Graphic Novel Review: AROUND THE WORLD

Written and illustrated by Matt Phelan, AROUND THE WORLD is a graphic novel that tells the story of three different 19^th century individuals who traveled around the world in three very different ways. Up first is Thomas Stevens. Stevens was a miner who quit his job and took to riding a bicycle (a new invention at the time) and set out to ride around the world on his bicycle. The second traveler in the story is Nellie Bly, a female reporter who after reading Jules Verne's AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, set out to beat that record. The last story is that of Joshua Slocum, a retired sea captain who repairs an old boat and sets to sail at sea and eventually becoming the first man to sail around the world alone. Although a graphic novel, the book does a good job of illustrating the particular challenges and obstacles each of the individuals had to overcome to complete their tasks. Overall, while AROUND THE WORLD might not exactly be a riveting tale of adventure, it is entertaining and educational and provides the reader with a basic understanding about these three individuals who traveled around the world in three very different ways.