literary elements similar to those found in traditional literature, such as an epic adventure and a reluctant hero, it can also be used in the  curriculum as a comparison with traditional works. This can help inspire students to read traditional text that they may have had no interest in initially.

Awards: Eisner Award, Harvey Award