Rise of the Halfling King (Tales of the Feathered Serpent)
by David Bowles ill by Charlene Bowles

What a terrific concept: A series of graphic novels featuring Mayan mythology. Bowles brings his extensive Mesoamerican expertise to younger audiences. Stories from an often-overlooked culture are brought to life with colorful panels, intriguing plot and characters who jump off the pages and into the reader's imagination. Rise of the Halfling King is the first title in Tales of the Feathered Serpent series. ​ Readers are introduced to Sayam, a boy hatched from an egg. Almah, a witch and a healer, has cared for this strong-willed halfling since he emerged from the egg. As he grows older, the inevitable is apparent. It is time for Sayam to fulfill prophecy and dethrone the king. It won't be easy. The malevolent despot employs the Guardian of the Underworld, a gigantic snake, to assist him with his diabolical schemes. Illustrator Charlene Bowles gives the serpent a frightful menacing quality that dominates each panel into which it slithers, fangs ready to strike.

Dig Deeper

Interested in an in-depth exploration of Mexican mythology? Bowles has you covered.  Feathered Serpent: Dark Heart of Sky is compilation short mythological tales from Mexico. The introduction offers valuable background information.  A Guide to Pronunciation and Glossary are particularly helpful.  An excellent resource for those interested in exploring epic tales, world mythologies, history and culture of Mexico. Highly recommended for students, teachers, historians, and storytellers,

Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse

Eleven-year-old Effie, recently orphaned, has been sent to live with her sharp-tongued step-aunt Selimene and mild-mannered partner Carlotta. These new living conditions come as a huge surprise and major adjustment for everyone. Feeling unwanted, but with no other choice but to stay, Effie and Selimene come to a tentative truce. As she adjusts to her new home, Effie discovers a few oddities. The attached greenhouse is filled with a vast selection of medicinal plants which have healing properties. There is also an adjoining acupuncture office. Most astonishing of all, in addition to their work as herbalists and acupuncturists, the two are witches. They are committed using their powers to help others. Their supernatural abilities have awakened a latent power inside Effie. She discovers that she too is a witch. The two seasoned witches and their young protege are presented with a perplexing problem. A massively popular singer has developed a ghastly change in her facial coloring, making it impossible to publicly perform.

Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee

Twelve-year-old Lora is lonely. Her friends no longer share her interest in imaginative play. Lora decides to her own Séance Tea Party, surrounded by her stuffed animals and a Ouija board. A surprise guest joins the festivities. Her name is Alexa and she’s the ghost of a young girl who died years ago. Lora is delighted. She discovers that Alexa was her imaginary childhood friend. The two become fast friends, accommodating Alexa’s spirit into the corporeal world. Alexa gently nudges Lora to move out of her comfort zone. She accepts a spur-of-the-moment invitation to attend a Halloween party. Her new friend is draped in a sheet. The perfect disguise for a ghost. Lora gradually expands her circle to include an older woman. She begins to experiment with make-up, opting for a deep shade of lipstick and definative eyeliner.

Donut Feed the Squirrels (Norma and Belly) by Mika Song

In serious contention for Best Children’s Book Title of the Year is Donut Feed the Squirrels. The title's clever play on words and adorable characters featured on the cover are instant attention-getters. Song eschews drawing anatomically accurate squirrels. Instead her art perfectly captures the essence of Norma with her tiny heart-shaped nose and Belly's rosy cheeks and gumdrop-shaped body. ​These little charmers are in search of breakfast. When their pancakes are burned, the pair are intrigued by the tantalizing aroma from a nearby food truck. They discover a fantastic treat: donuts! The squirrels are determined to get donuts for everyone. Fortunately the proprietor of the mobile donutmobile briefly steps away from his truck. The enterprising duo have eight minutes to get in, get a sackful of donuts, and get out. There is a major complication. With a plot element that is an homage to the classic Homer Price doughnut machine fiasco, there is an equipment failure. Production is out of control. The shop rapidly becomes a doughy disaster.

Black Heroes of the Wild West: Featuring Stagecoach Mary, Bass Reeves, and Bob Lemmons
​by James Otis Smith

Black Heroes of the Wild West: Featuring Stagecoach Mary, Bass Reeves, and Bob Lemmons is the comic we’ve all been longing for. Meet historical Black figures who come to life in an action-packed graphic novel. This trio of biographical vignettes features fascinating stories from the American west. Though all were born enslaved, each legendary Black adventurer left southern roots and moved west to freedom in Montana, Arkansas, or Texas. Their stories are true tales of hard work, courage, resourcefulness, and grit. Nevertheless, he injects humor and intrigue into the narrative. Smith has done his homework, creating back matter that is chock full of information, period photographs, primary sources, timelines, and other informational graphics. The color palette is predominantly earth tones, evoking the western setting. Each chapter begins with a full-page photo of the chapter’s subject. Includes an introduction by Kadir Nelson. ​

Stagecoach Mary

Mary Fields was a large, no-nonsense woman, packing an impressively fearsome rifle. Opening panels tell the well-known, almost mythical saga of one frigid Montana night in 1898 when mail clerk Mary Fields fought off a pack of vicious wolves.

Bob Lemmons

Herds of wild mustangs, comprised of up to forty females and led by one stallion, roamed over a vast expanse of the Texas plains. They were fearless. The prevailing method to control the herd was to kill the stallion and force the females on long marches. ​​Bob Lemmons had another method. To the mustangs, he was perceived as a stallion. Traveling alone with his horse Warrior, he studied a herd’s habits and recognized individual mustangs by scent and scant. Bob never changed his clothes and waited to eat until his food had lost all human smell. He moved deliberately and cautiously until he was accepted as the leader of these wild horses. Only then would he lead this herd to a ranch. There the mustangs would follow him into a corral. ​He eventually established his own ranch. This Texas legend lived 99 years.

Bass Reeves

Bass Reeves was a clever lawman who employed unusual tactics to capture wanted felons. For example, the Clancy brothers of Arkansas were wanted criminals with a $5000 reward offered for their capture. One night a quiet hardworking Black man arrived at the Clancy homestead, offering to work for a meal. He quietly endured an evening of insults from the brothers. After dark, Bass set to work and handcuffed the outlaws while they slept. The fugitives woke the next morning in irons and under arrest. They learned that the quiet visitor was Bass Reeves, Deputy US Marshall.

Additional Resources

My Pencil and Me by Sara Varon

How does a book come into existence? Can the process be broken down into steps? Or is the creation of a story the result of inspiration? My Pencil and Me suggests that authors find that both method and inventiveness are important. Varon offers young readers a glimpse into a story's creation. Meet an author as she struggles with developing a narrative for her book. Fortunately, she has two friends to help: her dog and her pencil. The faithful canine sits beside her and serves as a sounding board, helping Sara to frame her thoughts in an interesting way. Her pencil, kept at the ready in her pocket, makes visible the ideas percolating in her brain. The dialogue between the pencil and author is reassuring and to the point. (Pun intended.) “My pencil always gives me great advice.”

A Vote is a Powerful Thing
by Catherine Stier ill by Courtney Dawson

The Vote is a Powerful Thing introduces youngsters to the voting process. Callie’s class is learning about elections. Their teacher explains that participation in the selection of leaders and governing laws is important. Knowing this, the students decide to vote on an issue of current school-related interest. The class will plan a field trip. Where should they go? Lynn suggests a trip to the local cookie factory. Callie knows about her grandmother’s interest in the Wilderness Park and recommends visiting this nature preserve. She sets to work, hoping to convince classmates to select her proposed destination. She searches for information about the park, its creation, purpose, and preservation. She makes promotional materials and prepares a speech. Lynn is following a similar pattern, advocating for the cookie factory. The ballots are cast and counted. After a moment of uncertainty, Wilderness Park wins the election by one vote.

The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America's Presidents  
​by Kate Messner ill by Adam Rex

The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America's Presidents is set in a museum that closely resembles the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Visitors explore the halls, looking back at history and then imagining what might happen in the future. Kids are reminded one or more of them could be a future president. Rex uses a mixed media approach. Black line drawings mix with realistic portraits as well as stylized color wash renderings. The variety of styles reinforce a sense of traveling through time. A limited color palette consisting of various shades of red and blue gives a unifying visual effect. ​

Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Graphic Novel
by Cynthia Levinson & Sanford Levison  art by Ally Shwed

The Levinsons' seminal study of the U. S. Constitution, particularly an examination of the document’s potential flaws was published in 2010. Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Graphic Novel presents the same information in comic book format, primarily with panels that are interspersed interspersed with maps and infographics. The result is a concise, highly readable US Constitution primer. Text alternates between historical background and contemporary applications of decisions that were made by the founding fathers. Format generally follows a configuration of horizontally organizing each page into thirds. Square and rectangular panels fit neatly within this structure. Chapter headings and an occasional concept use the full page. ​This structure offers concise chunks of information that are easy to digest and understand.

The Voting Booth
​by Brandy Colbert

Boy meets girl. She's a serious student and advocate for voting rights. He's not sure where to vote. Fortunately for him, this activist comes to his rescue. The story takes place in one day with visits to multiple polling places and working through a mammoth amount of regulations. However, before the day is over he votes. When your hero is Fannie Lou Hamer, voting is not optional. It's vital. Marva Sheridan has devoted her efforts to understanding the voting process and helping people register to vote. She is disappointed when her white boyfriend Alec decides that he will not be voting. Duke Crenshaw comes from a family of civic-minded citizens. He knows that voting is the right thing to do. If only it weren't so complicated. Marva is precisely the guide to help him through the election rules and red tape. During the day this unlikely pair discover that their interest is in more than the ballot box. There is definitely a mutual attraction that extends beyond a lesson in civics.

Doodleville by Chad Sell

Drew loves to draw. Pencil in hand, she has created her own collection of doodles, an assortment of charming and often mischievous characters who dwell in her imaginary world. Drew shares her passion for drawing with other students in the school’s Art Club. Their advisor plans a field trip to the local art museum. This expedition will serve as inspiration for an upcoming project: create a superhero world. There is one complication. Drew has discovered that her doodles can escape the pages of her sketchbook and travel into the “real world.” At the museum, her creations Jump off the paper and wildly explore the art displays, absconding with a hat featured in one of the paintings. Although Drew manages to collect all her runaway doodles plus an additional purloined hat, it is apparent that her creations are out of control. They begin to inhabit the drawings of her fellow students, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

Bonus

Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang art by Gurihiru

A comic book set in 1946 with 2020 sensibilities features the traditional super hero trope: Man of Steel versus archenemy. ​The cast includes The Daily Planet’s mild-mannered Clark Kent, investigative reporter Lois Lane, spirited photographer Jimmy Olsen and bombastic editor Perry White. Metropolis is plagued with a sinister influence. It’s up to the caped crusader with an assist from a couple of kids to defeat this evil and protect the city’s citizens. ​But it’s more. Inspired by the 1940s Superman radio series “Clan of the Fiery Cross,” Gene Luen Yang chronicles a lesser-known aspect of bigotry and racism in American history: Chinese Americans targeted by white supremacists. ​​​The narrative has two plot threads. Alternating stories chronicle a Chinese American family's move from Chinatown to a new neighborhood. This is juxtaposed with the tale of a superhero arriving to earth from another planet. ​Both threads explore the plight of individuals who are perceived as different. ​Both are stories of immigrants. Stories of aliens.

Once Upon a Space-Time! by Jeffrey Brown

This is not your normal Once Upon a Time. This is Once Upon a Space-Time. Jeffrey Brown takes readers on a journey into the final frontier.Two young recruits: Jide the science nerd and Petra the sci-fi fan are selected for a mission to Mars. Tobey the alien will be joining them along with several other aliens named Tobey. Not surprisingly Brown uses the classic Shakespearean line: Tobey or not Tobey. It’s a space adventure jam-packed with silliness and word play, along with a dose of bathroom humor. When the kids put on their space suits for the first time, a dozen panels reveal close-ups of myriad items which must be pulled up, snugly fitted in place, layered on and snapped shut. Then Jide realizes that he needs to go to the bathroom. The procedure is reversed. Everything comes off. Following a quick trip to the bathroom, the entire suit goes back on again. That's when Commander Gusevich informs Jide that all suits have built-in diapers.

Comics Conquer Space

Baloney and Friends by Greg Pizzoli

When times are tough, when days are dark, when "normal" is a fleeting memory, some may wonder if there is anything that will bring a bit of cheer to world weary souls. The answer is yes. Baloney and Friends is here to dispel some of life’s hopelessness. This collection of graphic novel shorts begins with the introduction of four slightly zany cartoon characters. Readers meet Baloney, the pig and star of the book. He is joined by friends Peanut D. Horse, Biz E. Bee, and Krabbit a rabbit. Krabbit lives up to his name often responding with a sarcastic “whatever." Readers are treated to a selection of stories interspersed with mini comics. Follow Baloney as he entertains his friends with tricks which may or may not be magical. The gentle humor continues as he struggles with fear of the unknown and feelings of sadness. Pizzoli has created a winsome collection of tales with precisely the right amount of snark.