Format: Graphic Novel

Dragon Hoops

Dragon HoopsDragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
Published by First Second on March 17, 2020
ISBN: 1626720797
Pages: 446
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
five-stars

Dragon Hoops is the new graphic novel illustrated and written by Gene Luen Yang. Hoops is an interesting blend of memoir, sports history, and journalism. Yang reflects on his journey as a writer, he illustrates the beginnings of basketball and weaves the story of the Dragons’ basketball team and its players at the high school where he works in Oakland, CA. In less adept hands, these three threads could be confusing, but Yang is an expert and uses it to build suspense. Readers will be on the edge of their seats waiting to follow the Dragons’ battle for the state basketball title. The extra Notes section at the back of the book is a great addition. Yang adds even more information about the Dragons’ players and team; it should not be overlooked by the reader. The Bibliography is also a great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the history of basketball. Recommended for Grades 7 and up for fans of basketball or of Yang’s previous work. 

Recommended for Cream of the Crop

Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School

five-stars

Zatanna and the House of Secrets

Zatanna and the House of SecretsZatanna and the House of Secrets by Matthew Cody, Yoshi Yoshitani
on February 18, 2020
ISBN: 1401290701
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
five-stars

This is a really fun graphic novel for fans of magic, monsters, folklore and rabbits.  Zatanna is a young teenager who lives with her widowed father. She can sense something is up with her house and family but can’t quite sort it out until she’s suddenly thrust into the world of magic. The book is gripping and fast-paced and manages to incorporate adventure, grief, friend drama, and folklore into 146 pages without any of it feeling forced. It’s also beautifully illustrated. I’m hoping this will become a series as I truly enjoyed it and can’t wait to recommend it to our patrons.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski. Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

School for Extraterrestrial Girls #1: Girl on Fire

School for Extraterrestrial Girls #1: Girl on FireSchool for Extraterrestrial Girls #1: Girl on Fire by Jamie Noguchi, Jeremy Whitley
ISBN: 1545804923
Genres: Science Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
two-stars
High schooler Tara lives a predictable life with a steady routine and parents who encourage her to keep her head down and just get through.  After an incident one day, she discovers that her entire life is a lie.  Turns out, she’s not even human!  She’s an alien who has been kidnapped, which she discovers as she’s enrolled in the School for Extraterrestrial Girls.  There she mights plenty of other aliens, of all different kinds.  But can she adapt?

The art is creative and very inclusive.  When each alien is in their human form, there’s representation of all kinds: head scarves, myriad skin colors, differently abled, etc.  While it’s an interesting world to get into, the main character is really poorly behaved,  narcissistic, and slow to learn any better.  Students into science fiction and world-building will be interested in this first of a series. 

Recommended for ages 10-14.

Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Maine State Library

two-stars

Gamayun Tales I

Gamayun Tales IGamayun Tales I by Alexander Utkin, Lada Morozova
Published by Nobrow on March 10, 2020
ISBN: 191062067X
Pages: 184
Genres: Folklore
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
five-stars

This book is fabulous. I tell everyone who asks about graphic novels to borrow this; I can’t stop gushing about this series. This collection holds three previously released graphic novels: The King of Birds; The Water Spirit and Tyna of the Lake. I can’t even begin to describe how beautifully it’s illustrated, and I would rate it five stars on the illustrations alone, but it also weaves three traditional Russian folktales together seamlessly. I would add a star if I could for the domovoy character, Fyodor. It’s accessible enough for fourth graders but sophisticated enough for high school so anyone looking to teach Slavic mythology should have this.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

Carmen Sandiego: The Chasing Paper Caper

Carmen Sandiego: The Chasing Paper CaperThe Chasing Paper Caper by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Published by Etch/HMH Books for Young Readers on October 6, 2020
ISBN: 0358380189
Pages: 144
Genres: Adventure, Mystery
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
three-stars
Carmen Sandiego works to stop thieves, but most of the authorities think she’s still up to no good. Here, she’s trying to thwart an attempted theft of the Magna Carta when she encounters the thief — an origami master who quickly creates and deploys throwing stars at will. Will she be able to stop the thieves and get the Magna Carta safely back to the museum? This short graphic novel based on a Netflix series is a fun, quick read. The story moves quickly, there is some dry humor, and the plot flows well. There isn’t a ton of text so this would be a great book for struggling or newer readers who may feel overwhelmed by large swaths of text. The art is clean, crisp, not overly detailed, and definitely moves the story along. Recommended for 3rd grade and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars

When Stars are Scattered

When Stars are ScatteredGenres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Graphic Novel
five-stars
Omar and his nonverbal brother Hassan grow up in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya, having fled war-torn Somalia after their father was killed. They spend their days looking for their mother, helping their neighbor/foster mother Fatuma, doing chores, and playing as best they can (they play soccer with balls made of plastic bags). When Omar is given an opportunity to attend school, he must decide if he should leave his brother during the day. Make sure you have a box of tissues handy — Omar and Hassan’s story and the stories of their friends and neighbors is heart-breaking and sadly all true. Omar tells the story with the help of talented graphic novelist Jamieson.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Karen Sandlin Silverman, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham

five-stars

Catherine’s War

Catherine’s WarGenres: Historical Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
five-stars
This graphic novel is a fictionalized account of the author’s life as one of France’s “hidden children” during the German occupation of France during World War II. Catherine, nee Rachel, had to move from school to convent to orphanage to farmhouse whenever she was in danger of her Jewish identity being discovered. She was an avid photographer and was able to document much of her life during the War.

Reviewed by Karen Sandlin Silverman, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham

five-stars

Superman Smashes the Klan

Superman Smashes the KlanGenres: Historical Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
five-stars
A fast-paced graphic novel featuring Superman (and his alter ego Clark Kent) in his early days still trying to figure out what powers he has and remembering more about his origin as an alien immigrant. The Lee family moves from Chinatown to Metropolis and become targets of the Klan of the Fiery Kross. The essay at the end provides a brief history of Superman, the discrimination of African-Americans, Japanese-Americans, and Chinese-Americans, white supremacy, and the Ku Klux Klan. This graphic novel is based on a radio series from 1946.

Reviewed by Karen Sandlin Silverman, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham

five-stars

Banned Book Club

Banned Book ClubBanned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook, Ko Hyung-Ju, Ryan Estrada
on May 19, 2020
ISBN: 194582042X
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
five-stars

This graphic novel tackles a piece of South Korea’s modern history. Set in 1983, under a military regime that uses censorship and torture as forms of control. This book is a compilation of real-life student experiences blended into one and told through the eyes of a new college student, Kim Hyun Sook. On Hyun Sook’s first day at university, she must walk through a protest to get to class and she encounters a protest for the first time. As a literature major, Hyun Sook joins a book club, only to find out it is a banned book club and that she could go to jail and lose her scholarship if the club is discovered. The rest of the story follows Hyun Sook’s awakening from a timid observer to an active participant in the political struggle for democracy in South Korea. Many teen readers will respond to the relevancy of this graphic novel given the parallels to the Black Lives Matter protests in our current society. The art is done in black and white sequential panels. This book is a solid addition to any young adult graphic novel collection. Recommended for grades 7 and up. 

Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School

five-stars

Act

ActAct by Kayla Miller
on May 5, 2020
ISBN: 0358242185
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
four-stars
Olive and friends are back in this latest graphic novel from Kayla Miller. This time, Olive notices an injustice in her school — some kids can’t go on the class field trips because their parents can’t afford the extra costs associated with the trips. Olive believes everyone should be able to go on the field trips. She decides to take action by running for student government. It isn’t always easy as she’s up against some tough competition (who are promising chocolate pudding at lunch everyday), but she sticks to her beliefs and runs her campaign on the issues that are important to students. Check it out to find out if she wins and how it all rounds out.

This is a great and timely graphic novel. The story is well thought out and typical of many student government campaigns — some students promise popular but unlikely things while others really want to make student life better for everyone. There’s some friendship drama along the way as well, but that’s secondary to the main story and just adds another layer to the story. The art is typical Kayla Miller and very reminiscent of many graphic novels today. Highly recommended purchase for most libraries.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars