Blades of Freedom, a smart mglit graphic novel that entertains

In speaking with our elementary school library one of their biggest desires is for kids to read more non-fiction books. For those older elementary students, as well as, anyone who appreciates smart books that educate through humor and real events the Hazardous Tales series must be on your list. Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales is an ongoing graphic novel series on Amulet Books that cover a variety of people, events, or things. They’re also some of the best, not to mention educational series of books that have the potential to engage young readers on real-life happenings. Blades of Freedom is the tenth book in the series and it brings the elements that fans enjoyed from earlier books, but also digs deeper into history and unknown nuggets.

All of Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales are written from a similar perspective. They’re presented to readers by the hangman, Nathan Hale, and a provost. I had to look up and see what a ‘provost’ is too. Essentially it’s the senior academic official and that sounds highbrow or fancy for a graphic novel, but these books are laden with hundreds of historical facts. Nathan Hale was an American soldier who was executed as a spy during the Revolutionary War. Nathan Hale is also the author’s name. The hangman is a stout figure, who’s dressed like Zorro, brings most of the humor to the books, and often breaks the wall between the book and the reader.

Each of the Hazardous Tales books walks a tightrope of a non-fiction narrative story that’s broken up with commentary by one of those three characters. When the plot gets serious, ridiculous, or requires a little more context, one of them, usually the hangman, jumps in and provides said information. The result of all of this is that each book presents a detailed look at non-fiction events that students otherwise wouldn’t know about.

Blades of Freedom takes a deep dive into the happenings around 1620 and 1801, which included Yellow Fever, the Lousiana Purchase, slavery, and Haiti gaining its freedom, to mention a couple of things. That is a massive amount of topics, regardless of how thoroughly they’re covered. What’s even more impressive is how well readers will understand the events that are talked about.

Personally, I had no idea how bloody, deadly, and cruel the Haitian Revolution was. One French General, Rochambeau, was personally responsible for drowning thousands, hanging thousands of others, and killing other Haitian citizens in any other grisly manner conceivable. I also didn’t know that the Haitian Revolution took so long, had so many figures, and crossed over into other key events on a global stage.

The fact that the Hazardous Tales series makes history so educational-and so approachable for middle school readers is amazing. Hale doesn’t gloss over any of the atrocities, they’re fully acknowledged. However, they’re covered in a way that middle school audiences will know and understand that it was real, but are part of a bigger story. Specifically, in the case of Blades of Freedom, it’s not exclusively about the Battle of Veritieres, rather, it’s the totality of Haiti, the country’s oppression, slavery, and fight for freedom.

All of this sounds like heavy stuff, but Blades of Freedom is perfect for ages 10 and up that love to read. Personally, again, my only issue with the Hazardous Tales series is that the font is too small. I know, see an eye doctor and accept my middle-life eyesight degradation. To that end, Amulet is re-releasing Alamo All-Stars and Donner Dinner Party in a package that’s almost twice as large, and with 16 pages of new mini-comics. A larger size is welcome in these books for older readers. You younger readers with your airline pilot vision will relish Blades of Freedom and its look at a chapter in history that most of those may not know about.

Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales, Blades of Freedom is by Nathan Hale and available on Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams Books.