Posts Tagged graphic novels

From the Classroom: Using Graphic Novels to Explore Transitions

By on February 24, 2025   /   Articles, From the Classroom  

Let’s face it – students in the middle grades face lots of transitions. These can be moment-to-moment transitions (i.e. we’re best friends and five minutes later we aren’t), place-to-place (i.e. moving or starting a new school), and body-to-body (i.e. what is puberty doing to my body?!). Authors Rene Rodriguez-Astacio and David Low recommend using Superhero Graphic Novels to help students navigate these transitions as the graphic novel medium, with spaces between panels, force middle grade readers to fill in the gaps which can contribute to them doing the same in their transitioning lives.  And superheroes, in particular, are super popular with this age group!  Below are some superhero graphic novel titles, how they can support middle grade readers with all the transitions they face, and how teachers might consider using them in the classroom.

Spider-Man

cover of Miles Morales Shock Waves graphic novel with miles morales running in center of the cover.

In Miles Morales Shockwaves, Miles Morales, a biracial middle grader, helps raise funds for Puerto Rico to support his mother’s lost family home after an earthquake. He organizes a block party sponsored by Harrison Snow, CEO of Serval Industries. Miles (as Spider-man) is led to uncover a conspiracy when it is revealed that Snow is providing financial support to Puerto Rico to excavate valuable crystals unearthed after the earthquake. Rodriguez-Astacio and Low recommend that teachers provide some background on the relationship between the U.S. and Puerto Rico, especially in light of the 2020 earthquakes and the 2022 devastating hurricane. This graphic novel explores the various transitions associated with identity, place, and family, something middle schoolers may be facing.

Ms. Marvel

Cover of Ms. Marvel, Stretched Thin with Ms. Marvel running away from a helmeted villain.

Ms. Marvel’s super power is her ability to contort her body, but in Ms. Marvel – Stretched Thin, Kamala Kahn wakes up with big feet and a lack of control on how to fix them. This funny image is a great metaphor for the awkwardness of puberty and the various ways middle schoolers often don’t have control over their bodies. All the various ways Kamala’s body contorts throughout the book relates to the coming-of-age themes in the book and middle schoolers accepting new responsibilities, often with great struggle. Ms. Marvel can relate as even though she may do one thing well, her inability to excel in every aspect of her life leads her to feel like a failure. Kamala feels like she is stretched “too thin” when trying to be successful at everything and she is also literally stretched thin! Teachers can use graphic novels like Ms. Marvel (or the Hulk or the X-men) to examine the literal and metaphorical representations of body change and how gender, race, class, and power create different contexts with which transitions occur and are interpreted.

Finally, Rodriguez-Astacio and Low remind us that graphic novels should be seen as more than “transition books” for reluctant or resistant readers. Graphic novels are great for interpreting deep issues and themes. In the comments below, share what types of books you use to help with all the transitions your middle grade readers face on a daily basis!

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On The Move: Traveling with Diverse Graphic Novel Characters

By on January 15, 2025   /   Book Lists  

 

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.

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

By on October 17, 2024   /   Author Interviews  
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.

 

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