Skip to main content

Comic Books from 2021 That Make Great Gifts

Image
By
As children's librarians, our very favorite gifts to give and receive are books. If you want to make a librarian's day, ask them what book they should give someone as a gift. Even though you didn't ask, here's a list of new comic books from this year that we think would make great gifts.

By Cale Atkinson
Toronto, ON: Tundra, 2021. Graphic novel.

This early reader graphic novel is the start of a new series about an unlikely pair of best friends -- Chester, a little boy, and Simon, a ghost. In their first comic book adventure, Chester is wanting to play dress up and Simon is more interested in writing his mystery novel, until Chester finds a detective hat and Simon decides they should solve a mystery. Readers will solve the mystery alongside the duo and will appreciate seeing their friendship strain and grow under pressure. This is a delightful graphic novel for young readers.

By Dan Schedit
Illustrated by Miranda Harmon
New York: RH Graphic, 2021. Graphic novel.

Do you have kids in your family that wish Dav Pilkey would write the Dog Man books faster? This hilarious comic book is sure to appeal. The town of Greenwood elects a fluffy, friendly, nap-happy dog named Good Boy as mayor -- to the displeasure of some constituents. This book follows siblings Aaron and Abby as they help the new dog mayor to serve the citizens of the town. This book is laugh-out-loud funny, with a sweet central message about kids getting involved in their communities -- even in small ways.

By Jordan Quinn
Illustrated by Ornella Greco
New York: Little Simon, 2021. Graphic novel.

In this comic spinoff of the popular chapter book series, Ruskin is the pet dragon of the Prince of Wrenly. He has never known a life outside his pampered world within the palace. One day, a young dragon comes to the palace begging Ruskin for help to defeat an evil curse that threatens to destroy all of Wrenly. For chapter book readers, this is a fun and promising new fantasy series.


By Nadia Shammas
Illustrated by Nabi H. Ali
New York: Graphix, 2021. Graphic novel.

Ever since Kamala Khan developed her superpowers and became Ms. Marvel, she has been stretched way too thin. She's trying to be a good student, a good daughter, a good friend, keep her fanfic fans happy and train to become a superhero alongside Miles Morales and Doreen Green. When an evil robot infiltrates Avengers Tower, it's up to Kamala to pull herself together and save the day. This is a fun new graphic novel for superhero fans and readers who like strong girls.

By Yehudi Mercado
New York: Harper Alley, 2021. Graphic novel.

This full-color graphic novel memoir follows Mexican Jewish middle schooler Hudi. Because of a variety of injuries and other health issues, Hudi is a regular at his local hospital where he keeps the medical staff laughing with his jokes. His doctors and parents are concerned that Hudi's weight may cause additional health problems, and so his mother and father decide to enroll him in one team sport after another, despite Hudi's ineptitude. Still, Hudi begins making friends and not just with his fuchsia-colored imaginary friend named Chunky. This is a hilarious and spirited memoir, that will also speak to kids struggling to please their parents and fit in.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stand Tall by Joan Bauer

By DeeDee
Stand Tall By Siena Siegel by Joan Bauer Putnam, 2002, 182 pgs Realistic Fiction Tree is 12 years old and over 6 feet tall. That would be great if he were a basketball player, but he is not. Dealing with his unusual size is not Tree's only challenge. Tree's parents have recently gone through a divorce, and his grandfather has had his leg amputated as the result of an old Vietnam War injury. The strength of this book is the characterizations. All of the main characters are dimensional and sympathetic. Bauer sets the characters in real and often funny family situations. Best of all is the character of Tree. He is boy with a heart to match his stature. This is a great book for boys or girls ages 9-12, as a read aloud or for individual reading. This book could also be a good Rx book for children whose families are going through divorce, or for anyone who feels like they don't fit in.
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The Factory

By
The Factory By Catherine Egan New York, NY : Scholastic Inc., 2025. Fiction. 306 pages.  Thirteen-year-old Asher Doyle has been invited to join the Factory, a secretive research facility in the desert which ostensibly extracts renewable energy from the electromagnetic fields of its young recruits. But Asher soon realizes something sinister is going on. Kids are getting sick. The adults who run the Factory seem to be keeping secrets. And the extraction process is not only painful and exhausting, but existentially troubling. Asher makes a handful of new friends who help him with an investigation that turns into a resistance, which turns into...a cliffhanger! The Factory is a page-turning sci-fi with multidimensional characters, an intriguing plot, and refreshingly straight-forward writing. Egan weaves in detail about climate crises and social unrest, making the story's dystopian setting feel rich and plausible. With its sophisticated themes and accessible storytelling, I would recomm...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Faker

By
Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...
Post a Comment
Read more