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Children's Fiction Mystery & Detective

Media Meltdown

A Graphic Guide Adventure

by (author) Liam O'Donnell

illustrated by Mike Deas

Publisher
Orca Book Publishers
Initial publish date
Oct 2009
Category
Mystery & Detective, Action & Adventure, Science & Technology
Recommended Age
9 to 12
Recommended Grade
4 to 7
Recommended Reading age
9 to 12
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781554690657
    Publish Date
    Oct 2009
    List Price
    $9.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781459821507
    Publish Date
    Apr 2018
    List Price
    $12.99

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

While learning about media consolidation and the power of money over truth, Bounce, Pema and Jagroop decide to take on the developers and the media.

When Karl Reed, Owner of Oasis Developments, tries to force the sale of a local fruit farm—through whatever means necessary—Pema, Bounce and Jagroop decide to expose him through the media. Little do they realize that when it comes to the news and the advertisers who make it possible, the truth is not always part of the story and nothing can be taken at face value.

About the authors

Liam O'Donnell's profile page

 

Mike Deas est auteur-illustrateur de bandes dessinées, telles que Tank and Fizz and The Case of the Tentacle Terror. Il signe aussi les illustrations de la série Graphic Guide Adventure. Sa passion pour l'illustration a été entretenue tout au long de son enfance à l'île Saltspring, en Colombie-Britannique où il habite encore aujourd'hui.

 

MIKE DEAS is an author/illustrator of graphic novels, most recently Tank and Fizz and the Case of the Tentacle Terror. He is the illustrator of the Graphic Guide Adventure series. His love for illustrative storytelling comes from an early love of reading and drawing while growing up on Saltspring Island, British Columbia. Visit him online at www.deasillustration.com.

Mike Deas' profile page

Awards

  • Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection
  • Commended, Resource Links, The Year's Best Books

Editorial Reviews

"A great resource for kids who are looking at advertising in schools, and will inspire an interest in other kids who pick this up off the shelf."

NMRLS Youth Services Book Review

"The narrative flows from topic to topic seamlessly, talking about the general concept of media literacy...The kids are likable, smart but flawed...The lessons imparted are made for anyone navigating today's complicated media landscape."

www.nonfictioncomics.net

"An excellent choice for developing media literacy...The design and layout are colorful and fast paced. The text is well written and paired with useful imagery."

School Library Journal

"A good mix of instructional and narrative comic, using the medium's strengths to illustrate how media is made, and giving kids the tools they need to research media-making for themselves. The mystery plot is simple, but has some good tension and twists, and the resolution is really sweet. Understanding how media gets made and learning to make your own media are critical skills for kids, and this is a great starting-point."

www.boingboing.net

"Through both plot and side-bar explanations, readers learn how the media world operates at both the technical and the economic levels…The children's ability with electronic technology—and interest in learning more—will ring true for many readers, old and young alike, and lends veracity to this already engaging mystery."

Resource Links

"The illustrations in the graphic guide are solid and modern and will really appeal to children today. The information is well-researched and well-balanced, showing both the unique nature of the Internet as a vehicle for news, but also the pitfalls that are singular to the World Wide Web... Overall, Media Meltdown is a very entertaining and informative graphic novel and is sure to impress and instruct a generation of computer savvy children. Recommended."

CM Magazine

Librarian Reviews

Media Meltdown: A Graphic Guide Adventure

In this graphic novel, developers put pressure on Jagroop’s father to sell the family farm. Jagroop and his friends try to solve the mystery of the burnt barn and decide to take their message to the news media. The friends learn the running of a news station, the stages a story goes through before going on air, how advertising works, how a story gets slanted, and how advertising dollars and personal biases determine what the public gets to see. Finally they explore the Internet . This graphic guide offers well researched and balanced information, showing both the advantages and pitfalls of the Internet as a vehicle for news, and emphasizes the need for students to be a discerning consumers of news and advertising.

Source: The Association of Book Publishers of BC. BC Books for BC Schools. 2010-2011.

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