Category: Graphic Novel Review

REVIEW: Teen Titans: Starfire by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo

REVIEW: Teen Titans: Starfire by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

While Raven, Gar, Max, Damian, and Dick drive toward California to find the other person on the HIVE list, Kori Anders is home from college and working at a beach club for the summer with her sister Kira. Kira’s boyfriend – and his uncle – have invited Kori to be part of an experiment at a lab to learn more about her EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome type 1). While her time at Edge Pharmaceuticals brings her a new friend, Vic, Kori doesn’t feel any better about Tate and his uncle. And when they take Kira to HIVE after she starts displaying powers, Kori and Vic start looking at what HIVE is up to.

Review

The emphasis in the 5th book of Kami Garcia’s Teen Titans series is on Kori and Kira as they discover their powers and get drawn into HIVE. We get Victor for the team who is also a great partner for Kori as she tries to take her stand against HIVE. When the rest of the Teen Titans show up, she has a full team on her side. But that also sets her in conflict with her sister.

As always, this was over too soon, and I now have to wait a year for the next installment. I can’t wait. I have loved this series from the start, and it holds up each time I re-read it for a new release. I wanted more of the team in this as those group dynamics are my favorite part of the series. But the next book should deliver more team interactions.

While most of this book is about Kori and Kira, and therefore newcomers could probably start here, the earlier books are so great, I think it’s better to dive in from the start of the series.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: Molly and the Bear: An Unlikely Pair by Bob Scott

REVIEW: Molly and the Bear: An Unlikely Pair by Bob Scott

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

Molly’s parents leave her home alone for the first time, and a bear crawls into the house. At first he’s scared, but Molly’s nice – and there’s yummy food in the house, so Bear decides to stay! He’s afraid of nearly everything which really starts to complicate Molly’s life.

This is darling! Bear is smart and sweet, and Molly is determined and compassionate. There are sweet moments and laugh-out-loud moments. Bear’s fear and anxiety is on display for most of the book. But it never overwhelms the optimistic friendship story.

Graphic novel fans and fans of animal books should absolutely check this one out. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would happily read more stories with these characters!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Spider-Man: Cosmic Chaos by Mike Maihack

REVIEW: Spider-Man: Cosmic Chaos by Mike Maihack

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

While returning a surfboard to Silver Surfer, Spider-Man encounters the Guardians of the Galaxy. Together they work to contain and correct the end of the universe. Ancient talismans with special powers initially help Spider-Man solve small, neighborly problems. But when one villain collects all seven talismans, an unexpected hero has to help save the day.

Review

This is the quirkiest of the stories in the Mighty Marvel Team-Up series! Spider-Man gets to meet – and help – a lot of Marvel characters as well as a variety of aliens as he spreads his neighborly kindness around.

The team-up with the Guardians was fun, and I loved the solution to the talisman problem. This series has been a delight from start to finish. I would love to read more of these if the series expands.

Hand this to Marvel fans and graphic novel fans as well as anyone who enjoyed the earlier books in the series, Animals Assemble and Quantum Quest. I think these are best read in order, but each book can stand alone.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: Cat on the Run: Cucumber Madness by Aaron Blabey

REVIEW: Cat on the Run: Cucumber Madness by Aaron Blabey

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Scholastic in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Princess Beautiful is still on the run from a frenzied public insisting that she tried to start a nuclear war. A new friend who understands her predicament breaks her out of jail. While she trains to survive on the run, she tells her new friend the full story of how she became known for silly videos which made it so no one now takes her seriously.

While Beautiful and her new friend are searching for answers, they stumble onto a conspiracy no one is ready for.

Review

I didn’t love the pacing of this one. It starts with a commentary on sensationalized news, then goes into a long bit about “scapegoating.” The big reveal was an unexpected surprise, but it felt like I really had to work hard to get through the rest to get there. I think this just isn’t the right fit for me.

I think kids will get a kick out of the “cucumber madness” bits here, but I am still wondering if the book’s content exceeds the experience/exposure of the target age group. Fans of book 1 will absolutely want to pick this one up. And the big reveal will drive them to book 3 when it releases. But I don’t think I will be sticking with the series.

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥ – Solid, fine

REVIEW: The Night Librarian by Christopher Lincoln

REVIEW: The Night Librarian by Christopher Lincoln

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Dial Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Twins Page and Turner love going to the New York Public Library. In fact, one day they take their father’s rare copy of Dracula to the library for some research.  Page feels like their dad spends more time with his collection than he does with his kids. Taking his book feels like “revenge.” But when the rare – and expensive – book CRAWLS away and disappears in the library, the twins need help.

They meet the Night Librarian and discover that books, especially old books, have magic. And their characters can sometimes leave their stories! And Dracula, and others, have done just that.

Page and Turner team up with some other book characters to see if they can find the escapees, especially Dracula, before their parents get home.

Review

I loved the artwork in this graphic novel, and the magical library premise is a lot of fun. I was frustrated at times, though, when the main plot – the lost book and escaped characters – took a long backseat to establishing the world building. In addition to significant world building, the author is also trying to establish the character dynamics for the twins and their parents. It’s an ambitious undertaking. I loved it in principle, but didn’t always like it in execution.

Page is hard to like, and Turner’s negative self-talk and low self-opinion even makes him hard to root for at times. The escaped book characters are mostly fun, and the choices of books to highlight in the story were good. There’s one moment where the storytelling hits a hiccup – a twist in the story that is “told” rather than “shown.” It felt abrupt, and like a missed opportunity to develop Turner’s character a bit more. Thankfully, the final solution, while similar in it’s suddenness, was laid out in a more satisfying way.

So this was uneven for me in a lot of ways. Would I suggest it to kids? Sure. Graphic novel fans, book lovers, library lovers, and fantasy lovers may all find something enjoyable here. But I personally didn’t love it enough to pick up a sequel if there ever is one.

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥ = Good, solid, fine

REVIEW: Rise of the Cat by Judd Winick

REVIEW: Rise of the Cat by Judd Winick

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When our story truly begins, after the lava-filled teaser, Polly is in a magical disciplinary hearing. And for her perceived “crimes,” Polly gets sent to the magic school Wombatton. But she doesn’t have to go alone. Her brother Pip goes with her, along with a new friend, Noria, who is a robot.

The teachers and other kids at Wombatton are horrible to Noria – not unlike the people in Polly’s tribe had been.  But while Polly and Pip try to defend her every time there’s trouble, things get worse when Noria is accused of setting weird monsters on the school.

Review

This is OUTSTANDING! And it wrapped up way too quickly. I would have read a story 3x as long in a heartbeat. The bigotry toward Noria is infuriating, but she at least has Polly and Pip on her side, both sticking up for her and helping her puzzle out who is really conjuring the monsters.

Kids new to the Hilo series could probably pick this up without too much trouble – although reading the first 9 books would be SO satisfying! There are helpful references and flashbacks to previous stories to help newcomers jump right in.

Series fans will likely be as distraught as I was over the quick finish. I exclaimed out loud, alone in my office during my lunch break, “That’s IT?!” I need MORE! The year-long wait between books feels almost painful. This is probably my favorite book in the whole series so far – I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Hand this to graphic novel fans, readers who love books with magic schools and magic users, kids who love SASSY cat stories, as well as all of your Hilo fans.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Table Titans Club by Scott Kurtz

REVIEW: Table Titans Club by Scott Kurtz

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Val is trying to find her place at a new school after yet another move. And while she’s trying not to get into trouble this time, some of her peers are making that goal even harder to reach.

Then Val gets a chance to join the Table Titans, a Dungeons and Dragons club which helps her make some new friends. But there’s a chance the club will lose their faculty advisor. If that happens – and if Val can’t get her feud with another student settled – the club might have to shut down.

Review

I LOVED this! Val is fantastic. I loved her self-confidence – in trying something new, in asking for what she wants, for boldly addressing conflict. And her imagination! She’s incredible! I enjoyed the rest of the D&D group as well, and I am ecstatic about the set up for their next adventure. I will definitely be picking a second book up the minute it becomes available.

This would be fantastic in a classroom library, especially one where graphic novels are popular. A book group where students could read this together and discuss the social and interpersonal dynamics in the book would be amazing. Highly recommend!!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Duck and Moose by Kirk Reedstrom

REVIEW: Duck and Moose by Kirk Reedstrom

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of both of these books from Netgalley and Disney Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Duck Moves In – Summary

A moose looking for some peace and quiet gets a rambunctious new neighbor. So Moose keeps taking Duck to other places he could live. But Duck is determined to stay put – on Moose’s head!

Moose Blasts Off – Summary

Moose is playing astronaut, and Duck wants to play too. But this is something Moose likes to do alone. So he teaches Duck about using his imagination. But what happens when Duck’s imaginings are different from Moose’s?

Review

These early chapter book/graphic novels are a lot of fun! Each book has 3 chapters with full color artwork. I LOVE the illustrations, and the friendship struggles will feel familiar to kids. These would be great books to use for talking about resolving conflict, compromise, making new friends, etc.. And I think kids will crack up at some of the things Duck and Moose get into. Fans of Piggie and Gerald, Ballet Cat and Sparkles, or other best friend/”odd couple” pairings will enjoy Duck and Moose! Book 3, Duck in the Dark, is currently scheduled to release in December.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Wombats! Go to Wizard's Wharf by Maddie Frost

REVIEW: Wombats! Go to Wizard’s Wharf by Maddie Frost

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Four years ago, Albert borrowed an egg from Pickles and said “I owe you one.” And now Pickles is ready to collect. He’s cashing in his IOU to go to Wizard’s Wharf amusement park. Albert is just not into amusement parks or “magic.” But he’s a good friend, so he agrees.

Review

This was delightful! The illustrations alone would make me pick this up. Especially when Albert and Pickles get to Wizard’s Wharf – I think kids will love pouring over each panel to see what is going on in the background. And Wizard’s Wharf looks awesome!

At it’s core, this is a friendship story – and it’s a great one. Albert is a good friend who does something that means so much to Pickles. The pages where they first arrive at Wizard’s Wharf are my favorite. I LOVE Pickles’ joy at being in this magical place he’s dreamed about visiting. Albert also uses his knowledge of Pickles to find him when they get separated. The two friends might have personality differences, but Albert really sees and knows Pickles.

I don’t think readers have to have read book one to enjoy this, but fans will definitely want to read both books. Wombats! Go Camping is another fun story. And I loved this one even more. I hope there will be more books starring these two friends – I am here for them!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Wombats! Go Camping by Maddie Frost

REVIEW: Wombats! Go Camping by Maddie Frost

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Albert and Pickles have planned a camping trip. But while Albert has planned a light load to walk to the campsite, and a night in a tent under the stars, Pickles has been imagining a resort with all of his favorite things.

The friends’ miss-matched expectations, however, are nothing compared to what happens when Pickles makes a new friend along the way and they take a side trip to find a “monster.”

Review

This chapter book/early reader graphic novel is a hoot and a half! Hand this to young readers – 7 to 10 – who love friendship stories, camping, and silly tales. I got such a kick out of these friends, and the illustrations here are fantastic.

The beginning of the story would lead to an awesome conversation with kids about expectations. But that’s only the first quarter of the book. The rest is a fun, silly adventure, and I think kids will love it!

This is the first book in a series, and I’ll be posting a review of book 2 soon. Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read