Graphic novels | Page 5 of 8

Misfit Mansion, an all-age graphic novel with just enough bite

Don’t judge a book by its cover. We all know that and I try, I really try to adhere to that mantra. However, with only so many hours during a week to read, it’s the cover that reels in one book over another. Misfit Mansion by Kay Davault is an all-age graphic novel that simultaneously embraces and keeps some of the clichés that live in neo-spooky books at bay. It’s surprisingly entertaining and will keep ages eight and up hooked with enough twists to keep things interesting. I say ‘surprisingly’ because it’s a graphic novel that snuck its way into our reading queue.

Misfit Mansion does resemble some graphic novels that didn’t measure up, but this one has enough variety to make it fun for girls aged eight and up.

A graphic novel that’ll connect with girls in grade 3 and up

Batter Up, Charlie Brown!, a Peanuts graphic is new, nostalgic awesomeness

The graphic novel genre is huge. It’s a massive cross section of books that can span any interest and are for any age. As proof of this, Batter Up, Charlie Brown!, it’s in the Peanuts Graphic Novels series on Simon Spotlight, and joins Snoopy Soars to Space and Adventures with Linus and Friends. There’s a timeless, classic aura that permeates every panel on every page of Batter Up, Charlie Brown! It’s comprised of six new, original stores that are punctuated with classic Sunday comics that Charles Schultz created.

Batter Up, Charlie Brown! is a Peanuts graphic novel that collects six new stories, some classic Sunday strips and reminds ages eight and up why it’s one of the best.

Timeless and classic, even when the stories are newly published

Family Style, a moving graphic novel proving that less is more

Graphic novels are not all superheroes in tights. Graphic novels are capable of teaching lessons, even those that are biographical or non-fiction. It’s important to remind yourself of those basic truths every once in a while. Family Style, Memories of an American from Vietnam is a powerful and moving graphic novel whose potentially unattractive topic matter (to some) is made palatable with the thing that binds us all: food.

Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam by Thien Pham demonstrates the ability of a graphic novel to reach past where people think the medium should be.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts

Fann Club: Batman Squad, big laughs in text and art for this all-age winner

Fann Club: Batman Squad is not a story that exists in the multiverse. There also isn’t a typo in the book’s cover. Once you see the cover it’s obvious that it’s a graphic novel intent on making elementary school-age readers and up laugh, which it succeeds at very quickly. Our sometimes surly 13-year-old picked up Fann Club: Batman Squad, plopped himself on the sofa, and proceeded to read it. This is worth noting because he’s an avid reader, but mainly sticks to mglit. “This is from the Catwad guy, isn’t it?”, he asked. Yeah, some readers might know Jim Benton from that, but they also might recognize his work from the Dear Dumb Diary book series, Franny K. Stein books, Victor Shmud or his cartooning work. For me, the most entertaining was Attack of the Stuff, which was criminally ignored and still is by most elementary school libraries that I visit. Fann Club: Batman Squad is a Jim Benton book because it’s his style, set against the background of a young boy who knows everything about Batman.

Fann Club: Batman Squad is an original graphic novel that aims at elementary school ages, but covers ages eight and up.

Proof that great IP can cross demographics and still entertain.

Schnozzer & Tatertoes: Take A Hike!, is the start of something wonderful

This is the start of a beautiful friendship. When you read Schnozzer & Tatertoes: Take A Hike! you might be reminded of when you first dug into Dog Man or InvestiGators. When you read both of the first books in those series, especially the latter one, you immediately wanted more once the last page turned over and the book was finished. Schnozzer & Tatertoes: Take A Hike! leaves you with that same desire. Take A Hike! operates in that early graphic novel space that lower to upper-elementary school kids crave. It’s relentlessly silly, has chapters to provide confidence to those young ages, full-color illustrations, and effortlessly entertains readers whose minds can easily be distracted.

Schnozzer & Tatertoes: Take A Hike! is an all age graphic novel that’s enjoyable from the first read and will produce repeat giggles for elementary ages.

Scoot to the store and get this silly all-age graphic novel already

Peculiar Woods: The Ancient Underwater City, a magical all-age graphic novel

Peculiar Woods: The Ancient Underwater City is a graphic novel by Andres J. Colmenares that’s the brother from another mother of Adventure Time. That isn’t 100% correct, let me break that down a little bit. Peculiar Woods is a much more kid-friendly version of that sense of quirky sense of humor and style of animation that television shows and comic books exhibit. Peculiar Woods is the start of a graphic novel series that’s weird enough to be cool for middle school but has the reading level appropriate for some third-grade students. It’s that mystical all-age graphic novel that makes the older kids enjoy it due to its content, and also allows the younger readers to be able to understand it.

Peculiar Woods: The Ancient Underwater City is the start to a beautiful friendship with an all age graphic novel series that’s smart, funny and has some feels for ages seven and up.

This is the start of a beautiful friendship

Batter Royale, cooking up timeliness graphic novel goodness

Charming is such a nice and underused way to describe a graphic novel. A charming graphic novel is one that’s happy, might (or might not) teach a lesson, has a shareability factor, and is just fun to read. With that build-up, it’s no spoiler alert that Batter Royale is a very easygoing, affable, and charming graphic novel that’ll be in the sweet spot for ages eight and up.

Batter Royale is a graphic novel that’ll be all the rage at the fourth through sixth-grade water cooler with its romance, friendship and humor.

Embrace the graphic novel goodness

Bug Scouts Camp Out!, a graphic novel bridge for young elementary ages

Little kids want to be big kids. They want to until they have to do the big kid work, and then they’ll revert back to being little kids. Getting elementary school-aged kids to read as soon as possible is integral to their success. Being able to read and comprehend text when you’re younger will only make school easier, less frustrating, and more fun. Everybody likes to have fun, don’t they? Bug Scouts Camp Out! is the second book in this series by Mike Lowery. This graphic novel checks off so many boxes in the pre-k and early elementary school book that a housing inspector would be jealous.

Bug Scouts Camp Out! is the second graphic novel in this very funny series that speaks to pre-k through second grade readers.

Pre-k through second grade have an LOL jam