Review Detail

Hearing Things is a graphic novel about Tim, and his older sister, Martha who have just moved into a new neighborhood. Martha is not having a good time with this move and is struggling to make new music, she worries she won’t be able to make music anymore leading to her not having any friends. Tim likes to record sounds when he goes on adventures with his cat, Frankie. He gets a brilliant idea to try and record some scary sounds for Martha so she can finish her song, right when he is about to give up, Frankie helps him find just what he needs. 

What I liked: I’m a big fan of graphic novels for all ages especially when I’m in a reading slump since it allows me to still engage with my favorite pastime. I appreciate that this book is easy for new readers to follow along with and that many of the sounds are written in different colors and fonts. This differentiation in font size and color allows the reader to see a distinction between the character’s words and the sounds that are made. 

The back of the book has a section on how to read comics with children intended for parents and teachers which I greatly appreciated. I also like that Toon Into Reading has three levels to their graphic novels and differentiates their differences. This book is considered a level two which means it has short sentences and repetition, 300-700 words, 1-4 panels per page, and a story arc that only has a few characters. 

I like the incorporation of the cat into this story and how this cat leads the way for Tim to find just what he is looking for. This addition adds some humor to the story as everyone seems to understand what the cat is trying to say when all the reader sees is meow. 

Final Verdict: Hearing Things is a great graphic novel for children learning to read and who may be hesitant to pick up a book. Children will enjoy following along as Tim hesitantly follows Frankie into this haunted house so he can get the perfect sound for his sister. Adults will enjoy reading along with their children or watching as their child builds their reading skills.