It's All About the Story: Manga, Comics & Graphic Novels

 It's been crazy busy balancing everything, so I haven't posted in awhile, and I am sorry.  I will try to do better.  Here are some amazing titles you should definitely try! This is the winner of the 2025 Printz (top honor a teen book can have).  I'll be posting this article in both the graphic novel and the teen reads blogs as it deserves all the hype.  The story definitely deserves the awards it got!  On the surface, it's a story of a girl getting to know her estranged father after never having met him in her 14 years of life.  However, there is more than that....Almudena has never known her heritage, being raised by her very blonde, white mother.  She doesn't speak Spanish either.  Her summer is being spent with her Guatemalan father who doesn't speak much English, surrounded by those who prefer to speak Spanish and helping her father fix up a brownstone to help those who are being displaced due to the gentrification of the neighborhood....

 Here are some new (or republished) titles: I couldn't resist reading this, as the movie is wonderful....and the all-in-one film edition is equally lovely.  I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but it is cute and fun and is DEFINITELY a good cuppa for me.   =) Gokurakugai is a fun story.....essentially about several human(ish) characters who help fix problems, even if your problem is a monster who eats people.  This is an enjoyable adventure and a good intro to a new manga, which is nice as it is sometimes intimidating to start something with upwards of a hundred volumes (I'm looking at you One Piece!). You meet the main characters, see them fight monsters and get hints that there is more to them but you don't know much and will have to wait for future issues to find out....I definitely enjoyed this, try it; maybe you'll like it too! Vol 2 of UnOrdinary continues the story of students with super powers but is now exploring the idea that someone is watching all ...

  This was a very interesting premise....I mean there are lots of "superhero/powers" universes, but the idea of someone claiming to have none, and actively subverting the structure of society while doing it, is definitely one I haven't seen before.  I really enjoyed this introduction to John and the students at the Academy and cannot wait to see where it goes. I'm a huge nerd about reading mythological stories, so when I saw that Gaiman was doing a graphic novel version of Norse mythology, I had to check it out.  It is HUGE!  (I do mean that literally, the book is very large).  It is also beautifully illustrated and the stories are very well told and include some well known and others not as well known.  If you enjoy mythology collections, you really need to check this one out. I love an original story, and this is definitely that.  The idea is that the main character Dokja Kim, has been the sole reader of a story blog for years...and the day he finish...

  Call Me Iggy is a sweet story of reconnecting with your history and culture.  Iggy is Columbian but his father has never talked much about his life in Columbia or ever gone back.  When he accidentally finds and opens his grandfather's urn, he brings his ghost to life, who begins to teach him.  There are fun and silly problems (generational and cultural causes) but also an awakening in Iggy to the parts of his culture he is missing....as well as the parts hidden, like the troubles of illegal immigrants.  This is set during the beginning of Trump's presidency, and the worries and struggles of the Latinx community are definitely discussed as Iggy finds the things he thought were true are actually not true for everyone.  Highly recommend this title. Cara Bean is an art teacher in a high school, who created this book in order to discuss and illuminate both the physical and emotional parts of mental health, as well as the differences between the things that are...

 Hi all, I have read 2 graphic novels by artists/authors that are new to me (and maybe to you too!) French artist Damezin introduces us (well, me anyway) to a piece of traditional Persian literature told in a graphic novel format.  The focus is definitely on the art, though the story is definitely there.  The book is beautifully illustrated and imaginatively interprets the words and emotions of what is happening in the story. Whether or not you are familiar with this piece of literature, I highly suggest trying this graphic novelization/interpretation.   Bunt! tells the story of a freshman student who finds out on the first day of school that her full-ride scholarship has disappeared; leaving her to find a way to pay for this very expensive art college.  She finds a loophole that says if a sports team can win a single game, all the team wins full scholarships (or at least a set amount for the year).  Determined to make this happen, Molly creates a soft...

  Codex Black is a fun adventure in ancient Meso-america as two teens search for a missing father and find gods, ancient mysteries and more. This was a fun story, full of color and details of life in a time that isn't often fictionalized and from a perspective of someone raised in Latin American and well versed in the history.  If you're looking for an interesting adventure in a place you perhaps don't know (but is based on historical knowledge) and featuring Mayan/Aztec gods and fables; this is a perfect choice. Third Shift Society is a rollicking good time as Ellie discovers that she has "witchy" abilities and gets a job with Ichabod (yes, the pumpkin head guy from the stories) who runs an investigation firm for those with supernatural problems. Ellie learns about the world along with the reader and it's just a fantastic escapist read for anyone who enjoy supernatural adventures. A friend of mine recommended this title and even though it's not new, it...