I’ve read some excellent graphic novels recently but, every single time, I’ve had to wait for my 9-yr-old daughter to read them first. They are her number one reads at the moment and, with their expressive artwork and pacy stories, it’s not hard to see why.
PARACHUTE KIDS by Betty C. Tang
My 9-yr-old daughter was so invested in the storyline of this graphic novel that she finished the book in one sitting. The mix of concern and curiosity for the heart-wrenching trials of main character Feng-Li kept her hooked from beginning to end.
Left in care of her two older siblings after her Taiwanese parents are forced to leave the USA, Feng-li and her brother and sister have to make sure they stay under the radar in case their illegal status comes to light. And if that wasn’t enough, they have to run a household, fit into school without speaking English and manage the usual siblings spats with no parents to mediate. Wonderfully drawn characters in every sense!
SCHOOL TRIP by Jerry Craft
This third book in Jerry Craft’s New Kid series is a hilarious read, but it also raises a number of important talking points about prejudices – about how no matter who we are, or how different or similar we are, we all deserve respect and fair treatment. Rest assured, however, that the book doesn’t beat children over the head with ‘lessons’. The threads are cleverly woven into the hilarity of a school trip gone wrong, and into the emotionally expressive artwork that sweeps us through the colourful pages.
This multi-layered adventure is one to read again and again.
HILDA: THE NIGHT OF THE TROLLS by Luke Pearson
There is always great excitement in our home when a new Hilda adventure arrives, and I’m not just talking about the children. This gorgeous graphic novel with its stunning artwork will appeal to all ages. Full of page-turning action and adventure, Night of The Trolls collects book 5 and 6 of the series, with Hilda and the Stone Forest, and Hilda and the Mountain King.
As with the other special collections, there is behind-the-scenes bonus material and the large-format textured hardback would make a fantastic gift for fans of the blue-haired heroine of the animated Netflix series.
SURPRISINGLY SARAH by Terri Libenson
This is the seventh title in the Emma & Friends series and a great one for kids who are entering first crush territory! This could just be me, but it took me a while to realise I was reading two different storylines – one where main character Sarah invites her crush Ben to the school dance, and one where she chickens out. In both scenarios, the storylines are full of the emotional highs and lows of tweendom and, importantly, they both resolve in a highly satisfying ending. I loved the mix of prose and illustrations and the sensitivity and fun in which tricky relationships are explored. Great for children who love real-life contemporary reads.
Luna And The Treasure Of Tlaloc: Brownstone’s Mythical Collection by Joe Todd Stanton
It’s great to be back with the Brownstone family, and this time it’s an Aztec adventure filled with stunningly-illustrated, page-turning peril!
When a family tragedy convinces Luna Brownstone that she needs to look out for number one and number one only, Luna goes looking for riches to steal. And she doesn’t care who she has to trick to get them – or so she thinks. But when Luna meets Atzi, a girl looking to save her village, and they journey to the palace of the rain god Tlaloc, Luna has to rethink her priorities.