2023 Gift Guide: Graphic Novels for Kids & Teens
December 1, 2023 § Leave a comment
The fifth installment of the Gift Guide is packed with graphic novels! I’ve got some terrific selects for you, both fiction and non-fiction, including some for kids and some for teens. Nearly all are new this fall! As was the case with my middle-grade installment, I gave a lot of thought to things with ultra-kid appeal that still felt original or meaty or really, really beautiful.
Please note that I never include sequels in these lists, and this fall has seen some awesome new titles in favorite series, including The First Cat in Space and the Soup of Doom, Above the Trenches (the latest in one of my kids’ favorite series, Hazardous Tales), and Huda F Cares? (sequel to the hilarious YA graphic novel, Huda F Are You?, a Gift Guide pick from a few years ago). Not to mention the new Cat Kid, just out…
These lists are not necessarily Best of the Year lists, either, because if they were I would include some of the graphic novels I covered in this year’s Summer Reading Guide (part one and part two) or Spring Break Round Up, exceptional titles that are beloved in our house, like Parachute Kids and Lo and Behold. It would include A First Time for Everything, which just won the National Book Award, and Sunshine, which just took home the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, because we love, love, love those.
All this is to say that it has been another banner year for graphic novels, and another year to remind ourselves that with their wide-ranging vocabulary, clever construction, complex characters, and truly incredible art, graphic novels are worth celebrating, not censoring. And with so many of today’s readers ga-ga over them, they’ll make some of the most popular gifts under the tree.
Presented in order of age, with teen titles towards the bottom.
« Read the rest of this entry »2023 Summer Reading Guide: Elementary Readers (Ages 8-12)
May 25, 2023 § 1 Comment
Today’s installment of the Summer Reading Guide features favorite new releases for 8-12 years, mostly traditional novels but concluding with three graphic novels. If you have Emerging Readers, check out last week’s recs here. And if you have Middle School Readers, stay tuned for next week’s recs for 10-15. Some of you may have kiddos that straddle two lists—the more the merrier!—and keep in mind that many of these would make terrific read alouds or audio books as well!
Wait! Before you scroll down, hear me out. Earlier this year, I did a Spring Break Reading Round-Up here and here with other incredible new books. If you missed it, make sure you check out that list in conjunction with the one below. A few of them, like Lasagna Means I Love You, It’s Boba Time for Pearl Li, and Link & Hud are actually set during the summer! You might also want to reference last year’s Summer Reading Guide for this age group (here and here), as many of those picks (ahem, Skandar and the Unicorn Thief) have sequels just out, and others are now in paperback.
If you’ve got a fantasy lover, they’re in for a treat because I’ve got a whopping SIX recommendations below. If you’ve got a kid off to sleepaway camp, I’ve got a book with ALL THE FEELS (be sure to also check out Camp Famous, just out in paperback, which my daughter read and loved at the end of last summer, too late for the 2022 Guide). If you’ve got a reader easily intimidated by long books, the first three recs are for you. If you’ve got a kid only hooked by zany plots, like survival stories or reality TV, I’ve got you covered. Animal lovers? Check. STEM interests? Check.
Alas, there are books I haven’t yet read that may well have made the cut. (Deadlands: Hunted, a new series billed as Wings of Fire meets Jurassic Park, got rave reviews from my co-workers, with the sequel out as soon as this fall!) As I tackle more, I’ll post reviews on Instagram of anything I love, so follow me there for more recommendations.
Finally, if you’re planning to purchase any of these, especially if you’re local, please consider supporting Old Town Books, where I do the kids’ buying. My links will take you there. (We also ship!) And for those who want to meet with me directly, I’ll be holding Office Hours on Sunday, June 4 and Sunday, June 25 from 10am-4pm, so bring your kids, your questions, your slumps, and we’ll have a great time.
Onwards! Maycember is almost over, and I can almost taste all the reading in store for us all!
« Read the rest of this entry »2023 Summer Reading Guide Kicks Off With Emerging Readers (Ages 5-9)
May 18, 2023 § 1 Comment
I’m delighted to kick off this year’s Summer Reading Guide with a round-up of new favorites for emerging readers. (In the weeks ahead, we’ll be covering Elementary Readers (8-12) and Middle School Readers (10+).) Below, you’ll find selections for those just learning to read, those starting to get their reading legs underneath them, and those who have strong reading skills but aren’t ready to make the transition to the longer chapters and more complex plots of middle-grade books.
The pressure on parents to keep new readers from backsliding over the summer can feel like a lot. I’ve been there! A couple things to remember:
- Leave books within reach! Dining tables, sofas, bathrooms, playrooms, cars…they can’t complain they’re bored if a book is RIGHT THERE.
- Embrace comics! Our children are coming of age in a highly visual world. Comics not only help with decoding, but they give kids the same instant gratification that they long for from screentime.
- Have a kid who has trouble getting started? Thinks every book looks boring? Scaffold the onboarding experience by reading the first few pages or chapters to them.
- Incentivize with reading challenges, BINGO boards (we’ve got a great one coming to Old Town Books!), or make up your own treats to reward their progress.
- Picture books count as reading! In fact, their rich vocabulary and gorgeous art make them just as attractive and valuable to elementary children.
Hopefully, the recommendations below—all new releases!—will help you kick off a terrific summer of reading. (And if you need more, check out last summer’s guide here!)
Titles are arranged from easiest to hardest, with age ranges provided at the top of each description and an interior photo at the end to help you gauge words per page. Especially if you’re local, I thank you SO much for shopping at Old Town Books, where I do the kids’ buying and where I’ll be hosting office hours on Sunday, June 4 and June 25 from 10am-4pm, if you want personalized recommendations. Come see me!
Let’s begin!
« Read the rest of this entry »Spring Break Reading: New Graphic Novels for Ages 7-14!
March 14, 2023 § 2 Comments
Today, I’m kicking off a few posts to help you gear up for Spring Break. Whether you’re staycationing or jet setting, a change in routine and a lack of homework can be the perfect chance to (re)engage kids with reading. Maybe you have time for a family read aloud. (I’ll have suggestions in Thursday’s post.) Maybe, while you’re all sharing a tiny hotel room, you can mandate quiet reading time before bed, a chance for you to model your own reading as your child snuggles in beside you with their own book. (A person can dream, right?)
As always, links will take you to Old Town Books in Alexandria, VA, where I’m the kids’ buyer (thanks for supporting us!), though I’m very happy for you to support an indie closer to you if you have one you love.
First up are my favorite graphic novels released in the first three months of 2023! Your kiddos should have no problem diving straight into these, a mix of realistic fiction, superhero lore, comedic horror, inspiring stories, and nail-biting non-fiction.
Before we get started, there are a couple titles not below that will likely pique the interest of your readers. First, the third in the Batpig series (ages 7-10) comes out later this month; our family are huge fans of Rob Farrell’s wildly clever series, and I believe it to be one of the best (and most underrated!) “things to read after Dog Man.” While we’re on the subject of hooking readers with humor, you’ll thank me for mentioning that the hugely popular Investigators series (also 7-10) has a new spin-off, titled Agents of S.U.I.T., which focuses on Mango and Brash’s eccentric co-workers. Oh, and did I mention the new Hilo is out?
Without further ado, the titles below are arranged from youngest to oldest, so if you have middle schoolers, scroll to the end!
« Read the rest of this entry »Early Reading Round Up: Graphic Novels
March 10, 2022 Comments Off on Early Reading Round Up: Graphic Novels
A year has passed since my last Early Reading Round Up, where I shared recommendations for kicking off the daunting process of learning to read, as well as some early chapter books for those graduating into independent reading. (I also talked about my own parenting epiphany, learned the hard way, about how we can best support our budding readers.) Today, I thought I’d specifically highlight some new(ish) graphic novels targeted at beginning and newly independent readers.
With compelling visuals and an ability to tackle a wide range of genres and subject matter, graphic novels have become wildly popular in recent years, not just for that so-called “reluctant reader” but for nearly every kind of elementary and tween reader. So, it comes as no surprise that they’re also getting dedicated attention from publishers when it comes to younger kids, including those new to reading. THIS IS A GREAT THING.
If you’re new to the idea that “graphic novels count as real reading,” you can reference an older post with my Top Ten Reasons why encouraging your kids to read graphic novels (including comics) translates into literacy skills and a love of reading. And why, given a culture big on visual stimulation and light on free time, our kids are so enticed by this format. All of these things hold true for early readers, too. In fact, Mo Willems’ hugely popular “Elephant and Piggie” books—a big driver for both my kids when they were learning to read—are, in fact, graphic novels. They tell their stories through sequential art and speech bubbles, albeit in a highly simplified way.
The books below are presented in ascending order of reading level. All of them are a step up from “Elephant and Piggie,” and some are divided into chapters, ideal for the newly independent reader who is looking for momentum to solidify literacy skills and equate reading with pleasure. Plus, all of them are short enough to prompt repeat readings, a reason to feel extra good about investing in these books.
« Read the rest of this entry »Spring Break Beckons: Middle-Grade Round Up for Ages 7-14
March 25, 2021 § 3 Comments
I spent the winter reading. A lot. And that’s good news for your readers, especially those eager to squirrel away with a new story (or three) over Spring Break. All of the recommendations below are books published this year (with the exception of a late 2020 release). Some of them I’ve already talked about on Instagram, but there are surprises, too. Some skew younger and some older, so be sure to consult the age ranges for each. There are graphic novels, novels in verse, mysteries, fantasy, historical fiction, memoirs, and realistic fiction.
As always, report back and tell me what your kids thought!
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