Sunny (real name: Sunshine) is spending the summer in Florida with her grandfather. It's the first time she's been away from her family for such a stretch of time, and hanging out with retired folks in Snoozeville is not exactly how she envisioned her summer. Luckily, her lively grandpa has lots of activities planned for them - like going to the ( Read more... )

Twelve-year-old Astrid is often dragged to "enriching" events by her mom, who calls them "evenings of cultural enlightenment," aka ECEs. Thankfully, Astrid's best friend Nicole is usually by her side, making it possible for her to endure the opera or poetry reading or whatnot. One night, Astrid's mom brings them to the roller derby. Astrid is ( Read more... )

Louise Trapeze performs with her parents in the Sweet Potato Circus, but only her parents are allowed to fly from one trapeze to another, while Louise has to do her tricks on one low bar that doesn't swing. Louise's mama and daddy have always said that she'll be allowed to perform on the real flying trapeze when she's nine years old - which seems ( Read more... )

When Raina was little, she begged her parents for a sister. She thought a sister would be the best thing the world ( Read more... )

If you like multiplayer RPGs and graphic novels, then you should pick up IN REAL LIFE by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang when it hits the shelves on October 14th. This full-color graphic novel, which has a front-cover blurb o' praise from Felicia Day of Geek & Sundry, is based on Cory's short story. Thanks to Gina at First Second Books, I had the ( Read more... )

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The verse novel Eva of the Farm by Dia Calhoun is told from the point of view of Eva, a 12-year-old girl who finds herself in words and poetry. Though she loves her mother, father, and baby brother, she often seeks solitude in her favorite places on the farm. When she learns that her family is in danger of losing the farm - their home, their ( Read more... )

Looking for a graphic novel that will make you giggle? Check out ASTRONAUT ACADEMY: Re-Entry by Dave Roman. This series follows the hijinks of students enrolled in a school in outer space. And we're talking highly funny hijinks: shapeshifters that will steal your heart (literally), time travel, detention, a bilingual panda, heartbreak, robots, and ( Read more... )

Theodora has a happy, busy life. She enjoys being a duck. She routinely visits the local library, the grocery store, the craft store, and the pond. She likes swimming, reading, and looking up at the stars in the night sky. When a new neighbor moves in, she greets him with a cake she baked herself. During their first conversation, she is surprised ( Read more... )

One of my favorite people asked me for graphic novel recommendations yesterday, and this is the list I drafted for her. It includes some of my favorites as well as some volumes I knew she'd appreciate because of the art or the storyline or both ( Read more... )