Posts Tagged graphic novels

On The Move: Traveling with Diverse Graphic Novel Characters

 

As a bookseller, I meet so many kids looking for graphic novels. Some seek fun, best-selling titles like Dog Man and Captain Underpants, others are eager to explore the varied landscape of stories in this section.

 Controversy

Naysayers don’t consider graphic novels as ‘real books.’ Luckily, this myth is beginning to be seen as just that. As Betsy Bird in her SLJ Review of Mexikid  points out, “Comics for kids are considered ancillary. Secondary. Less important than novels. . . . A book with words and pictures can be as stirring and important as a book that’s just words alone.”The popularity of middle grade graphic novels is also indicated by the fact these titles top the sales charts.

Reading graphic novels offer young readers a sense of accomplishment, visual literacy, and practice with inferencing.

Diversity

Graphic novels, with their strong visuals, page turning plots and relatable characters provide kids with windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors into new experiences. These books allow young readers to see themselves, and consider different perspectives.

(Thank you, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop )

 

Check out this list of recently published diverse graphic novels that take readers on different journeys – from road trips across the U.S. to visit relatives in Mexico to school trips to Europe, to trips to a parent’s Hong Kong hometown, and more. The characters in these novels come from diverse backgrounds and their exposure to people who are different from themselves expose them to new ways of life.

 

 

A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat

Dan is anything but excited when he leaves his small town in LA for a school trip to Europe. He is accustomed to constantly being bullied and made fun of and believes nothing is going to change. As he tours France, Switzerland, Germany, and London, he makes new friends and learns about these countrys’ cultures. It is a trip of firsts; Dan meets his first girlfriend, and for the first time finds confidence in his drawing skills. With hijinks and humor, this heartwarming graphic memoir gives readers a glimpse of the 1980’s.

 

 

 

 

Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir by Pedro Martin

Pedro travels 2,000 miles in a Winnebago with 11 family members to meet his legendary grandfather in Mexico. He is not thrilled to be going to meet his Abuela, a tough, crime-fighting man who supposedly fought in the Mexican Revolution. Along the way, he meets cousins, has a brush with corrupt border officials, and helps his brother with his bout of diarrhea after drinking raw milk. The trials and hilarious tribulations of Pedro’s road trip result in revelations about his grandfather and his brothers and sisters, who are divided between those who were born in Mexico and those who were born in the U.S., like him. Young readers are sure to pick up some Spanish words and learn about Mexican culture along with Pedro.

 

 

 

Saving Sunshine by Saadia Fauqi, illustrated by Shazleen Khan 

Zara and Zeeshan, twins who constantly fight, are thrown together on their family trip from New York to Key West. The Pakistani American brother and sister couldn’t be more different. Zara is grounded in the world of animals and nature, while Zeeshan prefers to explore outer space. When the twins stumble upon a sick loggerhead turtle named Sunshine, they find common ground and collaborate to help return the turtle to the sea. Through flashbacks, readers learn about the experiences of the parent’s experiences with immigration and Islamophobia as well as the incidents of racism that Zara and Zeeshan faced at school. Big issues of environmentalism and identity are addressed along with the challenges of being a twin.

 

Uprooted by Ruth Chan

Ruth is sad to leave her best friends behind in her beloved hometown of Toronto when she moves to her parent’s hometown, Hong Kong. Her new life isn’t easy, she doesn’t speak Cantonese, her father is often away from home for his new job, and her new schools is very difficult. Ruth’s father tells her stories of the hardships he encountered growing up in the 1940s. He relates how his family survived fleeing from the Sino-Japanese War. Ruth’s internal journey into her father’s past gives her strength to cope with the changes in her life.

 

 

 

 

School Trip by Jerry Craft

In this companion novel to award-winning New Kid and Class Act! Readers reconnect with African-American Jordan and his group of friends. As an 8th grader, accepted to the art school of his dreams, he has to make a big decision. Should he attend a new high school and leave his friends behind? These thoughts stick with him while traveling on an exciting school trip to Paris. Jordan’s journey exposes him to a new language, new foods, and a different culture, as well as new understandings of racism and classism. Craft’s signature black and white drawings (depicted as Jordan’s original artwork) show lessons learned..

 

 

 

The main characters in each of these novels are called (by their parents) to embark on a journey. While their backgrounds and personalities vary greatly, each of them finds their path in these often funny, and always fascinating stories. While kids turn the pages of these graphic novels, they will look through windows, mirrors, and sliding doors that depict our diverse world.

Monsters, Lockers, Burgers, and Beyonce: Jorge Aguirre answers the important questions

Monster Locker: a book cover featuring a sixth grade boy looking fearful as a monster tries to escape a locker

True story: Jorge Aguirre throws a good party. 

I had the pleasure of experiencing this firsthand one day last summer, when Jorge hosted a salon of local writers. We ate, we chatted, we enjoyed the starry sky–and when I saw he had a new middle grade novel, MONSTER LOCKER, coming out this month, I just had to ask him some questions. 

First, a little about Jorge: He’s both an author and a television writer/producer, where he specializes in children’s shows. (He’s even been nominated for an Emmy…twice!) His latest book, MONSTER LOCKER, is a middle grade graphic novel series illustrated by Andrès Vera Martinez, in which a sixth-grader named Pablo and his friends must stop various monsters that emerge from a portal inside of his locker from destroying their entire grade school. Who can worry about homework at a time like that?

Interview with Jorge Aguirre

Morgan Baden: Jorge, thank you for being here today! If you could describe MONSTER LOCKER in just five words, what would you say?

Jorge Aguirre: Pablo kicks Aztec monsters butts.

MB: There are some mythology elements to this book that I really loved. And kids seem to love mythology, too! What do you think makes myths so enduring to generation after generation of readers?

JA: With monster tales, there is always a hero. I think we like to root for a valiant hero. And what’s a better foe for a valiant hero to face off against than a monster?

An interior panel of MONSTER LOCKER

MB: You co-created MONSTER LOCKER with artist Andrés Vera Martinez. What was your favorite part of that collaboration? 

JA: I love when Andrés surprises me with artwork that is better than I imagined. That’s the talent of an artist: to bring something fresh the table. The writer builds the airplane but the artist knows how to make it fly and do loop-de-loops (but not so many loop-de-loops that the passengers vomit).

MB: How did your partnership work?

JA: Andrés and I had a lot of conversations. I had the original story. Then he had a lot of, “What about this…” questions. And all those What Abouts lead your story to places you might not have gone if you were on the path alone. 

MB: The iconic RL Stine often talks about how it’s important for kids to sometimes be scared by what they’re reading. What are your thoughts on that? Would you agree with that, and if so, why? 

JA: Oh sure. I mean, I think the idea behind his view is it’s good to challenge readers. Emotionally and intellectually. 

MB: You’re not just a writer of children’s books — you’re also an Emmy Award-nominated TV producer and writer. How does writing books like MONSTER LOCKER differ from your television writing?

JA: Structurally, process-wise, and creatively it’s nearly the same. But most of my animation writing work is for a younger audience. I get to tell more complex stories in my books. And I get to feature a reasonable amount of butt-kicking. Also, TV is a very collaborative process. There are teams of directors, networks, producers who all have strong opinions about how to tell a particular story. My job as an animation writer for TV is to execute my vision, but through the lens of all the other stakeholders. In graphic novels it’s only the writer, the artist, and your editor. And if you have a creative, talented book agent like we do, then she’s in the mix too. That’s still a much, much, muuuuuuuuuch smaller team. 

MB: MONSTER LOCKER is out now! Do you have any rituals or traditions to celebrate the release of a book?

JA: I like to take my book off the shelf and look at it. I think about all the work it took to get this thing from an idea in my head to a published book on my shelf. I smile for about 4.5 seconds. And then I get back to work on the next one. 

Photo Credit: Otero + Seclen Photography

Lightning round!

MB: Share your one-word answers to the following:

  • Early bird or night owl? Early.
  • Laptop or desktop? Laptop. 
  • Coffee or tea? Coffee. (Soooooo much coffee!)
  • Winter or summer? Fall. (Okay, okay. Summer. But why isn’t Fall an option? What do you have against Fall?) 
  • Plotter or pantser? Plotter! But a plotter who lets the work surprise me along the way.
  • Halloween or 4th of July? Halloween.
  • Binge-watch or savor a show? Savor. 
  • Revise as you go, or churn out a messy draft? Messy! Always make a mess first and clean it up later. Because if you don’t, then you’ll never have something to clean up.
  • Pizza or burgers? Burgers. But ask me again tomorrow and I may say pizza. 
  • Taylor or Beyonce? Beyoncé. Please don’t come after me, Swifties. I have total respect for TS, but the interviewer is forcing me to pick one! Blame her!

I will accept the blame. Readers, I hope you check out MONSTER LOCKER – it’s perfect not just for this spooky season, but all year long! 

About Jorge:

Jorge Aguirre is an author and TV writer. Two-time Emmy nominated, he created, co-developed, and co-produced Disney Junior’s, Goldie & Bear. He’s the Head Writer and Co-Executive Producer of the PBS Kids/Fred Rogers Production show, Alma’s Way. He’s written preschool shows for Disney, Jr., Nick, Jr., PBS, Amazon, and Netflix. He wrote the graphic novel series The Chronicles of Claudette, which he co-created with artist Rafael Rosado (First Second Books/Macmillan). The first book, Giants Beware was called a “Rollicking fun story” by the New York Times; it received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly and was a nominee for a Texas Bluebonnet Award. The sequels are Dragons Beware and Monsters Beware. His latest book with artist Rafael Rosado is Call Me Iggy, a middle-grade graphic novel about a Colombian kid in Columbus, Ohio. Kirkus gave the book a starred review and called it, “A pitch-perfect example of teenage explorations of cultural identity. (Graphic fiction. 13-18).” His new graphic novel series, Monster Locker, with artist Andrés Vera Martínez, comes out in October 2024. A Colombian-American born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Aguirre calls the great state of New Jersey home.

 

Interview with Sachi Ediriweera — Author of Enlightened

Author photoWe’re excited to have Sachi Ediriweera on here today to talk about his new release. Let’s start with learning a bit more about you, Sachi, and then we’ll talk more about Enlightened.

What was your life like growing up in Sri Lanka?

I grew up in the southern part of Sri Lanka, which is quite lush and tropical. And life was even more different for me as our home was in a little village an hour away from the main city. I grew up surrounded by nature, little lakes, rice paddy fields, and calming drizzles which were commonplace in April every year.

Can you tell us a little about how you first learned about the Buddha as a child?

Sri Lanka’s population is primarily Buddhist. It’s hard to miss seeing a statue of the Buddha wherever you go. You’re likely to see one in every Buddhist household, roadside shrines and even miniature ones on top of vehicle dashboards. However, my curiosity about the Buddha’s life began in Sunday school, which I didn’t enjoy attending at first as most of the lessons consisted of memorizing verses. However, the lessons about the Buddha’s life itself–his origins as a prince who had everything fascinated me. Learning about the Buddha became more than just memorizing verses and a challenge of understanding his mythos, which eventually influenced my work as well.

Did you have any childhood dreams for your adult life? If so, did they come true?

I wanted to become a movie director! I loved watching movies and learning how they were made even more. Movie DVDs where they had bonus content about how they made the movie was hard to come by in Sri Lanka and I would go out of my way to find them and spend hours re-watching those clips over and over. Apart from that I was experimenting with graphic design as well at the time. I did get to make my own short movies eventually, which screened in multiple international film festivals. However, I realized my passion was ultimately telling stories and I decided that graphic novels were a better medium to express my creativity. So yes, the dream did come true, for a while.

Did you love to read as a child? If so, can you tell us some favorite stories? 

My parents fueled my love for reading. Also going back to growing up in Sri Lanka, the village we lived in had terrible TV transmission reception so there wasn’t much for me to watch on screen. Instead I surrounded myself with books of all sorts. My favorites were Agatha Christie’s detective stories and anything that had to do with comics.

Sounds like not having much TV time turned out to be a big plus later on.

Did you have any early experiences where you learned that written language had power?

When I was 10 or so, our class had a monthly contest where the teacher gave a topic and you had to research and make a zine about it. These mostly revolved around the subjects we were learning. In one particular month, we were asked to make a story book and I remember writing an anthology of sorts with 3 stories. I won that month’s contest and was quite pleased about it.

What was your biggest fear when you were young? Did you get over it?

Being left behind, and I think it was largely due to growing up in a rural village in Sri Lanka. I had to put in extra effort if I wanted to learn anything–the TV air transmission signals were bad, and there was no internet. Eventually I moved to the city, and after that, I leaped at the opportunities–anything that would help me move my passion and career forward. It certainly helped me in the long run as I spent much of my twenties experimenting with my creativity–from film to illustrations.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Be passionate about what you do and have faith in yourself.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer? 

When I wanted to direct movies. As I didn’t know any screenwriters, I had to do it myself.

What other careers have you had besides writing?

Apart from being a former filmmaker, I work in advertising as an experiential design lead.

What is your favorite or most challenging part of being a writer? 

The complete freedom you have on the page is probably my favorite part of being a writer. Sometimes you end up discovering a completely unplanned moment in your story, a minor character suddenly becomes a bigger supporting character, you figure out a plot twist that makes everything ten times better! Writing largely happens in solitude and when you suddenly see your story in a completely new angle, it makes that entire process rewarding.

It’s exciting to see words and pictures actually turned into a book. It also can be magical seeing others reading what you’ve written.

And now that we know more about Sachi, let’s find out about more about his book, Enlightened.Book cover of Enlightened

What inspired you to write about the Buddha?

Siddhartha’s journey from a young prince to discovering the truths of this world as an enlightened monk is one that has been retold by hundreds of authors through centuries. However, most of these stories approach the Buddha as a God-like figure whereas I knew there was a grounded version of the story in which we get to explore him as a man who wanted to understand the world better. As I was in-between projects and with the world going through a pandemic, I remembered the stories which fascinated me back in Sunday school and wondered if there was a way I could retell the mythos through my own voice.

We’re grateful you made good use of the shut-downs during the pandemic.

Where did you go to do your research?

I referred multiple textbooks which were written about the Buddha and his teachings as well as reached out to a couple of researchers who were well-versed in the subject.

What was one of the most interesting facts you learned while researching?

With the Buddha’s teachings being centuries old and spanning across multiple regions around the world, certain elements of the core mythos had their own interpretations depending on where the material was originating from. It was interesting to compare different versions of the same story elements and how they had shaped those cultures.

Can you tell us a little about how you wrote and designed your graphic novel?

Enlightened was particularly challenging as I was adapting a story which had hundreds of interpretations (including children’s books and movies!) and importantly, as the Buddha’s story is so vast, I had to map out which part of the story I was going to adapt and how it would still be intriguing from a narrative perspective. Of course, the process began with writing a story outline and then doing some character sketches. Once I was happy with those, I created 15-sample art pages which I used for my pitch.

The subtle use of blue and orange in the illustrations give the graphic novel a striking look. What inspired those complimentary colors? And do they have any significance to this story?

My original pages were only in different tones of blue. However, I had used the orange on the pitch cover, as a spot color for the Buddha’s robe. Greg Stadnyk. my wonderful art director at Atheneum came up with the brilliant idea of using it throughout the book. Orange color is often associated with Buddhism as it’s the color of robes worn by Buddhist monks.

What comes first for you—the words or pictures?

Mostly pictures, but I do try to keep it between a balance of both.

How do your filmmaking and design backgrounds influence your graphic novels?

Back when I was doing short films, I spent a lot of time doing pre-production on my own. This included storyboarding scenes, to make sure you have the right shots, which you use to create a shot list for the day of the actual shoot. A crucial part about filmmaking is that you learn to be economical with your shots (because filming things cost a lot of money!). For instance, if you want to show a car exploding, you can film a scene of a car passing a pedestrian and then show his reaction with a loud sound effect, reacting to an explosion, instead of actually blowing-up a car. It’s a similar challenge with sequential storytelling, where you have to figure the best possible way to visually tell the story you want.

It’s fascinating how shooting films and creating graphic novels use many of the same skills. I’m sure it also helped in laying out each picture because those are like framed camera shots.

What do you hope readers will take away from your book?

The story of the Buddha is much larger than it could be fit within these pages. If someone gets inspired to learn more about the Buddha’s teachings, that would be a win for me. Also, I do hope readers enjoy the story on its own.

I’m sure they will.

Can you tell us about your other books?

My two earlier books were self-published with my debut being a graphic novel called Lionborn, which was the first English language graphic novel published in Sri Lanka.

What are you working on now?

Enlightened took me almost two and a half years to make. So right now, I’m spending time exploring art styles and potential story ideas before diving into what I want to do next.

Thanks ever so much for agreeing to the interview, Sachi! I know our young readers, as well as teachers and librarians will enjoy learning more about you and Enlightened! And we look forward to seeing what you come up with next.

About Enlightened

Prince Siddhartha lives in a beautiful palace in the heart of Kapilavastu. His father, the king, ensures that he has the best of everything—he just can’t go outside. He is locked up away from the city, away from anything that might cause him pain. He knows nothing of illness, aging, sorrow, or death, yet Siddhartha feels the pain regardless, and it instills a burning curiosity to understand the world outside—and the nature of human suffering.

Based on the life of the real man who was known first as a prince, then as a monk, and now as the Gautama Buddha, Enlightened is about one boy’s quest to learn the truth that underpins our endless struggle against suffering—and in understanding, break the cyclic existence that perpetuates it.

About Sachi Ediriweera

Sachi Ediriweera is an accomplished designer, filmmaker, and comic book artist. He is the writer and artist of the graphic novels Lionborn, which was the first English language graphic novel produced in Sri Lanka, and Enlightened. Apart from his design and illustration work, he has also built a career in filmmaking as a writer, producer, and director of acclaimed short films that have screened in numerous film festivals around the world. When he’s not drawing or writing his third-act plot twist, Sachi enjoys reading art books and comics, eating pizza, and overthinking cosplay ideas for comic cons. He divides his time between Colombo, Sri Lanka, and Dubai.