Author monaerivers

A group of odd but friendly creatures perch on a rock in an alien swamp.

Cozy Graphic Novels about Being Friends

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A group of odd but friendly creatures perch on a rock in an alien swamp.

by Monae R.

If you love reading about friendship, mystery, and character growth, take a chance with Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures and Treasure in the Lake. Jason Pamment wrote both of these stand-alone books, and they convey a similar message. Both stories feature the main character learning something about themselves and how they perceive others. A lot of readers, including myself, recommend these titles for those who love the Aquicorn Cove and Tea Dragon Society series by Kay O’Neill.

In Treasure in the Lake, main character Iris and her best friend Sam have become distant over the years. They decide to reconnect but get trapped in the tiny town of Bugden…in the past. As they fight to return to their own time before a flood destroys them, they find themselves crossing paths with the young from long ago and learn about a long-lost friendship. They learn that you never know or appreciate what you have until it’s taken away.

In Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures, our main character lives in a world of giants. Ember is a tiny boy living among giants and it isn’t easy to fit in. With the help of his friend Lua, a kind turtle, he travels across the ocean to a school for little creatures, which is on an island filled with ferocious storms and strange cave dwellers. Ember has trouble here, too, as he tries to adapt and befriend his classmates. He stumbles upon a curious sea creature, and when it attacks, Ember and his classmates must band together to survive.

Monae is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS East Columbia Branch.

A compilation of the seven book covers in Margaret Peterson Haddix's children's series, The Shadow Children.

The Shadow Children Series

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A compilation of the seven book covers in Margaret Peterson Haddix's children's series, The Shadow Children.

by Monae R.

Normally I would ask, “Have you ever wanted to stay home from school for a few days and just sleep or read or play video games? To be able to do absolutely nothing, minding your own business in your home?” However, the world just went through that exact thing. Some of us had to work, some of us did not. Some of us sat and read books that whole time and some of us played outside and celebrated.

Remember being stuck in the house, unable to go to the store, unable to get groceries. Now go one step further and imagine you could not open your windows to see the outdoors; you could not listen to music, the radio, or TV. Imagine you could not go anywhere, see anyone, or entertain yourself at all. You could only sit and hide, reading or quietly playing cards, until your family came home, and even then, you still had to hide away from them while you ate.

The Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix has an entirely new feeling and meaning now that we have experienced something similar. There is not a global pandemic or plague, but instead, the government has made it illegal for folks to have more than two children. Our main character, Luke, is on a journey to change that. He has spent 13 years as an illegal third child.

Luke’s mother, his father, his two brothers, and their farm are all he has ever known. He could run and play at the farm without anyone seeing him, with the forest surrounding his house so he could feel the breeze on his face, watch the leave change colors in the fall, feel the rain falling as it watered the crops. His farm was soon taken away. With nowhere to hide and nothing to shelter him from view, he was forced back inside, into the attic, into the dark. This was the last straw for Luke and he couldn’t bear it anymore. He needed a friend.

We follow his feelings as a third child, the relationships he develops, and the danger he flees after close encounters with the population police. Read to find out if he succeeds in making all third children free. Can a third child survive in the world when all they had was a poor family’s farm and a book that explained nothing of the world outside the attic?

Start With Book 1: Among the Hidden (also available in e-book and e-audiobook formats)

Then continue with the rest of the series. Have you read them all?

Book 2: Among the Imposters

Book 3: Among the Betrayed

Book 4: Among the Barons

Book 5: Among the Brave

Book 6: Among the Enemy

Monae is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS East Columbia Branch.

The picture is a collage of the three book covers in the series, with cartoon illustration of Max and his cohort with swords and bows and arrows.

Two Fun Series for Young Readers

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By Monae R.

The picture is a collage of the three book covers in the series, with cartoon illustration of Max and his cohort with swords and bows and arrows.

Max and the Midknights is a children’s series that mixes between graphic novel and a chapter book styles. These are great for readers who enjoy the ‘Big Nate’ graphic novels because they were written by BIG NATE himself. Parents know the true author, but let the kids be amazed. Follow this story as Max and his friends travel through medieval times, with foes and kings and magic.

In Max and the Midknights we are introduced to Max, Kevyn, Simon, Millicent, and Uncle Budrick: a group of young children and a single adult who travel through medieval times to overthrow an unjust king and restore the land of Byjovia to its original glory. Filled with humor, readers will love this story and the sequels. Finished book one and want more? Don’t worry. Follow the midknights in Battle of the Bodkins as they discover a new type of villain called Bodkins, who are trying to take over Byjovia. Continue with The Tower of Time, where you can travel through time and be reintroduced to a few villains and even friends in the conclusion to the epic series.

The picture shows some foliage in dark green silhouette on a hill, with the book covers for the first two books in the series to the right.

No matter if you have read the Serafina series, the Willa duology by Robert Beatty will have you wrapped and engulfed in its story. You can listen to the audio, read the physical book, have it on your Kindle and tablet. Follow Willow as she looks for the truth her clan has hidden from her and her generation. Determined to uncover her clan’s history, Willa makes her way through the forest making unlikely friends and learning not to judge a book by its cover or believe what everyone tells you. Sometimes, you need to discover the truth yourself. If that does not convince you, read this small snippet of Willa escaping a treacherous place and protecting those close to her.  

“She could feel herself getting farther away from them with every step she took. Her heart swelled with hope that she was going to make it. But as she ran away, Lorcan pulled back his arm and hurled his killing spear like a javelin. It shot through the air and struck her in the neck with a shocking blow and knocked her to the floor. She looked down toward the end of the corridor, and the last thing she saw was Nathaniel’s children disappearing into the escape hole”.  

The adventure does not end there. Guaranteed to bring you tears of both joy and sadness, Willa’s story comes to a loving, surprising, and happy conclusion in Willa of Dark Hollow.  

Monae is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS East Columbia Branch.

A stack of 7 volumes of series, with identical type but featuring different character poses at the bottom ... all in blue and green.

Manga Romance: A Tropical Fish Yearns For Snow

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Two manga characters stand back-to-back with fish swimming around them.

by Monae R.

This year has seen me reading completely different books than usual. Am I back in middle school, 2011? I was obsessed with Asian culture, anime, and most relevant, manga. This format of Japanese comics was all I read. From action, to slice of life, to romance, I engulfed every book I could get. If I had known that Savage Branch was not the only library I could visit, I would have read a lot more, alas I had no idea. Now that I work in the library system and am aware of the resources, I find myself falling back in love with manga as I read A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow.

Makato Hagino is a female author from Ehime Prefecture, Japan. This series has nine books and follows characters Konatsu and Koyuki – two girls who bond in a most unlikely place. Konatsu’s father gets a new job overseas and they have to leave Tokyo to stay with her aunt. From the large city to the small seaside town, adjusting is not easy. As if that was not enough, Konatsu, who is not adept or fond of change, must also adapt to a new school surrounded by new people. Eventually she ends up joining a club that drops her straight into the lap of the Introverted and extremely shy Koyuki. The two slowly grow out of their shells and build a friendship that has the potential to be a lifelong bond.

This heartwarming story will hit home for all of us introverted individuals and will give extroverts insight into the quiet thought process of an introvert. This romantic slice of life will keep you wanting more and close the story leaving you with nothing but warmth.

Monae is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS East Columbia Branch.

Two young men walking past each other, one holding a moving box and one with duffle bag over his shoulder. A city skyline fills the background.

What If It’s Us by Becky Abertalli and Adam Silvera

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Two complementary covers, featuring young men wearing jeans and short sleeve shirts. They are passing by each other in the first and sitting at a cafe table in the second. There's a city skyline in the background of both.

By Monae R.

Coming back from the holidays is always hard. Getting back into the routine of waking up, getting your morning coffee, heading to work, and dragging through the day. This is fairly universal. I have to say, though, this routine becomes a lot easier if you have just read a good book you cannot wait to tell everyone about.

Becky Albertali and Adam Silvera work together well on What If It’s Us. I am extremely passionate about this particular series. With only two books, I was on the edge of my seat deep into the romance and relatable topics. The characters are lovable, and the writing is fantastic. To make it all just that much sweeter, the icing on the cake, the Libby audiobook readers are absolutely fantastic and exactly how I imagined the characters sounding like. They do the story a huge justice and bring the characters to life in a way that took me even deeper into the story.

What If It’s Us is a romantic comedy for young adult readers told from the perspective of both main characters, who are fully experiencing the age when teenagers are angsty and looking for companionship. The characters come from different worlds and their chance encounter has them floating on the idea of fate and love at first sight. The story follows Ben and Arthur through the life trials of dates, long distance, and college in the heart of New York City.

It’s not everyday that a chance encounter leads to more, and sometimes fighting for it is the best decision. Follow these two teens and their friends and family through the trials of life. Their story continues in Here’s to Us where Arthur and Ben have gone through a lot of changes in the past two or so years. The 16 year olds are now 19 and have new perspectives on life, work, relationships, and where they want their lives to go. Follow them as they navigate adulthood and the struggles that come with being in New York together again.

Both authors have several other books. Becky Albertali is a previous psychologist famously known for her 2015 debut novel, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, which was adapted into the 2018 film Love, Simon and inspired the spin-off television series Love, Victor. Adam Silvera is known for his bestselling novels They Both Die at the End, More Happy Than Not, and History Is All You Left Me.

Monae is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS East Columbia Branch.

Provided by Penguin Random House: a red background with white type, "Read the Entire Series" then the four covers in the series featuring illustration of the main characters and fantastical creatures.

Trilogy and Beyond

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Provided by Penguin Random House: a red background with white type, "Read the Entire Series" then the four covers in the series featuring illustration of the main characters and fantastical creatures.

by Monae R.

Kelley Armstrong, a Canadian writer born in 2001, completed a wonderful children’s series in June 2022. Originally an author for teens and adults, her Royal Guide to Monster Slaying series, illustrated by Xavière Daumarie, comes as a nice refreshment for children. The first book, A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying (followed by sequels The Gryphon’s Lair and The Serpent’s Fury) was a Black Eyed Susan 2021-2022 nominee. Despite its enticing and interactive story, it did not win the award. The series follows the story of a princess and her journey to become the Royal Monster Slayer of her Kingdom.

Rowan, a 13-year-old girl, is adamant to fight alongside her aunt in the battle to understand and drive the monsters of the kingdom back to the mountains. Her journey towards this encompasses loss, friendship, family, and excitement beyond belief. Rowan’s bloodline, that of clan Dacre, gives her a gift many cannot fathom and allows her to find friends in unusual places.

Many see Rowan as a young, incapable princess. Over time, they see the error of their ways as she fights to increase her knowledge and strength. Her journey takes her out of the kingdom and past the mountains, where many have not traveled before, where she encounters rare and extinct monsters and develops relationships with bordering clans.

This series is full of unexpected twists and turns. The characters are silly and relatable and the monsters are fascinating and frightening. As someone who is deeply in love with fantasy stories, I could not put these books down. I placed a hold on the fourth book, The Final Trial, as soon as it was on order here at the library.

I highly recommend this inclusive fantasy quick read.

Monae is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS East Columbia Branch.

With a yellow screen over graphic novel cels, you see a young girl holding a suitcase with a cat around her ankles. Text reads: Turtle in Paradise, the beloved, bestselling, and Newbery-award winning story is now a graphic novel.

A Quick, Feel Good Read

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Bright yellow illustration shows an upraised hand holding a small green turtle. Cover features the Newberry award sticker.

by Monae R.

Turtle in Paradise, originally a children’s book, was published as a lovely graphic novel last year. This story by Jennifer L. Holm works wonderfully for children and teens who may be having trouble reading fiction but find graphic novels and pictures easier to comprehend and follow.  

The story follows an 11-year-old girl named Turtle who suddenly has to move to Key West, Florida to live with her aunt. All is going smoothly until she reaches the residence and realizes she is not welcomed with open arms. Although she adjusts to the next few weeks there with her cousins, their weird friends, and jobs, and becomes accustomed to the strange nicknames for everything in the area, Turtle still cannot wait to go home.  

If you like a quick read that grabs your heart strings and keeps you immersed, this delightful story has the words and visuals to do just that. Find out how Turtle learns to grow and get along with her aunt and cousins. Take a look at her mother’s love interest and how that affects Turtle and the family. Discover the story behind a pirate and his lost treasure… and what does that have to do with Turtle? 

Answer all these questions and more with this riveting tale. For those who would prefer the fiction copy, it might be fun to contrast the differences between the formats. Graphic novels are a good way to incorporate reading and learning with your children, families, or even on your own.  

Turtle in Paradise is available as a graphic novel, a children’s book, as an e-book on Libby and on CloudLibrary, and an e-audiobook and an audiobook on CD.

Monae is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS East Columbia Branch.