Graphic Novels
Apple crush
Lucy Knisley
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Knisley
Graphic Novels, Kids
"Jen is just getting used to her life on Peapod Farm with her new stepsisters, Andy and Reese, but when the school year starts, there are even more changes in store for her."--
On a Sunbeam
Tillie Walden
GRAPHIC NOVEL/Walden
Graphic Novels
Throughout the deepest reaches of space, a crew rebuilds beautiful and broken-down structures, painstakingly putting the past together. As new member Mia gets to know her team, the story flashes back to her pivotal year in boarding school, where she fell in love with a mysterious new student. Soon, though, Mia reveals her true purpose for joining their ship—to track down her long-lost love.
I made all my friends read this book and they all agree it is one of the best graphic novels they've ever read. The art alone is enough to get me to reread this book--I would highly recommend trying it out. -Zach
Heartstopper
Alice Oseman
GRAPHIC NOVEL/Oseman/Heartstopper
Graphic Novels
Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more...? Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn't been too great, but at least he's not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He's heard a little about Charlie - the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months - but he's never had the opportunity to talk to him. They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn't think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner...
While the main characters of this story are not trans, there is a trans character who is very important to the story. I loved this series, and still do, and plan on rereading it sometime soon. An appreciation for queer life can be seen on every page. -Zach
Call Me Nathan
Catherine Castro
GRAPHIC NOVEL/Castro
Graphic Novels
“All I want is a proper body . . . ” Born as biologically female, Nathan spends his formative years facing questions without answers, social ostracism from his peers, and incomprehension from his family—because from as early as he can remember, he knows he has been born in the wrong body. But, as his family comes to recognize, a physical identity is harder to change than a piece of clothing or a haircut. So from the moment he is at last supplied with a professional term for his self-diagnosis—“gender dysphoria”—he is able to leave behind his complicated psychological history, the challenges of his self-harming, and his struggles with sexual identity, and begin the difficult process of claiming his true self. Based on a true story, at first hand, Call Me Nathan issues a moving call for understanding, a powerful denunciation of prejudice, and a celebration of everything it means to love.
A beautiful story about coming out and coming into oneself. It was good to see a happy ending. -Zach
The evil secret society of cats
author Pandania
jMANGA Pandania Evil
Graphic Novels, Humor, Animals
"Under the direction of the purple-caped Feline Commander, the Evil Secret Society of Cats schemes against humanity in a series of humorous stories as adorable as they are diabolical. After all, the complex nature of cats is part of their charm"--
"Fall into depravity, vile human!" And get ready to laugh out loud with this hilariously adorable manga. The easy-to-read, simple panel layout makes this a great first manga experience for young readers as well. The Evil Secret Society of Cats is for anyone and everyone who enjoys animal humor and especially fans of other cat comics like the Chi series, Housecat Troubles, and Yokai Cats. -Casey
The flamingo
1983- author Guojing
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Guojing
Graphic Novels, Animals, Nature
From a highly acclaimed illustrator comes a stunning graphic novel filled with adventure and wonder about an imaginative girl and her obsession with flamingoes. A little girl arrives, excited for a beachy vacation with her Lao Lao. The girl and her grandmother search for shells, chase crabs, and play in the sea, but when the girl finds an exquisite flamingo feather in her grandmother's living room, her vacation turns into something fantastical.
This mostly wordless graphic novel is a stunner! Guojing's use of texture, color, pacing, and framing are all lovely in this touching intergenerational story. Guojing's art and storytelling just keep getting better! -Casey
Bug boys
Knetzger, Laura, 1990- author, illustrator.
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Knetzger Bug
Graphic Novels
Follows two bug friends, Stag-B and Rhino-B, as they explore their world and share adventures.
Added by Casey
Salt magic
Hope Larson
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Larson
Graphic Novels
Twelve-year-old Vonceil Taggart, willing to risk everything to set things right, leaves her family's Oklahoma farm in 1919 seeking the salt witch who cast a spell that turned their spring to saltwater.
Hope Larson can do no wrong really, but even so I loved this unique and intriguing fairytale, and didn't put it down until it was done! -Mari
Team photograph
Lauren Haldeman
BIOGRAPHY Haldeman, Lauren
Memoir, Literary Fiction, Graphic Novels
"In her extraordinary graphic novel—which masterfully incorporates poetry and elements of memoir—Lauren Haldeman layers the warfare of soccer over the battlefields now called Bull Run Regional Park, where, growing up, her soccer team would practice and compete. The park and surrounding town of Fairfax Station Virginia set the landscape for the book, where the narrator regularly encounters spectral visions of wounded soldiers and very real artifacts of war— “wounded wraiths and faceless shapes” float in her hallway at night, and bullet shells, buttons, and human bones surface around the soccer fields in daylight. The narrator turns to poetry and history to make sense of the town and its bloodshed, of its forever attachment to injustice and its inability to restore erased identities. Team Photograph is a journey from research to illumination, and the result is a tender yet powerful reckoning of time and place, proof that the past and the present are inexorably fused together." --publisher
Iowa City poet and illustrator Lauren Haldeman has created a fascinating literary nonfiction memoir that I couldn't stop paging through. I've only just started the book, but I can't wait to keep reading. -Melody
Sir Ladybug
Tabor, Corey R., author.
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Tabor Sir
Graphic Novels, Early Readers
"Ladies and gentlebugs, presenting the duke of the dandelion patch, champion of truth and justice, the one, the only -- Sir Ladybug! With his herald, Pell, and his trusty squire, Sterling, he never shies away from a quest, no matter how dangerous..."
Added by Casey
I read the prequel to this graphic novel, "Stepping Stones" immediately before diving into "Apple Crush," and I enjoyed them both very much. I have read several of Knisley's adult graphic novels, and am always really drawn towards her illustration style. Both of these stories are semi-autobiographical, and I think a lot of children who have gone through their parents divorce will relate to her experience. "Stepping Stones" is about Jen learning how to live and work on a farm, while "Apple Crush" is more about her adjusting to a new school and the social pressures that come with middle school. Jen gets her first job on a pumpkin patch, and I think most readers will feel a longing for crisp, fall weather, hot cider, and trick-or-treating no matter what season it is currently. I can't wait to find out what the next season holds for Peapod Farm! -Mari