Graphic novels

Picture Day by Sarah Sax (Brinkley Yearbooks)

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Although her mom urges her to keep a low profile in middle school, Olivia wants to be seen.  Renaming herself Viv to differentiate herself from all the other Olivias, she takes to heart the words of a social media follower to be true to herself.  She chops off her hair right before school pictures are taken, causing a buzz around school.  Encouraged, Viv begins staging spectacles that get her noticed by the cool kids.  But her old friends Milo and Al feel left behind, and when Viv tries to include them in one of her spectacles, it’s a disaster.  Viv is forced to do some soul searching to decide where her loyalties lie, and ultimately she’s able to find a way to keep her old friends while being true to herself.  Includes an author’s note about an interesting way she generated story ideas that led to this graphic novel.  288 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Another fun middle school graphic novel with a positive message about being yourself but not at the expense of others’ feelings and with some good observations about social media.  The author’s website says this book one of a planned series of four.

Cons:  Creating spectacles in middle school = extremely cringy.

Talia’s Codebook for Mathletes by Marissa Moss

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Published by Walker Books

Summary:  Talia’s dealing with lots of ups and downs at the beginning of middle school, but the worst is that her neighbor and best friend Dash doesn’t want to be seen with a girl at school.  When Talia joins the mathletes, she learns that she’s the only girl, and the coach and some of the other boys treat her disrespectfully.  Fed up, she decides to form her own girls’ mathletes team.  Her two best friends aren’t interested in being on the team, but they’re supportive and help her get things going.  Much to her surprise, sixteen girls show up to the first meeting, and before long, the Mathlete Mermaids are ready for competition.  At the big meet, Talia messes up, but she learns from her mistake, and the rest of the team does well enough to win.  The boys are shocked but see that their sexism has lost them some valuable teammates, and the two teams decide to merge.  Talia has mixed feelings about this but is proud that she stepped up and created a way for girls to shine in math. Includes additional information about codes and an author’s note about her own experience with mathletes.  240 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Middle school graphic novel fans will enjoy this story of STEM girl power that includes a number of fun codes, and that does an excellent job of chronicling middle school friendship and family issues without neatly resolving them all.  

Cons:  I was hoping that Talia’s parents, who focused on her mistake at the competition instead of her team’s win, would learn a lesson or two, but no such luck.

Like Lava in My Veins by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Shawn Martinbrough

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Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Summary:  Bobby Beacon has a superhero’s name (“beacons lead people and show them the way”), and now he’s off to a superhero’s school, Academy of Kids With Awesome Abilities, or AKWAA.  His superpower is light and fire, but sometimes if he gets angry, his powers overwhelm him, and he ends up destroying things.  His first teacher, Ms. Flores, doesn’t always treat him respectfully, and Bobby ends up melting his chair.  Having witnessed another student, Pause, get expelled and sent to the Institute of Superpowers for misusing her superpowers, Bobby is afraid he’s headed in that direction.  But a smaller class and a more understanding teacher, Miss Brooklyn, make him feel welcome at school and give him strategies for channeling his powers.  He needs those strategies when the head of the Institute and Pause come looking for him.  He manages to defeat the head and puts in a good word for Pause to get her readmitted to AKWAA.  It’s a happy ending, and the final page hints that a sequel may be in store.  40 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  Fun comic book meets Black empowerment in this story of superhero kids learning to channel their powers for goods.  Miss Brooklyn provides a great model for a compassionate teacher, showing the importance of listening and using empathy to reach kids.  The cover and illustrations make this a book that will fly off the library shelves.

Cons:  This felt like it would have worked better as a longer graphic novel with more character and plot development.

Lo & Behold by Wendy Mass, illustrated by Gabi Mendez

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Published by Random House Graphic

Summary:  Addie remembers a happy childhood with two parents who loved her and encouraged her interests, but after her mom’s bike accident, she changed and no longer lives with the family.  When Addie’s dad gets a chance to work on a virtual reality project at a university, he takes Addie with him to live on campus for the summer.  There Addie discovers VR and the immersive worlds it can create, while tentatively making steps toward Mateo, her across-the-hall neighbor.  Addie’s virtual discoveries help her uncover some truths about her real life, and by the end of the summer, she’s willing to confide in Mateo and to learn about a tragedy that occurred in his family.  As Addie begins to accept the reality of what’s happened to her mom, her whole family finds a way to heal and move forward together.  224 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  There’s a lot going on in this appealing graphic novel, and fans of the middle school realistic fiction graphic novel genre will be only too happy to discover Wendy Mass (and maybe try some of her excellent non-graphic novels).  The artwork is inspired, particularly the way Gabi Mendez differentiates the virtual reality sequences.

Cons:  This seems like a book that would appeal to elementary kids, but reviews seem to recommend it more for middle school, maybe due to the addiction storyline.

Shakti by SJ Sindu, illustrated by Nabi H. Ali

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by HarperAlley

Summary:  Shakti’s family has moved a lot, but her moms promise that the move to Amherst, MA will be the last one for a while.  Her mother Terri is pregnant and working on a PhD at the university, while her other mother Rita is a programmer with a pretty good knowledge of magic.  Shakti has shown an inclination toward magic, but after accidentally burning down the house as a baby, she’s been forbidden from using her powers until she’s older.  Shakti makes some good friends at her new school but discovers that three of the mean girls are practicing witchcraft to bind the school to them, making all the teachers love them while neglecting the rest of the student body.  Determined to break the spell, which threatens to hurt Shakti’s new baby sibling, Shakti and her friends call on the Hindu goddesses Rita has taught her about, unleashing power that they then struggle to contain.  Shakti learns that she has to let go of her anger and focus her powers to save her family, her friends, and her town.  256 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Witchcraft in western Massachusetts?  I knew I had to read this graphic novel as soon as I heard about it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, from the middle school drama to the concise but detailed introductions to Hindu mythology.  Recommend this to readers looking for something a little more fantasy-oriented than the usual middle school graphic novel.

Cons:  The b-word (represented as b–) is used a few times.

Garvey’s Choice: The Graphic Novel by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Theodore Taylor III

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Published by Wordsong

Summary:  Nikki Grimes’s 2016 novel in verse has been turned into a graphic novel that is quite faithful to the original.  Garvey’s interested in chess and astronomy, while his dad wishes he would play sports, leading to ongoing conflict between the two.  When Garvey joins the school chorus, he discovers a talent for singing that eventually leads to a reconciliation with his dad (you can read a more detailed summary in my original review).  Includes additional information about tanka, the poetic form used by Nikki Grimes to write the book.  144 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Turning this into a graphic novel is a stroke of genius, since it will bring a lot more readers to this excellent book.  The original was short enough that it is mostly preserved intact (I’m taking reviewers’ words for this, as I didn’t do a comparison myself), creating a story that many kids will relate to.

Cons:  Although Garvey lost a little bit of weight (one size), he wisely focused on developing healthier habits; however, the illustrations made him look like almost a different person in the last few pages.

The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill

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Published by Random House Graphic

Summary:  Long ago, a community formed in the desert to live their lives at night and keep the Moon Spirit company.  In return, the Spirit gave them a special tree that made their lives easier.  The tree had to be pollinated once a year by Moon-Moths.  Now Anya has become an apprentice Moth Keeper, going out every night into the desert, sometimes with her guardian Yeolen and sometimes alone.  Anya had a tough childhood, seen in flashbacks, and she sometimes fears the dark and longs to spend her days in the daylight.  But when she causes a near-catastrophe with the moths, she realizes the importance of her community and her role in it.  Helped by them, she’s able to correct her mistake and finds new beauty and connection in her nightly work.  272 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  The gorgeous illustrations make this fantasy tale one that readers will want to revisit over and over again.  K. O’Neill has created a magical world filled with mystery, beauty, and a tight-knit, loving community.

Cons:  Be sure to spend plenty of time on the wordless pages of the book to fully understand the story. I found myself confused more than once.

Meesh the Bad Demon by Michelle Lam

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Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Meesh struggles with things that come easy for most demons her age, like breathing fire and puking acid, and is often picked on by a bully named Xavier.  She prefers befriending flowers and watching the Princess Nouna TV show with her grandmother.  When a mysterious substance starts turning demons into stone, Meesh realizes it’s up to her to save her community.  She goes off in search of Princess Nouna but is dismayed by the real-life princess when they finally meet.  The two unwittingly wind up going on a series of adventures together, during which Meesh discovers some new powers.  Eventually, they add a couple more kids to their group, including, much to Meesh’s surprise, Xavier.  Working together, the team manages to save the demons, and a surprising twist at the end will have readers eagerly awaiting a sequel.  304 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  This manga-style comic is sure to be a big hit, with its gorgeous art, non-stop adventures, creative world-building, and loveable team of misfits that learn to accept each other and work together to do great things.

Cons:  I think this is a “me” problem, but I do struggle in fantasy graphic novels to keep track of the various characters and their worlds.

Doodles from the Boogie Down by Stephanie Rodriguez

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Published by Kokila

Summary:  Steph is in eighth grade at her Bronx Catholic school, which means she and her friends are applying to New York City high schools.  Her strict Dominican mother wants her to continue at a Catholic school near home, but Steph is drawn to an arts school in Manhattan.  Since the school of her dreams requires a portfolio, not an exam, Steph decides to secretly work with her art teacher and mentor, Ms. Santiago, on a portfolio and to purposely fail the high school entrance exam.  Naturally, this plan drastically backfires, and Steph finds herself in trouble with both her school and her mother.  Fortunately, her mother, helped by her own mother, sits down and talks to Steph, resulting in a better understanding on both sides, and ultimately, Steph’s admission to the Laguardia Arts High School.  Includes a note from the creator telling more about her own life and what was the same and different from the fictional Steph.  208 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Fans of graphic memoirs, especially artists, will love this new addition to the canon and will root for Steph in spite of a few less-than-great choices on her part.  

Cons:  I was bummed to learn that the real Stephanie didn’t get to go to LaGuardia High School.

Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Graphix

Summary:  10-year-old Feng-Li is excited to be visiting America for the first time on what she thinks is a vacation, but a week in, she discovers her father packing to leave.  Turns out, her parents have decided that she and her older siblings Jia-Xi and Ke-Gāng will settle in America, where they’ll have more opportunities, and their parents will return to Taiwan and earn money to support the kids.  At first, nearby family friends help out, but when the father of that family gets transferred, the kids are really on their own.  Jia-Xi is trying to prepare for the SAT’s while taking care of the house and kids; Ke-Gāng is struggling with the fact that he’s gay and that the trouble he got into back home caused his parents to want the kids out of Taiwan; and Feng-Li is just trying to learn enough English to make a friend and to keep her siblings from their constant bickering.  As one catastrophe follows another, the kids try to keep things going, and Feng-Li is forced to grow up fast to keep her family from falling apart.  Includes an author’s note about her own experiences as a parachute kid, and how she used those experiences and those of other immigrant friends to create this story.  288 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  A compelling graphic novel about a family faced with some unimaginably difficult times, and the three brave kids who are able to admit their mistakes and work hard to make things better.  As Betty Tang says in the author’s note, “We need more diverse books, so eventually, everyone can find a piece of themselves reflected and their voices heard.”  The Lins’ story adds another voice to that canon.  

Cons:  I was hoping Ke-Gāng would be able to come out to his family by the end of the story, but it didn’t happen.