It's a good thing that I moved all of the graphic novels into the regular collection last year, because I would NOT have had room for all of the new ones that I'll be ordering. They all still have a graphic novel label on the top of the spine, but the fiction books are interfiled with the fiction, and the nonfiction and biographies mixed in with the text based ones. Some of my students were not happy, but most have found that they get to see a better mix of things to read when they wander in the stacks and don't just go to the graphic section. Here are a bunch o' new ones to consider!
Hannigan, Kate and Rosen, Josh (illus.) History Comics: World War II: Fight on the Home Front
October 31, 2023 by First Second
E ARC provided by Netgalley
I usually say that homefront stories are not what my WWII obsessed readers want, but this was perfect. It's not a story, but rather a LOT of facts about all manner of things that went on stateside during the war. There are some things that young readers might know about, like Rosie the Riveter, but lots of others they might not, like the rationing of shoe leather and rubber (even I didn't know about rubber combs!) or the fact that women who left teaching when they were married were called back in to make up for the shortage of teachers (although I woman I knew who did this indicated that it was to replace male teachers, not teachers who left for other careers). The artwork is colorful and engaging, and there's just so much information! There's plenty of diversity represented, with the challenges faced by Black workers and soldiers, the Japanese internment, and even the Zoot Suit riots that affected the Latine community. Hannigan has some great historical fiction, like The Detective's Assistant and The League of Super Heroes series, so it's not surprising that she had a lot of miscellaneous and fascinating facts lying about! Definitely purchasing!
September 19, 2023 by First Second
E ARC provided by Netgalley
Rosie Vo lives with her dad ever since her parents' divorce. Her dad is obsessed with racquetball, and still wears a t shirt from the championship he took part in in 1981, making him a bit old for a middle grad father. He's highly critical of Rosie's skills and is desperate for her to do well, but this backfires, since she hates the sport because of his micromanaging. She has a rival, Erika Garcia, who is deaf, and who bedevils Rosie with taunts. When Rosie is texting Erika back while riding her bike (Don't do this! It's dangerous!), she crashes and is helped by Hayden Blair, who likes to be called Blair. Blair is obsessed with raquetball and loves to play. She's just moved from Maryland with her older brother and very supportive parents, and the two become friends. Rosie has a plan to enter a raquetball tournament but have Blair play in her place so she can have a medal with her name on it, but as the girls spend more time hanging out, Rosie feels a little better about her skills. Will she finally make peace with the sport? This was a fun book, and I loved Blair's dumpster diving family. I wish the author had written about her experiences with soccer or skateboarding, though; in 25 years of teaching, I've never heard of a student playing racquetball. Not that this will make any graphic novel a hard sell, but if I had a SKATEBOARDING graphic novel, that would be GOLD.
October 17, 2023 by Graphix
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Grace has further adventures after The Awakening Storm, and finds a way to get to Paris. I've been looking for more fantasy graphic novels for my students, since there aren't quite as many of them as there are traditional novels. Since this involves the ever popular dragons, I'll definitely order this, even though it was hard for me to get through. (Neither the topic nor the format are my personal favorites.) I've been buying my prebinds from PermaBound rather than Follett, since the Follett quality has dropped considerably, so I don't have a copy of the first book yet.
Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust
October 31, 2023 by Graphix
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
This was quite an interesting look at the Holocaust, bringing in Shusterman's unique fantasy style, but I may not buy it. The 8th graders haven't been doing their unit on the Holocaust lately, and the books set during this time period that veer in to fantasy have often confused my students. I'll make sure the public library orders it in case I have students who are looking for a graphic novel about the Holocaust that also includes fantasy elements.
From the publisher:
Courage to Dream plunges readers into the darkest time of human history—the Holocaust. This graphic novel explores one of the greatest atrocities in modern memory, delving into the core of what it means to face the extinction of everything and everyone you hold dear.
This gripping, multifaceted tapestry is woven from Jewish folklore and cultural history. Five interlocking narratives explore one common story – the tradition of resistance and uplift. Internationally renowned author Neal Shusterman and illustrator Andrés Vera Martínez have created a masterwork that encourages the compassionate, bold reaching for a dream.
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