Graphic novels

Happy Valentine’s Day! Happy Lunar New Year! I read a YA romance!

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang, illustrated by LeUyen Pham (First Second, 352 pages, grades 6 and up). In my quest to mix things up a bit more this year, I’m hoping to expand my horizons, occasionally anyway, to young adult literature.  When I saw the three starred reviews for this graphic novel by an award-winning team, I decided it was a good place to start. I was right. 

Valentina used to love Valentine’s Day until her freshman year in high school, when she learned that her mother, gone her whole live and presumed (by Valentina) to be dead, is still alive and estranged from her and her dad. The ghostly Cupid who has long been her friend turns into a more menacing spirit of St. Valentine and tells Valentina that her family is doomed never to find true love.

Her crush on Les leads her to try lion dancing, and her passion for the dance becomes intertwined with her new romance with Les. But Les is a player, and before long, Valentina begins to wonder about his quieter, more serious cousin Jae. A series of misunderstandings keeps them apart, almost forever, but as Valentina grows and learns more about herself and her family, she finally finds the courage to set things right.

Wow, YA romance is a more serious business than the innocent middle school crushes of middle grade literature! There is true love to be found here, but I can’t think of anything that would raise red flags for middle school librarians. Most of the reviews I saw recommend it for grades 8 and up, but I think some sixth and seventh graders would enjoy it, too. Even if they’re not into romance, there are plenty of interesting family and cultural issues to keep many readers satisfied. And the art is truly spectacular, particularly the renditions of the lion dancing. Although it’s only February, I’m sure this will be an awards contender next January!



Two last graphic novels of 2023

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Grace Needs Space by Benjamin A. Wilgus and Rii Abrego

Published by Random House Graphic

A Sky of Paper Stars by Susie Yi

Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary: These graphic novels tell the stories of two very different girls who are both grappling with family issues. Grace lives on a space station with her divorced mom; her other mom, Ba, is a cargo ship captain traveling from one space settlement to the next. Grace is excited to be going on a trip to Titan (Saturn’s moon) with Ba, but she ends up bored and disappointed when Ba is busy with work most of the time. Desperate to see Titan’s sea, Kraken Mare, she sneaks into a group field trip and almost gets herself into serious trouble. When Ba starts having engine trouble on the way back, she has trouble trusting Grace to help her, but Grace (and Mom) manage to save the day, while Ba sees that her own workaholic nature and unwillingness to ask for help have led to some issues with her family. Includes extra artwork showing the development of the characters and the cover. 208 pages; grades 4-7.

In A Sky of Paper Stars, Yuna feels like she’ll never fit in at school. Her parents cling to Korean traditions, while Yuna wants to be more American. After folding 1,000 paper stars the way her grandmother, Halmoni, taught her, she makes a wish to live in Korea, where she feels like she’ll belong. Almost immediately, her mother gets news that Halmoni has passed away, and the family returns to Korea for the funeral. Feeling like she caused her grandmother’s death, Yuna races to fold another 1,000 stars, hoping to bring Halmoni back to life. Includes an author’s note about her experiences that influenced the story and instructions for folding a paper star. 240 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros: Fans of middle school graphic novels will enjoy both of these stories, each featuring a unique setting that emphasizes the commonality of each girl’s emotions and experiences.

Cons: I’m pretty sure I couldn’t fold one paper star, let alone a thousand.

Secret of the Ravens by Joanna Cacao

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Published by Clarion Books

Summary:  Elliott and Liza are orphaned twins who survive by selling the trash they find at the dump.  When they see a friend trap a raven with magic, they’re intrigued.  They learn that the ravens will give their captors a quest, rewarding them with money if they fulfill it.  The twins start participating, gradually getting bigger and more dangerous quests until Liza gets attacked by a giant serpent during one of them.  A magician’s apprentice, Seb, rescues them, taking them to a mysterious old woman who is rumored to be a healer.  She sends Seb and Elliott on a dangerous mission to gather ingredients for the antidote, taking them to the castle where they learn some unsettling secrets about the kingdom they live in.  Eventually, the old woman reveals her identity, and Elliott must make a huge sacrifice to save his sister, setting the stage for a sequel.  Includes a spell glossary and early versions of some of the illustrations.  272 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  An excellent fantasy adventure graphic novel with interesting characters and world-building, and plenty of plot twists.  

Cons:  I see no sign of a sequel…I hope we will not be left forever wondering what happened to Elliott.

Duel by Jessixa Bagley, illustrated by Aaron Bagley

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Sixth-grader Lucy is dreading being in middle school with her older sister GiGi. When GiGi trips Lucy in the cafeteria on the first day of school, Lucy challenges GiGi to a duel.  The two girls were trained in fencing by their late father, and GiGi is the star of the middle school fencing team.  As they prepare for the bout, each girl is plagued with insecurities, both of them dealing with the grief of having recently lost their father.  Their mother, barely holding it together as she processes her own grief while trying to keep the family functioning, is not much help.  The whole school gets involved in the match, and the pressure becomes too much for both girls.  On the big day, they finally open up and confess their feelings to each other and to their mother, allowing themselves to move toward healing.  The duel still takes place, but it’s a friendly match now, resulting in a surprising and satisfying outcome.  Includes an author’s note telling of her experiences that inspired the book.  320 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This middle school graphic novel by a husband-and-wife team explores grief and sibling rivalry sympathetically.  The artwork cleverly helps tell the story with color-coded boxes showing each girl’s thoughts and blue pages to indicate flashback scenes.  A page from their father’s fencing manual begins each chapter, with the fencing information reflecting what’s going on in the story.

Cons:  Although I appreciated the fencing manual chapter openings, I found myself skipping them after the first few chapters.

Curlfriends: New In Town by Sharee Miller

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Little, Brown Ink

Summary:  Charlie’s lived all over the world as a military kid, but now that her dad’s retired, the family’s settled down in her parents’ old hometown.  It’s tough starting middle school three weeks late, but Charlie’s determined to fit in by studying fashion websites and magazines to perfect her clothes and hair.  A catastrophe the first day of school ruins her hairdo but gets her a new group of friends who call themselves Curlfriends after the curly hair they all have.  Although she likes the girls, Charlie’s afraid that they won’t like her if she shows them her real personality.  A series of mishaps finally shows her that being herself is best, and after letting down her guard, the Curlfriends are closer than ever.  288 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Fans of middle school graphic novels will love this family and friendship story that gracefully delivers a be yourself message and shows readers that you can start over any time.  I’m happy to see this billed as book 1 on Amazon, as it has the feeling of a successful series starter.

Cons:  I was starting to lose patience with Charlie.  She’s lucky she has such understanding parents and friends.

Mabuhay! by Zachary Sterling

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Graphix

Summary:  JJ and Althea are both trying to navigate middle school, JJ by trying to fit in even if it means hiding who he really is, and Althea by pretending not to care that she’s lost her closest friends.  To make matters worse, the kids are expected to help out with the family food truck on weekends and school vacations.  Their mother uses Filipino folklore to teach them lessons about hard work and discipline.  But when strange things start happening to both kids, they realize that their family has magical powers and that the folktales are based on truth.  When a monster from the stories threatens the world, it’s up to their family to summon their powers and save the universe.  Along the way, JJ discovers his own worth, Althea learns to value her true friendships, and they both come to appreciate their quirky family and their heritage. Includes an author’s note, a recipe for adobo chicken, and a glossary.  240 pages; grades 4-7. 

Pros:  An excellent blend of middle school angst, Filipino culture, and magical battles against evil forces, with outstanding artwork and a memorable family.

Cons:  While I appreciated the pronunciation guides and definitions footnoted at the bottom of many pages, the font was so tiny that I finally gave up on them.

Slime Shop created by Karina Garcia with text by Kevin Panetta, illustrated by Niki Smith

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Versify

Summary:  Bailey, Sophia, and Jayden run a successful slime shop called BSJ.  What they don’t know is that when they leave the kitchen, their slimes have a life of their own.  Those slimes have been noticing that other slimes are being shipped off to unknown destinations, and they’re determined to stay in their home.  Adding another complication is Boris, a green slime who’s always been grumpy, but has suddenly gotten worse, transforming innocent slimes into his zombie minions.  When Bailey’s off for a weekend at her dad’s house, a few of the slimes stow away in her backpack, determined to get some answers from the Original Slime, who’s rumored to live in Bailey’s dad’s garage.  The action shifts between their adventures on the road and the battle continuing to unfold back at home as the slimes get some answers and learn some important lessons about themselves in the process.  Includes slime recipes and a cast of characters guide.  208 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  I wasn’t sure I would enjoy a graphic novel featuring a bunch of slime characters, but it turned out to be unexpectedly charming and cute with a satisfying storyline.  Kids will undoubtedly enjoy heading over to Karina Garcia’s slime-based YouTube channel after reading this.

Cons:  I struggled a little to keep the slimes straight and would have appreciated the cast of characters at the beginning instead of at the end.

Wildfire by Breena Bard

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Little, Brown Ink

Summary:  Julianna’s heading home from a 4-H meeting near her home in rural Oregon when she runs into her ex-friend Carson with a group of boys bragging about some fireworks they have.  She tells them not to set them off due to the fire warnings in the area, but they ignore her.  Later, she and her family face a sudden evacuation from their home when wildfires sweep into the area.  They escape with their pet cat and goats, but their home is destroyed.  Weeks later, they’re starting over in Portland, Julianna starting eighth grade at a new school.  She finds new friends through an environmental club but is dismayed when Carson shows up.  As she and her family work through their anger and grief about all that they’ve lost, she begins to talk to Carson and discovers his guilt and shame about his role in the fire.  While she can’t bring herself to call him a friend, she’s able to understand and forgive him for what happened that day and to figure out a way to make a difference in a scary and uncertain world.  Includes an author’s note about her own experiences with Oregon wildfires and climate change and a list of additional resources.  288 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  An excellent graphic novel that deals with issues that are unfortunately timely and shows the emotions that go with facing the destruction of climate change.  Julianna and Carson have a lot to deal with, and Carson is portrayed sympathetically despite his disastrous choice.

Cons:  I started to get a bit frustrated with Julianna’s parents who seemed slow to recognize how devastating an experience this was for her.

Things In the Basement by Ben Hatke

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Published by First Second

Summary:  When Milo’s mom sends him to the basement to find baby Lucy’s missing sock, a journey of epic proportions unfolds.  Milo hasn’t been to the basement of his new house, and he is in for an adventure as he discovers different rooms and floors deep underground, populated by all sorts of ghosts and monsters.  Some are helpful while others want to eat him and/or steal the sock, and it’s up to Milo to figure out the difference between friend and foe.  He learns to value those true friends and find ways to help them even when his own life is at stake.  Milo completes his hero’s quest to loving praise from his mother, who then asks him for something from the attic…book 2?  240 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  There aren’t many words in this graphic novel, but Ben Hatke has created an artistic masterpiece that kids (and adults) will want to pore over to make sure they take in all the sumptuous details.

Cons:  I’m afraid to do my laundry.

Saving Sunshine by Saadia Faruqi, illustrated by Shazleen Khan

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Published by First Second

Summary:  Pakistani American twins Zara and Zeesh are constantly fighting, despite sharing scientific passions, Zara for animals and Zeesh for astronomy.  When their parents take them to Key West for a medical conference where their doctor mother will be honored, the two bicker the entire way down.  Exasperated, their parents take away their phones, telling them that they must spend some time together.  Without the distractions of technology, the two eventually find and help rescue a stranded loggerhead sea turtle.  Woven into the main story are incidents of prejudice and racism, including flashback scenes showing Zara’s decision to start wearing hijab, and the bullying that led to Zeesh’s quitting the space club.  224 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  This graphic novel seamlessly incorporates the experience of being Muslim and Pakistani American into a universal tale of sibling rivalry and devotion that many readers will connect with.

Cons:  When Zeesh gets annoyed at people always asking where he’s from (he was born in the US), both his dad and later, the white vet dismiss his feelings.