Viaje al Centro de la Tierra

January 1, 2010
Gr 5-9-The passionate scientist Otto Lidenbrock, his intuitive and romantic nephew Axel, and enigmatic Hans Bjelke are brought back from the 19th century in this graphic-novel adaptation of Vernes classic. The sienna cover decorated with encrypted characters and the wide range of earth tones used in its six chapters will give readers a sense of traveling to the center of the Earth. The cinematic adventure begins at Lidenbrocks library with Otto and Axel reading by candlelight and trying to decipher an antique runic manuscript. As the characters descend to the center of the Earth, the colors of the background layers become more dramatic. There, at the end of their voyage, they encounter a fantasy land filled with rich purples and an entirely different reality in which the extraordinary abounds: an underground lake, a forest of giant mushrooms, extinct animals, and exotic flowers. Axel tells the story, and his narration appears in italics and is framed in small boxes, differentiating it from the other dialogue balloons. Resembling a diary, this format allows readers to connect with the tone of Vernes classic. The Spanish translation is fluid and correct, with the exception of Lidenbrocks problematic use of the second person."Freda Mosquera, Broward County Library, FL"

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