Graphic Happenings

 It's a very good time to be a graphic novel fan. Bethesda hosted the Small Press Expo (SPX) this past weekend with all sorts of big names. On Monday night, Politics and Prose hosted a great graphic novel panel discussion. And this week Gene Yang's Boxers and Saints was selected as a National Book Award Finalist (only the second time a graphic novel has received this honor and the other book was Yang's American Born Chinese). I had the chance to spend two days with him at two different Open Book events and in addition to being a brilliant author/illustrator, he is a super nice guy. 

I was also very lucky to spend last Friday with Matt Phelan, Dave Roman, and Raina Telgemeir. Their school visits were so much fun because they are passionate about their work and the kids view them as literary rock stars. Seriously, when word got around the school, kids flocked around them. It was great!  It is clear to me that the graphic novel is here to stay and for good reason. It hooks kids, even the most reluctant or hesitant readers; it can make history interesting and approachable; it's creative; it's full of action; and it forces you to use both sides of your brain. 

I have posted about our love of graphic novels before, but thought it would be good to add some of our recent favorites since the list continues to grow. 


For Adults/Young Adults: 


Relish: My Life in the Kitchen
Little White Duck: A Childhood in China
Sailor Twain
Boxers and Saints
The Property 
American Born Chinese
Exit Wounds
Trickster

For Kids:
The Nathan Hale series
Bluffton
To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel
Zita The Spacegirl
The Secret of the Stone Frog
Korgi
Maya Makes a Mess
The Odyssey
The Big Wet Balloon
Astronaut Academy
Owly
Bakesale
Smile
Around the World
Squish
Saltwater Taffy
The Unsinkable Walter Bean
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Robot Dreams