Category Archives: Kids Corner

Very Far from Home has some solid lessons for kids and adults about priorities and family

Posted on by Leave a comment

Verity “Very” Nelson’s story continues as she teams up with her cousin and frenemy to save a community pool in this humorous and heartfelt standalone middle grade graphic novel from New York Times bestselling and Eisner Award-winning author Hope Larson.

Verity “Very” Nelson is poised to have the perfect summer.

That is, until her mom breaks the news—they’re going to Wisconsin to help get her grandma’s house ready for sale. Very’s devastated to be missing an activist workshop and lake trip with her best friends, but her mom says it’s important for them to spend time with Grandma, who just moved into assisted living care.

As she’s settling in, Very happens upon a shuttered pool. Her cousin Maya explains that funding has dried up for the former gathering place, and now, the only place to swim is the exclusive, expensive country club.

Very knows a great cause when she sees it. She and her friends spring into action and rally the community around the public pool—but an unlikely source shares a ruinous tip that threatens its future forever. Can Very finish what she started, or will she leave the town worse off than when she arrived?

Story: Hope Larson
Art: Hope Larson

Get your copy now!

Bookshop
Amazon

HarperAlley provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

Don’t Be Scared is a solid ghost story for younger readers, perfect for the spooky season

Posted on by Leave a comment

Riz is determined to prove to his dad that movies matter and ghosts are real, but he and his friends might be in over their head when they investigate the local creepy mansion.

Riz Choudhry lives for two things: movies and anything spooky. His dad? Not so much. While Riz dreams of filmmaking and jump scares, his father dreams of Riz going to med school or law school―and neither one includes ghosts.

But the film club is Riz’s safe haven, a place where other supernatural-obsessed first-gen kids swap scary stories from their cultures. So, when the group decides to film a documentary about the creepy old mansion in town, Riz is all in. But there’s a problem. His dad wants Riz to quit the club. AND the building is about to be demolished. Now Riz and his friends must use the power of filmmaking to save the mansion…before it vanishes forever.

Packed with shivers, laughter, and heart, Don’t Be Scared celebrates friendship, heritage, and daring to fight for what matters―even if it means disagreeing with your family.

Story: Saadia Faruqi
Art: Shadia Amin

Get your copy now!

Bookshop
Amazon

First Second provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

Preview: Three Thieves Vol. 6: The Dark Island

Posted on by Leave a comment

Three Thieves Vol. 6: The Dark Island

(W) Scott Chantler (A) Scott Chantler

On the Dark Island, the three thieves’ quest takes a shocking turn…

Against all odds, Dessa, Topper, and Fisk arrive on the legendary island of Astaroth, and Dessa sets about finding her long-lost twin brother, Jared. Instead, she discovers a bizarre world beyond anything she could have ever imagined, where three children roam under the watchful eye of a mysterious and rarely seen man they call the Toymaker. Who are these kids, and how did they get here? And, if Jared isn’t on the Dark Island, where is he?

Cover art for 'Three Thieves: The Dark Island' by Scott Chantler, featuring characters surrounded by rocks and flames, creating an action-packed scene.
A comic book panel depicting a dialogue among several characters in a medieval setting. Two men in red capes are discussing a boy, while others stand nearby. A horse is visible in the background.
A comic panel depicting a young boy expressing shock and fear about having a sister, with a dramatic visual of a knight in armor and a horse in the background. The boy urgently tells his father to run, indicating a sense of danger.
A comic book panel showing a knight on horseback yelling 'Follow him, Phineas!' while another character looks surprised.
A medieval scene featuring a jousting match at the top, followed by children playing in a village setting. The bottom panel shows a busy marketplace with various characters in period attire.

Time-Traveling Chickens: Bawk to the Future is fantastic for early readers

Posted on by Leave a comment

Star Chapter Books are the perfect bridge for kids moving beyond beginning readers but not yet ready for longer chapter books. With short chapters, bold two-color illustrations, and fast-paced, funny stories, these confidence-building books make reading fun and rewarding.

Two chicken friends accidentally time travel back to the age of the dinosaurs in this first tale in the rollicking Time-Traveling Chickens series from Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor–winning author-illustrator Kaz Windness!

Nugget and Tenders are super-big, super-smart, talking chickens. When evil scientists trap them in a time machine, they land in the age of the dinosaurs. Not ones to be easily discouraged, these adventurous avians see their chance to change the course of chicken-kind. Can they change the past and get back to their future—or is the duo doomed to be a dinosaur’s dinner?

Each Star Chapter Book is 112 pages long, divided into six to eight short chapters with illustrated panels on every page to keep kids engaged from start to finish. This highly visual early chapter book format supports the transition from leveled readers to chapter books, making Star Chapter Books a perfect fit for independent reading, classroom libraries, or shared story time.

Story: Kaz Windness
Art: Kaz Windness

Get your copy now!

Bookshop
Amazon

Simon Spotlight provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

Exclusive Preview: Destination Antarctica: The Frozen Continent Bursting with Life

Posted on by Leave a comment

Have you ever dreamed of visiting the White Continent? Jump aboard Marc’s motorboat as the expedition guide leads a group of schoolchildren on an unforgettable learning adventure. Navigate through icy waters and sparkling icebergs, meet curious penguins, playful seals, majestic whales, and discover all the tiny creatures that make this unique ecosystem thrive.

Merging the excitement of a graphic novel with fascinating real-life science, Destination: Antarctica teaches young readers about the wonders of this frozen world–and why it’s so important to protect it. Fun, educational, and beautifully illustrated, it’s an adventure that brings the icy continent to life from a child’s perspective.

Destination Antarctica: The Frozen Continent Bursting with Life is written by Guillaume de Remacle, with art by Adrienne Barman, translated by Jeffrey K. Butt, and published by Helvetiq. Out now in shops, get your copy on Bookshop or from your local comic or book store.

Check out an exclusive preview below!

Destination Antarctica: The Frozen Continent Bursting with Life

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splinter’s Dojo is a solid book for young TMNT fans

Posted on by Leave a comment

Cowabunga, dudes and dudettes! This hilarious original novel is filled with comics, mischief, and action starring The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Splinter’s Dojo takes the turtles to class at the most radical middle school around.

When the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello — cause a city-wide blackout, their Master Splinter is at his wits’ end. These out-of-control turtles need structure, routine, discipline… somewhere that will hold them accountable. Where could that be? Middle school, of course! And what better place for a school for mutants than the sewers of New York, with a faculty and student body full of fan favorites from the world of TMNT? Can these Turtles get their act together and become true ninjas? And just what are Bebop and Rocksteady — henchmen of the Turtles’ archenemy Shredder — doing in class with the rest of their peers?

Told through a mix of comics panels, artifacts, and text, this highly illustrated novel from the author/illustrator team of Barb the Last Berzerker is sure to be a totally tubular hit with middle grade readers.

by: Dan & Jason

Get your copy now!

Bookshop
Amazon

Graphix provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

Gabby Torres: Knows What You Did is a great mix of comics and prose, perfect for kids

Posted on by Leave a comment

In the third book in the Gabby Torres graphic novel series, nine-year-old Gabby is determined to get to the bottom of some mysterious happenings at her new neighbor’s house. Perfect for fans of THE CUPCAKE DIARIES and DORY FANTASMAGORY.

Gabby is excited when the “For Sale” sign next door is gone one morning. She’s getting new neighbors!

But when mysterious packages, wrapped in white plastic, show up at the house, Gabby is suspicious. Is that a couch… or a coffin? As other mysteries begin to pile up—like a strange howling in the middle of the night—Gabby knows only SHE can get to the bottom of it. With binoculars in hand, Gabby is ready to spy!

But not everything is as it seems, and making assumptions about others can quickly turn sour. Luckily, sometimes the truth can be even sweeter!

Story: Angela Dominguez
Art: Angela Dominguez

Get your copy now!

Bookshop
Amazon

Roaring Brook Press provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

Double Trouble: Lost in Japan is entertaining and educational, great for those traveling

Posted on by Leave a comment

A dream trip to Japan turns into a frantic search across Kyoto when one twin suddenly goes missing, in this kid-friendly manga by creator Misako Rocks!

The friends from Bounce Back are going to Japan!

Twin sisters Angie and Kiara are spending part of their summer break in Japan, visiting their friend Lilico’s family and meeting new friends. Despite Kiara’s worries about the long flight, and not knowing how to speak Japanese, the girls are excited to take such a big trip with Lilico and other friends from their basketball team, and experience Japanese culture―the sights, the food, the fashion, and everything kawaii!

Until . . . one of the twins gets lost in the middle of Kyoto.

Now it’s a race across the city to bring everyone back together. Friendships old and new are put to the test, and the girls discover that teamwork happens off the basketball court, too.
Perfect for readers who love Shannon Hale, Megan Wagner Lloyd, and Victoria Jamieson, and anyone who can’t get enough friendship graphic novels, manga-inspired adventures, and stories full of humor, heart, and Japanese culture.

Story: Misako Rocks!
Art: Misako Rocks!

Get your copy now!

Bookshop
Amazon

Feiwel and Friends provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

Preview: Jane American

Posted on by Leave a comment

Jane American HC

(W) Jason Douglas (A) Annie Wright

The Ringo Award-winning Best Graphic Novel Jane American is a World War II, small town America rip-roaring adventure and heart breaking coming-of-age tale in the vein of Superman For All Seasons and Archie 1941.

During the war years, Jane is living a life of family, stability, and hope… until she isn’t! Until the war delivers tragedy to her front doorstep, and changes her in unbelievable ways that are better left hidden. The end of the war brings with it the reality that dad is not coming home and society has determined that mom can no longer be a Rosie The Riveter to support her family. This leaves Jane with a choice: Stay safe, stay hidden… or embrace who she really is, and what she can truly do, for the sake of everyone that she loves!

Jane American is brimming with the universal and relatable themes of identity, self-worth, you being you in a world that tells you something different; while exploring the appropriate for ALL ages concepts of friendship, isolation, family, super-heroics, and standing up for what you know is right even in the face of self-doubt and insurmountable odds!

The book is a deeply personal story to the author, Jason Douglas, as it is named after and inspired by his late grandmother who, over 80 years ago, struggled with all the same themes audiences can relate to today! It is dedicated to all the students who have traversed through his public-school classroom the last 26 years, and to his late grandfather who was a key component in the early phases of this thoroughly researched story.

Readers of Jane American will be treated to a tale: Guaranteed to make you cheer! Sure to break your heart! Positive to place you in front of a mirror posing the famous Rosie The Riveter FLEX! And not-so-secretly helping you learn the actual history of a bygone era not so different from our own!

Brought to you by the creative team of Ringo Award-nominated writer Jason Douglas (Parallel, No Man’s Land), with art by Ringo Award-winning Best New Talent Annie Wright, and letters by industry veteran Dave Lentz (Felix The Cat, Frozen, Speed Racer), Jane American is an award-winning, full-color graphic novel following Jane’s adventures, friendships, and struggles as she comes of age in turbulent times! This deeply researched yet emotionally powerful story, relatable to kids and adults alike, explores the universal themes of identity, gender, self-worth (you being you in a world that tells you something different), and small-town societal norms in post WWII America. With hints of beloved stories like Superman For All Seasons and Archie 1941, Jane American will break your heart, make you think, and have you on your feet cheering by the end!

Jane American HC

Preview: The Loud House Vol. 28: Night Haunts

Posted on by Leave a comment

The Loud House Vol. 28: Night Haunts

(W) Erik Steinman, Kim Shearer, Jair Holguin, Whitney Wetta, Molly Jones, Kat Calamia, Phil Falco, Anna Rich, Kevin Cannarile (A) Jose Hernandez, RuhisuART, David Martin, Lex Hobson, Daniela Rodriguez, Lauren Bird, Alexia Valentine, Jacob Greenawalt, Olivia Walden, David Martin, Megan LeMasurier

NIGHT HAUNTS!

It’s a celebration of all things Lucy Loud in this spooktacular special!

The Ghosts of Ghoul Manor come out to play…a roleplaying game! But can Dad put aside his wizard obsession to get into the spirit of things? Then, Lucy has a vision that Cliff is looking for love! Can the Louds claw together a romance for the cat? And when the Morticians Club goes out for a gloomy afternoon picnic, the weather turns all wrong. It’s sunlight and flowers everywhere! It’ll take an extraordinary invention to bring the vibes back down to the shadows where they belong. Fifty pages of love for Lucy Loud—it’s the hilarious Halloween treat you’re dying for! Another jam-packed anthology of heartfelt stories by the talent behind the Emmy-nominated series THE LOUD HOUSE and THE CASAGRANDES!

The Loud House Vol. 28: Night Haunts
« Older Entries