The start of the school year can be so busy! As your family settles in to a regular schedule, perhaps your kid is finding they don't have as much time for reading as they did over the summer. Graphic novels are a great medium for fitting in a full story, and can often take less time to finish. This format is accessible and welcoming to all kinds of readers. Try introducing your reader to one or more of these recently published books. Autumn is a great season to enter other worlds; the books listed here all share fantastical elements, ranging from ghostly romance to fairy wars to monster hunters.
The Witch Boy is the story of Aster, a boy born into a family of witches and shape-shifters. As a boy, Aster shouldn't be casting spells and hides his inability to shapeshift from his relatives. Meanwhile, someone, or something, is kidnapping his cousins. As he delves deeper into magic, he must prepare to fight an old enemy of his family to save the people he loves. If you like it, there's a sequel coming next month, on October 30th, 2018. Written and illustrated by Molly Knox Ostertag.
The Tea Dragon Society is a gently-told story spanning four seasons of a year. Greta is a blacksmith in training. When she finds a lost creature, she returns it to the owner and learns about the world of tea dragons. Each dragon grows a different kind of tea on its head, and they develop strong bonds with their humans. Greta becomes friends with the creators of the Tea Dragon Society and finally joins herself. Written and illustrated by Katie O'Neill.
GFFs: Ghost Friends Forever is a ghostly romance that involves solving a murder. Sophia comes from a family of paranormal investigators. But a few months ago, her folks split up with no explanation. But when Sophia meets the ghost Whitney, she's torn between the rules for working with ghosts and her growing feelings for Whitney. The stakes rise when it appears that Whitney's murderer might be still at large! Written by Monica Gallagher and art by Kata Kane.
The City On The Other Side is about the war between two types of fairies. The Unseelie and the Seelie have been at war over the Unseelie king's desire for power. The war has already affected the human world, and when a girl named Isabel is transported to the fairy world, she ends up smack in the middle of the war. Can she bring an end to the fighting? Created by Mairghread Scott and Robin Robinson.
Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter is a historical horror story set in a world where monsters roam London. Even though she's underage, Scarlett Hart captures horrifying creatures while attempting to evade capture by the heinous Count Stankovic. As Scarlett learns who may be behind the increased presence of monsters, the danger she's in may prove to be too much. Written by Marcus Sedgwick and illustrated by Thomas Taylor.
Making Friends is a contemporary fiction with a heaping dash of magic. When 7th grader Dany inherits a magical notebook from her aunt, her problems seem over. She's been having a difficult time making friends. Any drawing made in the notebook turns real, and Dany decides to draw herself a best friend. But once her drawings are real, they have minds of their own and Dany finds herself losing control over her creations. Written and illustrated by Kristen Gudsnuk.
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