Classroom Comic of the Week: BONE by Jeff Smith

Bone: Out of Boneville by Jeff Smith

The Bone series, written by Jeff Smith, really could be considered the gold standard for sequential art for readers in the 4th-adult age range. Originally printed as individual comics, it is a timeless story of the unexpected hero, who finds himself in the unenviable circumstance of saving a world from evil. If you are a Lord of the Rings fan, the parallels are numerous. The characters are unique and well developed. The bad guys are really bad and the good guys are the type you just want to cheer for. 


Smith does an amazing job pacing this book, including plenty of side plots, many of which are quite humorous. The are 10 volumes in all, which includes the prequel Rose. There is also a complete volume which is all nine of the originals, but the drawback to that is its size and the fact that it is in black and white. Stick with the color volumes for your classroom, as the color work done by Steve Hamaker adds immeasurably to the overall effect.


The sweet spot for this series is mid to late fourth grade, and really any grade thereafter. There is some violence in the later books, as the evil side really clings to its hold on the world, and should be considered when adding these books to your library. That being said, I have seen these books change student attitudes towards reading for enjoyment, and rarely are they on my shelf for very long.