The Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group reviews of new graphic novels continues with this list of texts to enchant and inspire readers of all ages.
GRADES K-2
Knight, Hilary. (2011). Nina in that makes me mad! New York: Toon Books/Candlewick Press.
This graphic novel is for beginning readers. Each full page spread discusses a new reason why Nina is mad. For example, Nina gets mad when her parents blame her for something she didn't do. In the accompanying illustrations Nina is taking care of her baby brother in the bathtub. Tony gets carried away and splashes a lot of water on the floor. The speech bubble states, “No more bath for you tonight” (p. 9). Nina has a perplexed face with pointy eyebrows. Other reasons Nina gets mad include: “When you don’t let me help” (p. 12), “When I try and it doesn’t work” (p. 14) and “When I need you and you make me wait” (p. 20). The last page closes with, “But I feel better when I can tell you that I’m mad!” (p. 30). This fun picture book will definitely bring about discussion. Teachers and parents could ask—Do you ever get mad like Nina? or What are some of the things that cause you to get mad?
- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver
Eaton, Maxwell. (2012). The flying Beaver brothers and the fishy business. New York: Random House Children’s Books.
The Beaver brothers, Ace and Bub, uncover a plot by a corporation to use up the island’s trees to create Fish Stix for consumers in this second title in the graphic novel series. In its advertisement campaign, the corporation claims that Fish Stix, made from ground-up trees, are somehow good for the environment. The campaign promoting Fish Stix features the brothers' nemesis Bruce. It will take an alliance made up of Ace, Bub, some evil penguins who aren't all that evil, and yes, even Bruce to stop the corporation before the trees are all gone. There are plenty of funny lines and visual humor as well to keep young readers entertained as well as informed. Using spots of green in the pen and ink and digitally colored illustrations complements perfectly the forests being destroyed so casually and so purposelessly. Older readers will recognize the greed behind the corporation's marketing of a product for which there really is no need and possibly compare those actions with some advertising campaigns by corporations today.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman
GRADES 3-5
Eaton, Maxwell. (2012). The flying beaver brothers and the evil penguin plan. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
In this second book, the Beaver brothers are swinging off a rope, hang gliding to a beach, and surfing some waves. All of a sudden some penguins steal one of the beaver’s surfboards. An immediate chase begins. Fortunately, beavers can make bridges between cliffs pretty quickly by gnawing down trees. The beavers follow the penguins under water to a large refrigerator at the bottom of the ocean. They notice that the penguins are viewing large blue prints, but aren’t sure what is going on. Readers will have many questions at this point in the book, making inferences and predictions. Later, Ace and Bub return to the ocean to enter the large refrigerator. They learn that the penguins are planning to create a frozen paradise using the ice machine. One beaver escapes and shuts down the refrigerator’s turbine, thus saving their island. This humorous book seems to have a deeper meaning—are humans destroying the penguin habitat?
- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver
Krosoczka, Jarrett J. (2012). Lunch Lady and the mutant mathletes. New York: Knopf.
Dee, Hector, and Terrence, also known as the Breakfast Bunch, are forced to join the extracurricular Mathletes as their punishment for missing the museum field trip in the previous title. In this, the seventh installment of the Lunch Lady graphic novel series, the friends are definitely not thrilled to spend time after school solving math problems. But joining the Mathletes turns out to be less painful than they had expected. Even Dee comes around once the private school kids from Willoughby Academy denigrate the public school kids of Thompson Brook. The two teams roll on inexorably toward the final round of competition where they face each other. But there's something odd about the private school students and their competitive teacher, and it's up to Lunch Lady and her cafeteria side-kick Betty to figure out what's going on. Not only does she come through, yellow gloves, Cannoli-oculars, and Pineapple mace in tow, but so do Orson, the Mathlete over-achiever, and Mr. Kalowski, the school janitor. The book’s lessons are sound, accompanied by the Lunch Lady’s expostulations such as "Moldy Bread!" and "Sweet BBQ sauce!” Not only does the ever-ready Lunch Lady fight for justice, but she can also be depended upon to whip up a yummy batch of cookies just when they're needed.
- Barbara A. Ward
Washington State University Pullman
GRADES 6-7
Neel, Julien. (2012) Lou! Secret Diary. Translation by Carol Klio Burrell. Minneapolis: Graphic Universe.
Translated from its original French and winner of the Youth Prize of the Angouleme International Comics Festival, this graphic novel looks exactly like a comic book that might be found on store shelves. It stars twelve-year old Lou who is plowing headlong into adolescence. Trying to catch the eye of the boy across the street, in addition to finding a boyfriend for her single mom as well as designing her own clothes and fashion statement, this tween also keeps a diary of her thoughts and opinions, some of which are colorfully portrayed on the end pages of the book. Lou’s diary provides a fun yet also serious look at that stage of pre-dating, dealing with crushes on boys and peer pressures. It’s easy to see why Lou is so popular in so many different countries.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Reading and Library Consultant
Nelson, O. T., & Jolley, Dan. (2012). The girl who owned a city: The graphic novel. Illus. by Joelle Jones. Minneapolis: Graphic Universe.
Originally written in 1975, this book of survival after an apocalyptic event translates well to the graphic novel format. After a virus kills everyone older than twelve, leaving those left behind to fend for themselves, Lisa Nelson and her younger brother are managing to survive, thanks to Lisa's ability to find food and supplies. Others use numbers and intimidation to take what they need, and Lisa forms a neighborhood coalition to guard against the marauding gangs. When the alliance fails, she fortifies a former school where her allies will be safe. Everyone has jobs to do, but Lisa feels responsible for everyone in her city. This graphic novel only hints at what may lie ahead for the survivors of the virus once they turn 12—or the emotional cost of being responsible for so many other dependents. Lisa's self-reliance and her determination to help others be self-reliant are particularly appealing in the original story and in this adaptation. While she and her friend Craig may have very different ways of finding happiness, both seek self-reliance. The title raises many issues; for instance, how will the survivors cope when all the available supplies have been depleted, and what happens when the society with which we are familiar has disappeared?
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman
Phelan, Matt. (2011). Three remarkable journeys around the world. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
Jules Vern’s Around the World in Eighty Days provided the inspiration for three adventurers who set out on their own worldwide journeys. First, questioning the value of ten years spent working in a mine, Thomas Stevens purchased a large-wheeled bicycle in 1884 and then rode it 3,700 miles from San Francisco to Boston. Upon reaching Boston, Stevens decided he was ready for a larger challenge and took off on an around the world bicycle ride. Reports of his journey were published over a three-year period in Outing magazine. Nellie Bly, a daring and dashing female reporter, embarked on her own journey around the world in 1889. She met her goal to return in less than 80 days since her travels lasted 72 days. During that time, the New York World, the newspaper for which she worked, sold record numbers of papers with updates on Bly’s fabled journey. Finally, Joshua Slocum set out in 1895 to become the first person to traverse the globe alone in a small boat. Neither storms nor pirates stopped Slocum from reaching his goal. The inspiring stories of these three independent individuals fit the graphic novel format well with Phelan’s artwork almost seeming to resemble a film screen.
- Terrell A. Young, Brigham Young University
GRADES 9-12
Hicks, Faith Erin. (2012). Friends with boys. New York: First Second/Roaring Brook Press.
Maggie, who has been homeschooled all of her life, is understandably nervous about her first day at high school. Her three older brothers insist that she must go it alone since they did. She navigates the school corridors, alone except for the ghost that keeps following her, eventually making friends with two siblings, Lucy and Alistair. There are hints about the story behind the rift between the Mohawk-wearing Alistair and volleyball star Matt. When Alistair finally tells Maggie the story behind his haircut, it's easy to understand his reluctance to stand up for his sister or for the males who have been ridiculed for their preference for drama rather than sports. It's impossible not to like Maggie and understand her confusion about the often cruel high school social order. While there are some similarities to Anya's Ghost, this graphic novel can be savored for its own strengths, including its accurate depiction of the sometimes rocky shoals of high school and family. The author encourages readers to examine their own tendencies to judge others by their appearances when appearances are often masks behind which others may hide their true nature.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman
Long, Mark & Demonakas, Jim. (2012). The silence of our friends. Illus. by Nate Powell. New York: First Second/Roaring Brook.
Set in the late part of the racially volatile 1960s in Houston, Texas, this graphic novel tackles the challenging topic of civil rights. The story follows two different individuals whose lives come together unexpectedly: a white television newsman reporting on the city’s civil rights protests, and an African-American Texas Southern University faculty member involved in the protests. When the protests turn violent, leading to the death of a police officer, the blame is placed on a handful of TSU students. The trial that results divides the city even more. The starkly stunning black and white illustrations evoke a sense of a time and place during which it was hard to know who to trust or what to believe. This graphic novel plunges readers right in the midst of this turmoil-filled period.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman
Lyga, Barry. (2011). Manga man. Illus. by Colleen Doran. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
When Ryoko, an attractive androgynous young man with beautiful feminine and masculine features, falls through a rip in time and space and lands in our world, he is shunned by many humans. The difference that makes others shun him makes him more attractive to Marissa Montaigne, a popular, beautiful teen who is bored with her life and her relationship with a hard-drinking football player. The romance between Ryoko and Marissa parallels that of Romeo and Juliet, complete with scenes in which Ryoko leans from his window and talks about his growing attraction to Marissa while she overhears him while hiding in the bushes beneath his compound. When he shows Marissa the different dimensions, she is able to move from one cartoon panel to the next. The pen and ink illustrations are beautiful and show the inner and outer beauty of this unlikely couple.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman
O’Connor, George. (2012). Hades: Lord of the dead. New York: First Second/Roaring Brook Press.
Sticking closely for the most part to the original story of Demeter, Hades, and Persephone in this fourth title in the Olympian series, the creator of this graphic novel describes how Hades kidnaps Persephone—known as Kore on Earth—and shows her around his kingdom. While she is gone, her mother, Demeter, allows the crops to fail as she searches for her daughter. Once she finds Kore again, she agrees to allow new life to bud on Earth to celebrate her daughter’s return. Of course, during the time her daughter must return to Hades, cold weather will cover the Earth, representing Demeter’s sadness at being separated from her child. But this updated story contains a twist as Persephone comes into her own while in the Underworld. Out from under the control of her mother, she flourishes, and although she is glad to be reunited with her mother, she is also relieved to return to Hades, enough so that she lies about having consumed any foods while in Hades the first time around. This is an empowered version of Persephone, unwilling to be a pawn in a game played by the gods. The different perspective is refreshing, allowing Persephone to make her own mark on how things are done in her new kingdom. One of the best illustrations is the last one, which shows the two rulers on their underground thrones, Hades with just the slightest smile on his lips. Fans of mythology will relish this moody version of the classic story.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman
Yang, Gene Luen. (2011). Level up. Illus. by Thien Pham. New York: First Second/Roaring Brook Press.
In the latest offering from the creator of American Born Chinese, Gene Luen Yang returns to the themes he covered in his earlier graphic novel: the clash between parental expectations and one's own dreams, cultural expectations, coming of age, and the journey to self-acceptance, among others. The story focuses on Dennis Ouyang, a boy whose attraction to video games has been denigrated by his parents in favor of academic success. After his father dies, Dennis plays games so much that he is kicked out of college. Four angels intervene and set him back on the path of success, but they allow him to have no fun whatsoever. His hard work pays off, and he is accepted into med school, but still he wonders about his life goals and whether he wants to spend the rest of his life doing what his father wanted him to do. Dennis ends up quitting med school and starts playing games for cash prizes. He returns to medical school after he realizes that he wants to make a difference in the world, only to find that the manual dexterity honed by all those games will actually be useful in his chosen area of specialization. The lines between reality and fantasy blur interestingly in this book with soft colored artwork and slight but pertinent visual references to video games at the beginning of each section.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman