 City
of Spies
by Susan Kim, Laurence Klavan,
Pascal Dizin
Ages 12–up
Evelyn’s mother is gone and her
father is too busy to take car of her, so she is sent
to live with her aunt in New York City. It’s 1942 and
Evelyn spends most of her time reading superhero comics
and dreaming of catching a Nazi spy. Tony, the son of
the building superintendent, catches Evelyn’s spy fever
and the two stumble over a real-life Nazi plot. This
graphic novel features art reminiscent of Hergé’s Tintin
and explores themes of friendship, social class, and
abandonment while never losing touch with the scary adventure. |
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 Diary
of a Wimpy Kid
by Jeff Kinney
Ages 9–12
Middle-schooler Greg Heffley’s
mother forces him to keep a diary, so Greg takes us through
an academic year with prose and comic illustrations.
Greg’s total obliviousness to his own faults makes him
an appealing protagonist. This “novel in cartoons” grew
out of a popular web comic and will appeal to both reluctant
and experienced readers. (1st in series) |
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 Diary
of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
by Jeff Kinney
Ages 9–12
Middle-schooler Greg Heffley
is back and just as hilarious as ever as he tries to
deal with the punishments of his older brother, try out
for the Talent Show, join the swim team, and attempt
to avoid embarrassment at all costs. (2nd in series,
following Diary
of a Wimpy Kid) |
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 Diary
of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
by Jeff Kinney
Ages 9–12
Middle-schooler Greg Heffley
starts this funny diary with his New Year’s resolution
to help other people improve, and continues to summer
vacation. Along the way, Greg struggles with anonymous
Valentine cards, trying to impress his classmate Holly,
and single-handedly ruining his soccer team’s perfect
season. (3rd in series, following Diary
of a Wimpy Kid and Diary
of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules) |
|
 Diary
of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
by Jeff Kinney
Ages 9–12
It’s summer vacation, and middle-schooler
Greg Heffley hopes to spend it playing video games. Unfortunately
his mother has other ideas, and Greg finds himself in
a book club for boys, fighting with his friend Rodney
over their failed lawn-care business, and trying to escape
the horrors of the murderous “muddy hand” that
haunts him from a horror film. This hilarious series
will enthrall both reluctant and experienced readers.
(4th in series, following Diary
of a Wimpy Kid, Diary
of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Diary
of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw) |
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 The
Unsinkable Walker Bean
by Aaron Renier
Ages 9–14
Mild-mannered Walker Bean is
happiest in his grandfather’s colonial era workshop,
helping with the inventions. But when his grandfather
is cursed by two lobster-women, Walker knows it is
up to him to return a magical skull to the mysterious
Mango Islands. Walker stows away on a ship and teams
up with a dog named Perrogi, a boy named Shiv, and
a tough girl called Genoa. The four encounter pirates
and magical machines as they search for clues and escape
perilous situations in this engaging graphic adventure
novel. |
|
 Creepy
Crawly Crime
by Aaron Reynolds, Neil Numberman
Ages 8–12
Joey Fly is an experienced private
investigator with an eager young apprentice named Sammy
Stingtail. The pair are hired by a clueless butterfly
to find her missing diamond pencil box. Full of insect
humor, puns, and nifty similes, this classic mystery
will keep young readers glued to the pages. A graphic
novel with a film noir look, this is the first in the
Joey Fly, Private Eye series. |
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 Meanwhile:
Pick Any Path
by Jason Shiga
Ages 8–12
This enthralling graphic novel
allows readers to select from an amazing 3,856 story
lines. Starting with an easy question, “Chocolate
or Vanilla?” readers follow tubes and tabs through
this amazingly constructed book to create a unique
story of invention, discovery, and saving or destroying
the world. Decisions move the reader up or down, left
or right, forward or backwards, through cartoon illustrations
of a mad scientist’s lab featuring time machines, giant
squids, and quantum physics. |
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 Julian
Rodriguez #1: Trash Crisis on Earth
by Alexander Stadler
Ages 7–10
Julian complains to the Mothership
that he has endured eight years of mistreatment in an
Earthling home in this hilarious hybrid of fiction and
graphic novel. |
|
 Moribito:
Guardian of the Spirit
by Nahoko Uehashi
Ages 10–up
Balsa was a wandering warrior
for hire until the day she rescued a boy, Chagum, from
the river. She is then hired by the boy’s mother to protect
him since Chagum is host to a mythical creature that
threatens the rulers. An engaging combination of martial
arts, magic, heroic quest, and a totally unique heroine,
this quick-paced book will appeal to both boys and girls. |
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 Moribito
II: Guardian of the Darkness
by Nahoko Uehashi
Ages 10–up
Balsa, a spear-wielding warrior,
returns to her homeland of Kanbal in this sequel to Moribito:
Guardian of the Spirit. Balsa rescues a pair of siblings
from the Guardian of the Darkness and fights a plot to
attack the underground kingdom of the Mountain King.
Powerful and loyal, Balsa is a compelling character set
against a rich background of an imaginary culture. |
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