El Deafo by Cece Bell Graphic Novel Realistic Fiction Recommended for readers 4th grade and up * * * * Stars (Great!) Have you walked around with your eyes closed to see how it would feel to be blind? Think about what it might be like to be deaf. What would you miss hearing? Music? Television shows? Voices of family, friends, teachers? Take a look at El Deafo by Cece Bell. In this graphic novel, the author/artist tells … Read more
The Silversix by AJ Lieberman Artwork by Darren Rawlings Graphic Novel Science FictionTween Graphic Novel/Science Fiction/Dystopia Phoebe is able to avoid detection for a year after her parents die in a shuttle explosion orchestrated by the evil Mr. Craven of the Craven Mining Corporation (which has a monopoly on the world’s fuel source – Hydro-2), but then someone manages to track a file transfer from her parents’ ship to her apartment, and she’s taken into … Read more
Star Wars: Jedi Academy Jedi Academy #1 by Jeffrey Brown Illustrated Fiction Graphic Novel Science Fiction * * * Stars (Pretty good) Roan lives on Tatooine. He likes drawing comics and is looking forward to going to Pilot School. But his hopes are dashed when he learns that his application to Pilot School has been rejected – what now? Will he have to stay on Tatooine and be a farmer? He doesn’t exactly have a … Read more
Kimi ni Todoke by Karuho Shiina Adventure Fantasy Graphic Novel Manga Realistic Fiction Romance * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Kimi ni Todoke is about a 15 year old girl (but then she turns 16 later on). She is very shy and she has very long black hair. She is actually really nice, but she has no friends because she’s an outsider because of the way she looks. She’s actually really pretty. Her name … Read more
Drama by Raina Telgemeier Graphic Novel LGBTQ Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) A girl named Callie likes a boy named Greg and a boy named Jesse. Callie knows that Greg has a girlfriend, but when they break up Callie gets super excited. Then she meets Jesse and his brother Justin. Now Callie doesn’t know who she likes. Justin tries out for the play at school and Callie is part … Read more
Will & Whit by Laura Lee Gulledge Graphic Novel Realistic Fiction * * * Stars (Pretty good) Wilhelmina (Will) has been living with her Aunt Elsie (Ella) since her parents died last year. They live in Will’s grandparents’ house (they are also deceased) and will helps Ella run the family Antique shop, which is next door. Will finds distraction and relief from the loss of her parents through the creation of lamps – her grandpa … Read more
Raining Cats and Detectives Guinea PIG #5 by Colleen AF Venable illustrated by Stephanie Yue Funny Mystery Graphic Novel * * * * Stars (Great!) Sasspants and Hamisher have finally committed to being “real” detectives – by getting a desk and a cup of pens – when Viola’s (Mr. Venezi’s newest employee) efforts to sell pets (it is, after all, a pet store!) begin to pay off. Sasspants is adopted by the perfect owner – … Read more
Hamster and Cheese Guinea PIG #1 by Colleen AF Venable illustrated by Stephanie Yue Funny Mystery Graphic Novel * * * * Stars (Great!) Sasspants the guinea pig lives in a pet shop with a bunch of other animals. The owner of the shop, Mr. Venezi, has really bad eyesight, though, and doesn’t know much about the animals he’s selling. As a result, most of their cages are grossly mislabeled – the hamsters are “koalas,” … Read more
Bone: Out from Boneville Bone series #1 by Jeff Smith Fantasy Graphic Novel Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) I liked it because the characters are funny. Some of the characters are Bone, his cousin, Bartleby, and Rock Jaw. Rock Jaw wanted Bone and his cousin to go with him. Then Bone and his cousin went with Rock Jaw. Then these mice found bread crust. Then they fainted because they found food. … Read more
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick Graphic Novel Illustrated Fiction Mystery Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) The Invention of Hugo Cabret is about a 12 year old boy who finds a mechanical man and thinks it holds a mysterious message from his dead father. The main character is Hugo Cabret. Other characters are Isabella, George Melies, Mama Jeanne, Monsieur Tabard, Station Inspector. I liked this book because it gives … Read more