|
Hearing Things By Ben Sears |
|
About the BookSometimes the spookiest thing of all isn’t a haunted house!
In this spine-tingling graphic novel, Tim and his big sister Martha are new to the neighborhood. Tim likes to record sounds on adventures with his cat, Frankie. Martha likes to make scary music. Nothing has been right for her since the move: Her music stinks! What if she never has friends again! Tim goes on a quest: if he can record something bone-chilling, then Martha can finish her song. But even the block’s haunted house is silent. Just when Tim is ready to give up, Frankie helps him find a way, with the help of some new, unexpected friends. 
|
Book Buzz"No macabre vibes here, just some supernatural fun.... A solid, spooky tale, with vintage-quality illustrations." — Kirkus
"Ghostly shenanigans take center stage in this graphic novel [...] which also offers an intriguing picture of a sibling relationship—low-key in its expression but deep in its connection. "— Publishers Weekly “This story combines the apprehension of moving to a new town, the determination of one sibling to help another, the spine-tingling fear of a haunted house, and the cunning of a resolute cat—all in one brief, absorbing graphic novel… The cartooning is fast paced and easy to follow, with just enough text bubbles to establish context and communicate the hilarious and all-knowing motivations of Frankie (who steals the show). The use of bright colors on every page and in many panels’ onomatopoeia (to express the spooky sounds) makes the “scary” parts still whimsical and entertaining. Plus, readers will love being let in on the big secret of the story, known only to them and Frankie.” –The Horn Book |
About the Author
|
Ben Sears was born and raised in Kentucky, in a house full of rock and roll music. He played drums in punk bands at nighttime and drew pictures in the daytime, and then one day he decided that he'd have more fun if he drew pictures all day, because then he'd be able to turn his drawings into comic books. His favorite comic books are the ones where the pictures tell the story with as few words as possible, and his favorite place to go is outside every day with each of his three cats, all of whom like to be walked on a leash and study the world around them. Like Tim, he likes to record the noises of nature in his neighborhood--the creek by his house, the wind shaking the trees, and the insects buzzing away. In addition to Hearing Things, Ben makes comics about a kid named Plus Man and his best friend Hank (who is a robot) and the adventures they have exploring the world. Ben used to love noise, but now that he's gotten older, he likes it when things are quiet, so every night he goes to sleep reading Peanuts comics about Charlie Brown.
|
|
Teacher's Guide
|
Prepared by Richard Kutner, the head of the TOON Educational Team, our Teacher Guide outlines the ELA Common Core Standards to support standards-based instruction in the classroom using Hearing Things by Ben Sears.
The objectives for students include:
|
|
|
