Saturday, August 28, is the first annual celebration of International Read Comics in Public Day. So pick your favourite comic or graphic novel, go outside, and read! Need suggestions? We recommend:
Alison Dare, Little Miss Adventures
Written by J. Torres
Illustrated by J. Bone
Trade Paperback | 96 pages
Ages 8-11 years
ISBN 978-0-88776-934-4
“…Bone’s open art is a wonderful counterpart to these funny tales of derring-do that don’t quite go as expected. His figures are simple and compact, suggesting unexpected power and ability…. Torres’ writing is playful, with occasional pop culture references…. It’s his humor that gives Alison Dare its unique twist. Many kids dream of magical adventures, and Alison’s experiences fill that desire nicely.” – Comics Worth Reading
Alison Dare, The Heart of the Maiden
Written by J. Torres
Illustrated by J. Bone
Trade Paperback | 104 pages
Ages 8-11 years
ISBN 978-0-88776-935-1
“…are packed with action and wit, and I recommend them to kids and adults alike….” – Bildungsroman
Tyranny
Written by Lesley Fairfield
Trade Paperback | 120 pages
Ages 11 UP
ISBN 978-0-88776-903-0
“… This is one of the most moving and important graphic novels to come along in years.… The simple yet powerful black-and-white drawings do wonders in bringing the book’s message to its readers. Tyranny is so important that both younger and older teens will benefit from reading it. Every public and school library should own at least one copy of this amazing book. – Starred Review, School Library Journal
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Adapted by Alan Grant
Illustrated by Cam Kennedy
Trade Paperback | 48 pages
Ages 10 UP
ISBN 978-0-88776-882-8
“This classic has tremendous modern appeal. A complex detective story for the most part, this adaptation depicts the gaslight era of London in all its gloomy grandeur…. Public libraries with an eye to keeping a varied teen fiction shelf should consider this title.” – School Library Journal
Kidnapped
Adapted by Alan Grant
Illustrated by Cam Kennedy
Trade Paperback | 64 pages
Ages 10 UP
ISBN 978-0-88776-843-9
“Grant’s words are clean and gracefully streamline Stevenson’s, while unobtrusively preserving the sense of time and place through colloquialisms and accent. Kennedy’s characters are distinct and dramatic, and his settings, using his trademark greens and blues, are atmospheric and eerie…. This is an adaptation done absolutely right.” – Booklist
Good-bye Marianne: A Story of Growing Up in Nazi Germany
Written by Irene N.Watts
Illustrated by Kathryn E. Shoemaker
Trade Paperback | 128 pages
Ages 8-11 years
ISBN 978-0-88776-830-9
“…one of the most powerful books is a black and white graphic novel. Good-bye Marianne is the retelling of the award-winning novel…. Moody pencil drawings capture the dark despair of that time, of the mother’s desperate, unselfish gamble to save her daughter’s life.” – The Chronicle Herald