SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Must-Have Graphic Novels for Kids

Recently a teacher friend asked me for my list of “must-have” graphic novels for her classroom (5th and 6th graders). Graphic novels are fun for a lot of kids. While some folks feel like it’s not “real reading,” that is not really true. With graphic novels, students get to practice thinking through the sequencing of a story. Visual learners get a lot of material to work with as they read the pictures as well as the text. Graphic novels can give extra support to kids who are still working on word decoding because the pictures support the text. They can introduce kids to material they might not try otherwise, but they explore because of this format. And for kids who feel like reading is a chore, graphic novels can make reading feel like fun.

Here is the list I gave her for my personal “must have” graphic novels:

Autobiographies

Some of the most popular graphic novels for this age group are autobiographies. Raina Telgemeier is maybe the best known for telling her personal stories in this format. When I was teaching, her books were always checked out from the library from the first day of check outs to the end of the school year. Many kids think of biographies and autobiographies as dry books that someone will have to force them to read. These books challenge that impression. You can read my review of Real Friends here.

Fantasy

I personally read a lot of fantasy, so these graphic novels are ones I read and enjoy. Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy and The Lightning Thief are both based on novels. The Wings of Fire book series is 10 books long to date, with book 11 releasing this summer. The Rick Riordan mythology books have been around for years. Three of the original Percy Jackson books have been released as graphic novels, too. His entire Egyptian mythology series, The Kane Chronicles, as well as two books in the Heroes of Olympus series have been released in this format as well. HiLo is an original series that I fell in love with when I was teaching. I’ve reviewed the DC Super Hero Girls GN series here on the blog before. I received the Star Wars graphic novels for Christmas (one volume for the original trilogy, another for the prequels, and a stand alone book for The Force Awakens). I love the art style in these and I know my students would have loved these too.

Nonfiction

Some of my students had the idea that nonfiction books were a drag. Thankfully there are a lot of visually appealing nonfiction books being introduced for kids, including these two series of graphic novels. Science Comics covers a variety of topics from dogs to dinosaurs to volcanoes and rockets. Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales cover different time periods in history. Readers will find some swearing in these books as the author directly quotes some historical figures. This series has covered Harriet Tubman, Nathan Hale, World War II and other topics.

Miscellaneous

These final recommendations were “maybes” for my friend. The Action Bible is a graphic novel of the Bible which we had in the school library. I thought it was a great way to get reluctant students to check out the Bible for themselves (I taught at a Christian school). Binky the Space Cat is targeted for a younger reader than my friend is teaching. But the stories I think still work for older elementary students. My younger readers zeroed in on Babymouse and the Lunch Lady graphic novels and sometimes missed Binky. I still love this series and think it is great for kids of any age. I have blogged about Phoebe and her Unicorn many times. These are more comic strip books than graphic novels that tell essentially one story from start to finish. The quality and humor make them perfect for the older elementary crowd. Finally, there is a graphic novel for A Wrinkle in Time. I have not read it (yet!), but with the movie releasing later this year, it could be a terrific addition to a classroom (or home) library.

BOOK NEWS: November 7, 2017

Wimpy Kid. Maze Runner. Fantastic Beasts. Christmas. Supergirl. Teen Titans. What a week in books! Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Kids


 

The Santa Thief – A boy takes his Christmas into his own hands by stealing Santa’s identity. I can’t wait to read this one!
Duck, Duck Dinosaur: Snowy Surprise –  A cute early reader just in time for winter.
Teen Titans Go!: Ninja Party! – The Teen Titans have their own line of early readers. In this one, Beast Boy tries to learn to be a stealthy ninja.
Ella and Owen: Dragon Spies! – Book 6 in this early chapter book series. This time the dragon twins are mistaken for spies.
Ordinary People Sticker Activity Book – A sticker activity book starring the characters of the Ordinary People Change the World biography picture book series.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults


Cici’s Journal: The Adventures of a Writer-in-Training – Graphic novel about a girl learning to be a writer who stumbles onto someone’s secret. This sounds fantastic! I love books about writing and this one seems to have a mystery element to it. Perfection!
Digging for Trouble – Book 2 in the Devlin Quick mystery series. This time Devlin finds a mystery on an archaeological dig in Montana.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway – Book 12 in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Illustrated) – JK Rowling’s little book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, has been turned into a movie series. Now it gets an illustrated version. This book is NOT illustrated by the same person doing the Harry Potter books. I’m curious to see this one in person.
Mr. Gedrick and Me – When a family loses their father/husband, Mr. Gedrick appears. And like Mary Poppins, he is just what the family needs. I have been excited about this one since the author, Patrick Carmen, first mentioned it! This is at the top of my wish list for this week!
Raid of No Return – Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales takes on a World War II story in this graphic novel series that introduces kids to historic figures and events. I had this series in the library when I was teaching, and my students read them until they disintegrated. Such a great series!
The Real McCoys – “The world’s greatest fourth grade detective.” That’s all I had to read before I put this one on my list! Moxie’s crime-busting partner and best friend has moved away, so she has to investigate the disappearance of the school mascot on her own.
The Relic War – Book 1 in the new Daniel Coldstar series about a boy with amnesia who works to find relics  and finds one that could change his life – and save the universe. A new science-fiction series for older kids and teens.
Supergirl: Age of Atlantis – The folks at DC released a middle grade novel about The Flash last month, and now they have one about Supergirl. In this original story, Kara Danvers tries to find where a mysterious sea creature has come from and why ordinary citizens are displaying superpowers. I have the Flash book on my TBR; I have high hopes that the books will be as fun as the TV shows.
The Death Cure (Graphic Novel Prelude) – An original Maze Runner story set immediately before the events of The Death Cure. My older students LOVED the Maze Runner series. I’d love to show them this new addition to the series.
Follow Me – Book 2 in The Amateurs series by the author of Pretty Little Liars. A kidnapping victim looks exactly like a girl who died 5 years ago. This suspenseful series for teens sounds terrific.
Kat and Meg Conquer the World – Two girls are thrown together in a year-long science project. In each other, they might just find what they need to deal with the struggles they face on their own – and build a friendship they both need. This sounds awesome!
Now Is Everything – A family’s dark secrets  are at risk of exposure when Hadley tries to commit suicide and everyone wants to know why. This sounds mysterious and intense. This would be one I would have to stay up reading until I finished.
Renegades – The author of the Lunar Chronicles launches a new series this week – a superhero story! I am so excited to read this one!
Twelve (e-novella) – A new novella in the world of The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I pre-ordered this the minute I saw it was available. My teen and I are excited to read this. We both are huge fans of the original series. I reviewed the final book in that series here.

Books for Adults


A Fatal Collection – Book one in this new series about a young woman who inherits a music box store in Keepsake Cove.  I’ll be reviewing this one on Wednesday this week.
A Late Frost – Book 11 in the Orchard mystery series about an apple orchard. I’ve not tried any of these yet, but it looks like a series I would enjoy.
Assault and Buttery – Book 3 in the Popcorn Shop mystery series. I have the first two books on my TBR shelf, but I haven’t gotten to them yet. But I love the whole idea of a popcorn shop series.
Canal Days Calamity – Book 2 in the Dog Days mystery series. I reviewed this one here. I loved it and I’ve added book one to my TBR!
A Deadly Eclair – First in the French Bistro mystery series. I have enjoyed the author’s other work, and I’m looking forward to reading this mystery about a bistro owner suspected of murder.
Eaves of Destruction – Book 5 in the Fixer Upper series which is the basis of some great Hallmark movies. (Although the books are always better, the movies are quite fun). In this book, a building inspector is found dead at one of Shannon’s job sites.
Every Breath You Take – Book 5 in Mary Higgins Clark’s Under Suspicion series about a TV show that looks into cold cases. I haven’t read any of these, but the description of this one pushed me to put the whole series on my wish list.
In This Moment – The latest in the Baxter Family series. I have only read one book in the series, but several of my friends love every book in the line. This book focuses on an Indianapolis high school principal who starts a Bible study at his school and ends up in a lawsuit. I’m intrigued by the story and might give this one a try.
Much Ado About Murder – Book 3 in the Shakespeare in the Catskills mystery series about a resort and theater company that runs into trouble while staging Much Ado About Nothing. I’ll be reviewing this one next Wednesday.
Sorcerer’s Appendix – Fourth in the Brother’s Grimm mystery series staring Gretel (yes, that Gretel) as a private investigator. These sound fun. The description reminds me of the Nursery Crimes series by Jasper Fforde, which I loved.
Twice Upon a Christmas (kindle) – When a woman can’t decide what path to take in her life, she ends up living every day in December twice, one following each path. Shanna Swendson is an author I really like, When I saw that she had a holiday ebook, I pre-ordered it right away. I’m eager to read this holiday story.
Obama: An Intimate Portrait – Several years ago our family went on a tour of the White House. I was enthralled by the pictures that line every hallway.  I would love to see this book in person and see if it reflects what I experienced on that tour.
Search for Spock – A geeky version of Where’s Waldo. This is TOTALLY on my Christmas list!!
What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism – A collection of essays by Dan Rather that considers our national identity. I have appreciated some of Dan Rather’s writing over the last year. I’m curious to check this one out.