Graphic novels

Secret Coders by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes

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Published by First Second 

Summary:  It’s the first day of a new school for Hopper (think Grace Hopper), and she’s trying to figure out why what’s supposed to be the best school in town looks like a haunted house.  She has an unfortunate run-in with three boys before she’s even gotten in the front door, but much to her surprise, one of the boys, Eni, seems like he wants to be her friend.  She eventually learns that he’s trying to figure out the mystery of their weird school.  Together they unlock the secrets of binary and coding to learn how to operate a mysterious turtle robot they find in the creepy janitor’s closet.  Another boy, Josh, joins them for their final descent into an underground room.  There they’re met by the janitor, who gives them a challenge which will either unlock the secrets of their school or banish them from the campus forever.  Grades 3-7.

Pros:  A quick read for reluctant readers and computer geeks alike, this graphic novel has endearing characters and a lot of action.  The introduction to binary, coding, and robotics could generate interest in those topics.  The cliff-hanger ending all but guarantees a sequel.

Cons:  I didn’t care for the green and black color combination of the illustrations.

Orpheus in the Underworld by Yvan Pommaux

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Published by Toon Books

Summary: Orpheus was the son of the king of Thrace and Calliope, muse of epic poetry. With that gene pool, it came as no surprise that he turned out to be not only musically gifted but pretty good looking as well.  Before long, he fell in love with Eurydice, and the two of them got married.  On their wedding day, Eurydice was bitten by a snake and died.  Overcome with grief, Orpheus tried to rescue her from the underworld.  He was allowed to take her, under the condition that he couldn’t look back.  Of course, right at the last possible moment, he couldn’t help himself, and checked to make sure she was behind him.  She vanished forever, and Orpheus went around singing songs about Eurydice until he was torn apart by jealous women.  (I’m not making this up).  Grades 4-8.

Pros:  The story is compellingly told, particularly the trip to the underworld.  The text is part regular book and part comic; the accompanying illustrations are beautiful.

Cons:  Mythology and comic art is a tricky combination, and some of the comic dialogue seems a bit forced (Orpheus: I couldn’t help myself, I needed to see you again.  Eurydice: I’m glad you left your lyre this time.  Your voice is music enough to my ears.).  Ick.

HiLo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth by Judd Winick

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Published by Random House

Summary: At the beginning of this graphic novel, D.J. hears a loud boom and sees a huge flash of light. Rushing to investigate, he discovers a boy wearing silver underpants who remembers nothing about himself.  He’s pretty cheerful about his situation, though, and quickly acclimates by absorbing all of D.J.’s vocabulary when they touch hands. As the story unfolds, the boy, who eventually remembers his name is HiLo, turns out to have fallen to earth from another planet and has a powerful enemy chasing him. Subplots involve D.J. feeling like an underachiever in a family of superstars and his reunion with his old friend Gina who has moved back to town after a three-year absence. D.J., HiLo, and Gina manage to save the planet…for now. Grades 3-6.

Pros: A funny, action-packed first entry in a new series. The cliffhanger ending promises more installments to come. A good choice for reluctant readers.

Cons: A few too many suspenseful situations were resolved with the appearance of a new superpower HiLo didn’t know he had.

Wrap-Up Wednesday: Girl-Powered Graphic Novels

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Inspired by the success of Cece Bell’s El Deafo and Raina Telgemeier’s Smile and Sisters, there are some great graphic novels featuring girls this year.

Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova.  Published by Yen Press.

The title says it all.  Peppi and Jaime literally run into each other on the first day of middle school, then spend the first half of the book agonizing over how to become friends.  Perfectly captures those tough middle school emotions, with a realistically happy ending.

The Underground Abductor by Nathan Hale. Published by Harry N. Abrams

Nathan Hale’s latest Hazardous Tale is girl-powered by Harriet Tubman.  The compelling story of the Underground Railroad’s most famous conductor.

Sunny Side Up by Jennifer Holm, illustrated by Matthew Holm.  Published by Graphix.

It’s 1976, and Sunny’s unhappy to be suddenly forced to spend the month of August with her grandfather in Florida.  Flashback scenes reveal the family crisis that has led to her trip. Brother-and-sister team Jennifer and Matthew Holm team up for this family drama/comedy based on their own childhood experiences.

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson.  Published by Dial Books.

Astrid’s having best friend problems as she gets ready to middle school, but a summer of roller derby camp gives her new friends, increased self-confidence, and about a thousand bumps and bruises.  My personal favorite

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Baba Yaga’s Assistant by Marika McCoola, illustrated by Emily Carroll

When Masha sees an ad for Baba Yaga’s assistant, she recalls her grandmother’s old stories about the witch and decides to apply.  Through skill, luck, and a little magical talent, she manages to prove herself worthy of the job while at the same time healing some of her difficult family relationships.

Baba Yaga’s Assistant by Marika McCoola, illustrated by Emily Carroll

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Published by Candlewick

Summary: Masha feels all alone in the world since her grandmother died and her father is about to get remarried. When she sees an ad for an assistant posted by Baba Yaga, she remembers her grandmother’s stories about the Russian witch and applies. She’s given a series of tests, the final one of which is to cook some children for Baba Yaga’s supper (she cleverly outwits the witch on that one). Through a combination of skill, luck, and a little magic talent, Masha proves herself capable of being a witch’s assistant and heals some family relationships in the process. Grades 5-8.

Pros: Readers will connect with Masha and her family issues in this engaging graphic novel. The witchy folktale elements add a pleasantly spooky note.

Cons: If I hadn’t grown up on a steady diet of Baba Yaga stories in Jack and Jill magazine, I might have found some of the folktale allusions a little confusing.

Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm, illustrated by Matthew Holm

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by GRAPHIX 

Summary: Sunny is not happy at the prospect of spending the entire month of August, 1976 with her grandfather in Florida. He lives in a retirement community with no kids, she has to sleep on a squeaky sofa bed, and Grandpa’s idea of a big outing is a trip to the grocery store. In chapters flashing back to various points in the last couple years, the truth about why Sunny is on her extended visit are gradually revealed: her older brother is having some serious trouble with drugs and alcohol, and their parents want Sunny away from home while they try to get him some help. Sunny makes friends with the gardener’s comic book-loving son, and eventually is able to talk to her grandfather about what is going on at home, getting reassurance that it’s not her fault. She even talks him into a trip to Disney World before she returns home in September. Ages 8-12.

Pros: This seems to be the year for graphic novels starring girl protagonists. The award-winning Babymouse brother-and-sister team has produced a touching story based on their own childhood. An author’s note at the end talks about living with someone with an addiction.

Cons: I didn’t like the artwork quite as much as some other similar graphic novels (Smile, Roller Girl). Although the rendition of the 1976-era “Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific” magazine ad was spot on.

Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova

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Published by Yen Press

Awkward : Chmakova, Svetlana, 1979- author, illustrator : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Summary: New girl Peppi accidentally bumps into nerdy kid Jaime on her first day of school, and he ends up getting made fun of as a result. For weeks, she agonizes over how best to apologize to him. In the meantime, she finds new friends in the school art club. The art club’s big rival is the science club, and wouldn’t you know it, Jaime is the star of the science club. The principal, in one of those clueless educational administrator moves, pits the art club against the science club in a competition for table space at the annual school club fair. War clouds gather on the middle school horizon until Peppi and Jaime are able to resolve their differences and come up with a solution that allows the two clubs to work together peaceably. Grades 4-7.

Pros: Awkward will happily share shelf space with graphic novels Smile, El Deafo, and Roller Girl. The art is near perfect and the story line impeccably captures the agonizing awkwardness of adolescence. Svetlana Chmakova uses several pages at the end to show the design process of creating characters and settings.

Cons: There are a couple incidences of mildly PG language.

Lost in NYC: A Subway Adventure by Nadja Spiegelman and Sergio Garcia Sanchez

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Published by TOON Graphics

Summary:  It’s the first day at a new school for Pablo; his sixth, and he’s decided it’s just too hard to keep trying to make new friends.  Alicia has other ideas, though, and volunteers to be his partner on the field trip to the Empire State Building.  Before they leave, their teacher, Mr. Bartle, gives them an engaging lesson on the history and layout of New York’s subway system.  In spite of this, Pablo and Alicia manage to get themselves on the wrong train, and eventually the two of them get separated.  Armed with his new knowledge, Pablo manages to negotiate the subway system to get to the Empire State Building, where he’s reunited with the rest of the class and his new friend Alicia.  Grades 3-6.

Pros:  This is an engaging story of friendship with a lot of interesting information about NYC and its subway woven in.  But the real treasure of this book is the artwork.  When Mr. Bartle teaches about the subway, a map springs to life in their classroom, allowing kids to perch on New Jersey and Queens, surrounded by historical photos.  When the kids are lost in NYC, readers could spend an hour poring over the details of each page, with its dozens of diverse characters. There’s even a Where’s Waldo-type challenge, as Mr. Sanchez included pictures of himself and a police officer in every spread.  You will definitely want to visit New York and ride the subway after seeing these marvelous illustrations.

Cons:  There may be a bit too much technical detail for non-engineering types.

The Underground Abductor (An Abolitionist Tale About Harriet Tubman) by Nathan Hale

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Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary:  Nathaniel Hale is about to be executed, but his executioners want to hear another one of his tales.  One of them accuses him of always making America sound perfect.  So Nathaniel tells the story of Harriet Tubman, which is also the story of slavery and the Underground Railroad.  Told in graphic novel format, the story spans the years from Harriet’s (or Minty’s, as she was known as a child) birth through the end of the Civil War.  Brief stories of Frederick Douglass and John Brown are woven into Harriet’s tale, and additional resources are listed at the end.  Ages 9 and up.

Pros:  This is the fifth installment in Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales. (It’s a little confusing. Nathan Hale is the real name of the author, but Nathaniel Hale of Revolutionary War fame narrates the stories). These books do an amazing job of teaching history through an appealing graphic novel format.  I learned a lot from reading this book, and it reads like a great story from start to finish.  I have a small but dedicated group of fifth grade boys in my school who have read all these books, and I can’t wait to give them a copy of this one.

Cons:  It’s impossible to tell Harriet Tubman’s stories without relating some of the horrors of slavery, so make sure readers are prepared.

Rutabaga: The Adventure Chef by Eric Colossal

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Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary: Rutabaga is a chef in search of adventure when he runs into Winn, Manny, and Beef, three young knights off to slay a dragon.  Rutabaga decides to join them, along with his magical cooking pot.  Knowing his limitations, he stays in the background when they find the dragon, but accidentally ends up being responsible for defeating it.  The four kids continue on their way onto three more loosely connected comic adventures that have Rutabaga using all his cooking skills and optimistic attitude to consistently come out on top.  Grades 2-4.

Pros:  Graphic novel fans will enjoy Rutabaga and his friends.  The stories are engaging, funny, and not too challenging for young readers.

Cons:  I had a little trouble distinguishing the four characters.  I didn’t realize that Winn(ifred) was a girl until the beginning of chapter three.