Your Choice: Summer Reading Suggestions for Kids of All Ages

With early summer intersecting with ABC Wednesday's "Y" week, I thought I would put together some of my favorite graphic novels for fun summer reading for all young adults (middle school) and older.

But, before getting to the list, a few notes:

First: I limited the reading suggestions to those books (or sequels) having come out over the past year.  There are plenty other perfectly spectacular summer reads available and you may want to check these links for more great reads:

• Heroes of all shapes and sizes
• Non-fiction and historical fiction
• Kids' graphic novel favorites

Second: This past week I came upon an info-graphic that I think absolutely and unquestionably demonstrates the power of visual messages.  I have it posted below my reading suggestions and it is well-worth a scroll-though.  It is a visual flow chart of suggested summer reading for young adults middle-school and older.  While I wish I could present my choices in the same manner, I am just not tech-savvy enough. So I give you a view and a choice.  You have two different summer reading lists to chose from.

Note that while the info-graphic covers classic of all sorts, my list focuses on graphic novels, demonstrating that there is quality reading to be had by kids of ALL AGES, and ALL TASTES.

Enjoy and feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments.

PART 1: SUMMER GRAPHIC NOVEL READING SUGGESTIONS

The City of Ember: The Graphic Novel by Jeanne DuPrau, Adapted by Dallas Middaugh, Art by Niklas Asker (fiction,coming of age; Random House, 2012 ages 8+).  This story is adapted from its original prose text. This story opens with a two-page introduction showing you a small city lit at night and informing us that, "It is written in the book of the City of Ember that Ember was made long ago...Beyond Ember, the darkness goes on forever in all directions..."  Chapter 1: Assignment Day shows the Mayor of Ember having the "Highest Class" of students picking lots from a bag thus deciding the jobs and adult roles they will be assuming once out of school.  The art is spectacular and helps set the stage of a dysfunctional doomed world whose hope lies in the hands of Doon and Lina. Here is a link for a Chapter Sampler.  And if you like this, you might want to go on to read its original prose version and/or to read Lois Lowry's The Giver.


Rust by Royden Lepp (fiction/fantasy, coming-of-age; Archaia ages 8+)  While there are now two Rust books, it appears there will be four volumes and a possible movie with 20th Century Fox. Both volumes are brilliantly illustrated in sepia tone which gives the story a Dust Bowl and post World War I feeling; both are in hardcover. Each books open up with war scenes between jet-propelled 'boys,' large 30-foot mechanical drone monstrosities, and men; and while both contain a super-hero aspect, the story is more about family than war, robots, or superheroes. In both books, Roman (and in the second book Roman's little brother Oswald) write letters to their dad who is still away (we assume at war), and both books emphasize Roman and Oswald's sense of responsibility to the farm, family and to each other. This is a compelling story of discovery, war, responsibility, and empowerment making readers think about the characters, their stories, and the challenges of "coming of age."For more, please read this Review of Rust detailing each book and containing teaching and book group discussion suggestions.


Little White Duck by Na Liu and Andres Vera Martinez (China History, non-fiction; Graphic Universe, 2012 ages 8+) is a collection of eight moving stories based on the author's life of her childhood in China during the 1970' and 80's.  Here is an excerpt of a review from The New York Times ( "A Child's View of China" November 9, 2012 by Gene Luen Yang)

"...What Liu and Martínez do is convey a child’s-eye view of a country in transition. Politics, culture and history play into their stories, but the reader’s awareness of them is a child’s awareness. The mural of Mao and the ancient gods and the colorful posters encouraging patriotic behavior are probably important, but fireworks, schemes to catch rats and pretty jackets with soft little white duck-shaped patches are so much more interesting."

XOC by Matt Dembicki (non-fiction; environment and animals; ONI Press, all ages) follows the journey of a great white shark from the Farallon Islands off the coast of San Francisco to Hawaii and back. The author uses prose and alliteration as he describes the life of a female shark and the perils (natural and man-made) she must face on her journey to spawn her pup. For more on XOC along with information on great white sharks and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, please see XOC. A companion book might be I'm Not a Plastic Bag by Rachel Hope-Allison (Archaia, All Ages) is a wordless graphic novel that illustrates human impact on our oceans as it follows a used plastic bag that begins as refuse on the top of a leafless tree in the city and ends up as part of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. 



Silence of Our Friends (history, social rights, ages 10+) by Mark Long, Jim Demonakos and Nate Powell (First Second Books, Grades 6+) - a true story about a while male reporter and his family living in Texas during the Civil Rights Movement. The father must make career and life choices while trying to do the 'right thing.' The struggles of segregation and the Civil Rights movement are clearly and sensitively depicted.

Cardboard by Doug TenNapel (fiction; Graphix, 2012; ages 8+) Cam's dad gives him a cardboard box for his birthday...how low can you go? But, he loves his dad and appreciates the thought. So, to make the best of a sad situation, they begin folding the box and bending it into a man. Cam's amazement, it comes magically to life. There's just one more catch. Marcus, the local bully warps the cardboard creature into is own evil Threatening creations...And if you like this, and want to read more...look into into Golem stories.


Poseidon by George O'Connor (Greek mythology; First Second Books; ALL ages)  is the fifth volume of the Olympian Series - an outstanding series retelling the stories of the Greek gods.  In this volume, O'Connor tells the story of Poseidon, brother of Zeus, son of Kronos and Rhea, "ruler of the seas and creator of storms, tempests, and tsunamis that shake the earth." This book has breath-taking art and story-telling, a detailed Greek god family tree to help us mere mortals follow their royal lineage, Greek Geek notes, discussion points, and links for extra reading. Aside from O'Connor's other books you might also want to read  D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myth's.  Please see Poseidon: Earth Shaker for more details, teaching and discussion suggestions.

Gunnerkirgg Court by Thomas Siddell (fantasy, coming of age; Archaia; ages 10+) Note that while Archaia Books have published three volumes, Gunnerkrigg Court can also be found online at http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/ and it is an ongoing online graphic novel (updated every few days). Siddell tells the story of Antimony Carver, a young girl who joins Gunnerkrigg Court mid-year after her mother has died.  It is a mysterious school with a VERY diverse student body. Students and instructors are embroiled in mystery and political intrigue between "the Court" and Gillitie Wood, and clearly Antimony has some very special gifts that lead her to the center of the story.


Jerusalem by Boax Yakin and Nick Bertozzi (non-fiction, history, memoir; First Second Books; ages 10+) follows the Yakin's family history living in Jerusalem 1940-1948, a time of chaos, war, and the making of a nation. The story begins with the British Mandate giving way to a United Nations Partition Plan that then gives way to civil conflicts and the Arab-Israeli War of 1948. It follows Yakin's family's history while following the history of Jerusalem as its characters wrestle with ideals, faith and hopes. The issue of Jerusalem and Statehood are detailed on a personal yet objective level. While showing a city divided, it also shows a family divided by ideals and how these ideals motivate them in very different directions.


Pantalones, TX: Don't Chicken Out by Yehudi Mercado (fiction, humor; Archaia; All Ages) is simply a lot of fun. It is the story of Chico  Bustamante, a kid living in the small "one horse town" (that literally only can afford one horse) of Pantalones, Texas known only for being the town where underwear was "invented." It is also the town where an 'evil' sheriff is also the owner of the Chicken Shack, and as the school's Principal and teacher, and holds school in the town's jail.  Chico is determined to be the bad-a** kid who is added to the Texas history books along with Annie Oakley (who "shot the lone start before it crashed to earth"), Paul Bunyan (who "wrestled two giant blue oxen in the First Texas Smackdown"), John  Henry (who "battled a radioactive runaway train"), Pecos Bill and Johnny Appleseed (known for- well you'll just have to read for yourself). The town also has to deal with "foreigners" from New York.  It is fun as a read-aloud or quick read for all ages and a great place to start learning the 'truth' about American folk-tale heroes.


Barona's War: Field Guide and Barona's War: Fight for Amity by Anthony Coffey and Jesse Labbe (fiction, fantasy; Archaia; ages 13+). The first book, Barona's War: Field Guide is literally a field guide introducing the peoples, weapons and topography of Barona. Readers are introduced to the various scouts, soldiers, and weapons of two very cute (but aggressive) fur-covered races (the Ela-Alta and the Corpones) who are waging war over Amity which lies between their two nations. Barona's War: Fight for Amity is part prose, part poetry, and part graphic novel that honestly depicts the trials and horrors of war and is therefore recommended for readers ages 13 and older. For an introduction and animated preview, please see this YouTube clip:

 PART II: SUMMER READING SUGGESTIONS INFO-GRAPHIC: Note I found this at Teach.com and the link is worth a visit if you have time.

From: http://teach.com/great-educational-resources/summer-reading-flowchart

Personally, I love this info-graphic and its built-in decision tree and cover guide.

That's it for now.

Thank you for your visit and please leave your own favorite summer reading suggestions in the comments. 

Year's Best 2012 Non-Fiction or Historical Fiction Graphic Novels

3 days ago

3 days ago

In line with ABC Wednesday's "Y" week and the close of 2012, I thought I'd share my favorite non-fiction and historical fiction kids' graphic novels with you.  Each of these works would be assets to home and school libraries and lessons. For those of you interested in a wider reading list, I have also included links by other librarians and graphic novel aficionados listing their 2012 favorites as well.


I thank you all for your visits this past year, and wish for all of us that 2013 be a year of peace, prosperity, good health, happiness and success.

Silence of our Friends by Mark Long, Jim Demonakos and Nate Powell (First Second Books, Grades 6+) - a true story about a while male reporter and his family living in Texas during the Civil Rights Movement. The father must make career and life choices while trying to do the 'right thing.' The struggles of segregation and the Civil Rights movement are clearly and sensitively depicted.

Baby's In Black by Arne Bellstorf (First Second Books, Grade 6+) tells the story of the early Beatles (pre-Ringo) and their life in Germany before Ed Sullivan and their rise to fame.  It is a wonderful look at Europe in the 1960's pop culture and the significant cultural 'happenings' and salons that shaped our modern culture today.

Marathon by Boaz Yakin and Joe Infurnari (First Second Books, Grades 6+) tells the story of Eucles and The Battle of Marathon. Eucles, an Athenian messenger in the year 49 ran over 300 miles to save Ancient Greece from being subjugated into the Persian Empire. The Battle of Marathon was the turning point in ancient history, and the foundation of the modern Olympic games.

Victory - Book 3 of the Resistance Trilogy by Carla Jablonski and Leleand Purvis (First Second Books, Grade 5+) Relates how a family in France, torn apart by World War II must deal with decisions made in Books 1 and 2, and the consequences each member faces as a result as the war draws to an end. 

XOC by Matt Dembicki (ONI Press, all ages) follows the journey of a great white shark from the Farallon Islands off the coast of San Francisco to Hawaii and back. The author uses exceptional prose, vocabulary and alliteration as he describes the life of a female shark and the perils (natural and man-made) she must face on her journey to spawn her pup.

Sumo by Thien Pahm (First Second Books, Grades 9+) is a wonderfully affirming story for teens and young adults that things will work out as told through an aspiring football player turned sumo wrestler.  Readers learn about the sumo wrestling culture and discipline while following the story of Scott's move from the US and his NFL dreams to Japan.

Little White Duck: A Childhood in China by Na Liu and Andres Vera Martinez (Graphic Universe, 2012) is a collection of eight moving stories based on the author's life of her childhood in China during the 1970' and 80's.  Here is an excerpt of a review from The New York Times ( "A Child's View of China" November 9, 2012 by Gene Luen Yang)

"“Little White Duck” isn’t Communist propaganda. It is at once more innocent and more sophisticated. What Liu and Martínez do is convey a child’s-eye view of a country in transition. Politics, culture and history play into their stories, but the reader’s awareness of them is a child’s awareness. The mural of Mao and the ancient gods and the colorful posters encouraging patriotic behavior are probably important, but fireworks, schemes to catch rats and pretty jackets with soft little white duck-shaped patches are so much more interesting."

I'm Not a Plastic Bag by Rachel Hope-Allison (Archaia, All Ages) is a wordless graphic novel that illustrates human impact on our oceans as it follows a used plastic bag that begins as refuse on the top of a leafless tree in the city and ends up as part of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.  There is an extensive  appendix at the end of the book with information on The North Pacific Gyre (Great Pacific Garbage Patch),  Top Ten Items Found in Ocean Debris, Descriptions of Threatened Marine Wildlife, and How You can Help.

Continuing Non-fiction/Historical Fiction Series of value for home and school:

• Squish Series (Ages 7+)  Jennifer and Matt Holm continue to weave marvelous adventures and challenges for Squish, Peggy and Pod, our favorite single-celled 'young adult' characters.
• Hades by George O'Connor Olympians series (Ages 8+)  a collection of books each focusing on a different Greek God/myth.  These books contain detailed, accurate myths and stories, breathtaking art, suggested lesson plans, suggested supplemental reading lists, and a family tree of the Greek gods.
• Crogan's Loyalty by Chris Schweizer (ONI Press, Grades 4+) Schweizer uses the Crogan family tree to  relate famous historical events through the Crogans' perspective. This year's tale, Loyalty focuses on two brothers one who fights for the British and the other for the Coloniesin the American Revolution and must deal with their own issues of family and country loyalty.

"Best of 2012" links for further reading:

• Crave OnLine's The 21 Best Graphic Novels of 2012 
• NPR's "Graphic Novels That Flew Under the Radar in 2012
• GraphicNovelReporter: "The Best Graphic Novels of 2012"
• Bookshelf: Top Ten Graphic Novels of 2012 for Schools and Libraries
• http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-best-comics-of-2012-graphic-novels-art-comics,90282/ 

Thanks again for your visit.  Please leave your favorite 2012 reads in the comments.  I look forward to many fascinating visits and comments, to reading stimulating posts, and wish you all the very best in 2013!

XOC, Ancient Mayan Word and Awesome Non-fiction Graphic Novel

From: www.onipress.com

Did you know that XOC is the ancient Mayan word for shark? This is one of the facts I learned in XOC: The Journey of a Great White (Matt Dembicki, ONI Press, 2012) an awesome graphic novel written by Matt Dembicki and should be seriously considered for home, school or classroom use for kids of all ages.

More specifically:

"XOC (pronounced "shock") is an ancient Mayan word for demon fish (though there are other translations) and likely the origin of the English word shark. The story behind how it entered the English language is rather interesting. Capt. John Hawkins was said to have brought a carcass of a beast that killed some of his crew while they were pirating off the coast of Mexico. He heard some of the local people call it "xoc" and he apparently brought that term back to the Old World with him. The specimen was exhibited in London in 1569...according to Languagehat.com, a broadsheet post about the fish read:

"There is no proper name for it that I knowe but that sertayne men of Captayne Haukinses doth call it a sharke. And it is to bee seene in London, at the Red Lyon, in Fletestreete."

This alone hooked me in terms of the book's value.  This one page peeked my interest in pirates (and their indirect influence on our modern culture), Captain John Hawkins, Old English, and the origin of "shark." But, read on my friends, because this gem of a graphic novel goes even further.

Xoc is about nature, conservation,  and the story of a female great white shark's voyage to give birth to her pup as told through a combination of 3rd-person narrative and dialogue between seals (about to be hunted), a sea turtle, and Xoc. But this book is more than that:

• It is an outstanding resource of vocabulary (with words such as ferocious, piques, impending, denizens, turbulent, bravado, venture, euphoria, lieage, deftly, satiated, intrigued, exuberance, and silhouettes- for example).
• Dembicki uses alliteration ("this pack of predators...the broadtooth behemoth...the pennipeds (seals)  panic...a cold current hints at impeding change... ), personification ("the blue titan basks in the warm sun...")  and other literary devices to capture our minds and imaginations.
• It is a tremendous resource when learning about :

•  sharks and their prey
• shark migration and the spawning female
• the underwater perils sharks face (orcas, starvation, exhaustion, storms disorienting sea creatures, parasites, pollution and debris of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch)
• how the sun and Earth's magnetic field help the shark navigate and keep her course
• life at the bottom, light-less depths of the ocean off the continental shelf
• how dolphins and hammerhead shark feed and their relation to the great white

In terms of the story, it begins off "the Farallon Islands--some 30 miles off the coast of San Francisco--[which] tend to serve a generous breakfast menu. it is a favorite haunt of this pack of predators [who] arrive with ferocious appetites." As  readers continue we see the sharks' hunting tactics in action. Once (temporarily sated) Xoc's journey continues to Maui where she spawns her pup. Along the way we read about the natural and man-made challenges she must face and maneuver around. We see how pollution, boats, orcas, and storms all  effect her travels and how all under-sea creatures must learn to survive. The art, graphics, panel placements and language are all used to create real tension throughout the tale.

While there is an ending to Xoc's story (which I don't want to spoil), Dembicki provides the reader with other additional resources:

• Author's note - providing additional information about the "Great pacific Garbage Patch" and pollution's effect on the ocean and its inhabitants;
•  "Did You Know?" with fascinating facts to whet anyone's appetite for more;
• More information on sharks and conservation links; and a
• Bibliography worth further exploration

As the teaching suggestions are fairly obvious (and teaching points were noted above when discussing the resources this book offers), I have decided to spend the rest of this post with additional links worth exploring further:


For more information about the book and to read a short story about Xoc's pup, readers should visit http://xocing.blogspot.com/

For more information about XOC and great white sharks visit:

• http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/great-white-shark/ - for information and video links
• http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=38#.UM5Yuba1kaA- for information, maps, video links and additional resources
• http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/species/Greatwhite.shtml - for great information (but non-interactive)

For more information (and extraordinary links) about the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" readers should visit:

•  http://greatpacificgarbagepatch.info/ for information and additional links
• http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/great-pacific-garbage-patch.htm - information and additional links
• http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/info/patch.html - for additional links, questions and answers, and locations of numerous 'garbage patches"
• http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/?ar_a=1- for information, additional links and videos

Maybe another new year's resolution might be to make our kids more award of ecological and environmental issues and/or deciding as families and communities to make greater efforts towards minimizing our carbon footprints and polluting agents.

I thank you for your visit and wish all of you a wonderful 2013 - may it bring you and your families joy, peace, good health and success.  I look forward to you comments now and future visits.