comic books, strips, etc

What if we were all just characters from a book written by Major Albert Knag as a philosophical present for his daughter Hilde's 15th birthday? This is the question that Sophie Amundsen must ask as she tackles the history of philosophy in what begins as a personalized correspondence course for which she never signed up. Coming home from school one day, Sophie finds questions in her mailbox, followed by typewritten pages about philosophy. She also gets strange birthday cards apparently intended for a Hilde Moller Knag in Lillesand, whom she has never met. Through these unusual circumstances, Sophie embarks on the study of philosophy with Alberto Knox -- a middle-aged mystery man in a beret -- only to discover that she is nothing more than the fictional heroine of a novel (called Sophie's World) about the history of philosophy. Hilde, on the other hand, whom we meet halfway through the book, appears to be a real girl whose father has written a novel entitled Sophie's World. She in turn learns about philosophy by reading about Sophie's study of philosophy, never suspecting that she is merely a character in a book -- Sophie's World -- written by a philosophy teacher named Jostein Gaarder to teach teenagers the beauty of philosophical discourse. In this long, self-referential novel (to use the word loosely), Gaarder presents philosophy in a clear, cogent way, using Sophie's and Hilde's experiences to illustrate his points. The reader who is expecting something other than a creative textbook, however, will be disappointed. Maybe Gaarder can fool Norwegian youths into learning philosophy, but savvy American kids won't be so easily hoodwinked. Index.

"Luis Fernando and Luisa Teresa are twins who learn about who they are and what their sibling means to them when they are sent to different middle schools, Fernando in Mexicali, Mexico and Teresa in Calexico, California"--Adapted from OCLC.

"When 6-year-old Ruby Bridges and her mother went to William Frantz Elementary School on November 14, 1960, they arrived to find an angry crowd of white people shouting racist insults. For her safety, Ruby had to be escorted to school every day by U.S. Marshals. But despite the hateful attitudes of others, Ruby didn't miss a single day of school that year. Discover the incredible bravery of one young Black girl who faced terrible persecution to get an education in the same school as her fellow white students"--Provided by publisher.

"While fleeing the Galactic Federation, Stitch's spaceship malfunctions and he makes an emergency landing ... not in Hawaii, but in sengoku-era Japan! Discovered by the brutal warlord Lord Yamato and his clan, Stitch's incomparable cuteness is no match for the battle-weary samurai, who decides to bring the blue tanuki home with him. Will Stitch's love of chaos turn into a formidable advantage for the samurai's influence? Or will his cute and fluffy form disarm the noble lord's stern facade?"--Provided by publisher.

"Dan's always been a good kid. The kind of kid who listens to his teachers, helps his mom with grocery shopping, and stays out of trouble. But being a good kid doesn't stop him from being bullied and feeling like he's invisible, which is why Dan has low expectations when his parents send him on a class trip to Europe. At first, he's right. He's stuck with the same girls from his middle school who love to make fun of him, and he doesn't know why his teacher insisted he come on this trip. But as he travels through France, Germany, Switzerland, and England, a series of first experiences begin to change him--first Fanta, first fondue, first time stealing a bike from German punk rockers... and first love"--From the publisher's web site.

"Eighth grader Drew Ellis recognizes that he isn't afforded the same opportunities, no matter how hard he works, that his privileged classmates at the Riverdale Academy Day School take for granted, and to make matters worse, Drew begins to feel as if his good friend Liam might be one of those privileged kids and is finding it hard not to withdraw, even as their mutual friend Jordan tries to keep their group of friends together"--Provided by publisher.

As Malcolm and the team prepare to return to Earth from Mars, they make notes about how to improve the livable conditions of Mars for both future explorers and long-term sustainable life. Includes Mars facts, survival tips, and in-depth content on animal adaptation and behavior.

An adventurous team inspects a series of volcanoes on Mars but these puzzling structures erupt with mud instead of lava. When Daniela gets too close to one of the formations, her beloved biologist field kit falls in, sinking beneath the surface. Dr. Thomas tries to use science and technology to retrieve the kit, but in the end, it's Malcolm's creativity that saves the day, thanks in large part to the fanciful Martians who he imagines live in and around the mud volcanoes. This graphic novel includes Mars facts and survival tips as well as in-depth content on animal adaptation and behavior. Backmatter includes an activity page and character information.

The rover Perseverance is damaged and stranded in the windswept sand seas of Mars. The team of interplanetary explorers locates the rover, but Dr. Thomas is unable to repair it in the field without the necessary parts. Malcolm and Daniela volunteer to return to basecamp to retrieve the parts. On their journey, Malcolm's imagination dreams up some of the Martians who may have adapted to live in the harsh alien environment. This graphic novel includes Mars facts and survival tips as well as in-depth content on animal adaptation and behavior. Backmatter includes an activity page and character information.

Malcolm and the team discovers why the terrain of Mars is so chaotic so they craft a device to help them escape the lava field by flying over it. Includes Mars facts, survival tips, and in-depth content on animal adaptation and behavior.