Donner Dinner Party

October 15, 2013
Grades 3-6 Hale, still narrating juicy history tales (after One Dead Spy, 2011) with the help of a British soldier and an effusive, bumbling executioner, tells the harrowing story of the ill-fated Donner party. Beginning with their departure from Springfield, Illinois, in 1846, Hale depicts the party's progress in small but clear panels and includes lots of factual details, such as a roster of everyone in the party, how they died, and a helpful map showing just how tantalizingly close they came to California before meeting their grisly end. It's a difficult story, and Hale makes allowances for sensitive readers: Horrible things are going to happen. If you are easily upset, skip ahead. But despite the gruesome facts, Hale keeps it relatively light and lifts the mood with some much-needed humor, thanks in no small part to the over-the-top executionerwho, for instance, is outrageously sensitive to the death of cute and fuzzy animals but surprisingly nonchalant about cannibalism. This informative graphic novel capitalizes on enticingly gross history to great effect, balancing raw facts with strong storytelling.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2014
Nathan Hale, Revolutionary War hero, continues to distract his executioners in this third volume. Author Hale (no relation) manages to balance the tragedy of the Donner Party's doomed journey with the graphic novel series' wacky humor--no small feat. Readers not put off by the small panel illustrations and tiny type (or the story's horrific nature) will appreciate this entertaining history lesson. Reading list.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)