Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Art and Adaption by Young Kim. Ages 14 and up. Having read the original version of Twilight, I enjoyed seeing the bright and energetic illustrations in this graphic novel to tell the story. I liked how this book used both black and white and colors pictures giving a clear description of different scenes. The orignial story comes to life in this version because you can see the emotions that Bella and Edward are feeling towards each other in their illustrations. This book is perfect for teenage girls interested in a fantasy genre.
Baby Mouse: Beach Babe by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm. Ages 7 and up. This silly graphic novel tells a story of a nosy little brother trying to get attention from his big sister, Baby Mouse to play with him. Baby Mouse ignores her little brother multiple times because she is so excited to explore the beach on her own. She does all kinds of activities like surfing and tanning in the sun. However, her activities don't see to go right and she realizes she isn't having that much fun alone. Baby Mouse decides to play with her brother at the beach instead and they have a blast. This story is relatable for girls who have pesky little brothers that are always trying to get their attention.
Hansel and Gretel by Donald Lemke. Ages 8 and up. This creatively illustrated graphic novel gives a twist to the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. I feel that children who have read the original fairy tale will enjoy the vibrant and colorful illustrations in this book. I like how the colors of the characters and the backgrounds changed throughout the story to express different feeling of terror or hunger that the characters felt at that moment.
The Donner Party by Scott R. Welvaert. Ages 8 and up. This graphic novel is an excellent way to get boys interested in learning about history. This book can be used as an introduction to learning about the families heading out west to start a new life and hoping to get rich. The Donner Party is group of people who took their wagons and headed to California from Missouri. These people got caught in bad snowstorms when trying to cross the Sierra Nevadas. Many of the families died from starvation and their oxen got buried in the snow. I like how this book lists several facts about the Donnor Party at the end of the story that the reader may not know.
Bigfoot: A North American Legend by Jack DeMolay. Ages 7 and up. I think that children who are curious about different legends and find it fun to read about things that are out of the ordinary would be eager to read this book. It doesn't say whether there is enough proof for or against the existence of Bigfoot. It is left up to the reader to use their imagination and decide whether they want to believe in the existence of Bigfoot or not. The story talks about people who have claimed to have seen Bigfoot and others who say they have real pictures of him.
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by M.C. Hall. Grades 4-6. I feel that this graphic novel is geared towards boys interested in knights battling against monsters. This book has mini adventures that King Arthur and his knights, specifically Lancelot went on to save thier kingdom. The story beginnings when Arthur is a boy and the king dies in his land. A sword is put in a stone by a wizard, Merlin that only the next true king can pull out of the stone and that king becomes Arthur. I think that this is a good independent read for boys that like graphic novels.
Slow Storm by Danica Novgorodoff. Grades 10 and up. I felt that this graphic novel was very confusing and hard to follow what was going on. The dialogue switches back and forth from English to Spanish, but doesn't give a translation of what the Spanish words mean. The story jumps from one scene to the next and doesn't explain how the next scene falls into the story. I also felt that the book used sexual innuendos in the words and illustrations that were out of place and unnecessary to the story. I think that this graphic novel wouldn't be inappropriate to have in a school library. Along with the sexual innuendos, the book uses multiple curses, and some religion in the story and I feel that some parents might challenge this book.
The Sinking of the Titanic by Matt Doeden. Ages 8 and up. The illustrations in this book give a depiction of the panic and devastation that the passengers felt when the Titanic was sinking. I like how sounds words were bold and highlighted across the page. This was used to describe the power of impact when the Titanic hit the iceberg and when the Titanic split in half as it was sinking. The differences in the feeling of dread from passengers to the band playing calm and still is clearly defined in the illustrations. This book gives websites and other books at the end of the story that are related to learning more about the Titanic.
The Boxcar Children by Shannon Eric Denton. Grades 2 and up. I didn't like the illustrations in this graphic novel. I felt that they were blurry and the features of the characters weren't clear. I think that this book would be appropriate for boys or girls. I think that this book could incite interest in children to want to read the Boxcar Children novels and engage them in reading several books from the series. I feel that this book can be used as a read aloud because it is short and appealing for young students.
The Babysitters Club: Kristy's Great Idea by Raina Telgemeier. Ages 9 and up. When I was twelve I used to babysit for my neighbors. I put out fliers and would get calls to babysit. This book talked about different babysitting experiences that the four girls had while babysitting. I found some of the experiences funny because I was able to connect them to my own experiences. I think that this book is excellent for girls because the different four girls are unique in their own way and can be seen as relatable. This book discusses friendship and being patient by listening to others. The girls got into a fight in the story, but they were able to talk out their problems and become friends again.
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