Monthly Book Recommendation: The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé

The Adventures of Tintin

by Hergé
Recommended reading age: 9+
Lexile measure: 300L ~ 450L

image source: online

The Tintin series are a classic collection of comic books by Belgian writer Hergé. The books follow various stories about young reporter Tintin and his dog as they travel across the world, encounter exciting adventures and work as a force for good. Hergé’s brilliant storytelling, drawings and humor has made The Adventures of Tintin one of the most popular European graphic novels, having been translated into more than 70 languages.
Read more about why we recommended this book and questions/ activities for readers.

Why we recommended it

Set in the 20th century, each of the Tintin books presents young readers with a captivating insight into various cultures and historical events. Readers are immersed in a range of settings including the Sino-Japanese conflict in 1930s China, a hidden Inca civilization in South America, and even the Space Race and moon landing. All these are presented with appealing graphics, witty dialog and vibrant characters that immediately engage both young and older readers. The wide range of historical contexts create an extensive understanding of 20th century history, culture and geography across all seven continents. This makes the Tintin books a valuable foundation for middle and high school history and geography.
Furthermore, the nature of the Tintin books as graphic novels make them accessible to beginner readers, those who prefer comic books, or even to be shown and read out loud to younger children. Compared to other comic books, the Tintin series stands out for its meaningful content and more advanced vocabulary which help to improve readers’ language skills as they match new words to the actions shown graphically. With 24 books in the series, the Tintin series is a must-read with its valuable subject matter and vivid appeal.
Specific Adventures of Tintin book recommendation:
Cigars of the Pharaoh
A particularly thrilling mystery, Cigars of the Pharaoh follows Tintin as he unravels a criminal organization among the ancient Egyptian tombs in the pyramids. Moving from cruise ship to tropical jungle to the historical pyramids, this Tintin adventure is a captivating delve into the culture, topography and history of the Mediterranean and East Asia.

Questions and activities for readers

Reader questions (adapted from Marshall Memo worksheets):

• What is the man with the beard and the top hat looking for in Egypt?
• Why do the two detectives arrest Tintin on the ocean liner?
• Who do you think planted the evidence in his cabin?
• How does Tintin end up in the jungle?
• Why isn’t the Maharaja driven crazy by the arrow?
• What was inside the cigars?

Interested in learning more? Contact us and join our L3 English Reading and Writing or Literature class.

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The article is written by Noa Shmueli
About Noa
Graduated from Taipei European School, Noa is now majoring in English at Columbia University and Trinity College Dublin. An avid reader and writer, she was the Editor-in-Chief of the TES student magazine, PEAK, and have been editing textbooks and essays since 2016.