Some of my favorite graphic novels …

Recently, I was at a lunch where a retired elementary school teacher and a professor asked me for some of my favorite graphic novels. Both were curious about the genre and didn’t know where to start. I had fun putting together a list for them. Here it is, along with my personal notes. Happy reading!

By Gene Luen Yang  …
- The Secret Coders series (computer programming in comic form! My kids loved this series.) 
- American Born Chinese (This one has become required reading in my son’s high school freshman English class alongside To Kill a Mockingbird) 
- Boxers and Saints (about the Boxer Rebellion — done VERY well and tells the story from two different perspectives)
- Dragon Hoops (for basketball lovers, but I couldn’t get into this one as much) 

El Deafo by Cece Bell 
SO GOOD! I read it in one sitting, could not put it down. This book really got me into the graphic novel format. It is a memoir about growing up deaf.  

New Kid by Jerry Craft.
This one won a Newberry.  Set in NYC and explores race and class and trying to fit in a private school. So so good. 

When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson 
About a kid’s experience waiting in a refugee camp — based on a true story. (Also by Victoria Jamieson is Roller Girl, a graphic novel about roller skating and girl relationships. I enjoyed that one, too.)