Awkward

Penelope's first day at a new school goes horribly wrong when she trips in the hall and drops all her stuff.  But things get worse when some bullies tease her about being a nerder girlfriend because of the boy who stops to help her.  Without thinking she pushes Jamie away.  Now everything is just...awkward.

Penelope wants to apologize for being so mean to Jamie when he was just trying to help, but she's so shy she can't even bring herself to face him.  To make matters worse, she is in art club, and Jamie is in science clubs.  The two clubs have been rivals for years, and now that rivalry has come to a head.

Will Penelope ever be able to look Jamie in the eye?  Will all the fighting ruin the two clubs?  Sigh...life in middle school is just so...awkward.

This is a great graphic novel and a great read!  The story and characters feel true, and there are several laugh out loud moments.  Svetlana Chmakova's new book is destined to be popular.  Highly recommended, especially for Raina Telgemeier fans!

Princeless

Adrienne doesn't really like being a princess.  She hates fancy clothes and dinners, and those stories about wimpy girls waiting to be rescued never appealed to her.  Now her father has locked her in a tower where she's supposed to wait patiently for a prince to save the day.

But no one seems to be able to manage the job.  When she finds a sword hidden under her bed, she decides to take matters into her own hands.  She tames the dragon who is supposed to be guarding her and sets off to rescue her other sisters who are also locked in towers.

First, she needs some armor, so she meets up with Bedelia who is part dwarf and all blacksmith.  Together the two girls set off to free the girls of the land.

I absolutely loved this graphic novel from page one!  I snort laughed when Adrienne complained about the princess in her book having pipe cleaner arms. Princeless pokes fun at classic male and female stereotypes with charm and vigor.  I've finished book one and two, and I can't wait for Adrienne's next adventure!

Baba Yaga's Assistant

Most kids would do anything to avoid a haunted forest and creepy witch who eats children.  Not Masha.  She has grown up with stories of Baba Yaga and all the children who tricked her.

So when her father announces he is going to remarry to a woman Masha's never met, she decides to run away and become Baba Yaga's assistant.  A child eating witch can't be worse than an evil stepmom and her horrible daughter, right?

Masha must use all the knowledge she has from grandmother's stories to outwit Baba Yaga, and a little bit of magical ability always comes in handy when you're dealing with a witch!

I really enjoyed this graphic novel from Marika McCoola and Emily Carroll.  Baba Yaga and her house on chicken legs has always been one of my favorite stories, and I love Masha who is wise enough to know Baba actually likes to be tricked.

Sunny Side Up

Sunny thinks going to Florida to visit her grandfather will be great!  Beaches!  Disneyworld! Right? Wrong.

Sunny is pretty bored at the retirement community where her grandfather lives until she meets Buzz, the son of the groundskeeper. Buzz introduces Sunny to comic books, and she discovers a fun new world.  They also accidentally find a way to make money to buy new comics by helping the ladies of the community find their missing cats.

There's also a giant alligator roaming around for a little extra adventure!

But Sunny still  has a lot on her mind.  Her grandpa told her he quit smoking, but she keeps finding cigarettes hidden in the apartment.  That on top of the fact that her older brother is dealing with some serious problems back home that no one wants to talk about, makes Sunny a little frustrated with keeping secrets.

Read this new graphic novel by sibling team Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm to find out if Sunny can solve all her problems to stay "sunny side up!"

Lumberjanes

I read the first two volumes of this graphic novel series by a quartet of authors, and I really enjoyed both.  They are packed with adventure, friendship, wackiness, and references to female icons.

Our heroes are cabin-mates and best friends Jo, Mal, April, Molly, and Ripley.  It's a little easy to confuse personalities and who is talking at first, but give it some time and it will all make sense--in a crazy kind of way.  While out on one of their rule bending adventures they come across some odd three-eyed creatures and nearly drive their counselor to the edge, but their camp director, Rosie, thinks it's a good idea to give them some freedom.

Soon the girls are out solving clues and facing danger.  The camp's motto is "Friendship to the max!," and the girls are definitely dedicated to friendship and each other.  I really enjoyed this graphic about girls that's focused on friendship instead of romance, and it's nice to see female characters with more normal body types who are fully dressed.  Plus, I think "What the junk?" is going to be my new catchphrase!

There isn't an official website for the Lumberjanes yet, but here is a link to their Tumblr.

Graphic Novels Survey

Click on the link below to participate in the library's graphic novels survey!  Now is your chance to let me know which graphic novels you want in the library!  Participating in the survey will enter you in a drawing to win the September issue of Shonen Jump! 

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