Format: Graphic Novel

Picture Day

Picture DayPicture Day: (A Graphic Novel) (The Brinkley Yearbooks) by Sarah Sax
on June 27, 2023
ISBN: 0593306880
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
four-stars

Middle-schooler Viv just wants to be noticed. She’s now using her middle name because there are so many Olivia’s in her school and she is desperate to be featured on her fellow schoolmates popular social media posts. On picture day she is not looking forward to another ho-hum picture with a home-made sweater from her Mom and her usual boring braid. Just before her picture is taken, she heads to the bathroom with a pair of scissors and hacks her braid off and ends up with a crazy hair-do. Finally she starts getting the attention she craves, however, her best friends are feeling left out and worry that Viv is not worried about any consequences. They’ve been working on a skating routine based on their favorite show for an upcoming Con. Viv has been so distracted that she ends up embarrassing her friends by not being prepared. Viv eventually learns the lesson that friends are more important than likes and works to repair her relationship with her “bffs”. Hopefully this graphic novel – by a Maine writer – is the start of a new series. Picture Day should be popular with fans of Raina Telgemeier and Svetlana Chmakova.

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

four-stars

The Book That No One Wanted To Read

The Book That No One Wanted To ReadThe Book That No One Wanted to Read by Richard Ayoade, Tor Freeman
Published by Walker Books US on March 14, 2023
ISBN: 153622216X
Pages: 128
Genres: Humor
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
four-stars
A heavily illustrated “conversation” between the book being read and You, the reader (narration is in second person). Format changes continually throughout the book – from prose to graphics to dialogue between Reader and Book. Wordplay, puns and stream-of-consciousness passages, many of which are silly (and a few of which are informative, such as explaining what a footnote is by creating a humorous example of one) keep the reader on their intellectual toes.

A middle grade reader, particularly a reluctant one who enjoys the use of illustrations to tell parts of the story and is sophisticated enough to find the humor in the wordplay, will likely enjoy the quirky humor and playful formatting.

Four stars, primarily for the creativity and offbeat format, and the illustrations. Not a must-have, but certainly might find itself popular simply for being different.

Reviewed by: Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

four-stars

Thunderboom

ThunderboomThunderBoom by Jack Briglio, Claudia Davila
on May 2, 2023
ISBN: 1525304968
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
five-stars
Eleven year old Logan has a lot on his plate. He is scared of dogs, clowns and masks, and being lonely. On top of that, he is nonverbal and uses sign language to communicate with his family. When he loses his parents and sister at a parade, Logan must conjure up his alter-ego Thunderboom to help him navigate a perfect storm of fear and anxiety.

Based on the author’s son, who has Angelman syndrome, Logan gives us a glimpse into the world and family dynamics of people who are nonverbal. We see the strategies used by the family, the loving stress they can experience, and the support involved (especially in his very chill big sister who has unwavering faith in Logan and refuses to stress about him; she’s great).  The illustrations are bright and charming and move seamlessly from Logan’s world to Thunderboom’s world.

This is a terrific book with a much-needed protagonist and would be valuable in elementary or middle school libraries.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

Mapmakers and the Enchanted Mountain

Mapmakers and the Enchanted MountainMapmakers and the Enchanted Mountain: (A Graphic Novel) by Amanda Castillo, Cameron Chittock
ISBN: 0593172914
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
four-stars

Alidade, the newly-minted mapmaker and her friend Lewis, set off with the magical memri Blue to complete the map of the enchanted mountain region. There they meet Cado who is trying his hand at mapmaking to find the memri of the mountain and to cure the sickness that has left many mountain people sick. When they inadvertently bring a monster to life, they have to figure out how to complete their map properly to bring the mountain memri back. This clever graphic novel is the second in a series and sets up what will be a highly-anticipated third volume.

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

four-stars

Pirates Past Noon: The Graphic Novel

Pirates Past Noon: The Graphic NovelPirates Past Noon Graphic Novel by Mary Pope Osborne, Jenny Laird, Kelly Matthews, Nichole Matthews
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on September 27, 2022
ISBN: 0593174801
Pages: 176
Genres: Adventure, Science Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
three-stars
Jack and Annie land on a beach using the Magic Tree House. They think that they are in paradise until they realize that they have landed on an island during the time of pirates. Then Cap’n Bones arrives, looking for his buried treasure! This is the fourth book in the popular Magic Tree House series  that has been transformed into graphic novel format. Ideal for readers in grades 1 through 3. The illustrations by Kelly & Nichole Matthews are clear and bright and each page has a balance of illustration and text perfect for emerging readers. Like the prose books, vocabulary in these graphic novels is appropriate for this reading level. This book is suggested for elementary school and public libraries.

Reviewed by Brandon Dyer, Auburn Public Library

three-stars

Expedition Backyard: Exploring Nature from Country to City

Expedition Backyard: Exploring Nature from Country to CityExpedition Backyard by Rosemary Mosco, Binglin Hu
Published by Random House Graphic on June 21, 2022
ISBN: 059312734X
Pages: 128
Genres: Adventure, Animals
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
five-stars
This elementary grade graphic novel with full-color, earth-tone illustrations throughout tells the story of Vole & Mole, two friends living in the country near a human house. They enjoy many adventures, including entering the house to watch nature shows on TV. One day, they find the house filled with boxes and while exploring they fall in, only to find themselves shipped to the city. There they have new adventures and make new friends: a house sparrow, an opossum, and a bumblebee. They learn to watch out for city owls (much like country owls) and discover that the city “lion” is a pet cat with a responsible owner.

This gentle book contains themes of friendship, nature, and adventure. There are several How-To’s at the end of the book, including How to Keep a Bird Journal, How to be a Responsible Cat Owner, etc. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Crystal Wilder, University of Southern Maine, Gorham Campus Library

five-stars

Garlic and the Witch

Garlic and the WitchGarlic and the Witch by Bree Paulsen
Published by HarperCollins US on January 4, 2023
ISBN: 006299512X
Pages: 160
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
four-stars
Garlic and the Witch is the second installment in the Garlic and the Vampire series. Young readers will continue to be blown away by the breathtaking illustrations that Bree Paulsen has created, and will enjoy being reunited with characters from the first book. In this book Garlic goes through character growth which makes them more relatable. Readers also get an explanation of Agnus’s powers, which was an unexplained phenomena from book one. This book is heavier on illustration than text and much of the text consists of onomatopoetic text rather than dialogue or exposition. Garlic and the Witch is perfect for readers ages 8 through 12.

Reviewed by Brandon Dyer, Auburn Public Library

four-stars

Two-Headed Chicken

Two-Headed ChickenTwo-Headed Chicken by Tom Angleberger
Published by Walker Books US on September 6, 2022
ISBN: 1536223212
Pages: 208
Genres: Adventure, Humor, Science Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
three-stars
In this offbeat graphic novel young readers are introduced to a two-headed chicken who is being chased through a multi-universe dimension by a hungry green moose. Fans of Tom Angleberger’s Origami Yoda series are sure to enjoy this book as it has a similar art style and fast-paced storytelling. The abstract illustrations and humorous dialogue among the characters will have readers chuckling until the very end. This book may not be for every one as the bright illustrations lend themselves to busy pages that may cause negative sensory stimulation. The target audience for this graphic novel is young readers, grades 3rd through 6th.

Reviewed by Brandon Dyer, Auburn Public Library

three-stars

Hooky Volume 2

Hooky Volume 2Hooky Volume 2 by Míriam Bonastre Tur
Published by Clarion Books on September 6, 2022
ISBN: 0358693101
Pages: 368
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
three-stars
This is the second collected volume of the popular Webtoon comic Hooky. It follows twins Dani and Dorian and their fight for the fair treatment of witches, while struggling with their parents and the romantic entanglements of their friends.

While there are too many characters and quick jumps from subplot to subplot for me to follow, the first volume of Hooky was successful and those invested in it will want to continue with this one.  The illustrations are rich and it’s appropriate for middle grade graphic novel fans.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

 

three-stars

Besties Find Their Groove

Besties Find Their GrooveBesties: Find Their Groove by Kayla Miller, Jeffrey Canino, Kristina Luu
Series: World of Click, #2, #2
Published by HarperCollins US on January 4, 2023
ISBN: 0358521165
Pages: 208
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
four-stars
This fiction graphic novel is the sequel to Besties Work It Out and was written by Kayla Miller and Jeffrey Canino; it is a story from the world of Click, Miller’s best-selling graphic novel series. The story explores Beth and Chanda’s friendship, as well as the relationships they have with their mothers and sisters. The expressive illustrations take the reader on a journey of two 12-year-old girls navigating their first middle school dance. From trying to get dates to finding the perfect outfits these two girls run into obstacles. Chanda is Indian American and wants to find an outfit that will express her cultural heritage. Beth is a larger girl and struggles with finding a dress that fits and would be flattering. This book shows the reader two best friends who have conflict with each other and how they resolve it. It shows family drama and how the characters deal with that. It shows the reader that is is ok to look different than other kids and still be awesome. This empowering graphic novel is for grades 4-6.

Reviewed by Erin Scott, MSAD 75, Woodside

four-stars