In The Pictures

I have come across some great graphic novels this year (and just wish that my budget was big enough so that I could be able to buy them all!).  While I am always on the lookout for more graphica for the collection at school, I have my own favorites as well so don't get concerned if you see something that is definitely not appropriate for ages 12 and under.

First up is one of my all time favorite artists Kazu Kibuishi.  I first encounterd him while reading the Flight collections.  Fortunately he did one collection for grade school (Flight Explorer)which has been a great guide for me to find new and interesting artists to buy.  I bought both of these for the school collection and they are both in constant circulation.  His art is clear and simple, and I like the two page panoramas that are his modus operandi.  The Mystery Boxes is a new collection of graphic artists.

Doug TenNapel is a new artist for me, and I liked Ghostopolis quite a bit.  Unfortunately there is line or two in Tommysaurus that makes it inapproproate for the school collection (big pouty lip), which is too bad because the story was really neat and original.

 Bone is really huge in the library and I have had to replace the series more than once from over-use.  I liked this edition of Tall Tales, and I also like Tom Sniegowski's contributions.  There is a series called Bone: Quest For the Spark, also written by Sniegowski, which hasn't seemed to have taken off in the library, but I don't hesitate to recommend them because I want to see kids reading beyond the graphic novel eventually.

 Binky is always hilarious and incredibly adorable.  

 I'm not sure this book has ever seen a shelf in the library yet.  Relationships between animals has always been a favorite storyline of mine, and Bird & Squirrel is a very good story about friendship.

A great selection for Halloween.  The graphics are clear and colorful which is very appealing.

 I'm always on the lookout for some graphica that I can put in the non-fiction stacks, and these autobiograpies of the gods and godesses are very well done.

Two of the word-free variety.  The illustrations say everything.  I particularly love Sara Varon and her Robot Dreams.

My two grown up selections.  Beowulf was incredibly gory which is good I guess in such a bloody and violent tale.  Century 1910 was typical Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill (though I found out that I have read them out of order and will need to get The Black Dossier).
So a good hodge podgey selection.  I love how graphic novels have just taken off in leaps and bounds and I enjoy the classics that I have read so far,  Sherlock Homes, Shakespeare, poetry, classic stories like Kafka's The Metamorphoses and Proust's In Search of Lost Time.  It's a rich new presentation which has so many possibilties.