Archives:
Salt Water Taffy series
Author/Illustrator: Matthew Loux Publisher: Oni Press Grade levels: 2-3, 4-5, 6-8 Genre: Fantasy, Adventure Special Attractions: Child Lead Characters Synopsis: Eleven-year-old Jack Putnam and his eight-year-old brother Benny are being dragged against their will on a summer-long vacation with their family. And not to somewhere cool like Disney World, but to a little port town in Maine named Chowder Bay, far away from anyplace fun. But what promises to be a very bleak summer quickly becomes a series of exciting adventures filled with mysterious government agents, grizzled old fishermen, and giant lobsters. Chowder Bay is far from boring—it’s one of the most mysterious places […] Read More
Rust series
Author/Illustrator: Royden Lepp Publisher: Archaia Grade levels: 2-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12 Genre: Science Fiction Special Attractions: Child Lead Characters, Teen Lead Characters, For adults too Synopsis: Life on the Taylor family farm was difficult enough before Jet Jones crashes into the barn, chased by a giant decommissioned war robot! Oldest son Roman Taylor struggles to keep his family’s small farm afloat as the area heals from a devastating world war. While the rest of his family may not trust the mysterious boy with the jetpack, Roman believes the secrets of Jet’s past may be the key to their survival. Titles in this series: […] Read More
Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Comics
Author/Illustrator: Rudyard Kipling /Pedro Rodriguez Publisher: Stone Arch Books/ Capstone Grade levels: 2-3, 4-5, 6-8 Subject: History/Social Studies Genre: Mythology and Folktales Special Attractions: Adaptation, Anthropomorphic Characters Synopsis: Ever wonder how the leopard got his spots? In this comics anthology of Just So Stories, famed author and worldwide explorer Rudyard Kipling travels from the Horn of Africa to the deserts of India and discovers the truth behind some of the world’s wildest beasts. Titles in this series: -Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Comics: Tales of the World’s Wildest Beasts -How the Leopard Got His Spots -How the Elephant Got His Trunk -How the Camel […] Read More
The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook
Author/Illustrator: Eleanor Davis Publisher: Bloomsbury Grade levels: 2-3, 4-5 Subject: Science Special Attractions: Child Lead Characters Synopsis: Super-smart Julian Calendar thinks starting junior high at a new school will mean he can shed his nerdy image-but then he meets Ben and Greta, two secret scientists like himself! The three form a secret club, complete with a high-tech lair. There, they can work to their hearts content on projects like the Stink-O-Meter, the Kablovsky Copter, and the Nightsneak Goggles. All that tinkering comes in handy when the trio discovers an evil scientist’s dastardly plan to rob a museum. Can three inventors, armed with […] Read More
The Shark King
Author/Illustrator: R. Kikuo Johnson Publisher: Toon Books Grade levels: 2-3, 4-5 Subject: History/Social Studies, Language Arts Genre: Mythology and Folktales Special Attractions: Child Lead Characters, Multicultural Lead Characters Synopsis: From the islands of Hawaii comes the electrifying tale of Nanaue, who has to balance his yearning for Dad’s guidance with his desire for Mom’s nurture. Award-winning cartoonist R. Kikuo Johnson transports young readers to the lush, tropical shores of his native Hawaii. Emerging readers, fluent or not, will be thrilled when they experience the transformative powers of this stirring literary work. (from the publisher’s site) Publisher’s Weekly review Kirkus review Publisher’s book […] Read More
Secret of the Stone Frog
Author/Illustrator: David Nytra Publisher: Toon Books Grade levels: 2-3, 4-5 Genre: Fantasy Special Attractions: Child Lead Characters Synopsis: When Leah and Alan awaken in an enchanted forest, they have only each other and their wits to guide them. In a world full of pet bees and giant rabbits, they befriend foppish lions and stone frogs. Learning to overcome danger, they find their way home—and their independence. Newcomer David Nytra’s breathtaking pictures break the boundaries of imagination, sending the reader on a wild flight of fantasy that tells a moving and universal coming of age story. (from the publisher’s site) School Library Journal […] Read More
G-Man series
Author/illustrator: Chris Giarrusso Publisher: Image Grade levels: 2-3, 4-5 Genre: Superhero Special Attractions: Child lead characters, For adults too G-Man Volume 1: Learning to Fly — Synopsis: When Mikey G unlocks the powers of his family’s magic blanket, he is transformed into G-Man, the newest kid superhero on the block! G-Man joins his superhero friends Billy Demon, Tan Man, Suntrooper, and the Spark on their very first superhero adventure. But what are they to do when their enemy is Kid Thunder, son of the city’s greatest champion, Captain Thunderman? And will G-Man’s big brother, Great Man, prove to be friend or foe? […] Read More
Amulet series
Author/illustrator: Kazu Kibuishi Publisher: Scholastic Grade levels: 2-3, 4-5, 6-8 Genre: Fantasy Special Attractions: Anthropomorphic characters, Child lead characters, Female lead characters Synopsis: Amulet, Book 1: The Stonekeeper After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids’ mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals. Eventually, they enlist the help of a small […] Read More
Magic Trixie series
Author/Illustrator: Jill Thompson Publisher: Harper Collins Grade levels: K-1, 2-3 Genre: Fantasy Special Attractions: Child Lead Characters, Social Issues Magic Trixie: Magic Trixie has a problem; everyone loves her baby sister, Abby Cadabra, and no one is paying attention to Magic Trixie! On top of that, she has to come up with a “wow” for show and tell day at Monstersorri School to impress her friends; Loupe Garou, the sassy werewolf girl; Stitch Patch, the sweet Frankenstein’s monster; and Nefi, the beautiful mummy girl. When Magic Trixie finds a way to fix both problems at once, she learns that sometimes […] Read More
Adventures in Cartooning series
Authors/Illustrators: James Sturm, Alexis Frederick-Frost, Andrew Arnold Publisher: First Second Books Grade levels: 2-3, 4-5 Genre: How-To Special Attractions: Teaching Comics Once upon a time . . . a princess tried to make a comic. And with the help of a magical cartooning elf, she learned how – well enough to draw her way out of an encounter with a dangerous dragon, near-death by drowning, and into her very own adventure! Like the princess, young readers will discover that they already have the drawing and writing skills it takes to make a comic – they just need a little know-how. […] Read More