Graphic novels

Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends by Kaz Windness

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Published by Simon Spotlight

Summary:  Worm and Caterpillar are best friends share many similarities but also have some differences.  Worm is nervous when Caterpillar begins to change even more, eventually falling silent inside of a chrysalis.  When Caterpillar finally wakes up, he’s afraid that if he emerges, Worm will no longer like him.  Finally, Caterpillar reveals himself in his new incarnation as Butterfly.  At first Worm thinks he is a scary bird and hides deep underground, but eventually the two reclaim their best friendship.  Includes directions for drawing Worm and Butterfly.  64 pages; ages 4-7.

Pros:  A fun early reader, with a comic format that includes just a sentence or two of text on each page. The message is positive about keeping friends even when one or both parties go through some changes. There’s a nice introduction to reading comics before the main story begins.

Cons:  Early reader comics about two animal friends seem to be a bit of a glut on the market these days.

Beaky Barnes: Egg on the Loose by David Ezra Stein

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Published by Penguin Workshop

Summary:  When uptight Town Inspector Cobb loses the egg out of his sandwich, he goes off on what seems like a simple search for a replacement.  The quest starts at a restaurant with a chef who has a secret to hide, a fish in search of something more to life than being eaten, and two customers–a woman and a chicken–who set off a chaotic chase through town.  By the end of the story, Inspector Cobb is wearing a barrel and a lovestruck rooster is wearing his uniform.  The whole story is presented as a movie, with several commercial breaks advertising products that turn out to be useful for the characters.  The final few pages fast forward six months, wrapping everyone’s story up with a happy ending.  128 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  David Ezra Stein of Interrupting Chicken fame has created his first graphic novel that is sure to be a hit with the Dog Man crowd with plenty of slapstick humor and a fun, offbeat cast of characters.

Cons:  I would have liked to have seen the “which came first” chicken and egg issue more fully addressed.

Bomb (Graphic Novel): The Race to Build–and Steal–the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin, illustrated by Nick Bertozzi

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Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary:  Steve Sheinkin has turned his award-winning nonfiction book from 2012 into a graphic novel that tells the history of the Manhattan Project, including those who gave information to the Soviets that helped them develop an atomic bomb just a few years after the United States.  One of those was Harry Gold, whose interrogation by the FBI forms the structure for this book.  As the agents question him, Harry slowly reveals the story of the project in Los Alamos, with descriptions of the various people involved like Robert Oppenheimer, Leslie Groves, Richard Feynman, and Klaus Fuchs.  The book ends with a showdown between Oppenheinmer and President Harry Truman, as each realizes the terrible power he has unleashed on the world. As Steve Sheinkin concludes in his author’s note, “How does this story end? We don’t know–because it’s still going on.”  256 pages; grades 5-12.

Pros:  I loved the original Bomb, and this graphic novel does an amazing job of telling many aspects of the story in a necessarily condensed format.  The excellent artwork helps to distinguish the many characters in the story.  It’s an important historical narrative, and the graphic format will make it accessible to many more readers.

Cons:  I missed the depth of the original book in telling about many of the characters and events.

Mia in the Mix by Coco Simon, illustrated by Glass House Graphics

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Published by Simon Spotlight

Summary:  The Cupcake Diaries chapter books are now a graphic novel series, beginning with Katie and the Cupcake Cure and Mia in the Mix.  Mia’s book was the first one to reach me via interlibrary loan, so I ended up reading book 2.  Mia has recently moved to town with her mom, her mom’s boyfriend, and his son, leaving behind her dad and friends in New York City.  She meets Katie, Emma, and Alexis, and the four girls form the Cupcake Club.  As the business is starting to get off the ground, Mia finds herself torn between wanting to spend time with the club and hanging out with some other girls who share her interest in fashion.  Ultimately, Mia decides the cupcake girls are her truest friends, while finding ways to make room for other people in her life.  160 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  This series will appeal to Baby-Sitters Club fans, with similar themes of friendship and starting a business.  The artwork is appealing, and the situations with family and friends are ones that many kids will relate to.

Cons:  It feels like a bit of a rip-off of the BSC series.

The Cool Code by Deirdre Langeland, illustrated by Sarah Mai

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Published by Clarion Books

Summary:  Zoey’s parents are starting their own business and don’t have time to homeschool her anymore, so she’s going to public school for the first time as an eighth grader.  Worried about fitting in, she’s used her considerable coding skills to create an app that will help her figure out what’s cool.  This takes the form of a little pink llama that constantly offers advice on what to wear, say, and do as she navigates her way through the first day of school.  When Zoey decides to join the coding club, she meets a couple of other kids who love coding as much as she does, and who are looking for their next big project.  Zoey reluctantly reveals her app to them, and they decide to upgrade it to give better advice.  Result?  Zoey’s now just about the coolest girl in school but feels pulled in 100 different directions and is at risk of losing her real friends.  224 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  A fun middle school graphic novel with dual messages to be yourself and to not let work take over your life (a lesson Zoey’s parents need to learn as well).  

Cons:  Call me old-fashioned, but I just can’t get behind the bug-eyed look for comic book characters.

Leon the Extraordinary by Jamar Nicholas

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Published by Graphix

Summary:  Leon lives in a town populated by superheroes and villains, but he and his best friend Carlos are ordinary.  That doesn’t stop Leon from wanting to be a hero and wearing a cape, gloves, and goggles wherever he goes.  His former friend Clementine has let her new superpowers go to her head, but when a zombie-creating game starts appearing on other kids’ phones, Leon realizes he needs her help to save the school.  Not only does he track down and defeat the supervillain who is causing the problems, but he discovers some interesting and exciting things about himself and his family.  272 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Kids will love this superhero graphic novel about an ordinary kid who manages to do extraordinary deeds through hard work and kindness.  The last page ends with the promising words “To be continued…”

Cons:  I was hoping Clementine would become a little less insufferable by the end.  Still, there were signs that things might turn around in book 2.

Red Scare by Liam Francis Walsh

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Published by Graphix

Summary:  Peggy’s got a lot going on: she’s recovering from polio and has to use crutches, her twin brother Skip has started being mean to her, and her father has returned from the Korean War with serious physical and psychological injuries, forcing her mother to work as a hotel maid.  One night, Peggy goes to work with her mom and winds up being a witness to a murder and unknowingly coming into possession of a mysterious substance.  When she realizes that she has this potion and that it enables her to fly, she and her new neighbor Jess begin having adventures all over town.  The FBI catches up with them eventually, intent on recovering the potion no matter who gets in their way.  When a suspenseful showdown atop a fire tower puts Peggy, Jess, and Skip in danger, Peggy finds out that she is braver than she thinks.  Includes additional information about polio, the red scare, and the atomic age. 240 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Great snakes!  Tintin fans will love the Hergé-inspired artwork and nonstop adventures of this historical graphic novel that features the red scare of the 1950’s, polio, UFO’s, the Korean War, and a stirring speech about freedom and respecting others’ beliefs delivered by Peggy’s father to the mob going after Jess’s Communist dad.  

Cons:  There was a lot going on in 240 pages, both the rapid-fire plot and the characters’ development and growth, making some resolutions feel a bit too speedy.

Play Like a Girl: A Graphic Memoir by Misty Wilson, illustrated by David Wilson

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Published by Balzer + Bray

Summary:  Misty’s always loved competing with the boys, so when they tell her football’s not for girls, she decides to prove them wrong. It’s the summer before seventh grade, and she convinces her best friend Bree to sign up for seventh grade football with her.  Practices in the August heat are grueling, and the girls have to learn new skills like tackling and learning how to wear football pads.  It proves to be too much for Bree, but Misty sticks with it and becomes an important part of the team.  Most of the boys eventually accept her as a teammate, but a couple never do, which results in some uncomfortable situations.  In between practices and games, Misty deals with friendship issues, a crush on a teammate, and being part of a large blended family.  In the end, she learns the importance of being herself and surrounding herself with people who believe in her.  Includes an author’s note with some additional information about her football career.  272 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  This husband-and-wife team has produced an excellent graphic memoir that will inspire kids to try something outside of their comfort zones.  Sure to appeal to the many fans of the ever-growing middle school graphic novel genre.

Cons:  I was bummed that Misty quit football after seventh grade.

Your Pal Fred by Michael Rex

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Viking Books for Young Readers

Summary:  “Welcome to the future!”  “The future stinks” read two signs on the opening page.  The evidence is there in chapter one when brothers Pug and Plug are traveling through a post-apocalyptic world, each one only looking out for himself.  When they accidentally awaken an AI boy named Fred, they get a few lessons in friendship and sharing.  When Fred learns about the world war going on, he decides to take his lessons to the two warlords to try to negotiate a peaceful settlement.  Fred befriends everyone he meets in his travels, a gift that later is returned when he’s rescued from the warlords’ attempts to destroy him.  A surprising revelation unexpectedly brings peace, and Fred decides to wander the world, helping anyone who may need him.  Includes Fred’s six-step guide to making friends.  272 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  A graphic novel with equal parts fun and heart, as Fred’s unstoppable kindness saves the day in a grim future populated by all sorts of unusual creatures.  As I have mentioned, Mike Rex grew up down the street from me, and I appreciated his dedication, “To my father, who was, above all, kind.”

Cons:  Kindness does not always feel like its own reward here.

Freestyle by Gale Galligan

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Graphix

Summary:  Cory’s part of Eight Bitz, a dance team getting ready for the annual Bronx Kids Battle dance competition.  When progress reports come out, though, his straight C’s upset his parents, who insist that he cut back on dance and get a tutor.  That tutor winds up being Sunna, his science lab partner who Cory has dismissed as a nerd.  But when he accidentally discovers her passion for yo-yo’ing, he changes his mind completely.  Sunna proves to be a good tutor of both the yo-yo and the more academic subjects, and before long Cory has come a long way with both and earned his way back into Eight Bitz.  There are rifts within the team, including Cory’s new friendship with Sunna, and the eight kids have to work hard and compromise to keep the group together.  A yo-yo competition and the Bronx Kids Battle wrap things up, with realistic successes for everyone.  272 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  It’s graphic novels week after a bunch of them arrived for me at the library all at once. This one, from Baby-Sitters Club alum Galligan, is a high-energy middle school story with plenty of action and early teen angst.  The artwork beautifully captures the dance and yo-yo moves, and the kids do an admirable job of working out their differences pretty much without parental assistance

Cons:  There’s a good review on Amazon by a Muslim parent who mentions some of the ways Sunna is not accurately portrayed, including being alone with Cory in her bedroom and holding his hand when they dance together.