Category: Graphic Novel

Title: The Thief and the Sword (Cleopatra in Space #2)
Author: Mike Maihack
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Source: Library
Format: ebook
Release Date: April 28, 2015
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Cleopatra’s space adventure in the REALLY far future continues!

When a mysterious thief steals the ancient sword Cleo recovered in Cleopatra In Space, Book One: Target Practice, Cleo is determined to get it back, but her teachers at Yasiro Academy forbid her from risking her life. Stuck at school, Cleo is having a hard time adjusting to her newfound popularity and responsibility. And when she learns more about the prophecy that names her the savior of the galaxy and the time tablets that could decide her fate, she must go on a dangerous journey to find them before they can fall into the wrong hands.

Review:

There were loads of Egyptian references in this second book in the Cleopatra in Space series. I loved it when I recognized something from ancient Egypt. The way that the ancient figures appear in this futuristic story were great! There was even a new character who was very important to the real Cleopatra.

There was also lots of action. It was a quick read because many of the pages were taken up by chase scenes which filled multiple frames at once. I wish there had been more dialogue because that would have added more to the story than just the images.

I can’t wait to read the next book. This one ended with the possibility of Cleopatra returning to her time, so I’m not sure what will happen next.

What to read next:

• Secret of the Time Tablets (Cleopatra in Space #3) by Mike Maihack

  

• Secret Coders (Secret Coders #1) by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes

  

Have you read The Thief and the Sword? What did you think of it?

Title: El Deafo
Author: Cece Bell
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Amulet Books
Source: Library
Format: ebook
Release Date: September 2, 2014
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Starting at a new school is scary, even more so with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece’s class was deaf. Here she is different. She is sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends. 

Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom, but anywhere her teacher is in school–in the hallway…in the teacher’s lounge…in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it’s just another way of feeling different… and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend?

This funny perceptive graphic novel memoir about growing up hearing impaired is also an unforgettable book about growing up, and all the super and super embarrassing moments along the way.

Review:

This is an amazing book! This book is based on the life of the author, Cece, who lost her hearing as a child due to an illness. Hearing is something that a lot of people take for granted (I know I do) so this book was a huge eye opener. There are many different types of hearing loss, and different ways to cope with it. I felt so many different emotions while reading this book. The beginning was sad, because Cece had trouble adjusting to her hearing loss. She felt self conscious about her hearing aids. However, I loved the ending. It was so comforting. I highly recommend this book for kids and adults.

What to read next:

Have you read El Deafo? What did you think of it?

Title: Detention of Doom (DC Comics: Secret Hero Society #3)
Author: Derek Fridolfs, Dustin Nguyen
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Source: Library
Format: ebook
Release Date: December 26, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Lex Luthor’s family company, Lexcorp(TM), invites kids from all over the country to attend an honors ceremony, Clark Kent is happy to participate. That is, until his award trophy creates a portal to another dimension and sucks him in! Lucky for Clark, his old friends Bruce and Diana along with newer friends Barry (The Flash(TM)) and Ollie (Green Arrow(TM)) are on the case! They’ll have to travel to an alternate dimension to free their friend from Lex Luthor’s grasp (and the worst detention ever) in this all-new adventure from Eisner Award winner Dustin Nguyen and Eisner Award nominee Derek Fridolfs.

Review:

I really enjoyed this instalment of the series!

Bruce, Clark, and Diana are sent into a strange detention world by Lex Luthor. Clark entered first, and his friends went in to find him afterwards. They were also joined by Barry (The Flash), Oliver (Green Arrow), and Victor (Cyborg). The kids also found Bruce’s archnemisis Joker and Harley Quinn. While they were there, they came across Bizarro Superman, who ultimately helped them.

I was very pleased with the graphics in this story. They were black and white, but the characters were more distinct. It was much easier to distinguish between the kids. I struggled figuring out who the characters were in the previous book, so I was glad this one was easier to read.

This is a great book!

What to read next:

• Super Sons, Volume 1: When I Grow Up by Peter J. Tomasi, Jorge Jimenez

• 

• Wonder Woman at Super Hero High by Lisa Yee

• 

Have you read Detention of Doom? What did you think of it?

Title: Secrets and Sequences (Secret Coders #3)
Author: Gene Luen Yang, Mike Holmes
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel
Publisher: First Second
Source: Library
Release Date: March 7, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Stately Academy is no ordinary school: it was once home to an elite institute where teachers, students, and robots worked together to unravel the mysteries of coding. Hopper, Eni, and Josh won’t rest until they’ve learned the whole story, but they aren’t the only ones interested in the school’s past. Principal Dean is hot on their trail, demanding that the coders turn over their most powerful robot. Dean may be a creep, but he’s nothing compared to the guy who’s really in charge: a green-skinned coding genius named Professor One-Zero.

Review:

This series is great for kids. It teaches how to do simple coding, which I know a lot of kids are interested in these days. Since they like using technology, it’s great to teach them how to create it.

The plot of this story was very good too. The story is developing more with each book. This story included an evil villain who they had to stop from destroying their town. However, while the bad guy was trapping him in his dungeon, he stopped to teach them some more coding tricks. I know villains in stories often stop to explain things while they should be running away, but I’ve never seen one stop to teach kids, so that was very weird.

One thing that would greatly improve this series is if there was some kind of refresher at the beginning of the story which summarized the previous books. There was a gap between the time I read them, so it would have been nice if there was a page or two to remind me of what happened before. This would be helpful for kids who take the books out of the library and can’t flip through the previous book before moving on.

However, this is a great series for kids!

Here are my reviews for the other books in the series: Secret Coders, Paths and Portals

What to read next:

• Robots and Repeats by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes

  

• Tournament Trouble (Cross Ups #1) by Sylv Chiang

  

Have you read Secrets and Sequences? What did you think of it?

Title: Writ in Stone (Nancy Drew: Girl Detective Graphic Novels #2)
Author: Stefan Petrucha, Sho Murase
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade
Publisher: Papercutz
Source: Library
Release Date: July 1, 2005
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s double trouble for Nancy and her friends, when an ancient artifact and a little boy are both suddenly missing.  The artifact is a piece of an old stone marker that may prove that the Chinese were in America eighty years before Columbus.  The little boy is Owen Zucker, a sweetie who Nancy sometimes baby-sits.  Nancy’s determined to recover both the artifact and little Owen, but someone’s out to stop her—permanently!  Ages 8 to 12.

Review:

I loved this graphic novel!

The graphics in this book were much better than the first one. All of the pictures were clear. There were objects in the images that looked like clip art. They didn’t match the other drawings, because they looked like photos of real things.

I was so excited to see Ned and Hannah. They are so important to Nancy and play an important part in the novels, but they are often left out of adaptations.

The next book is inspired by the 1930s, so I’m excited to read it!

What to read next:

• The Haunted Dollhouse (Nancy Drew: Girl Detective Graphic Novels #3) by Stefan Petrucha, Sho Murase

  

• Curse of the Arctic Star (Nancy Drew Diaries #1) by Carolyn Keene

  

Have you read Writ in Stone? What did you think of it?