Cranky Chicken and Speedy the Worm engage in all kinds of silliness in this simple graphic novel. Each chapter is a separate short story, ranging from “The Happiest Nap Ever” to “Best Feathered Friend”. Stories are sweet and somewhat reminiscent of “Elephant and Piggie”. And, there are plenty of giggles for adults in the room (Note the Star Wars and Where’s Waldo references). Give this to your young readers who enjoy the above-mentioned “Elephant and Piggie” or “Narwhal and Jelly”. They won’t be disappointed!
The Hunger Heroes (a bean, chip cheese and tomato) are on the case when a babysitter is left without snacks. Her “hanger” is rising and only they can save the day. Unfortunately, Ava (the jealous super-fan avocado) attempts to foil their rescue using a variety of methods – all of which fail. The super hero foods save the day and Gabby, the babysitter, is ready to do her job with a smile after a few well-chosen snacks. The Hunger Heroes plus Ava (they forgave her) fly off into the night in their taco hovercraft to await the next snack emergency.
This graphic novel chapter book is a fun read for kids who are ready to try something a bit more than a traditional early chapter or picture book. Its spare text and colorful illustrations are are engaging and accessible. Kids will eat this up!
Miss Hildy and Miss Hattie, two friendly witches, leave Styx (a purple cat) and Scones (a ginger colored dog) alone in their cottage when they go off to gather some fenfruit. They instruct their pets to leave various magical items alone, including a crystal ball, potions and herbs and the flying brooms. They don’t say anything about the stick on the mantel. So, Scones figures it’s ok to play with, right? Well, mayhem ensues as the two animals scuffle over the magical stick, turning Styx into a variety of purple animals and adding a ship, pirates and many other magical things to the mix. Upon the return of the witches, they learn that the stick is just that, not a magic wand. Yet, they turn Miss Hattie into a jar of peanut butter. So, what is that about?
This hilarious beginning graphic novel is perfect for new readers, who are introduced to the format by Styx and Scones on the first few pages. Cartoon-like illustrations are bright and the text is very accessible. This book will not be on the library shelves for long! Highly recommended.
It’s a special day in Ember City! Young dragons will learn what their “Spark” (special power) is at the Spark Day Ceremony. Among them are Li, Runa and Drake, who are three best friends. At the Ceremony, they see the beautiful disco ball that was created by dragons on the very first Spark Day. During the party after receiving their Sparks, Drake and another dragon, Fizz, get into a bit of tussle and break the special disco ball, ending the Spark Day festivities. Each of the young dragons tries to fix the broken disco ball with disastrous results. Suddenly, Drake remembers something that the mayor said, “Our Sparks shine their brightest when we use them to help one another”. They follow this advice and not only fix the broken disco ball but make it more special, alight with rainbow colors. They had learned a valuable lesson and saved Spark Day!
Brightly colored cartoon-like illustrations in a graphic novel/early chapter book style make this a nice introduction to the genre for young readers. It is not text-heavy and there is a lot of white space on the pages, which makes it even more accessible. The story moves along and the dragons are fun and a little silly. Kids will love it!
Four young horses from a divided kingdom come together to fulfill the prophesy of Horsa. Their quest is to locate the magical yearling that will bring peace to their warring realms once again. They are chosen by a magical pink sun and their hooves are marked by that magic. This story, the first in a series, shares their selection to the group and their first attempt at locating the magical yearling with all its dangers along the way. Guided by a special map, they begin this quest underground, fighting off rock monsters and coming to a rather uneasy alliance.
Vivid illustrations and manageable text will gain young fans of graphic novels, fantasy and horses. Each horse’s personality comes through clearly and their interactions are, at times, humorous. The story is nicely paced and young readers will certainly look forward to the next installment in the series. Highly recommended.
written by Heidi E.Y. Stemple; illustrated by Selom Sunu
Gregory James is on his way to school when he is knocked over by two bigger boys. As he picks up the items that spilled out of his backpack, Lola (who becomes his new friend) stops to help him. He explains the odd contents of his backpack (duster, strainer and kazoo) and they walk to school, because they missed the bus. They come upon their school bus being attacked by a dinosaur AND flying aloft under a rainbow balloon. Fortunately, Gregory James has the tools necessary to save the day and rescue the bus and the bigger boys from earlier. Then, he and Lola continue on their way to school.
This early reader graphic novel starts with a nice tutorial about graphic novels, Speech and thought bubbles are explained as are panels. Minimal text and clean, simple cartoon-like illustrations make this an easy read. The story line is rather strange. But, a beginning reader will feel quite successful with this simple book.
written by Milo Stone, Shawn Martinbrough and Joseph P. Illidge; illustrated by Christopher Jordan
Digger, Kim’s dog, is accused of ruining Neil’s birthday party. So, Digger has his day in court with Miles defending him and Neil as the prosecutor. Judge Kim presides and the truth is discovered!
This simple graphic novel is a wonderful introduction to the format of comics, with helpful tips for reading, such as the difference between speech and thought bubbles, panels and direction of the storyline on each page (left to right, top to bottom). Diverse characters round out a simple, fun story that will engage early readers. They will ask for more!
Lumberjackula (or Jack, for short) is at a critical time of his life. He is aging out of of under-school and must decide whether to become a lumberjack like his mom and attend Mighty Log Lumberjack Prep or a vampire like his dad and attend Sorrow’s Gloom Vampire Academy. His parents are very supportive from the start and will be proud of his choice no matter what he does. Yet, Jack is feeling pressure, because he’s not sure he wants to go to either school and follow in his parents’ footsteps. Truthfully, his real passion is dance, which he sneaks of and does when he has the opportunity.
As he is visiting both schools and agonizing over his choices, a new friend enters his life. Plenty is a student at Tip Tap Twinkle Toes Dance Academy and stumbles upon Jack during one of his secret solo dances. She is so impressed that she makes him a map to the dance academy and invites him to come. He makes his way there (past some monsters and a very cool manatee that provides most excellent advice) to discover that dancing is what he is born to do. But, how can he? He as to follow in his parent’s footsteps, doesn’t he?
The rest of the story involves a lot of sneaking around, dancing and a climactic dance recital where Jack’s parents and grandparents discover his talents. They are, as we knew they would, very supportive and excited about Jack’s choices. The end of the story shows students from all three schools and the adults in Jacks’ life connecting through an after-school enrichment program, learning some wonderful skills like hip hop and axe-throwing.
This delightful graphic novel uses accessible text and varying panel configurations and illustrated with clean, boldly colored artwork. While the storyline is somewhat predictable (we readers knew all along that Jack’s parents were supportive and would be fine with his choice), it allows us to enjoy a gentle story of a child (vampire/lumberjack), who is struggling with his view of expectations versus his needs. It’s a lesson on finding your way and being who you really are, not who you think the people around you want you to be. Follow your dreams – be a dancer, a vampire, or a lumberjack. it’s your life and your choice! Highly recommended.
This is Book #2 of the Barb the Last Berzerker series and we rejoin Barb, her pal Yeti and various other sidekicks as they continue their quest to save Bailiwick from the evil Witch Head. Barb is a Berzerker, an elite fighter, like her mother and fellow warriors. Her goal is to keep the magical Ghost Blade away from Witch Head, so that he doesn’t destroy Bailiwick. Barb manages to survive a trip to a monster village and rescue her fellow Berzerkers that had fallen under the Witch Head’s spell. Unfortunately, Barb is captured and the story “ends” with her being carried into the Witch Head’s lair. To Be Continued in Book #3.
Fantasy and humor are combined in this brightly drawn graphic novel. The quest is solid and the humor is on the side of ‘potty’ with farts and ‘full moons’. This book and the others in the series might appeal to those students that giggle over that type of humor. It’s unfortunate that the story feels so incomplete without Books #1 and #3. The purchase is a commitment and I’m not sure it’s worth it.
This graphic novel is sure to catch the eyes of queer kids and people everywhere, and anyone trying to navigate new relationships and how they’ll affect your other ones! In a strict, rigid, religious private high school town, a group of four queer teen girls navigate consuming anime, selling bootleg DVDs to their peers, and their own interpersonal relationships (romantic or not). A contemporary graphic novel, this book will be sure to touch the hearts of LGBTQIA+ teens and those used to very strict and repressive religious/small-town environments. It discusses the idea of how dating within a friend group can affect others, and the changes we can experience in high school, whether they’re good… or bad. I liked the small details the artist and author included in the panels. There’s a lot of context and random information provided via text bubbles and a few pages that break from the main story to provide an idea of why the situation is the way it is. I personally appreciate the breaks; they’re witty, help the reader take a moment to better know the situation, and they’re great fourth-wall-breaks. The flow is very cluttered, and confusing at times. Trigger Warnings: Swearing, homophobic slurs, implied masturbation (momentary), homophobia, infidelity, mentions of drug use, implied abuse (momentary) organized religion, and its ending is very- bitter. It’s a realistic ending, but there aren’t sunshine and rainbows. It’s a good read, for sure, but the reality of this book, and the themes it tries to convey, are sad and will cause heart pangs.
Nugget (a chicken nugget) and Dog (a hot dog) are so excited to have some fun at summer camp. Unfortunately, Dijon (yes, he’s mustard) has an evil plan to scare everyone! He and his sidekick, Crouton (self-explanatory) mess up their plan to scare everyone with the Mean Green Pine Thing, which ends up being Honey Dijon (Dijon’s cousin), who just wanted a little attention herself. Rounding out the cast of delicious campers is Fry and the grumpy camp counselor, Grizzle.
This beginning graphic novel begins with some simple information about panels, thought bubbles and speech bubbles as well as how to follow the story on a page. This is very helpful for those readers new to graphic novels. Illustrations are bright and text is simple. This is a nice introduction to graphic novels and is really humorous. How can it not be funny with a hot dog and chicken nugget as main characters? highly recommended.
Bicycles are missing from Kim’s school and rumors are flying. Kids start accusing the new boy, Corey. So, Kim takes matters into her own hands and assigns her friends to gather facts and evidence. She convenes a “Kids’ Court” in the tree house that her dad just built, overcoming her fear of heights to climb the ladder for court. Kim handles the case with unusual maturity, which is not surprising since her mom is a judge and Kim’s been to her courtroom. The story ends happily with Corey’s explanation that he wanted to fix up his peers’ bikes in order to make friends and apologizing for stealing them to do so. His classmates forgive him and are thrilled with their newly fixed bikes.
The book begins with a short explanation about the correct way to read a graphic novel. This is helpful, because readers new to graphic novels will now know the difference between a speech and thought bubble and the direction of the story on each page. The story itself is fairly short and the text is very accessible. Illustrations are bright and characters are diverse. Highly recommended for those new to graphic novels.
Shelby and Watts are “Planetary Investigators”, aka detectives with an environmental focus in this first book of a new graphic novel series. Shelby, a fox with a notebook, is a budding detective while her friend, Watts, loves facts and encyclopedias. They are called upon to investigate the disappearance of shells on the beach. Fred, a hermit crab in a very tight shell, is frantic. He needs a new shell for a home and protection, but there are aren’t any to be found. His pals are in the same “pickle” (“in a difficult situation” as defined by Watts).
So, Shelby get to work tracking down the shell thief. They follow several clues, all of which are noted in Shelby’s notebook. And, Watts adds in relevant facts about the beach and its inhabitants. They discover the missing shells and the so-called thief – Arty, the rhino, who was collecting beach shells and didn’t know the havoc he was creating in the hermit crab world. Shelby and Watts give some great tips about saving the beach at the end of the story, like “leave the beach cleaner than when you found it”.
This simple nine chapter graphic novel is a nice transition story. It is much shorter than its 94 pages appear, with several single panel pages. Color is vibrant and text is accessible. Interesting facts about ocean creatures are interspersed throughout and do not interrupt the flow of the story. Recommended.
Nickolodeon;s JoJo Siwa is invited to sing at the opening of a new candy-themed park, SugarPalooza, and takes her two friends, Grace and Kyra for a special tour before the show. The park’s owner’s daughter, Avery, and her friend, Jada, join the tour. Something’s not quite right, but JoJo can’t figure it out. Actually, there’s a lot that isn’t right, including a big mess of chocolate as the chocolate pumps malfunction. Candy is everywhere, rides are breaking down and Grace is missing! JoJo and Kyra spring into action to fix both calamities. The chocolate malfunction is fixed, thanks to help from Jada and their tour guide, Maddy. And, they locate Grace, who has a history with Avery (not a nice girl). But, Grace saves Avery despite their bad relationship, and Avery apologizes. The show must go on and, after a cleanup, the park opens and JoJo performs for the adoring crowds. Everything is sweet in this Candy Caper.
This graphic novel is full of color and a simple story line (girl drama that is fixed in the end). The font is fairly small. The illustrations are set in one to five panes per page. Fans of JoJo Siwa will enjoy this book and a wider audience might like the adventurous romp through SugarPalooza.
Paige is a self-professed “Fact Collector” and she uses that skill in her new neighborhood. She writes facts, such as there are 73 windows on her streets, in her trusty notebook. She also writes some cool facts that she hears or reads, like “A wombat’s poop is cube-shaped”. One day, her new friend, Penn, states that there is a monster in their neighborhood and Paige is determined to discover if that is a fact. She needs to collect evidence to prove or disprove Penn’s claim. This leads the pair on a fact-finding mission that eventually disproves Penn’s statement. But, wait…Penn looks at the evidence and comes to another conclusion – the monster is real! Well, the real conclusion is that two people can look at the same evidence and come to different conclusions. It looks like more evidence is needed!
This book is billed as a graphic novel chapter book and has single and double paneled pages, as well as pages from Paige’s notebook. The nine chapters are short and easy to read. This mystery is a nice introduction to the genre and has some great facts as a bonus!
Inspired by real-life women pirates, this graphic novel, released in February of 2021, promises to be the first of a series. Anne Bonny is the captain of La Sirene, whose diverse crew members each rise to the occasion, showing their individual strengths, when time on the sea puts them in dramatic situations. Told with plenty of humor and action-adventure, the illustrations waiver between retro comic books (X’s in the eyes, WHAM!, KABOOM!) and pop culture (“Oh, [poop emoji] !”) See how this band of misfits battle the more technically advanced, men-driven ship, and be ready for romance to show up in unexpected places.
This darling beginning reader chapter, picture, graphic novel book was written by Sarah Dillard. She masterfully blends a picture book with beginning reading book, and a graphic novel which will appeal to all readers and ability levels. The pictures are charming and will be appealing to younger readers who need the visual cueing and enjoy the illustrations of “Everybody” books. The organization of a beginning reader chapter book with features such as chapters, should appeal to the reader who wish to identify with the format of older students. But, just as appealing is the graphic novel fusion, where reluctant readers usually choose to reside. This book has it all, almost creating a new genre’ which I suspect will appeal to a wide range of readers.
The story is light hearted adventure featuring our main character, Warren, who is a young chicken hoping to learn to fly so he can go to the moon. Supporting characters include the coach, who helps Warren practice flying utilizing activities such as yoga. Once he learns and acquires a “side kick” who was an egg and then a chick. Warren becomes both a role model to the young chick and also a hero as he realizes that rat and fox have nefarious plans for the chicken barn. Very cute book in a boutique series collection! https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Extraordinary-Warrens-World/Sarah-Dillard/PIX/9781534463462
This is the first graphic novel in a series about the adventures of teenage girl Monica and her friend group, “Monica’s Gang.” It’s actually based on a widely-loved comic strip from Brazil that started in the 1960s. While the insanely popular comics were about the adventures of a group of kids, the graphic novel follows the same group as teens as they try to navigate their changing relationships and new challenges while still maintaining their strong friendships with each other.
It’s a fun story very reminiscent of Archie comics, and it was neat learning about the comic’s history at the end and noticing sprinklings of the classic comic referenced in the graphic novel. I found I was able to follow along with the story without having any background in the comics previously. The illustrations were fun and the characters were engaging and animated.
I did find issue with a couple elements in the story that I feel detracted from the book overall. This is intended for kids aged 8-12, but it focused pretty heavily on Monica and her friend J-Five’s growing affection for each other. I wished it was more about their friend group’s random adventures and less about romance. Additionally, Monica’s friend Maggy is really focused on the caloric content of foods. In her character description at the start, the book says she’s “…virtually obsessed with proper nutrition, sports, and exercise…” but instead of showing an interest in nutrition, she just seemed obsessed with how many calories were in what she was eating. There’s also a couple in one scene (page 56) where the girl explains to her date that girls have to care more about calories and fat because “If we were to stop and think like you boys…we wouldn’t have these bodies and we’d have big ol’ bellies!” and then an image is depicted showing a guy with a little bit of a stomach next to a thin girl. She proceeds to tell her date that he should get back to working out more. I know it’s a comic, but these “jokes” fell flat on me and I don’t think they are what we should be encouraging for little kids. I may have felt better if Maggy was shown that eating healthily is about balance (It could have been a good teaching moment.), but instead the other characters just kinda rolled their eyes and got her low-calorie stuff, or they just laughed about it. Pages 12-14 further show strange food comments (“I need to maintain my silhouette, girl!”) and show the girls, all thin with large breasts, in bikinis on the beach.
Overall, it was a cute story and it’s always fun to see beloved comics get reimagined and reintroduced to new audiences. However, it just doesn’t sit well in a 2020 library, and I wish they had updated their perceptions on body image with their updated look and format.
Fifth grade Olivia has many friends and can float easily between groups. One day, Mr. Florez (her teacher) announces the date for the annual fifth grade Variety Show. The students excitedly discuss ideas for their acts and form pairs and groups. That is where the problems begin for Olivia – none of her friends ask her to join their acts! Olivia realizes at that moment that while she has lots of different friends and friend groups, she does not have a best friend. It just hasn’t ‘clicked’ for her.
This dilemma throws her into a panic and she begins to feel isolated and alone. She turns to her family. Her mom wants to fix things for her, which is never a good idea (in a kid’s mind). Help really comes in the form of her rather hip aunt, who has Olivia over for an aunt/niece sleepover and shows Olivia videos of old television variety shows. Aunt Molly also shares her school talent show experience, when she did a solo act and felt great about it. Olivia studies the old shows, thinks about her aunt’s youthful experience and determines the best route for herself.
She returns to school and, as Mr. Florez notes student acts, announces to the class and her teacher that she wants to host the fifth grade Variety Show. Her classmates embrace this idea and her family supports her as she takes on this challenge. When asked how she even thought of the idea of hosting, Olivia replied that it jut “clicked”. In the following days, she and her friends reconnect and she happily moves between friend groups, sometimes introducing them to each other with fun results. The story ends on the night of the Variety Show as Olivia takes the stage and the curtain opens.
This is a wonderful book with a story that many kids of this age can relate to on many levels. Friendships are difficult to navigate and understand and the feeling of isolation can happen on any given moment for the tween crowd. Olivia’s emotions are clearly visible as she grapples with this problem – dreaming about it, thinking about it and talking about it with her family. The beauty of the solution is that is comes from herself. Her aunt gives her some information and Olivia works through it all and is confident in her plan and place.
Illustrations are pen and ink with muted colors and the characters are diverse. Fans of Smile and Best Friends will love this first book in the series.
Wow! This book takes me back in time, from a 90’s PBS cartoon to now, a Netflix series and graphic novel! In The Fishy Treasure Caper, Ecuador is the country in the spotlight. Carmen and her crew (Ivy, Zack and Player) are attempting to locate a possible treasure trove of gold coins from a sunken ship before the evil folks at VILE locate them and use the proceeds for their dastardly deeds. Carmen finds the sunken ship and is holding a gold doubloon when VILE’s El Topo arrives and an underwater battle for the gold ensues. Unfortunately, the coin is swallowed by a tuna during the melee and caught by a fishing boat.
This leads Carmen, her crew as well as VILE’s El Topo and Le Chevre to the fish market to retrieve the doubloon. Along the way, the team meets Dr. Pilar Marquez, an archaeologist, who gives them some background on the doubloon and reveals that it is not worth much monetarily. But, it’s cultural value is immense. Carmen dons her signature red coat and hat and she, along with her crew, battle the bad guys for the doubloon. She then does the right thing and gives it to Dr. Marquez and heads off to her next adventure…in Amersterdam!
Information about Ecuador is sprinkled throughout the story and a final two-page spread gives a great deal of relevant facts. Readers learn some background details about Carmen and VILE and her cool James Bond-style spy tools interspersed with the story line.
The illustrations are crisp and the story flows well through the panels. Dialogue is easy to follow an parts of the story are detailed in boxes attached to various panels.
A new generation of kids can enjoy the (educational) adventures of Carmen in this format and its associated Netflix series. I, for one, can’t wait to see where Carmen goes next! Highly recommended.
This graphic novel has two stories set in London. Four kids (Tyler, Zoey, Kyle and Ashley) are part of the Mystery Club and are dedicated to solving mysteries involving monsters. In Wild Werewolves, the group solves the sudden appearance of numerous werewolves that roam the city. Mummy Mischief involves a lovelorn mummy roaming the subways. Both stories have an enemy named Harnak that is thwarted by the kids each time.
The stories are light and flow smoothly. The colors are bright and and the illustrations are not overdone. This is a fun, “safe” graphic novel for younger readers and won’t shock anyone. The reading level is set at a 2.8 and interest level at 3-6. But, younger students will certainly understand and enjoy it and your hi-lo readers will appreciate it.
Edison Beaker believes that he will never be a Creature Seeker (after book #1). But, Gigi (his great grandma) has other ideas. She tells Edison that he is ready to be a Creature Seeker and must find the Spark to light the city of Pharos. Otherwise, it will be forever sunk into gloom and the evil Baron Umbra and the Underlings will rule. Edison and his sister, Tesla, go to Gigi’s house to locate her book, which will explain everything. Thankfully, Gigi gave Tesla a monster detecting bracelet before they left, because Underlings come after them as they are looking for Gigi’s book. Their friend, Knox, from the Underwhere helps them escape the Underlings and they go through the Night Door to save Pharos.
Baron Umbra won’t let that happen easily and it takes the three intrepid heroes and a new friend, an Underling named Smudge, to return the light to Pharos and save the city. Along the way, they discover that true friendship, family and loyalty can go far in making the world better.
Colorful illustrations and a little bit of scariness make this a nice elementary level graphic novel. The classic good versus evil is woven nicely into the story. The main characters are loyal, brave and accepting of others (although Tesla was much quicker than Edison in that respect). In case you might want more – the last page has a huge hint that the story will continue…
Shining Armor and Cadance share the story of their meeting and romance in school (and eventual marriage) with his little sister and her friends. Shining Star was a ‘nerd’ and Cadance was a popular pony, who appeared to be headed to the dance with the awful polo team captain. Shining Star’s friends are there to help him achieve his dream of taking Cadance to the dance and they devise elaborate plans…all of which fail miserably. The book ends on a cliffhanger and we don’t know how they end up at the dance together. We have to read the next book in the series to finish the story.
This graphic novel is colorful and is varied in number of panels per page, which moves the story along nicely. Colors are vibrant and the ponies are as over-the-top sparkly and glamorous as they are in their television shows. It should appeal to young readers. But, beware – you won’t be able to get away with buying just one volume. Be prepared to purchase the series, because your students will demand to know how the story ends!
Three sisters, antlered Maya, feline Mia and pink-eyed May are awaiting the return of their grandfather, the the Guardian of the Forest. One morning, Mrs. Owl brings them a letter and after reading it, Maya and Mia plan a celebration. They don’t include May (who is younger and speaks in baby talk “ga ga ga”), so she wanders off and ends up in Mrs. Owl’s letter bag. She is carried off and falls into the forest when the strap on the bag breaks, dumping her and the rest of the mail. Interestingly, the animals in the forest understand May perfectly and she has a great time locating the missing letters with them. Maya and Mia spend their day preparing for the celebration and realize May is missing just as the party is to start. They have just a short time to be sad before May, the forest animals and, surprise(!), grandpa show up. Let the celebration begin!
This is a light little story with manga-like characters set in a cute cottage in a lovely forest. There isn’t a lot of depth to the story in this graphic novel. But, that’s ok, given it appears to be directed at the younger crowd. It’s a sweet introduction to graphic novels and is sure to please the target audience.
Super Potato is captured by the evil Zort, a slug king that collects creatures from different planets for his personal zoo. Fortunately, the slug’s robot servant is easily manipulated by the brilliant Super Potato and opens all the cages to release the creatures. Minus the Magnificent, king of the Planet Micron, and his armada (who came to rescue him) return the creatures to their home planets and take Super Potato back to Earth. Is this the end? Nope…I know this, because it says it on the last page! There will be more adventures to come.
This innocent little graphic novel will appeal to those readers who might be beginning their exploration of the genre. It is not too difficult to follow and the humor is at the perfect level for the 2nd-5th grade reader. Pages range from single panel to three panel comic spreads that move the story along. The colors are bright and the writing is simple. Pick up this book (and the first one) for your young readers.
