Yo'GRT #2

It's time for another round of recommendations! This past month I focused more on graphic novels. I got really into them, and I found some really fun ones that I could not resist sharing. These are definitely great for teaching kids lessons and showing them that just because others have something does not mean you need it. I think the best part about graphic novels is seeing how broad of a range they can be. Some are classics, others are humorous, some are semi-autobiographical, and many are just showing kids how to navigate life. Hopefully I help others find a new book to read. Enjoy!

Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

 

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Image from page 33 of Be Prepared.

Summary: Ever wonder what it is like being poor and then finding out that all your friends can go  to camp except you? Vera does! She does not understand why all her rich friends get to go to camp each year but she is stuck at home surrounded by everything they are not, Russian. Then she finds out her Russian Orthodox church will pay for part of her camp fees. The kicker, it is Russian summer camp. She is so excited that she convinces her mom to send her and her brother to camp. Once she arrives chaos ensues and Vera is not quite sure why she ever wanted to go to camp in the first place. Will Vera find friends and make lifelong memories? Or will she regret going to camp for the rest of her life?

Personal Opinion: This book shows kids what it is like to be so excited for something you have longed for then find out it is not all it is cracked up to be. Vera mixes humorous stories with her honest take on summer camps. This is part fiction and partly from Vera's own experiences being sent to a Russian summer camp as a young girl. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fun, quirky stories about growing up and facing what life throws at you. It is a brilliantly honest take on summer camp.

Ages: 10-14                         
Publisher: First Second
ISBN: 9781626724457      
Publishing Date: August 24, 2018
Awards: New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of 2018, Boston Globe Best Children's Book of 2018, Best Graphic Novel of 2018 by Parents Magazine, Prix Bedelys Jeunesse for graphic novels for 7-12-year-olds

Anne of Greene Gables: A Graphic Novel adapted by Mariah Marsden

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Image from page 55 of Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel.

Summary: Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert decide they want to adopt an orphan as a farm hand. They thought they were getting a boy. Instead they got imaginative and red-headed Anne. Instead of taking her back to an orphanage or finding a new home they decide to keep her around. This adaptation of a classic takes readers along Anne's life as she grows up at Green Gables. She causes a lot of trouble throughout her time there but she also causes love to grow and people to change for the better. 

Personal Opinion: I have to admit that I have never read a single Anne of Green Gables book. Now I want to read them all and watch all the shows and movies. I only gave it four out of five stars because I was not the biggest fan of the art. It was phenomenal but not my cup of tea. I love that it shows the love that can grow out of an awkward situation. The graphic novel brings to life each story from Anne's life and it makes it even more funny when you get to see the visuals along with the words when Anne gets into trouble, many times by accident. This book is heartwarming and I can see why it is a classic. The graphic novel format enhances the best parts of a classic orphan story. I would recommend this book to any child who enjoys older style books and ones that have quite a bit of humor. 

Ages: 7-12
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ISBN: 9781449479602
Publishing Date: October 24, 2017
Awards: 2018 Cybils Awards Finalist for Elementary/Middle Grade graphic novels

All's Faire in Middle School by  Victoria Jamieson

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Summary: Imogene has grown up being homeschooled and helping her parents work at the Florida Renaissance Faire. This year is different. She is going to middle school. She has never had to make friends, please teachers, or go through the horrors of finding somewhere to sit at lunch. On top of trying to navigate being a teenager at a new school she is also a squire and aspiring knight to be. Can she get through a year of middle school and live up to her family's honor at the faire?

Image from page 18 of All's Faire in Middle School.

Personal Opinion: This book is delightfully quirky and weird. I loved every page of this book and the graphics play well into the overall atmosphere Jamieson is trying to capture. Imogene shows us how sometimes it is hard to follow your path and do w hat is right. She also shows us that friendships and school can be difficult to handle, especially when you are used to a completely different style of school. I would recommend this book to kids who enjoy Renaissance stories as well as those kids who like to read about friendships and morally overcoming bad situations. It has a little bit of everything to appeal to a wide audience and I loved how seamlessly the author transitioned from middle school to the Renaissance faire. If I could I would give it more than five stars!

Image from page 47 of All's Faire in Middle School. 

Ages: 9-12

Publisher: Dial Books

ISBN: 9780525429999

Publishing Date: September 5, 2017

Awards: 2018 Charlotte Huck Award commended, 2018 ALSC Notable Children's Books commended, 2018 Great Graphic Novels for Teens commended, 2018 CCBC Choices selection, 2017 Junior Library Selections graphic novel selection 

Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song

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Summary: Whatever shall Norma and Belly do?! There pancakes are burnt and now they have no breakfast. But what is that delightful smell? Donuts! Norma and Belly go on an adventure to get donuts for all their squirrel friends from the donut truck that is near their home. Will they be able to get breakfast or will they have to scavenge for nuts?

Image from page 9 of Donut Feed the Squirrels.

Personal Opinion: This is an adorably fun read for small kids. Norma and Belly are funny and extremely innocent. They just want to have a nice breakfast, but Norma's pancakes are burnt. The graphics fit with the innocent and sweet vibe that Song is giving readers, and I would recommend this book to any child who enjoys humorous stories about animals.*

Ages: 4-8

Publisher: Random House Graphic

Publishing Date: September 29, 2020

ISBN: 9781984895837

Awards: Bulletin Blue Ribbon Selection, Chicago Public Library Best Book Selection, and Gryphon Award Honor

*If you end up enjoying this graphic novel try out the second book in this series, Apple of My Pie.

El Deafo by Cece Bell

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Summary: Bell's memoir brings her childhood nickname for herself to life. She gets sick and becomes deaf at a young age. Throughout this graphic novel we see Cece's struggles through elementary school to find true friendship and just feel welcome in a sea of people who can hear each other. However, it also shows all the fun she has with the help of her imagination and hearing aids. Can Cece see what a gift she has or does she continue to see her hearing loss as a disability?

Personal Opinion: I could not put this book down. Bell did a great job at showing how she perceived her younger years and what it was like going to a school where she was the only one who could not hear without an assistant. I loved that she used her childhood nickname to write a book. Bell also showcases at the end of her novel that even though she is deaf that there are many different perspectives and ways to live when you are hard of hearing. Cece always tries to hide her deafness because she does not want people to think she has a disability. Not everyone grows up thinking that so at the end of her book she writes a little bit about how the Deaf community is very diverse. I would recommend this to any child who enjoys graphic novels about surviving elementary school.

Image from page 82 of El Deafo.

Image from page 84 of El Deafo.

Ages: 8-12

Publisher: ABRAMS

ISBN: 9781419710209

Publishing Date: September 1, 2014

Awards: Newbery Honor Book, Notable Children's Book, Children's Choices Selection