Williams, Marcia. Les Miserables.

Williams, Marcia.  Les Miserables.  Random/Candlewick Press  2014  unp  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-7636-7476-2  ms  Graphic novel  VG-BN

Marcia Williams does an excellent job of making Victor Hugo’s massive classic accessible to middle-school readers.  This easy-to-read adaptation is guaranteed to hook young readers who are not yet ready to tackle the original.  The number of illustrations, arranged in cartoon format, varies on each page depending on the place in the story.  The adapted narrative is told under the panels while the character’s comments are given in the word bubbles.  The text is spiced with dramatic anecdotes and the tone is true to the story.  The drawings reflect the personalities of the individuals, with the “good” people having sweeter looks than the evildoers.  Each has distinctive features and is readily recognizable throughout the book.   This graphic novel does a very good job of providing an introduction to the story.     

Summary: Marcia Williams does an excellent job of making Hugo’s massive classic accessible to middle-school readers.  This easy-to-read adaptation is guaranteed to hook young readers who are not yet ready to tackle the original.        

Les Miserables                                                    --Susan Ogintz