Published by Crown Books 

Summary:  Siblings Lucy and Andy, as well as their friends and family, are Neanderthals, which means…what?  Two modern scientists appear at the end of each chapter to fill the reader in on how Neanderthals hunted, created tools, communicated, made clothes, and more.  There are pertinent comments throughout the story which is a humorous slice-of-life look at several days with the Neanderthals.  The family prepares  for a big mammoth hunt, goes on the hunt, then turns the dead mammoth into meat and clothes.  At the end, the Neanderthals meet up with some humans, who seem to be fabulous new neighbors until Andy overhears them plotting to take over the Neanderthals’ cave.  This sets up for book 2 which is previewed on the final few pages.  There’s a section at the end with still more Neanderthal information, and a note from the author in which he claims to have read almost 100 books to prepare for the creation of this graphic novel.  224 pages; grades 2-6.

Pros:  Far more educational than what I was expecting from the author of Jedi Academy, but don’t worry, there is plenty of fun mixed in as well.  This one is guaranteed to fly off the library shelves, and readers will be laughing too much to realize they’re learning, too.

Cons:  I prefer some color in my graphic novels.

Published by Graphix 

Summary:  Cat’s not happy about her family’s move from sunny Southern California to Bahia de la Luna in northern California, where the sun only shines 62 days a year.  Her dad has a new job, but the real reason is the climate is better for her younger sister, Maya, who has cystic fibrosis.  In their first days there, the sisters meet a neighbor boy, Carlos, who offers to take them on a ghost tour of their new town.  Turns out there really are ghosts all over town, and when the three kids run into a pack of them, Maya embraces them with her usual exuberance.  But dancing with ghosts proves to be unhealthy, Maya ends up in the hospital, and Cat blames Carlos.  As summer moves into fall, Cat makes new friends at school, continuing to snub Carlos, while Maya slowly makes a partial recovery from her ghostly encounter.  But the ghostliest time of year—Halloween and the Day of the Dead—are just around the corner, and Maya has to decide how she will deal with the spirits that are all around her.  An author’s note talks more about the inspirations for this book and provides a glimpse into her sketchbook.  256 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Raina Telgemeier has created another graphic masterpiece.  Ghosts would make a great book group selection, with questions of life and death to discuss and consider.  Old fans will not be disappointed, and new ones will undoubtedly be created.

Cons:  This is a bit darker than Telgemeier’s previous books.

Published by First Second

Summary:  Hippo and Red Panda spend their days in a run-down zoo, until Red Panda decides he’s had enough, and leaves to find a job. Whenever he comes back for a visit, he tells Hippo that he has the best job ever, although his changing hats suggest that it’s always a different job. Finally, Hippo decides to join him. Red Panda tells Hippo that he’s now Hippopotamister, and he has to act like a human. The two friends try cooking, hair dressing, banking, and a host of other positions. In each one, Hippopotamister is a bit unsure of himself, but does his work well; Red Panda, on the other hand, is completely confident, but makes a mess of things and gets them both fired. Finally, discouraged, Hippo returns to the zoo, where he finds everything just as bad as he left it. In one night, he uses his new job skills to fix it all. The animals elect him zookeeper, and Red Panda, with his ebullient personality, is hired on as head of customer relations. 96 pages; grades K-3.

Pros: This graphic novel has cute illustrations and lots of gentle humor, with a satisfying ending. Kids will enjoy learning how to draw Hippopotamister and Red Panda on the last page.

Cons: The lengthy job search got a bit repetitious.

Published by Dial Books for Young Readers

Summary: Little Dee is getting tucked in for the night when her park ranger father gets an emergency call. The next time we see her is at her father’s funeral, when she is spotted by animal friends Ted (bear), Blake (dog), and Vachel (vulture). At about the same time, they’re joined by a penguin named Paisley, who has wandered away from his family in Antarctica and is being chased by two polar bears who want him for lunch. Reluctantly, the three friends agree to both save Little Dee from the cold, cruel orphanage and take Paisley back to Antarctica. Their journey takes them to Mexico, Ecuador, and Chile, with plenty of adventures and a few more interesting characters along the way. 128 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros: Originally a webcomic, Little Dee is great fun. Although she herself doesn’t talk, her animal friends more than make up for her silence with their nonstop banter. There’s plenty of snark and sarcasm, but also a good deal of friendship and caring. The illustrations are bright and colorful and will appeal to fans of Bone and Raina Telgemeier.

Cons: Some of the funnier sarcasm may go over the heads of younger readers.