graphic novel | Page 5 of 7

Nico Bravo and the Celler Dwellers, deep and fun in art & story

This is not a pejorative to other graphic novels, but Nico Bravo and the Cellar Dwellers is a very smart graphic novel. It’s not that the book is trying to flout its intelligence. Cellar Dwellers is the second book in the Nico Bravo series and I just didn’t get the first one. Granted, part of my opinion could’ve been shaped by the fact that our then ten-year-old said he “didn’t get the book” when he read it. Note to self: be sure to double-check the book recommendations from your son before you bake them into your opinion.

Nico Bravo and the Cellar Dwellers is a graphic novel that uses each page to show and tell its detailed story for middle grade readers and up.

Maybe it’s because I’m a year older or possibly because I read the book before our son, that I realized that this series is awesome. Nico Bravo and the Cellar Dwellers does have a lot of characters. There are three main protagonists and a couple of dozen second-tier or other minor characters. The drawing style is very clean and sharp by Mike Cavallaro. It’s the fact that the illustrations are all so individualistic and detailed that help readers define the mythical world that’s been created.

A Middle grade graphic novel with smarts, wit and punch

Ghoulia and the Ghost with No Name continues the undead love

Ghoulia is back in her third entry from Barbara Cantini. You Tim Burton-inspired, middle-school, well-crafted, graphic novel loving people know what I’m talking about. Ghoulia and the Ghost With No Name may sound like a person who’s got the lyrics to that song by America wrong. We do things like that all the time when we’re in the car by ourselves. This series is the incredibly detailed world of Ghoulia, a spooky little girls whose family is even spookier. Think a more gothic Addams Family, but with much more charm and drawn to minute observations put into every page.

Artistic, well thought out burton-esque dark fun awaits you

Sounds All Around provides onomatopoeias around the world

Until a couple of years ago, I easily confused a mnemonic device with onomatopoeias. Shortly after doing this I’d flip flop my stance on both of them and reminisce about Johnny Mnemonic, the lovably cheesy film from 1995. Fun fact: that film takes place in 2021. After teaching onomatopoeias to a handful of Chinese students online, as well as incorporating that into my science lessons at school-BAM, I’ll never forget what they are. Sounds All Around takes a global look at these words that sound like what they are, and in turn, has created an entirely new genre of graphic novels.

BOOM! ACHOO! WOOF! they’re not the same in other languages

Cat Ninja has the prrrower to be your child’s favorite graphic novel

Someplace between Captain Underpants, Dog Man, Phineas & Ferb and Teen Titans GO! is Cat Ninja. It has the must-read & elementary school watercooler vibe of the first, the heart of the second, and the madcap humor and action of the third. Granted, it could be said that any of those initial titles have a degree of all of those characteristics. We’re merely putting them in the rank that our children have unofficially ranked them. It’s all of those characteristics and more. Cat Ninja is more, because it manages to be familiar, all the while being something that’s entirely original, relevant, and has fabulous colors, but more on that in a moment.

Cat Ninja sits alongside Dog Man, Investigators and Captain Underpants

Fox & Rabbit: Make Believe is elementary confidence and fun

Brothers and sisters don’t just exist in living beings. There are some books that have their perfect pair. It’s those books that are similar, but not identical, and have the right things in common that fans of either book want to see. If your elementary school reader is not hip to Mr. Wolf’s Class they are missing out. It’s an original graphic novel series on Graphix that is entertaining, builds the reader’s confidence, is on a level that they can easily understand, and doesn’t talk down to them. Fox & Rabbit: Make Believe is the second book in this series by Beth Ferry with illustrations by Gergely Dudas and will strike the same chord of interest in those first through third-grade readers.

If your elementary-aged reader is looking for a great read try this

Investigators Take The Plunge, seriously (p)funny stuff for 8 and up

Have you ever been to an incredible restaurant, but then hesitated to go back? You think that it surely can’t be as good as the first time; they probably changed chefs or the servers have all become surly jerks who doing something on Tik Tok with your food. You want to try something new from the place, but have reservations because things let you down. I was like that with Investigators, which was the first book in the graphic novel series by John Patrick Green. The second book in the series, Investigators Take the Plunge does not disappoint. It doesn’t go all Empire Strikes Back on audiences, but it introduces some new characters and produces almost the same amount of laughs.

Take The Plunge, an all age graphic novel that channels the muppets and Lethal Weapon

Displacement, historical-fiction on Japanese internment camps

Displacement is a powerful graphic novel about the history of the United States when Japanese-Americans were forcibly place in internment camps. As a story, this period of time has many earnest and worthwhile stories that can be told. They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Elsinger, Steven Scott and illustrations by Harmony Becker tells the same story, but from a different perspective. The perspective in Displacement is unique in the fact that the main reason for the story to be is due to the lead character, Kiku and her ability to jump through time.

Displacement mixes time travel and internment camps

Peter & Ernesto Sloths in the Night, caps this all age series with a grin

A kid’s first graphic novel is a great thing. We include the all age graphic novels in our run down of the week’s new all age comic books. Early through upper elementary school-aged kids want to have a graphic novel that they can read and appreciate. This is something that is their jam. The older kids might like it too, but this the kind of graphic novel that they can enjoy without any assistance from mom, dad or their older sibling. Peter & Ernesto is one of two elementary school based graphic novels that pop up in my mind. The third and final entry in the series, Peter & Ernesto: Sloths in the Night is out and caps the series in a perfectly happy and friendly manner that will leave ages 6-10 grinning from ear to ear.

If you’re looking for a great graphic novel series for elementary school ages this is the sign