Graphic Novels

All posts in the Graphic Novels category

Amulet, by Kazu Kibuishi

Published February 19, 2013 by Dagmar

amuletThis graphic novel series flies off my shelves, and I constantly have to answer the question, “Why haven’t you ordered number 6!”  Those of you following the Amulet series will know that there isn’t a number 6 yet.  I can see why this book is so popular with my students.  There is a great mix of something tragic, something mysterious and a new fantasy world.  The illustrations are really beautifully done.   Highly recommended for third grade and older.

Emily and Navin lose their father in a car accident and move to a remote town with their mom.  The house they move to is an old house owned by their great grandfather Silas.  When Emily and Navin wander upstairs, they discover a room and a mysterious amulet.  When their mother is lured into a trap, the children follow her, guided by a mechanical rabbit named Miskit.  They find their great grandfather on his death bed.  He urges Emily to become the new Stonekeeper, leading her into a new world and teaching her the power of the Amulet.

Smile, by Raina Telgemeier

Published December 28, 2012 by Dagmar

smileWonderful! What if you knocked out your two front teeth…in middle school? Smile takes me back to the times when I had braces and when I also had to figure out which friends were truly friends.  It’s a great book that just flies off my library shelves.  I can see why.  It’s great for fifth graders and middle schoolers.  For those of you who love this book, the same author wrote another book called Drama.

Synopsis: Raina knocks out her two front teeth when she trips and falls.  So begins an odyssey that includes false teeth, retainers, braces, headgear etc.  all during middle school when everyone is as self-conscious as humanly possible.  Following Raina through middle school to high school, this book takes her through her friends’ reactions to her appearance and her first crush on a boy.  Finding that her friends are not necessarily good friends, Raina finds a new group in of friends in high school who are supportive and don’t care about her appearance.