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The Extincts, Quest for the Unicorn Horn, graphic novel go-to for 8 and up

When I saw the cover to The Extincts, Question For The Unicorn Horn it was an immediate connection to The O.W.C.A. Files. For a period in our life, when our kids were older than five and younger than 11, we saw Phineas and Ferb at least once a day. Thus, we’ve seen The O.W.C.A. Files, which was a stand-alone episode that aired after that series finale. In The Extincts, Quest for the Unicorn Horn, we see a cat, bird, frog, and wooly mammoth-looking creature all wearing spy gear and running towards the reader. It’s a graphic novel by New York Times Bestselling Illustrator Scott Magoon that does much the same in that it jumps into your hands like a kitten that wants its belly rubbed. And I say that in the best of all ways possible because I love it when a cat or kitten jumps near my hand and wants to be scratched.

The Extincts, Quest For The Unicorn Horn perfectly melds action, humor, STEM and more puns, into a graphic novel for ages 8 and up.

Start the school year off with your favorite new graphic novel

Gabe in the After is mglit that welcomes reluctant readers

I love it when a book that I’m not anticipating anything from utterly blows away expectations. Gabe in the After by Shannon Doleski is a book like that. Books like this feel short and make readers wish that there was more to this particular story that would’ve been told. However, at the same time, you be grateful that the book leaves you wanting more, rather than wearing out its welcome. It’s a tricky line to navigate between the two, but Gabe in the After does it with ease and will entrance even the most reluctant of upper elementary through middle school readers.

Gabe in the After is approachable mglit that’s tailor-made for reluctant realistic fiction middle school reads.

Hopeful dystopia, for mglit and up

The Prisoner of Shiverstone, old/new and completely awesome

There is something familiar about The Prisoner of Shiverstone. It has a character or two that will remind you of others that you’ve read, or possibly some of the more creative movies that you’ve seen. Yes, Shiverstone seems like something that you know. However, when all of the elements come into play it forms a unique, weird, creative gem of an mglit graphic novel that dances with different genres and one in which future entries would be welcome.

The Prisoner of Shiverstone is an all-age graphic novel that’s familiar, but utterly original for ages 10 and up.

All age graphic novel with an old soul, but 100% modern too

Overground Railroad for young adults, history for middle school and up

Overground Railroad is a book that looks at how black people traveled from the mid-1930s through the mid-1960s. In my mind’s eye that’s the way, I described Overground Railroad, the Green Book, and the Roots of Black Travel in America to myself. It felt odd when I stated it that way, but that’s because I hadn’t heard about the Green Book and I was thinking about the topic from my modern-day perspective. It’s also worth noting that this is the Overground Railroad version that’s been adapted for young adults. In 2020 a book with the same title, by the same author came out, but that was geared for an older audience.

Overground Railroad is historical, non-fiction that looks at the Green Book and its influence in commerce for black Americans from the 1930s through the 1960s.

A non-fiction slice that most people haven’t heard

Cold War Correspondent, great storytelling on an area not covered in school

I make no bones about the fact that I absolutely love the Hazardous Tales book series from Nathan Hale. My only complaint about that non-fiction graphic novel series is that the pages and the font are too small. As if sensing my very wishes, Amulet Books published the Bigger & Badder Editions of some of the previously released Hazardous Tales. In my effort to temp the universe I complained about bad music on the radio and a lack of free pizza, to no avail. Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales Cold War Correspondent ups the ante to this series by making readers learn about a subject that they probably know nothing about in a manner that’s intelligent, funny, and respectful.

Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales Cold War Correspondent takes the complex, hazy era of post WWII and crystallizes it into an intelligent and approachable graphic novel.

Make the unteachable fun for middle school? Hold my pen says Nathan Hale

Rube Goldberg and His Amazing Machines, the curse continues

When our boys were younger they’d receive Rube Goldberg toys as presents from time to time. They were poorly made, never worked and made us yearn for our Mousetrap game from the 1970s. Rube Goldberg and His Amazing Machines is the first in a series of books with a middle school version of the titular character. This is an intellectual property that exudes characteristics that any parent wants their child to emulate. The characters in the story are ones that kids will like also. It’s therefore really ironic that the book doesn’t connect with middle school readers.

Rube Goldberg and His Amazing Machines tries to capture the inventor, madcap sprit in a tween book, but lets loose some of the mojo.

The mystique doesn’t measure up the book

Alien Superstar #3, Hollywood Vs. The Galaxy crash lands the finale

Alien Superstar is an engaging upper-elementary through middle school book series. The first book in the series was fresh, exciting, funny and quite fabulous. Book #2 in the series, Lights, Camera, Danger! had its moments and opened up a larger threat to the alien who crash-landed on a Hollywood backlot. Hollywood Vs. The Galaxy is the final book in the series and while it doesn’t land with a complete thud, it’s a shadow of how clever and original the first book was.

Alien Superstar: Hollywood Vs. The Galaxy is the third and final book in this series that started out excellent, but has ended with a groan.

A trilogy is not always necessary, say it with me now

Ghoulia and the Doomed Manor, a loved and detailed graphic novel

Readers love seeing one of their favorite book series as they continue to improve upon its initial quality or enjoyment. Ghoulia, a graphic novel series from author/illustrator Barbara Cantini has maintained its very high level of quality and proved that a dead girl, and her also dead family, can bring life and excitement to ages eight and up. Ghoulia and the Doomed Manor is the fourth book in this series that really has that something special.

The details on the cover allude to something really cool inside