Tag graphic novel

The book cover depicts four middle-grade students holding sketchbooks, pencils, notepads, and other drawing implements; one is jumping into the air excitedly, one is watching with a big smile on his face, one is looking to the side wistfully, and one is concentrating on writing or sketching on a lined piece of notepaper.

The Cartoonists Club by Raina Telgemeier & Scott McCloud

Holly Leave a comment
The book cover depicts four middle-grade students holding sketchbooks, pencils, notepads, and other drawing implements; one is jumping into the air excitedly, one is watching with a big smile on his face, one is looking to the side wistfully, and one is concentrating on writing or sketching on a lined piece of notepaper.

By Holly L.

Back in 2020, during the lockdown days of the pandemic, I logged on to a Zoom featuring cartoonist Raina Telgemeier with my then-second grader. As huge fans of Raina’s work, and having read, re-read, and read again, Smile, Sisters, Drama, Ghosts, Guts, and the first four Baby-Sitter’s Club books, the two of us were super excited to hop online with our favorite graphic novelist. Raina was just as friendly and charming as we imagined, with a level of nervousness that seemed exactly appropriate for an introverted artist.

There was some book talk, a Q&A, and, to our delight, a live sketching session. Black marker in hand, she drew several images, but the one that stands out in my mind is of a cover mock-up, rendered in the style of Smile, Sisters, and Guts. It was a big, round sourdough loaf captioned with the title Bread. Raina said that she, like many others during the pandemic, had gotten elbow-deep into making sourdough, so it seemed an appropriate theme for a new book. Because this explanation came across as a bit tongue-in-cheek, we didn’t necessarily expect to see news of an upcoming book in the months that followed. But still, my daughter and I both hoped that we had actually been let in on a secret that afternoon and that Bread would someday make it into print. Months turned into years with no publication news, about Bread or any other Raina book. That is, until June 2024, when Scholastic’s Graphix announced the 2025 publication of The Cartoonists Club by Raina and Scott McCloud. 

Comic fans will recognize Scott as the author of Understanding Comics, widely considered an essential guide to comics as an art form and one of Raina’s all-time favorite books. From Raina’s website: 

When I was 16, I read Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, a ‘comic book about comic books.’ It immediately cemented my desire to be a cartoonist–as well as gave me a shape and vocabulary for the scope, philosophy, iconography, and downright magic of comics storytelling. That was a pivotal moment for me, and I speak with a LOT of young readers who have been looking for a similarly pivotal book for them. The Cartoonists Club is the result of almost 5 years of working together with Scott himself, to create what we hope is that book!

The Cartoonists Club follows four young, diverse characters who form friendships through their love of comics. Makayla, Howard, Lynda, and Art are middle school students encouraged by Ms. Fatima, their school media specialist, to form a club centered on their passion for reading and making comics. Makayla has so many ideas but has a hard time turning them into a story. Howard’s passion is drawing, but he is often short on ideas. Lynda fills page after page in her sketchbook but is her own harshest critic.  Art is a maker who just loves to be creative and has enough enthusiasm for the whole group. By featuring characters with different approaches to creativity, the authors establish an inclusive space in the pages of the book where there is no one “right way” to be an artist. In the “Behind the Scenes” section that follows the story, Raina remarks that each of the characters represents different traits possessed by the two authors. 

As the characters learn various techniques of the comic craft, the reader becomes acquainted with what Ms. Fatima calls “The Magic of Comics.” The club members hone their own trademark styles, making individual comics while working as a team in preparation for what will–hopefully–be their big debut at the local mini-con, where they’ve applied to set up a table. The Cartoonists Club is an inspiring and illuminating story of friendship and self-expression that graphic novel and comics fans will enjoy. In addition to the story, the book also features a fun “Behind the Scenes” section, including “A Chat with Raina and Scott,” a Q&A addressing questions (such as “how do you get better?” and “what advice do you have for aspiring comics?”), a comics glossary, a list of Comics Jobs, How We Made This Book, and Resources and Suggested Reading. Although I’m still holding out hope that Bread will someday make it into print, I thoroughly enjoyed this collaborative and entertaining read about the art of comics.

The Cartoonists Club by Raina Telgemeier is available in print and e-book.

Holly is an Instructor & Research Specialist at HCLS Miller Branch. She enjoys reading widely, knitting sporadically, and baking as often as she gets the chance.

Two boys walk through a camp with the ground dusky blue and brilliant stars against a graduated sky - either dawn or sunset. The boys are Black, with short hair and wearing T-shirts and shorts.

Meet Battle of the Books 2025 authors: Victoria Jamieson and Matt Phelan

Kristen B. Leave a comment
Two boys walk through a camp with the ground dusky blue and brilliant stars against a graduated sky - either dawn or sunset. The boys are Black, with short hair and wearing T-shirts and shorts.
The illustration shows the three animals, sheep, rooster and duck, in a hot air balloon basket against a grey sky. The red balloon bleeds off the top of the cover and the title appears in script on the balloon.

Tue, Apr 8 | 7 – 8 pm
online
For ages 5-11. Register at bit.ly/2025-BoB

Battle of the Book featured authors Victoria Jamieson and Matt Phelan answer your questions about their books, When Stars Are Scattered and The Sheep, the Rooster, and the Duck. When you register, you have the opportunity to submit questions to them. The authors will answer selected questions during the virtual presentation. You receive an automated email confirmation containing the Zoom link when you register.

Victoria Jamieson
When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed is a graphic novel based on co-author Omar Mohamed’s life growing up in a refugee camp in Kenya called Dadaab. It is told to New York Times bestselling author and artist Victoria Jamieson by Omar Mohamed, the Somali man who lived the story.

Victoria Jamieson is the creator of Newbery Honor Book Roller Girl. She received her BFA in illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design and worked as a children’s book designer before becoming a full-time illustrator. She now lives with her family in Pennsylvania.

Matt Phelan
The Sheep, the Rooster, and the Duck is an adventure full of secrets, fun, and re-imagined historical events. Author Matt Phelan is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author/illustrator of picture books, middle grade novels, and graphic novels for young readers. In 2014, Matt was awarded the Free Library of Philadelphia/Drexel University Children’s Literature Citation. Matt also teaches on the faculty for Vermont College of Fine Arts’ MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults.

Movie poster with Art Deco framing and the cast grouped n the middle, with the eyes wearing glasses peering from the back.

The Great Gatsby: Revised and Reimagined

Kristen B. 1 Comment
Deep blue cover has disembodied eyes and both above a lit up cityscape.

by Kristen B.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece, The Great Gatsby, has always struck me as a story about selfish people doing terrible things, in the service of nothing much at all. It’s one of the books that most of us first encounter as assigned reading in high school or college. However, I find myself returning to it and continuing to be fascinated, as well as a bit repulsed. The slim novel packs of a lot of punch and has proven itself worth revisiting and even re-imagining.

In high school, we were given the dark blue cover with a lit-up city-scape and disembodied eyes looming above it all (see above). It haunts me. The jazz age fable recounts a tale of obsession and excess, capturing the essence of the 1920s. It also plays with some quintessential idea of the American Dream, but one that’s gone a little seedy and unappealing at the edges. After all, everyone seemingly aspires to the life of the rich and famous, spending summers in East or West Egg, driving fast cars, and attending Gatsby’s extravagant parties along with the up and coming, dreadfully naive Nick Carraway. But (again, but), there’s a cost.

The story takes place during one hot summer in New York, fitting for seasonal reading. The pivotal scene happens when the exhausting weather drives the main characters, Gatsby and Nick, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, and Daisy’s friend Jordan Baker into the city, hoping for respite and entertainment at The Plaza. From there, all the carefully maintained charades and illusions come apart, leading to unresolved tragedy. The book ends with a deep yearning for what might have been, if only other choices had been possible.

An Asian woman's with a short bob, wearing black gloves and holding a cigarette, is posed among white leaves.

What brought me back to Gatsby recently was The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo. She is one of my current favorite authors (see The Singing Hills novellas), who turned this well-known story on its axis. The retelling stars professional golfer Jordan Baker and her lifelong friendship with Daisy, as opposed to newly-minted businessman Nick Carraway and his bewilderment with Jay Gatsby. Plus, the subtle (and not-so) metaphors of Fitzgerald’s text became all too real with the inclusion of magical realism. They really do float about in white linen in the opening scenes. Tom Buchanan continues to provide the White, patriarchal establishment’s status quo against which all their boats beat back so fruitlessly, but he is even less appealing through the female gaze. While everyone is still privileged to the point of carelessness, the feminine emphasis makes the book slightly more sympathetic and tragic.

It’s still a good idea to have the original under your belt before enjoying the other variations. I recently (finally) watched the 2013 movie, starring Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio in a Baz Luhrmann production. It certainly does the story justice, and in some ways conveys the outrageous excesses better than the book with all the lush visuals and big scenes. The text and the film complement each other well. As is true for most Luhrmann movies, the soundtrack was amazing.

If you’re looking to refresh your memory of the story, without perhaps reading the original, consider the graphic novel adaptation by K. Woodman-Maynard. It does a good job of mixing the bare bones of the story with some of Fitzgerald’s more luscious prose. The illustrations and the placement of the words within the images makes some of the more subtle, interpersonal nuances more obvious.

The Great Gatsby, the ultimate tale of reinvention and breath-taking chutzpah in the name of love and ambition, is one of the cultural touchstones of the American literary canon. It’s worth retelling, to reconsider what else it can convey to audiences almost a century after it was published. If you aren’t familiar with it, summer is a great time to devote some time to those books that you have always meant to read.

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball (but not all at the same time).

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

Cozy Graphic Novels about Being Friends

monaerivers 1 Comment
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 group of kids are posed in a movie poster group with a large shark behind them and a lighthouse below. It's a colorful cover with sunset colors above clear blue water.

Meet the Author: Ira Marcks

Kristen B. Leave a comment
A group of kids are posed in a movie poster group with a large shark behind them and a lighthouse below. It's a colorful cover with sunset colors above a clear

Wednesday, Apr 3
5 – 6 pm
HCLS Central Branch
Ages 10-17.

Mystery, Adventure, and Friendship in Ira Marcks’ Graphic Novels: Shark Summer and Spirit Week

by Ahmad Ndir

Ira Marcks’ graphic novels Shark Summer and Spirit Week combine mystery, adventure, and friendship in different settings. Both books feature young protagonists who are drawn into solving a local legend or curse with the help of unlikely allies. The stories are fast-paced, engaging, and full of twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Shark Summer is set on Martha’s Vineyard, where a Hollywood film crew arrives with a mechanical shark and a youth film contest. Gayle, a disgraced pitcher, sees a chance to turn her bad season into the best summer ever by making a movie about the island’s phantom shark. Along the way, she teams up with Elijah, an aspiring cinematographer, and Maddie, a moody director. Together, they uncover the truth behind the shark and the history of the island. The book has a vivid sense of place and a nostalgic vibe that pays homage to classic movies like Jaws and The Goonies.

Spirit Week takes place in the Underlook Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, a famous landmark that belongs to the reclusive horror writer Jack Axworth. Suzy, an aspiring engineer, is invited to tutor Jack’s son, Danny, but instead she finds herself investigating a local curse that threatens the hotel. With the help of Elijah, an amateur filmmaker, and Rena, the hotel’s caretaker, Suzy tries to save the hotel and the town from the shadows of the past. The book has a creepy and dark tone that draws inspiration from horror stories like The Shining and The Haunting of Hill House.

Both books are well-written and illustrated, with expressive characters and colorful scenes. The themes of acceptance, belonging, and finding your family intertwine throughout the stories, as the characters overcome their personal challenges and grow closer to each other. The books are suitable for middle grade and young adult readers who enjoy graphic novels, mystery, and horror. I would recommend them to anyone who likes a good scare along with a good laugh.

Author is posed in front of a book case and he is adjusting the collar of his sweater.

Award-winning graphic novelist Ira Marcks visits HCLS on April 3 at 5 pm at Central Branch. He discusses how he plans, writes, and draws a long form comic story by engaging hands-on using the three essential elements of storytelling – characters, setting, and theme. Followed by book sales and signing.

Ahmad Ndir is a Teens’ Instructor & Research Specialist at the Central Branch at HCLS. Along with helping young learners discover new books, he is an avid reader of teen fiction and nonfiction titles on different aspects of psychology. He strives for positivity for himself and those around him, in both his personal and work life.


The book cover depicts four photographs showing several people in conversation, alone, struggling with one another, and one ignoring another.

5 Graphic Novels to Celebrate Black History Month

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by Sharon P-Y

Don’t believe anyone who tells you that comics are just for kids. That’s never been true, and now more than ever, graphic novels are gaining popularity for the creative ways authors can use the format to tell moving, complex, diverse stories for adults.  

These five stories are just a few of the titles that HCLS offers for readers interested in expanding their Black History Month reading list. If you’re not a regular reader of comics or graphic novels, you may find yourself surprised at the storytelling power of words and pictures when they work together.

The book cover shows four teenage girls smiling and embracing against a backdrop of stairs on a city street.

Wash Day Diaries 

“It’s wash day. I ain’t going nowhere.” 

So says one of the protagonists of Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith’s Wash Day Diaries. It’s a ritual that any black girl with natural hair knows well. When it comes time to wash, deep condition, and ‘whatever else’ your hair, it’s prudent to dedicate an entire day to the endeavor. Washing, deep conditioning, detangling, styling—it’s a complex, time-consuming process. In this graphic novel, the only things more complex are the lives of our four heroines: Kim, Davene, Nisha, and Cookie. 

Wash Day Diaries makes a point of accurately and lovingly depicting natural hair and all the ways it can be styled, and that’s part of what makes it stand out. It’s a well-told story that centers the importance of self-care and community, and it makes for a pleasant, uplifting afternoon read. 

(If you’re looking for another graphic novel that delves into the cultural weight of hair in the African American community, check out Hot Comb, a collection of pen-and-ink comics by Ebony Flowers.) 

The book cover depicts four photographs showing several people in conversation, alone, struggling with one another, and one ignoring another.

Long Way Down 

Jason Reynolds’ poetic and immensely moving young adult novel Long Way Down revolves around a teenage boy grappling with the effects of gun violence. The story starts with the shooting death of protagonist Will’s beloved older brother. Lost in his overwhelming grief, Will is hell-bent on retaliation, but a visit from seven ghosts, all of whom have some connection to Will or his brother, forces him to make a hard decision about who he wants to be.  

In the original book, Reynolds uses few words to say a lot, and the graphic novel version (also available as an e-book) of his story—told through watercolor illustrations—will leave you reeling just the same.

(Fun fact: Reynolds paid a visit to our East Columbia branch in 2018!)

The photograph depicts author Jason Reynolds speaking from a stage at HCLS East Columbia Branch to a standing-room-only crowd of students and community members.
Author Jason Reynolds speaks to an enthusiastic crowd at HCLS East Columbia Branch.
The book cover depicts a teenager seated on the cement of a playground, up against a wire fence, looking up from that vantage point at several other teens, some of whom are carrying schoolbooks or composition books, depicted from the waist down.

The High Desert 

Being a biracial kid in the predominantly white town of Apple Valley, California—as well as a predominantly white punk music scene — isn’t easy. Written by James Spooner, founder of the Afro-Punk website, The High Desert chronicles Spooner’s coming-of-age experience and the birth of his love for punk/alternative music, a connection which blossomed even as Spooner struggled to find his place in a community that was oftentimes racist and even outright violent towards him. Spooner’s graphic memoir is perfect for anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider in the worlds that they love. 

The book cover depicts a partial profile of a woman with braided hair and a golden hoop earring against the backdrop of mountains in shades of orange and gold.

Parable of the Sower 

In another novel adaptation, artists Damien Duffy and John Jennings translate Octavia Butler’s (disturbingly timely) dystopian story into graphic novel form. Parable of the Sower isn’t an easy read, not by a long shot; in Butler’s 1993 novel, a series of simultaneously occurring catastrophes have transformed the country into a virtual hellscape.

Protagonist Lauren Olamina, a teenager at the start of the story, lives in an insular community where she and her neighbors continue to live life as normally as possible while struggling to avoid the widespread violence, exploitation, and corruption taking place outside. When Lauren, who is coming into her own mysterious powers, is forced to venture out into a collapsing society, what follows is a story of hope and new beginnings.  

Be warned: part of what really makes this pick a disturbing one is that it’s set in the year 2024 and, at times, feels all too possible. 

Fans of Octavia Butler should also check out the graphic novel adaptation of Kindred, one of her most beloved novels. It follows a black woman as she is thrown, repeatedly and terrifyingly, back into time — and into the antebellum era, when chattel slavery was the norm.

The book cover depicts a teen carrying a backpack and wearing boots, shorts, and a t-shirt, hiking through a landscape that includes mountain ridges in the background.

As The Crow Flies 

Melanie Gillman grapples with what it means to be black and queer in a Christian community—one in which non-white members are few and far between — in another coming-of-age graphic novel, As The Crow Flies. 

During a week spent at Camp Three Peaks, a religious summer camp, our protagonist, 13-year-old Charlie Lamonte, finds herself questioning her faith and identity, all while embarking on a strenuous expedition up a (literal and figurative) mountain.  As micro-aggressions abound, Charlie finds kinship and a reprieve from her loneliness in fellow outsider Sydney, a young trans girl who’s dealing with her own doubts.  Soft, colored pencil illustrations depict luscious mountain scenery in this former webcomic turned graphic novel. This is one that fans of ‘found family’ stories will enjoy.

Sharon Pruitt-Young is an Instructor and Research Specialist at East Columbia Branch. Aside from books, she is passionate about writing, urban sketching, trees, and art of all kinds. 

The cover of Volume 1 shows the main character, Stanford, with some of his janitorial tools in a tool belt slung over his shoulder. He is surrounded by some fellow cadets in uniform, with several robots in the background against an orange sky.

Robots, Monsters, Battles, Oh My!

Peter N. Leave a comment
The cover of Volume 1 shows the main character, Stanford, with some of his janitorial tools in a tool belt slung over his shoulder. He is surrounded by some fellow cadets in uniform, with several robots in the background against an orange sky.

By Peter N.

Are you a fan of Pacific Rim? How about Mighty Morphin Power Rangers? Or even Neon Genesis Evangelion? 

Then this is the graphic novel series for you! Every year in the near future of Mech Cadet Yu, sentient robots descend to Earth and bond with a select cadet of the Sky Corps Academy to aid in the ongoing battle between Earth and the monsters that plague the planet.

Stanford, a janitor at Sky Corps along with his mother, never thought he’d become a Sky Corps cadet. Seemingly out of the blue, during the yearly appearance of said robots, he comes into contact with a robot that mysteriously shows every sign of choosing him, even though Stanford is nowhere near cadet rank. Because of this bonding, he now has the opportunity to do what he never could: to help defend Earth and make his mother proud. Due to his less-than-stellar upbringing and status, he’ll not only have to find the confidence to become more than who he thought he’d be, but also earn the trust of his fellow cadets. 

As I mentioned, if you’re a fan of anything related to giant robots battling giant monsters, with a protagonist who thinks they’re not worthy or capable of their designated mission, then this is the series for you. And as I always say, if I like something so much that I want the accompanying action figures, then it’s a winner. As a bonus, Mech Cadet (based on the series) is a forthcoming animated series from Netflix due to release on August 10.

Volumes 1 and 2 are available for checkout at your local HCLS branch and volume 3 is available for download from Hoopla Digital.

Peter is an Adult Instructor and Research Specialist at the Miller Branch and always wanted to be a Power Ranger.

A black and white portrait of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, wearing her dissent color and sporting a golden crown.

Now That’s Chutzpah 

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A black and white portrait of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, wearing her dissent color and sporting a golden crown.

Truly walking a mile in another person’s shoes is rarely possible, but when you want to take a stroll, biography and memoir are right here inside the doors of everyone’s favorite library. Aspiring to understand the Jewish experience, readers can check out materials with unique perspectives on Jewish heritage. Consider exploring the lives of three Jews raised in Brooklyn, New York. 

In June 2013, Ruth Bader Ginsburg seized the rare opportunity to read a dissent from the bench of the Supreme Court. Wearing her “dissent collar,” she stated that the court’s majority opinion was a “demolition” of the Voting Rights Act. A slight 80-year-old woman with a soft voice, Justice Ginsburg was already legendary for her groundbreaking work on gender equality as well as her rigorous workout regimen, but her words were her superpower. She may have been the physical opposite of the deceased rapper Notorious B.I.G., but they both used language to pack a punch, and so the Notorious R.B.G. Tumblr (a multimedia blog site) was born. Fact-checked by RBG herself, Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik, presents one of the most fun and inspiring biographies available. Packed with tribute art, photographs of folks in RBG costumes, judicial wisdom, and primary sources, tweens and adults alike can embrace this book. There is also a young readers’ edition. 

Speaking of art, who does not love Where the Wild Things Are and New Yorker cartoons? Wild Visionary: Maurice Sendak in Queer Jewish Context, by Golan Y. Moskowitz, makes an in-depth journey into Sendak’s legacy. His upbringing and life as a Jewish gay man informed the futuristic outlook he brought to his books. Because they lost so much family in the Holocaust, Sendak’s parents were overly protective, and home felt as if it were filled with “dead Jews.” Considered a literary and artistic disrupter, Sendak believed that books were a way for children to safely explore their natural fears. Throughout his life, Sendak used his art to confront injustice, challenge prejudice, and engage readers in the gravity of children’s emotional lives. 

Against a backdrop of a black and puple diamond pattern, an illustration shows three people sitting on an sofa. Two elderly people next to a younger person. The text bubble reads, "Can't we talk about something more PLEASANT?"

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant is New Yorker magazine cartoonist Roz Chast’s graphic memoir. The art is poignant and funny, provocative and familiar. Doesn’t every family have at least one closet so deep that we never know what was really in it until the person dies and the time comes to clean out its contents? Chast mines the contents of her life, including drawings, possessions, photos, letters, and family anecdotes to create an unforgettable portrait of her upbringing and a piercing view of death. Her relationship with her parents was fraught, making this an uncomfortable read at times. Chast’s dark humor in addressing challenging end-of-life issues resonated deeply with me. Her parents lived into their 90s, and she draws and writes about falls, elder law, dementia, nursing aides, financial fears, incontinence, bed sores, hospice. Filled with universal family truths, the book is one I’ve read and reread, rare for me. It’s a head-on confrontation with the circle of life. 

Cherise Tasker is an Adult Instructor and Research Specialist at the Central Branch. When not immersed in literary fiction, Cherise can be found singing along to musical theater soundtracks. 

Wrapping Up 2022

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Kristen B. and Julie F., Chapter Chats editors

Thank you! We appreciate our readers and subscribers who have followed Chapter Chats through another year. We share a wide variety of posts with you, from Winter Reading selections to upcoming author events to a tremendous selection of reviews – fiction and nonfiction, for adults, teens, and children.

A fairly plain cover with a red edge and the title in script and the author's name hand lettered. A small wolf stands between author and title lines.

Here are some of the most-viewed posts of the year:

These posts garnered fewer views, but are definitely worth a look if you missed them:

A black cover with gold text and a mysterious illustration of the phases of the moon, a mystical eyes, and spiral all centered above a book.

And, by far, the most viewed post since Chapter Chats began in 2020: How to Bypass the News Paywall with Your Library Card.

For more great book recommendations: HiJinx, the HCLS podcast, wrapped up its year with folks talking about their favorite reads of 2022: listen here.

We hope you’ll stick with us as we head into 2023! Happy New Year!

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.