By Nina Schuyler, The Children’s Book Review
Published: January 11, 2012

Illustration copyright © 2010 by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Back in the days when we drank gallons of Tang and ran wild in the neighborhood like dogs without leashes, these books were called comic books. Now they’re graphic novels and have fancy covers and binding so they don’t fall apart. They’re still action-packed, with lots of sounds spelled out in capital letters and exclamation points (KLANG! OOF! SLAM! WHOOSH!). The plot usually involves the forces of good versus evil. My husband tells me graphic novels, unlike comic books, tend to involve humor.

A confession, of sorts. Yes, I had to ask my husband, who read comic books as a kid. My mother was an English teacher and in her world, comic books did not qualify as books and therefore were off-limits. I still carry a residue of that high-brow distinction, but my eight-year-old son loves them. So how did I open my front door and invite them in?

(1)   As I said, my son gobbles them up. He’ll sit on the couch for a solid hour and read. He’ll even tell me not to bother him; he’s reading.

(2)   My son (his name is Fynn. He gave me permission to reveal it) has even taken to writing his own comics;

(3)   Graphic novels are a great way to transition from shorter books to something longer. This has to build a certain confidence in a kid;

(4)   Pulitzer Prize Winning writer Michael Chabon read comic books growing up, (how else to account for The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay). Look what happened to him.

With that said, here are some graphic novels that your kids might devour:

Sidekicks

Written and Illustrated by Dan Santat.

In Sidekicks, written and illustrated by Dan Santat, Captain Amazing is getting old and decides he needs some help. He announces to the citizens of Metro City he’s going to hold auditions for a sidekick. Captain Amazing, who’s been so busy fighting crime, hasn’t been home much, so he doesn’t realize that his pets, his dog, Roscoe, his hamster, Fluffy, and chameleon, Shifty, have developed their own superpowers. They’d all love to be Captain Amazing’s sidekick, mostly because they’d get to spend more time with him. An intense competition results—who will get to be the captain’s sidekick?

According to my son, Fynn, “The pictures are amazing. And the story is really funny.”

Illustration copyright © 2011 by Dan Santat

It’s true. The pictures are amazing, in full color, with lots of blue tones to indicate the city and night time and a brownish tone to signal a flashback. It’s great fun watching a hamster take on the evil Dr. Havoc. And yes, it’s a fast read, with lots of POW! And HURRY UP! AND STOP! filling the pages, but there is a story and a sweet ending and your kid will be able to say he/she read a 217 page book. (Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.. Ages 8-11)

Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit

Written and Illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

The Lunch Lady graphic novel series, written and illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka, also uses humor, action, and unexpected superheroes. In this case, as the title suggests, the lunch lady at public school is the superhero fighting crime. Krosoczka kicked off the series in July, 2009, with Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. When Mr. Pasteur arrives at school as a substitute teacher for Mr. O’Connell, Lunch Lady is suspicious. Mr. O’Connell hasn’t been sick once in twenty years.  At the same time, the Breakfast Bunch, three kids at school become suspicious of Lunch Lady: what does she do after school? The wackiness ensues, with Lunch Lady wielding chicken nugget bombs, fish stick nunchunks, and a spatu-copter, a spatula that allows her to fly.

Illustration copyright © 2009 by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Lunch Lady has gone on to fight evil in Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians, Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta, Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown and Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco.

Krosoczka continues the zaniness in his most recent, Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit. The school has planned a bake sale to fund an upcoming field trip (Krosoczka manages to capture the dire financial shape of many public schools), only to have all the goodies stolen by someone. Lunch Lady and cafeteria worker, Betty, get busy. The fun comes in the many devices Lunch Lady uses to solve the mystery—a mirror broom, rubber glove suction cups to climb the walls, a cookie camera and a spork phone.

The only complaint my son has about this series—“I wish there were more and they were longer.” (Publisher: Random House Children’s Books. Ages 7-10)

Nina Schuyler‘s first novel, The Painting, (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill/2004), was a finalist for the Northern California Book Awards. It was also selected by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the Best Books for 2004 and a “Great Debut from 2004″ by the Rocky Mountain News. She currently teaches creative writing at the University of San Francisco and is working on a third novel.

©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Reading Level: Ages 7-9

Add this book to your collection: Super Diaper Baby 2: The Invasion of the Potty Snatchers

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Video courtesy of TheScholasticChannel.

©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Add this book to your collection: Squish #1: Super Amoeba

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©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

By Tina Vasquez, for The Children’s Book Review
Published: December 2, 2010

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth

By Jeff Kinney

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Hardcover: 217 pages

Publisher: Amulet Books (November 2010)

Last month, in what was believed to be the biggest book release of the year, Jeff Kinney added another addition to his increasingly popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series: The Ugly Truth. This chapter of Greg Heffley’s life is chronicled in the same diary/illustration style so many children have come to know and love, but this time around the loveable protagonist is on the cusp of that very rocky period known as puberty. Greg finds himself in all kinds of new and unsettling situations, like sitting though boys-only classes devoted to “the facts of life” or getting cornered by his gammie for “the talk” and though nothing groundbreaking is ever revealed to him about the intricacies of adult life, it’s clear that young Greg is struggling to walk the fine line between childhood and young adulthood.

To make matters more difficult, a summertime argument is drawn out for months, forcing Greg to return to middle school without the much-needed companionship of his goof of a best friend, Rowley Jefferson. Worse yet, Greg’s mom has also decided to return to school for a semester, leaving he and his brothers and father to fend for themselves. Greg may be incredibly smart and perceptive for his age, but he’s still too immature to admit to his mother- and himself- that at this point in his life he needs his mom around for more than just making dinner and washing dirty laundry; he needs her presence and guidance.

In each edition of the Wimpy Kid series it’s always seemed as if Greg wanted to grow up quickly, but now that things are changing faster than he’d like them to he’s forced to navigate the often complicated world of girls and social circles on his own. In the Ugly Truth, it’s clear that Greg just wants things to go back to the way they were.

Chances are Kinney will continue riding this series out, which means young readers will just have to wait and see where life takes Greg Heffley.

Add this book to your collection: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth

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©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

By Luisa LaFleur, The Children’s Book Review
Published: March 15, 2010

Middle School Confidential: What’s Up with My Family?

by Annie Fox M.Ed.

Reading level: Young adults

Paperback: 90 pages

Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing (2010)

Source of book: author

What to expect: Answers to family issues such as: death, anxiety, sibling rivalries

Isn’t this a question we’ve all asked ourselves at one time or another? I know I did when I was younger–and I still do to some extent –so I was intrigued to read Annie Fox’s latest installment of the Middle School Confidential series. “What’s up with My Family?” tackles eight issues that often confound teenagers with regard to how their parents and siblings behave. When I read the book, some of the issues clearly resounded with my 15-year old self, so much so that I wished I had had this book then. And while my teenage years are far behind me, I’m glad this book is around now. It might just be able to help some teens understand why their parents are “overprotective” or “unfair” or “mean” and how to deal with “annoying” siblings. I put these terms in quotes because now that I’m a parent, and I’ve some perspective, I understand the reasons for certain behaviors but I know that I didn’t understand my parents or brothers when I was teen.

The book is written with many visual cues that will intrigue teens and young adults–the graphics, conversational style, and particularly, the real-life quotes from teens across the country–all serve to make the subject matter easier to understand and deal with.

Annie Fox seems to have gotten a lot of her accessibility and understanding from her years of study and experience with this particular age group. After teaching for several years, Annie began to experiment with how technology could be used to empower teens. Among her many online projects, she is the creator of The InSite—a Web site for teens taking on life’s challenges.

Add this book to your collection: Middle School Confidential: What’s Up with My Family?

You may also like: Middle School Confidential Series: Be Confident in Who You Are by Annie Fox M.Ed.
Middle School Confidential: Real Friends vs. the Other Kind by Annie Fox M.Ed.

Visit the website of Annie Fox M.Ed.

©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

By Luisa LaFleur, The Children’s Book Review
Published: February 17, 2010

Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000

by Eric Wight (author and illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 7-10

Paperback: 86 pages

Publisher: Simon and Schuster (forthcoming)

Source of book: author

What to expect: Overcoming adversity, importance of teamwork

Remember when you were a kid and your parents were mean? Or unfair? Or the world seemed like it was going to end because you didn’t get your way? I remember plenty of those episodes – and just when things seem to be at their bleakest, a ray of hope breaks through the clouds and you get another chance to redeem yourself. This is what the new installment of the Frankie Pickle books reminded me of – getting that chance to make things right.

Author Eric Wight has written a second graphic novel recounting Frankie Pickle’s quest to get enough Possum points to make the next rank in the Possum Scouts. When Frankie fails to get the merit badge that will promote him from Pygmy to Shrew, he gets mired in a swamp of sadness. His mom, who is the Marsupial Mother in charge of his troop, can’t help and he’s faced with being the only member of his troop who won’t advance to the next rank. But then his dad reminds him of the Pine Run 3000 race that, if he were to win it, would give him the points he needs to move up.

The story is lots of fun and the illustrations give us a peek into Frankie’s awesome imagination. It’s a great read!

Add this book to your collection: Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000

Enter to win a personalized signed copy of this book. Giveaway ends March 3, 2010.

©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: February 16, 2010

We first met Frankie Pickle in Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom, which Luisa LaFleur called “a rip-roaring good read!”  This time, the imaginative character stars in Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000—an action-packed adventure that showcases the importance of teamwork. The author, Eric Wight,  is a great guy—you can get to know him better, here. He has offered to give one of our readers a personalized signed copy of Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000.

How to enter (maximum entries, 3):

• Leave your name and a message in the comments field below. If you are one of the lucky winners, you will be contacted via e-mail.

• An extra entry will be given for each time you twitter about the giveaway and/or blog about it. You will need to paste the link in a separate comment to make this entry valid. Click here to follow me on Twitter.

• Don’t forget that a valid e-mail address is a must.

• Shipping Guidelines: This book promotion is open to participants with a United States or Canadian mailing address only.

• The contest will run February 16, 2010 – March 3, 2010, with the winners being drawn March 4, 2010.  Administrator’s computer is the official time keeping device for the Giveaway. The winner will be picked at random using a random sequence generator (your comments are numbered in the order they are received and the numbers are like raffle tickets drawn from a hat). Winners have 72hrs to claim their prize. Unclaimed prizes will be awarded to an alternate winner.

• Comment away!

Disclaimer: Books will be shipped directly from the author (sponsor), delivery of the giveaway item lies solely on the sponsor. Names, e-mail address and physical address of the winner will be shared with the sponsor for the purpose of fulfillment of the giveaway.

©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: July 22, 2009

Tales From Outer Suburbia

by Shaun Tan

Reading level: 12+

Hardcover: 98 pages

Publisher: Templar Publishing (March 2, 2009)

What to expect: Suburbian life, Australia, Short stories, Fiction

A poetic look at human nature through 15 imaginative and abstract tales that create a mysterious, yet philosophical, world.

So profoundly intertwined are the text and illustrations that you could not have one without the other. Tan’s wonderous artwork is diverse — he has included paintings, pen and ink illustrations, and collages; he has used black-and white, and full-color — it’s hard not to get lost in each picture. If this book were ice-cream, every tale would be considered a different flavor; the adventurous, the insidious, and the sharp, will delight in every flavor. Strange happenings occur in everyday suburbia: surprise gifts are found in the pantry, joy is found in the unexpected, love and relationships are proven to survive with some hard work, we discover what comes of abandoned poetry, and we learn of great uses for intercontinental ballistic missiles (one of my favorite tales). Tales From Outer Suburbia is emotionally connected with peerless subtlety; children will be enlightened through each experience and left with an open mind. Adults who read along with their children are offered the opportunity to reflect on their own experiences. Magical, bizarre, and brilliant!

Publisher’s synopsis: An exchange student who’s really an alien, a secret room that becomes the perfect place for a quick escape, a typical tale of grandfatherly exaggeration that is actually even more bizarre than he says… These are the odd details of everyday life that grow and take on an incredible life of their own in tales and illustrations that Shaun Tan’s many fans will love.

You may also enjoy: Shaun Tan’s bestselling The Arrival.

©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.