Ichiro | Ryan Inzana | Japan | Houghton Mifflin Books for Children | 2012 | ISBN:0547252692
Awards or Honors
- 2013 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Honor Book, Young Adult Literature
- 2012 Cybils Award Finalist, Young Adult Graphic Novels
- YALSA Great Graphic Novels 2013, Fiction.
Synopsis
Our story opens with an age-old Japanese tale of a monk who encounters a trapped tanuki or shapeshifter in the deep forest. He releases him and the creature follows him as he walks further into the woods. The tanuki's magical powers are revealed, and a legend is born which lives on and on …
… until we meet Ichiro, a Japanese-American boy learning about his heritage and finding his unique fit in the world. But his journey takes him far from his home in New York City to the home of his maternal grandfather in Japan. He is armed only with a soldier's training manual which belonged to his American father who died in the war, his comic book hero Harry Morgan and a guitar. It is his grandfather who gives him the history of Japan's incredulous strength through war and the strong beliefs that strengthen its people. He tells him the stories of Japan's birth and its emperors who were considered gods. These are the lessons for Ichiro. But the lessons do not come only from his grandfather. Ichiro must journey alone … into the ancient world … guided only by a tanuki he attempts to trap. CRASH!!! RAR!!! THUMP!!! He is dragged deeper into the woods and pulled down into an enormous cavern … where his grandpa cannot find him.
He awakens to find himself toe to toe with Lord Hachiman learning the values of a people who put honor before heroics and respect before life. Here Ichiro accepts himself and his path.
Rationale for Use in the English Classroom and the Library
Ichiro is a coming of age graphic novel ideal for students in the 7th and 8th grades. The graphic genre is appealing and encourages a plethora of activities for a final project. Students will wish to write scenes, extensions, stories for characters they draw or characters they can paste into their scenes. Character analysis is seen in the comics as well as demonstrated in the words and actions.
Possible themes are the rites of passage, coming of age, racism, prejudice, diverse perspectives, assimilation, heritage, generation gaps, war, mythology and religious beliefs and values.
Units in Middle School center on WWII. D-Day, Hiroshima and/or the Holocaust all of which may be pulled out or add background to this piece.
Ichiro encourages reading of other texts in Book Circles: Unbroken, The Book Thief, Trinity (graphic novel); The Port Chicago 50 – all award-winning novels and non-fiction.
Bios, non-fiction and realistic fiction are depicted in well-respected films addressing several of the themes such as: Diary of Anne Frank; Schindler's List and Pearl Harbor. Only appropriate excerpts should be viewed.
Before-Reading Activities
A look at Japan: students will examine the culture including religious beliefs which are interwoven in mythology, values, the honor code, the way of life and rites of passage.
A look at Japanese-American assimilation into American society: the WW II American concentration camps, a struggle with heritage and present cultural traditions and values; the generation gap.
Excerpts from movies supporting these connections as well as real-life stories (news articles, diaries, journals, poems, pictures) may be read, annotated and discussed in think, pair, share in small groups. The teacher may develop text-sets for comparisons of perspectives, attitudes, prejudice.
A mapping of Japan: students travel the geography, learn map skills as well as understand the terrain, the weather, explore the tsunamis – all units in the early grades as well as Middle School.
During-Reading Activities
Students will peruse the text for photographs, introductions, reviews to predict the author’s purpose, the setting, the plot, the outcome.
What is the graphic novel? Students may initiate the discussion. An after reading assignment may address how effective the graphic novel was in telling the story.
Students will be given section questions and/or journal entries to complete for each section exploring character traits, attitudes, growth or changes, perspectives.
Teacher will lead academic vocabulary development through drills (warm-ups) while students will pull vocabulary words for the Student Word Wall and for Gallery Walks finding definitions suitable to the use of the words. These activities will be monitored in whole-class discussion.
Students will engage in Turn ‘n’ Talk (2 to 3 students participating) to discuss specific questions or character development.
Graphic organizers will facilitate note-taking and assist small discussion groups.
After-Reading Activity
Students will engage in Fish Bowl and/or Socratic Circle Discussions with student-created questions prepared. Discussion Leader, Vocabulary Developer, Characterization Expert and Summarizer may be chosen to facilitate an in-depth and innovative talk. Students may be video-taped for additional feedback on discussion roles, procedures and effectiveness. This activity is student-initiated, student-run and student-graded. Additionally, discussions would provide a pre-writing activity for 3 to 5 paragraph essays.
5 Websites Students Could Use to Learn More (Themes/Topics/Settings/Conflicts)
Pearl Harbor - World War II
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor
Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – World War II
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki
Hiroshima Peace Site – Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Website
http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/top_e.html
Kids Web Japan
http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/culture/
Teenreads – Ryan Inzana’s Epic Ichiro
http://www.teenreads.com/authors/ryan-inzana/news/interview-050412
Michael O. Tunnell – The Children of Topaz
http://www.michaelotunnell.com/children_topaz.html (teacher resource)
Connections to Other Content Areas/Disciplines for Collaboration
English and History units coincide in Middle School so activities may be collaborative. Geography lessons may be completed in History. Think, pair, share may be utilized in both classes with teachers choosing topics that are supported well by their disciplines.
A trip to Newseum in Washington, DC will support both disciplines, and students may view the exhibits and read the news articles from the period discussed: WWII, Hiroshima information stations and photography are excellent. Students will complete a summative activity for grading which may be discussed and graded for both subjects.
Our story opens with an age-old Japanese tale of a monk who encounters a trapped tanuki or shapeshifter in the deep forest. He releases him and the creature follows him as he walks further into the woods. The tanuki's magical powers are revealed, and a legend is born which lives on and on …
… until we meet Ichiro, a Japanese-American boy learning about his heritage and finding his unique fit in the world. But his journey takes him far from his home in New York City to the home of his maternal grandfather in Japan. He is armed only with a soldier's training manual which belonged to his American father who died in the war, his comic book hero Harry Morgan and a guitar. It is his grandfather who gives him the history of Japan's incredulous strength through war and the strong beliefs that strengthen its people. He tells him the stories of Japan's birth and its emperors who were considered gods. These are the lessons for Ichiro. But the lessons do not come only from his grandfather. Ichiro must journey alone … into the ancient world … guided only by a tanuki he attempts to trap. CRASH!!! RAR!!! THUMP!!! He is dragged deeper into the woods and pulled down into an enormous cavern … where his grandpa cannot find him.
He awakens to find himself toe to toe with Lord Hachiman learning the values of a people who put honor before heroics and respect before life. Here Ichiro accepts himself and his path.
Rationale for Use in the English Classroom and the Library
Ichiro is a coming of age graphic novel ideal for students in the 7th and 8th grades. The graphic genre is appealing and encourages a plethora of activities for a final project. Students will wish to write scenes, extensions, stories for characters they draw or characters they can paste into their scenes. Character analysis is seen in the comics as well as demonstrated in the words and actions.
Possible themes are the rites of passage, coming of age, racism, prejudice, diverse perspectives, assimilation, heritage, generation gaps, war, mythology and religious beliefs and values.
Units in Middle School center on WWII. D-Day, Hiroshima and/or the Holocaust all of which may be pulled out or add background to this piece.
Ichiro encourages reading of other texts in Book Circles: Unbroken, The Book Thief, Trinity (graphic novel); The Port Chicago 50 – all award-winning novels and non-fiction.
Bios, non-fiction and realistic fiction are depicted in well-respected films addressing several of the themes such as: Diary of Anne Frank; Schindler's List and Pearl Harbor. Only appropriate excerpts should be viewed.
Before-Reading Activities
A look at Japan: students will examine the culture including religious beliefs which are interwoven in mythology, values, the honor code, the way of life and rites of passage.
A look at Japanese-American assimilation into American society: the WW II American concentration camps, a struggle with heritage and present cultural traditions and values; the generation gap.
Excerpts from movies supporting these connections as well as real-life stories (news articles, diaries, journals, poems, pictures) may be read, annotated and discussed in think, pair, share in small groups. The teacher may develop text-sets for comparisons of perspectives, attitudes, prejudice.
A mapping of Japan: students travel the geography, learn map skills as well as understand the terrain, the weather, explore the tsunamis – all units in the early grades as well as Middle School.
During-Reading Activities
Students will peruse the text for photographs, introductions, reviews to predict the author’s purpose, the setting, the plot, the outcome.
What is the graphic novel? Students may initiate the discussion. An after reading assignment may address how effective the graphic novel was in telling the story.
Students will be given section questions and/or journal entries to complete for each section exploring character traits, attitudes, growth or changes, perspectives.
Teacher will lead academic vocabulary development through drills (warm-ups) while students will pull vocabulary words for the Student Word Wall and for Gallery Walks finding definitions suitable to the use of the words. These activities will be monitored in whole-class discussion.
Students will engage in Turn ‘n’ Talk (2 to 3 students participating) to discuss specific questions or character development.
Graphic organizers will facilitate note-taking and assist small discussion groups.
After-Reading Activity
Students will engage in Fish Bowl and/or Socratic Circle Discussions with student-created questions prepared. Discussion Leader, Vocabulary Developer, Characterization Expert and Summarizer may be chosen to facilitate an in-depth and innovative talk. Students may be video-taped for additional feedback on discussion roles, procedures and effectiveness. This activity is student-initiated, student-run and student-graded. Additionally, discussions would provide a pre-writing activity for 3 to 5 paragraph essays.
5 Websites Students Could Use to Learn More (Themes/Topics/Settings/Conflicts)
Pearl Harbor - World War II
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor
Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – World War II
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki
Hiroshima Peace Site – Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Website
http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/top_e.html
Kids Web Japan
http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/culture/
Teenreads – Ryan Inzana’s Epic Ichiro
http://www.teenreads.com/authors/ryan-inzana/news/interview-050412
Michael O. Tunnell – The Children of Topaz
http://www.michaelotunnell.com/children_topaz.html (teacher resource)
Connections to Other Content Areas/Disciplines for Collaboration
English and History units coincide in Middle School so activities may be collaborative. Geography lessons may be completed in History. Think, pair, share may be utilized in both classes with teachers choosing topics that are supported well by their disciplines.
A trip to Newseum in Washington, DC will support both disciplines, and students may view the exhibits and read the news articles from the period discussed: WWII, Hiroshima information stations and photography are excellent. Students will complete a summative activity for grading which may be discussed and graded for both subjects.
