Peter & Ernesto: The Lost Sloths

Annable, Graham. Peter & Ernesto: The Lost Sloths. First Second, 2019.

Peter, Ernesto, and their friends lose their tree home in a hurricane, so they set out to find the perfect new tree.

This is an adorable graphic novel with simple text and plenty of humorous adventure, perfect for middle grade readers.

Recommended for: middle grade
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Polar Bears: Survival on the Ice

Viola, Jason. Science Comics: Polar Bears: Survival on the Ice. First Second, 2018.

Science Comics is back again with another riveting adventure filled with facts about the life of polar bears. Follow two polar bear pups as they grow up, and learn about these fascinating creatures: their habitat, their habits, what they eat, and how we can protect them. Colorful illustrations and facts and details are great for readers who prefer nonfiction titles, and the graphic novel format makes this book accessible for a wide range of reading levels.

Recommended for: tweens and middle grade
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Wild Weather, Storms, Meteorology, and Climate.

Reed, M.K. Science Comics: Wild Weather: Storms, Meteorology, and Climate. First Second, 2019.

This nonfiction graphic novel presents information about climate change and meteorology, wrapped in the story of a meteorologist who is explaining climate change to his fellow newscasters. The information is presented in a very readable and interesting way, and the illustrations are an integral part of the overall story. The colorful illustrations will draw the eye of tween readers and may spark an interest in science and meteorology. Recommended.

Recommended for: tweens
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

T. Rex Generations

Rechlin, Ted. T. Rex Generations. Rextooth Studios, 2018.

This follow up novel is a continuation of the story of Cobalt, a tyrannosaurus rex, who in this book raises a family. Although the names of the specific dinosaurs are obviously fictional, the facts about dinosaurs incorporated into the story are true. This is a fantastic way to introduce graphic novels to children who are interested in dinosaurs. The bright, colorful illustrations match the story well, and the text is easily readable and accessible to many readers. Recommended.

Recommended for: middle grade
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Hephaistos: God of Fire

O'Connor, George. Hephaistos: God of Fire. First Second, 2019.

This eleventh installment in George O'Connor's Olympians series focuses on Hephaistos, with a side plot surrounding the story of Prometheus. Full-color illustrations draw the eye to the page, and the action-filled plot will have readers turning pages to discover what happens next. The end matter includes information about various titans and gods and other information regarding particular panels throughout the story.

The Olympians graphic novels are very easy to read and fairly short, but they provide an appropriate amount of backstory about each of the various gods and goddesses. I always make sure my library has one copy of each of the titles in this series as it circulates well. It is popular with fans of the Percy Jackson series but also with kids who simply enjoy mythology. I like that this title can tie in to the nonfiction section of the library as well and may lead kids to read books outside of their normal comfort zone. Recommended

Recommended for: tweens
Red Flags: "mild fantasy peril;" Hephaistos and Dionysus have a drinking party at one point and Hephaistos gets fairly drunk
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Bloom

Panetta, Kevin. Bloom. First Second, 2019.

Ari has just finished high school and is excited to move to the big city with his band and pursue his love of music, but his family is insisting that he stay home and help run the bakery in the hopes that they will not have to close it down. Ari finds Hector to replace him at the bakery. Hector is in culinary school and loves to bake, and Ari finds himself drawn to Hector. But what about the band and Ari's musical pursuits?

This is a lovely graphic novel love story that is perfect for teens still searching for their place in the world. Ari isn't sure what he wants to do with himself, but he is definitely sure he doesn't want to bake. Maybe. Probably. The blue palette used for the panels is appropriate for the wistful tone of most of the story and helps to keep the focus on the characters and their relationship. Ari's love for Hector is beautiful, especially considering that it happens organically in the tale and that this isn't a coming out story, but rather a love story where the two main characters are male. Recommended.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Kiss Number 8

Venable, Colleen AF. Kiss Number 8. First Second, 2019.

Amanda's first seven experiences with kissing haven't sold her on it being a wonderful idea, but her friends seem obsessed with it, and she is determined to find out what's so exciting about it. Her eighth kiss involves another girl and sets in motion the possibility that maybe she likes girls and not boys and maybe that's why kissing hasn't worked for her so far. Her family is holding back some secrets as well, and Amanda is determined to get to the bottom of that just as she is set on hiding her newfound crush from her family.

This is a fairly typical coming-out style story, with appropriate characterization for Amanda's teenage friends. LGBTQ+ representation is very important in all aspects of literature, including graphic novels, so I would readily purchase this book for my library's shelves, although I am not certain that it would circulate well.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: language, underage drug and alcohol use
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Crush

Chmakova, Svetlana. Crush. JY, 2018.

Following up where Awkward and Brave left off, Crush follows Jorge, a quiet guy who is known as the sheriff in school because he uses his size to help others. He has a crush on a friend but doesn't know how to tell her. Will he be able to ask her out to the school dance? And how will his other friends react?

There's a lot to like in this continuation of the series: tons of diversity in the student body and staff at the school, good life lessons, plenty of teen drama. The brightly colored illustrations match the overall happy and hopeful tone of the story. This book is sure to be popular with graphic novel fans. Recommended.

Recommended for: teens and tweens
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Gone Rogue

Meyer, Marissa. Gone Rogue. Feiwel & Friends, 2018.

Iko is trying to find Alpha Lysander Steele, the leader of a gang of genetically engineered wolf hybrids who are demanding that Queen Linh Cinder restore them to their pre-engineered state. They are threatening war if their demands are not heard. Meanwhile, Linh Cinder has decided to abdicate the throne and turn the ruling of Luna over to a leader who will be voted into office. Things come to a head when Cinder visits Earth and the wolf hybrids make their demands in a more public manner.

This is a fantastic graphic novel that falls right in line with the previous installment and ties in nicely with the Lunar Chronicles novel series. It is possible to read this book and enjoy it without having read the Lunar Chronicles, but it's even better if one has read that series and knows the back stories of each of the characters. The steel-toned pages are perfect for this science fiction tale, and there are plenty of perfect subplots (Iko being judged for being an android, for example) that are easily interwoven into the overarching plot. Recommended.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: violence
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld, The Sand Warrior by Mark Siegel, Plutona by Jeff Lemire

The Witch Boy

Ostertag, Molly. The Witch Boy. Scholastic, 2017.

Aster is being raised to be a shape-shifter, along with all of the other boys in his family, but he is drawn time and again to the lessons in witchcraft the girls are learning. He is teased by the other boys for wanting to do girly things, and his elders caution him not to be like his grandfather, who was into witchery and was cursed. But when boys start mysteriously disappearing, it's up to Aster and his skills in witchcraft to get to the bottom of it.

I LOVED this story. From a graphic novel perspective, the panels are colorful and engaging, and the color palette perfectly matches the tone of each section of the story. It's just the right amount of scary for a tween audience. The story itself is very interesting, both in concept and in pacing. There is plenty of character development and just enough world building so the reader can follow the plot. This story, though, is mostly about Aster, a boy who wants to do girl things. In the end, his desire to do girl things is accepted rather than shunned, and he finds out some surprising things about his relatives along the way. His only friend outside the family has two dads, and that is mentioned in passing throughout the story because it is shown as perfectly normal (which it is). This is a great book to give to kids who enjoy the many Rick Riordan series, Harry Potter, or any other fantasy story involving magic. Highly recommended.

Recommended for: tweens
Red Flags: some mild fantasy violence; witchcraft (like, lighting candles and mixing potions and all that - if your family won't read Harry Potter, you won't want to read this, either)
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Read-Alikes: The Iron Trial, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,

Illegal

 

Colfer, Eoin. Illegal. Hodder Children's Books, 2017.


This is the tale of a boy and his brother as they traverse Africa in an attempt to find safety in Europe. With powerful illustrations, this story alternates between the current situation, as the boy travels with a group across the Mediterranean Sea on a flimsy raft, and the previous situation, where the boy travels across Africa to find his brother and sister and reunite as a family. The graphic novel presentation makes this story accessible to a younger audience, and while the story isn't a happy one, it is told without undue amounts of graphic violence as well. Recommended.

Recommended for: tweens and teens
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: War Brothers, Escape from Aleppo

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

The Prince and the Dressmaker

Wang, Jen. The Prince and the Dressmaker. First Second, 2018

Prince Sebastian is supposed to be choosing his future queen and settling in to his duties as the future king, but he is exhausted because he spends each night as Lady Crystallia, a fashion icon. Outside of one servant and his dressmaker, no one else knows that Sebastian occasionally wears dresses and enjoys doing so. Meanwhile, his dressmaker, Frances, dreams of having her designs noticed by the most famous designers so she can make a name for herself and be more than just the prince's secret dressmaker.

This book is simply fantastic. Starting with the cover image (please note that the "spotlight" on the main characters is a dress that Lady Crystallia is wearing), the illustrations carry this story along perfectly. We get to witness the dreary life Frances led before she was discovered by the prince, and her hidden talent later on. The prince is eventually discovered by another member of the court and dragged in front of his parents in one of his Lady Crystallia gowns. However, the parents don't react in the way many of us would expect. This book is fantastic and I highly recommend it. My spouse even suggested we purchase our own copy to keep - a thing we've done with maybe a dozen books outside of the Harry Potter series.

Recommended for: tweens
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

My Brother's Husband

Tagame, George and Anne Tishii. My Brother's Husband. Pantheon Books, 2017.

Yaichi's twin brother moved to Canada, married Mike, and then died. Mike travels to Japan to walk in Ryoji's footsteps and meets Yaichi and his daughter, Kana. He visits with them for several days, learning more about Ryoji's family. Meanwhile Yaichi explores what he thinks about same-sex relationships and marriage.

This was a quick read; Kana reminds me a lot of Yotsuba from the eponymous manga series. A lot of the concerns that Yaichi and his neighbors have regarding Mike and Ryoji will sound reheated to queer Americans who have heard it all before, but it was interesting to see someone in another culture wrestle with these questions. Overall, this was a good, quick read and I would recommend it to fans of manga.

Recommended for: teens, adults
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Lighter than My Shadow

Green, Katie. Lighter than My Shadow. Jonathan Cape, 2013.

In this graphic novel memoir, Katie Green tells the story of her lifelong struggle with anorexia and food, as well as her healing and survival. The muted grayscale colors are appropriate for what is a good story, though not a happy story. This book may seem daunting at first due to its size and weight, but it is a quick read and a compelling one. Green brings the reader through her childhood as a picky eater into her teen years when she began her struggle with anorexia, and includes reactions from her friends and family and her continued struggle in her relationship with food.

I appreciated her candor in that she never says she is completely healed. She does, however, find the strength to live each day and to work through each challenge as it comes.

TW: anorexia as well as bingeing (no purging); molestation which, as this is a graphic novel, is a bit graphic in nature

Recommended for: teens and adults
Red Flags: fat-shaming, language, molestation,
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Spill Zone

Westerfeld, Scott. Spill Zone. First Second, 2017.

I have yet to be disappointed by anything published by First Second, and this book is no exception. I haven't read it yet simply because it's been so popular that it hasn't stayed on our library's shelf long enough for me to snag it.

The story is set in post-apocalyptic America. Some kind of "spill" - we're never really told what it was - happened in one town, which means that town is now completely off-limits. The people who lived there did not survive. Addison is a photographer and visits the town to take pictures, which she then sells to wealthy patrons. This is how she is able to care for herself and her sister. Her sister was in the spill zone when it happened and has not spoken since then. But when a wealthy patron offers Addison a million dollars to retrieve an item from inside the spill zone, she can't resist. This would help her care for her sister for the rest of her life. But will she even make it out of the zone to enjoy her riches?

The illustrations in this book are spot-on; I especially appreciated the muted pastel palette used for the spill zone areas. I am glad this is a series, as I am curious to find out what happens next. This book will have wide appeal for teens, and it's short enough that many different readers would find it readable. Recommended.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: language, some gore
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Speak: The Graphic Novel

Anderson, Laurie Halse and Emily Carroll. Speak: The Graphic Novel. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2018.

Melinda begins her freshman year a very different person from the one who just finished eighth grade; over the summer she was raped at a party and called the cops. Her classmates don't know about the rape, but they do know about the cops breaking up the party. Melinda is an outcast at the school. She finds herself unmoored without her former friends and is further traumatized by her rapist, who also attends her school. Throughout the school year, Melinda slowly finds her voice and begins to heal.

The novel version of Speak is one of those rare timeless teen books which belongs on every library's shelf. This book is an amazing adaptation of that story. Parts of the book have been updated (references to Instagram, etc.), while the original message of the story is still present. The black and white drawings are appropriate for the serious topic, and the novel manages to portray the ridiculousness of some aspects of high school (such as the constant changing of the school's mascot and the lack of supplies for the art class) while also demonstrating the very real impact the social aspects of school have on a teenager's ability to thrive and learn. Melinda is shown as a very real, developed character who has hidden inside herself; throughout the story we get to watch her unfold and learn to speak again.

I have recommended before that everyone read Speak; I say the same of this graphic novel adaptation.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: underage drinking, rape, bullying
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Princess Princess Ever After

O'Neill, Katie. Princess Princess Ever After. 2016

Amira rescues Sadie from a tower and the two become good friends and go on adventures - defeating an ogre, rescuing a prince, and saving Amira from Sadie's evil older sister. This colorful graphic novel is full of action and fun and is sure to delight readers of all ages. I love that neither princess needed or wanted a prince to rescue her, and that they end up married in the end even though this is a book about their friendship and not their romance.

Recommended for: tweens
Red Flags: some "fantasy violence" - Amira is kidnapped, etc.
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Fluffy Strikes Back

Spires, Ashley. Fluffy Strikes Back. Kids Can Press, 2016.

Fluffy is the head of P.U.R.S.T., a secret organization of pets who are protecting their humans from unwanted alien attacks. As the head of an international organization, he has a very important job, but he also doesn't get to go out in the field very often. When the invasion strikes home, will Fluffy be able to rescue the rest of P.U.R.S.T. and save the day?

This is an adorable addition to the Binky the Space Cat universe, and a quick read as well. Kids who are struggling with reading or who have just learned and don't have a very big vocabulary will be able to fly through this book and enjoy the action-packed story as well.

Recommended for: kids, fans of graphic novels
Red Flags: other than aliens (insects) being killed, there is one panel where one of the cats uses the litter box for its normal purposes
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

My Favorite Things: Go-To Graphic Novels for Teens

When a teen wants a graphic novel, what do you recommend? In our library, the teen graphic novel collection is fairly limited, so I generally recommend that teens spend some time pulling books off the shelves and browsing through them to see what they like. If they insist on a recommendation, though, and especially if an adult is looking for things to bring to a teen who isn't there to speak with me, these are the books I recommend:

1. Wandering Son by Takako Shimura. This is a manga-style story that follows two students, both transgender-identified, as they sort through their identities and make their way in the world. The innocent, almost playful tone makes this book very accessible even to the graphic novel novice.
2. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. The Ender series has been turned into a series of graphic novels, and I recommend these to teens who enjoy action movies or books with lots of action and a fast-moving plot. They can be read alongside or independently of the Ender novels.
3. Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang. These books follow the history of the Boxer Rebellion, one from the side of the boxers, and one from the side of the missionaries. The pair of books was really eye-opening to me and taught me about both sides of this conflict. 
4. Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson. A female superhero who is also not white! It's a miracle! Honestly, though, this is a great series, and I highly recommend it both to fans of superhero comics and to those who like stories with strong female characters.
5. Trashed by Derf Backderf. This book is part fiction, part nonfiction, The fictional story is the tale of a man who begins working as a garbage collector. The nonfiction part contains facts about the way our garbage is dealt with once we bag it up to be hauled away, as well as information about landfills, recycling, etc. It's an interesting look at an unusual topic. 
6. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson. I love Nimona. I loved the art, I love the humor in the story, I love the characters themselves. I loved the way this story poked fun at typical superhero tropes. This is a great graphic novel that could be enjoyed even by teens who claim not to like graphic novels. 
7. March by John Lewis. Mostly historical / autobiographical, this is the story of the march on Washington to call attention to the racial difficulties our country was (and still is) facing. Historical information in a very digestible format. 
8. Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks. This book is good even for younger teens, as it avoids some of the graphic fantasy violence of superhero novels or adult themes that are apparent in other graphic works. 
9. Good Neighbors by Holly Black. Who doesn't love a good Holly Black story? This trilogy is no exception, and the fantastical elements in this story are wonderfully imaginative.
10. Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Prudence Shen. The geeks face off with the popular kids in a timeless tale of high school rivalry, now with robots. 

What graphic novels do you gravitate toward when recommending books to teens?

My Favorite Things: Go-To Graphic Novels for Kids

It happens all the time. A child comes up to me and asks for a very specific title, and I discover that while my library owns that title, it is currently checked out. I hate to leave a child disappointed and without a book, so I always want to put something else in their hands. When we don't have the book a child wants, here are my top ten graphic novels that many kids enjoy:

1. Binky the Space Cat by Ashley Spires. These adorable books are easily readable by even the youngest readers, and Binky is pretty funny.
2. The Lunch Lady series by Jarrett Krosoczka . There are enough books in this series to keep most elementary school kids happy for a long time, and the familiar school setting makes these books accessible to all readers. 
3. Graphic adaptations of the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. This is a great series to recommend to kids who have read the novel versions of these stories or who like their graphic novel storylines to be a bit more involved.
4. Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiku Asuma. I am not usually a fan of manga, but I could not put this one down once I read it. The stories are cute and simple and avoid many of the red flags that turn parents and teachers off of graphic novels. 
5. Chi's Sweet Home by Kanata Konami. This one is also very cute. Chi is adorable, and his cat adventures are fun to follow. There are also quite a few books in this series already, so it's a good one to recommend to a kid who needs several books in line to keep them happy.
6. The Wizard of Oz adaptations by Eric Shanower. Like the Percy Jackson books, this is a great series for a kid who is familiar with Baum's original work or who wants a story that's more involved and complicated.
7. Cardboard by Doug TenNapel. I love all of Doug TenNapel's work, but Cardboard is a great stand-alone book for kids who like things that are a bit weird or who haven't found just the right book yet. 
8. Graphic adaptations of Geronimo Stilton and Thea Stilton by Geronimo Stilton. Some kids have caught up with all of the currently published Stilton stories, and the graphic novels are a good thing for them to work through while they wait for the next installment. 
9. Non-fiction mythology books by George O'Connor. These are an excellent read-alike for the Rick Riordan stories, and most kids I've talked to who may not even be graphic novel fans devour these books because of the mythology angle. 
10. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales by Nathan Hale. These books give accurate historical information in a kid-friendly readable format. They are very popular at my library, and as the librarian I am glad that I have first dibs on them so I can read them, too!