Even though Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke is a must-read on its own, there are other things, specifically what the reader can take away from it, that help to solidify it as a must-read.
One of the first takeaways is leadership. Throughout the graphic novel, Zita must learn to become a leader and live into her persona as Zita the Spacegirl. However, she must also be a leader when it comes to putting together a team and saving her friend Joseph.
The second takeaway is closely related to leadership and why Zita has to be a leader, and that is friendship. Friendship is the true catalyst of this graphic novel. All of the action begins because of Zita’s and Joseph’s friendship. Though, friendship does not have to be only on Earth. Through her adventures in space, Zita gets to meet many different creatures who she can consider her partners and friends.
The third takeaway from Zita the Spacegirl is trust. When Zita goes into this other world to save Joseph, not only does she have to trust herself and her skills, but she also has to trust that others have her best interest in mind. For example, Zita meets many creatures, such as Robot Randy, Mouse, and Piper, who know the universe better than she does, but she must trust that they are not going to use their knowledge to deceive her.
The last takeaway is choice. There are many choices that Zita and others have to make throughout the graphic novel, such as: Should Zita follow Joseph? Should Zita save herself and Joseph, or should she save the planet? Should Piper help Zita? While the graphic novel shows many characters making many difficult decisions, one thing that it does make clear is that even with a difficult decision, the characters stand by their choice.
As always, there are plenty of more takeaways that can be found in Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke. We hope that this blog post is a jumping-off point for you and that as you read the graphic novel, you will find these takeaways and your own.
-Written by Nancy Gately