Thursday, December 8, 2011

The Very Best of 2011 Kids' Graphic Novels with Links and Excerpts!

As 2011 draws to a close, it's time to share my list of 2011's "Very Best" graphic novels for kids (although I LOVED them and last time I checked, I was considered - by most- to be an adult).  I am only a recent avid fan, and I rationalize my newly found passion by the fact that in the last few years this industry has exploded with diverse, quality, works that MUST be included in homes, schools, and libraries. I have included books with intelligent content, and quality art and prose.

So here are my recommendations (note that I have also included accessible web sites that either deal with important issues or have online previews and excerpts):

FOR KIDS 4-8

Bake Sale by Sara Varon weaves a salivating tale of friendship, chemistry, and baking, and marching bands. It is about friends using creative ideas to help each other with life's dreams and unavoidable obstacles. Life's solutions (at least in this book) revolve around baking. There are seven recipes from classic cupcakes and cookies to sugared flower petals to marzipan.  It is wonderfully heart-warming and creative. Please see this YouTube clip for more about the book.

Gunnerkrigg Court by Tom Siddell is a series of books about Antimony Carver, a girl with special talents attending a strange school called Gunnerkrigg Court.  It is a fictional school in a fictional world and the story weaves political intrigue, science, fantasy and mythology into a beautifully (verbally and visually) told story.  The books are published by Arehaia Studios Press but the stories are updated online three days a week at Gunnerkrkigg Court.
 
Nursery Rhyme Comics edited by Chris Duffy is a compilation of nursery rhymes classics retold by 50 of today's most talented cartoonists and illustrators.  Each rhyme is one to three pages long, simply paneled and lettered for an easy read for all ages, and each one isa feast for the eyes and mind.

Cover art for SQUISH, SUPER AMOEBASquish:  Super Amoeba by Jennifer and Matthew Holm is about the world of single-celled friends (Squish, Peggy and Pod) and as they navigate school, bullies and life.  It is wonderfully creative and these ameoba and paramecium move and interact with their environment in a very creative (and relatively true to life) way.  It is a great introduction to pond life and the single-celled world and a great way to discuss fact, fiction, and an author's use of both to tell a story.  I just loved this book and recommend it for home and school use. They have a second book out already (Squish:  Brave New Pond) with a third one coming out soon "Squish:  The Power of the Parasite"
SLJ1107w_FTcomx_Hatke(Original Import) 
Zita Space Girl by Ben Hatke -  invites the reader from the first panel.  Art and story are incredibly engaging for kids of all ages.  This is a great book to read aloud or have your child read on their own.  It is about Zita who knows she shouldn't touch an unidentified object while walking with her friend Joseph, but she just can't resist.  (Sound like any child you know?).  Even with Jacob's warning, she touches it and sending Jacob to another universe.  She knows she must go to rescue him and embarks on the adventure of her life. For more details see my previous post which has a YouTube video clip excerpting this book.



FOR KIDS 8-12
Amelia Rules by Jimmy Gownley is a funny, witty, intelligent series of books that follow Amelia as she adjusts to life in a new town after her parents' divorce.  These books deal with issues of friendship, loyalty, school, various family life issues, and social ' belonging' issues.  Gownley shows (not tells) kids how they can navigate life's lessons in a wonderfully fun, supportive and empowering way, while dealing with very real issues.  It is one of the best kid's book I've read in a long time. In 2011 alone, four different Amelia books have been published - the are ALL SUPERB and well worth the read.  Here is a YouTube video excerpt from one of the Amelia books.

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol is a story about how a ghost (named Emily) who is 'rescued' by Anya when she falls down a well, helps Anya deal with the awkward teen years.  She helps Anya address her self consciousness about her looks, her friends and being popular, with Anya's embarrassment of her family (they are very ethnic), and with her rebellious, confused emotions.  It is a lovely coming of age book. Here are the first 17 pages of the book, courtesy of First Second Books.

City of Spies by Susan Kim and Laurence Klaven depicts life in the summer of 1942.  Evelyn's dad is getting remarried and he sends her to her aunt's house in New York City. Evelyn discovers herself and with the help of Tony, the super's son, they uncover a German spy ring after seeing newsreels asking citizens to help in the war effort.  It is exciting, empowering, and a lovely coming of age story. Here are 8 pages from the book, courtesy of First Second Books.

Resistance (2010) and Resistance Book 2: Defiance (2011) by Carla Jablonski & Leland Purvis is a story about World War II from the perspective of  a boy, Paul Tessier and his family.  In Book 1 the Tessiers have to decide how to live under German occupation as they weigh their options of joining the French Resistance, remaining 'neutral', or sympathizing with the Germans (in the hope of more and better rations and privileges). They also must decide whether to help Paul's best friend, a Jew.  In book 2 Defiance the story continues. Paul is now 14 and he still wrestles with helping his beloved torn France. Please view some excerpt pages.

Rust:  Visitor in the Field by Royden Lepp is a gripping story of Roman Taylor who struggles in a world similar to ours (which looks a lot like dust-bowl Oklahoma) to save his family's small farm which was devastated by a war.  One day a boy with a jet pack lands in the field and Romam begins to discover the secrets of Jet's past as he develops greater hopes for the future.  This is really a story for young teens, older teens and adults, which I reluctantly place here.  20th Century Fox has already picked up the rights to this awesome story.  Please check out these preview pages.

The Olympians (Zeus, Athena, Hera) by George O'Connor are a collection of books on Greek mythology.  The latest is Hera.  The story is true to classic Greek myth, and the illustrations and panel /page arrangements are breathtaking.  Greek myths truly come alive in this series and it is a GREAT bet for any kids interested in Greek mythology. Note that Hades is the fourth book coming out in 2012.  I saw a galley and it is spectacular as well.  Also note that each book comes with suggested lesson plans, suggested supplemental reading lists, and a family tree of the Greek gods.  Please view the first 12 pages, courtesy of First Second Books.



For 12+
Americus written by MK Reed and illustrated by Jonathan Hill is about a book-loving boy from Americus, a small town in Oklahoma who eagerly awaits the latest edition of his favorite fantasy series starring a young sorceress who hunts monsters and tyrants.  Trouble arises with a movement to ban it from the library.  This book deals head on with book-banning in a sensitive, honest manner. The book appeared first on the web (and while now only available in print, this is a very cool link that deals with book banning), and is now available in book form.  Here is a 13-page preview for those interested (compliments of the publisher, First Second Books).


Feynman written by Jim Ottaviani and illustrated by Leland Myrick visually and verbally illustrates Richard Feynman's life from his childhood in Long Island NY to his college days at MIT to his work on the Manhattan Project, career at Cornell and CalTech,  his dramatic exposure of the Challenger disaster, his work on quantum electrodynamics and his antics in art and music (bongo drums).   This work is  an adaptation of Feynman's books ("Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman" and "What Do You Care WHat Other People Think?" are two of my all-time favorite books) which are also well work a read. No science background is required for these books, although it may help with some sections. Here is a slide show excerpt of the book

The Silence of Our Friends by Mark Long, Jim Demonakos and Nate Powell is a semi-autobiographical story (about one of the author's father) who was a "Race Reporter" in Texas, 1976.  It is actually not out until January 17, 2012, but is available on Amazon for preorder. I was given a galley to read and it is powerfully honest, sensitive, and does a spectacular job relaying a very complicated, troubled time in our history. It is the story of prejudice, humiliation, degradation and a living testament of the growing civil rights movement in Houston Texas.  It talks about families who try to do the right thing, raise their kids' "right", make mistakes, but mostly make an effort to find the right path in a questioning time. Here is a preview - 13 pages from the book.  It is sensitive, smart, and honest.  A must read!


Honorable mentions from previous years:

Anne Frank:  The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon.  The authors infuse this authorized biography with relevant history and perspective as Anne's story is retold.  It is an excellent read in which World War II and the Holocaust come alive, and lives lost all to early are remembered. 


Drawing Words and Writing Pictures - Jessica Abel and Matt MaddenDrawing Words and Writing Pictures by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden is a GREAT gift/book idea.  I recommend it for kids ages 12+.  It is actually written as a course and has won multiple awards including: BCCB Recommended Title, Publisher's Weekly Comics Week Best Comic of the Year. I has chapters on lettering, story structure, and panel layout and comes with homework, extra credit activities and supplemental reading suggestions.


I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly - a superb book about fifth grader Barbara who kills giants - we just don't know if she really kills giants, thinks she kills giants but is living (or retreating) to a fantasy world, or if this is a metaphor for something greater.  Please see previous blog post that illustrates how graphic novels like I Kill Giants are not only enteratining, but actually help shape inference skills and critical thinking (it has some excerpts from the book as well).

Laika  by Nick Abadzis tells the story of Laika, the first sentient being sent into space by the Russians and of the political posturing of the 1950's space race.  Please see a previous blog post of mine for more details.


Mouse Guard by David Petersen  Please see a previous blog post of mine for more details on this and other great reads.  It is the story of Medieval Mouse times.  It is already a classic work, the art and story are spectacular and it is well worth your time.

The Sons of Liberty by Alexander and Joseph Lagos tells the story of Colonial America with a bit of a twist as two young run-away slaves are are left with superpowers as the result of an encounter with Ben Franklin's son who was experimenting with electricity.  This is the first story of a series and is wonderfully engaging.

The United States Constitution Please my December 5, 2011 post for more details about this truly outstanding publication which seeming effortlessly describes the United States Constituion (Preamble and Amendments) as well as providing background and perspective to this work of genius.

Tribes: The Dog Years by Michael Geszel and Peter Spinetta, art by Inaki Miranda is an outstanding science fiction adventure that considers the effect of a medical research lab's experiment with nano virus' gone awry.  While there is some violence (hence the older age guideline) the story and art are spectacular and worth the read (for older kids and ALL adults).  Please see  my previous blog post for details as well as this post dealing with Tribes and social cognition.  Here is a great YouTube post trailer for Tribes: The Dog Years that is spectacular and shows you Inaki Miranda's spectacular art. 

This is a long posting, but these are all spectacular books that I fell passionately about.  Please leave some of your passionate suggestions as well - or questions. 

28 comments:

  1. Dear Meryl,
    What a wonderful line-up. Thanks for including Resistance, I've already passed the links on to a French friend. Also pleased to find out about the graphic novel about Anne Frank.
    It's been only a few weeks since I met Art Spiegelman at our library, where he gave a presentation of his life and work through his latest book: MetaMaus.
    After all these years a justification for choosing graphic art to share atrocities seems to still be necessary. While really, everyone knows a picture can say more than a 1000 words, many people respond in an angry fashion when they realize a tough subject is addressed in drawing rather than by writing.
    Perhaps the fact that graphic art, when used in book form falls under "comics" is debit for the misunderstanding.
    To have a master teacher such as you vouch for the graphic novel is a great help.
    Thanks!
    Warmly,
    Judith

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  2. Hello. I found my way here by way of the "Mingle with us Blog Hop."

    I love your blog and I'm now following!

    If you get a chance, please visit me at

    http://culinarycozies.blogspot.com
    http://whenmamareads.blogspot.com

    Thanks!

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  3. Thank you for the suggestions! Some of those look really good. My oldest is only 3 so none of them are ready for those but I'll have to remember them.

    I'm following from the friday blog hop. I'd love if you'd stop by my blog sometime http://www.ratherbechangingdiapers.com

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  4. Thank you so much for sharing these. I have just found your lovely blog through the blog hop wonderful to join in. I'm now following you hope you visit me and follow back so nice to find new friends to catch up with. Have a great day.

    Always Wendy

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  5. I personally love graphic novels but will not let my son (7 years old) read them until he is much older. My reason is simple: words form pathways in the brain that are very different from pathways formed by pictures. As such, the ability to 'decode' the author's message in terms of words becomes a learning process that leads to further ability to analyse complex problems in the future. The ability to hold onto words in order to attain higher order thinking has been neglected by society as a whole in place of simplified versions in terms of abridged stories or pictorial replacements. Think Disney's dumbed down 'Bambi' versus the original literature by Salten, and you'll see they're worlds apart.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier and leaving kind comments.

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  6. Dear Tiger's Mum,

    Thank you so much for visiting and commenting. I understand EXACTLY what you are saying and used to think the same way.

    I did not 'encourage' my kids to read comics because I too wanted them to master words (and I thought they were all about super heroes and monsters... boy have things changed!!!!) The comics and graphic novels I mention are FAR CRIES from Disney or Superman.

    But, not only have comics and graphic novels changed, our world has changed. Publishers are more sensitive and eager for quality kids' stories in their kids' graphic novels and there are TONS of scripts and works to chose from. Second we live is a world of visual and verbal 'bites' where visual literacy (reading faces, tones, nuances) s AS important for critical thinking as verbal literacy, and where the bites change so quickly they have to be short, effective, to the point.

    I hope you look at some of my earlier posts - particularly the one about critical thinking and how comics actually teach kids to make inferences. The art in graphic novels help guide kids to make inferences because the author is not there to "tell" readers what characters are thinking (or even always how they reacted) The frames and panels are somewhat static and the reader must INFER intent, emotions, and actions.

    I don't think it should be one or the other (prose or comics) I think reading should involve both. These book forms require different types of higher order cognition, different types of literacy, attention, and sequential processing.

    I hope you look at some of the links I left - they may help give you a "look" into some really awesome reads that REALLY challenge the mind.

    Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  7. Hi, I found you through the Friday Blog Hop Til You Drop. I'm now following, and would love it if you could do the same! Tarah Dunn

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  8. Here to follow you via Friendly Friday!

    Brooke
    http://cupcakecucumber.blogspot.com/

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  9. wow! Great list.. and I am going to add these to the books I will read to my 5 year old and or ask my 8 year old to read.. am following you on GFC now and came over from Friendly Friday blog hop..
    am surely going to visit you regularly..
    Do hop on over to my blog when you can...http://myrandrspace.blogspot.com/

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  10. what a great list of books, I'll have to check them out! Thanks for stopping by my blog!

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  11. Great list of books! Love the variety :) Great post Meryl

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  12. Shoot, I love graphic novels too!

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  13. The first book I read that was meaningful to me was The Diary of Anne Frank. I grew up a little after reading that book as a young girl.

    I'm visiting from the Friday Blog Hop and followed you. Let me know your Google+ page.

    Please visit my blog at http://dreesthings.blogspot.com/ when you have time.

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  14. Thanks for these recommendations. My girls are in the 8 and under age range and I'm always looking for great new books!

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  15. Amelia will always rule! Thanks for joining my It's a Wonderful Life Planet Weidknecht Weekend Hop!

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  16. Please note that I'm following you from my other Google profile http://www.blogger.com/profile/14518589760310702529 because blogger won't let me follow anymore from this one. It says I'm following too many.

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  17. Hi there! So glad I found your blog through the hop. So refreshing! I'm always looking for new and inspirational books to read to my children!
    hhtp://rominagarciamartyrhood.blogspot.com/

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  18. A new follower from the blog hop. Absolutely love your blog. What a wonderful resource for mothers to look at. God bless you.

    www.wewillwalkforeverholdinghands.blogspot.com

    Rachel

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  19. It's amazing how the GN has evolved from being pretty much a long, expensive comic book in the 1980s to a distinct artform. I had a chance to meet Spiegelman a couple times years ago; a fascinating guy.

    ROG, ABC Wednesday team

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  20. Thank you for this list of books.
    Even though I am as old as dirt I think I need to read them too.
    I'm going to look into these very soon and also get some of them for my Granddaughters.

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  21. Great information for the holidays!! Thanks for sharing (and joining the Tuesday Train!!)

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  22. I haven't read any GN yet. However, I do read alot of other books, my favorite being cozy mysteries. I also have a blog that is just about reading and other fun things based around reading.

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  23. There are some great sounding books on your list, I would love to read some of those, now all I have to do is find a likely child.

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  24. You did a great job getting these recommendations together.

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  25. What a great compilation! I think I'll print out your list so I can have it on hand as my grandchildren get older. The 8-year-old (on Jan 1) "can" read but doesn't want to bother so I'm trying to find something to "grab" him. The 4-year-old (Mar 3) sits with a book pretending to read, mumbling to herself as she turns the pages. I guess 1 out of 2 isn't too bad. lol Thanks!

    Leslie
    abcw team

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  27. Thanks for stopping by the Frugal Tuesday linky yesterday!

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  28. I am a new follower from the Feed Me Friday hop.

    Thanks!

    http://kidsaregrown.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete