Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen

Available now

Have you read so far down the spooky book lists that you can no longer sleep and jump at every unknown noise?

Just me?

Ok, well here is the cutest book about a vampire that I have ever read. Garlic lives in a village of vegetable people and helps out in the garden of Witch Agnes. Garlic is always running a little late, tends to bump into things, and is just kind of anxious and stressed all the time. She would really love it if she could just stay in her garden all day and tend to her little garlic bulbs.

One day, her fellow villagers notice smoke coming from the chimneys of an abandoned castle. But when they ask Witch Agnes about the castle, she tells them a scary tale of a vampire who used to live there. Now, if anyone is going to go find out if their neighbor is indeed a bloodthirsty vampire, it only makes sense that Garlic be the one to go. She has a natural defense against vampires and because she can’t stand to let her friends down, she agrees to go.

What ensues is the cutest thing you will read this week.

I promise.

The art is just as beautiful as the friendships found within and I really loved how adorable the story was. I found this book through a cozy fantasy booktok account and immeadiately put it on hold from the Library. It’s also now in next month’s book order because I just can’t wait to share this with the Library Kids.

If you want to add this adorable graphic novel to your collection, you can click on the book cover for ordering information. As always, this post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani

Available 6/22/21

Shaheen and her father’s relationship has always been strained by his obsession with music. Moments spent together centered around new music her father had found or interesting, to him, musical trivia. Shaheen’s attempts to connect on other levels such as books, food, or just what’s going on in her life, haven’t landed and when her father goes missing, she blames an argument they shared on his absence. With her cousin Tannaz’s help, the two girls break into the local record store for clues on his disappearance. While they don’t find her father, the two do discover a magical jukebox that can transport you through time. Convinced that he is trapped in time, the two girls do everything they can to find Shaheen’s missing father and find themselves in the front row of history along the way. 

I love Nidhi Chanani’s illustrations and her ability to find magic in everyday objects. Her other book, Pashmina, about a magical pashmina scarf that can transport people is one of my and my son’s favorites. In Jukebox, vinyl records become our vehicle for transporting through time, landing on important historical events when the records were created. Chanani does an excellent job of conveying the significance of the events without taking the reader out of the story. I really appreciated the way Tannaz coming out as bisexual to Shaheen was written. I think many kids will be able to relate to both Tannaz’s hesitancy and Shaheen’s reaction of dating is just gross! 

Readers are sure to be captured by Chanani’s beautiful illustrations and will fall in love with her imaginative storytelling. 

If you would like to add this marvelous book to your collection, you can find ordering information here:

Thank you to Netgalley and First Second for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own. 

This post also contains affiliate links and I may earn from qualifying purchases. 

Thirsty Mermaids by Kat Leyh

Available Now

I love when the perfect book just falls right into your lap. While searching for graphic novels that were published in the last year, I came across this gem and instantly fell in love. Thirsty Mermaids is a fun and funny look at the quirks of humanity and the strong bonds of a found family. 

Three slightly tipsy mermaids have run out of booze in their shipwreck and do what any slightly tipsy person would do: cast a spell to grow legs so they can hunt down another bottle of bubbly. As the three friends, Pearl, Tooth, and Eez, explore their new surroundings, they quickly discover that finding that delicious boozy buzz is harder than they anticipated. After conquering the two biggest challenges, clothing and money, the trio finds a bar called “The Thirsty Mermaid” and begin a magical night of partying and drinking. The magical night quickly comes to an end when morning brings the trio a hangover and a distinct lack of fins. Trapped in their human bodies, Pearl, Tooth, and Eez are temporarily saved by the kind bartender Vivi from the previous evening who teaches them the joys of breakfast. 

Now very sober, the mermaid pod discovers they don’t have access to the magic they need to turn them back. Stuck on land for the foreseeable future, the trio is lucky enough to have a guide to human life in Vivi. Of course, hilarity and chaos ensues as the three learn of job applications, money, and how to be good roommates. 

This is a wildly funny and warm graphic novel. It includes a diverse cast of characters who tackle big issues like capitalism, body dysmorphia, and racism. They genuinely care about each other and went out of their way to support and love one another. There is a beautiful scene where Vivi’s sister confronts her about taking in the mermaids and the possibility of being taken advantage of and you can tell that Vivi doesn’t make the decision lightly. Her trusting and kind nature shows in all the ways that she guides our chaotic trio through the messiness of human life. 

I really loved the artwork and color choices. The mermaids are all so different from one another and definitely not your classic mermaid princess. They are bold and beautiful and proud of what their bodies are capable of. Thirsty Mermaids is a fun and wild romp that will keep you giggling!

If you would like to add this chaotic trio to your bookshelf, you can find ordering information here:

This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Faithful Spy by John Hendrix

This is another one of those books that you can buy for the amazing cover and not feel guilty because the story is just as incredible as the artwork.  Full of vibrant colors, captivating illustrations, and handwritten text, The Faithful Spy tells the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a young pastor who set out to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a devout young pastor who felt compelled by God to put an end to World War II before it began.  The Faithful Spy gives us the complete picture starting with Bonhoeffer early years, his studies at Seminary school, and how he was able to make contacts with and help the resistance against the Nazis.  Hendrix is able to seamlessly weave together Bonhoeffer’s life story alongside the rise of both the Nazi party and the resistance providing a real depth to the story. Within the Author’s Note, Hendrix writes how he wanted to tell the story of how Germany was so easily swayed by Hitler and his atrocious ideas and he does an amazing job of doing so.  

This would be a great pick for your younger history buff-I wouldn’t go much below 12 years old because you know, Nazis are kind of a deep topic.  The artwork is absolutely incredible and really adds to the story. I really appreciate the “Research and Authenticity” section at the end. Hendrix provides some great information about why he included what information he did and also why he excluded the information that he did.  

Fun Fact-this is a Junior Library Guild pick, which I found out after I had already ordered a copy of this for the Library and then received a second copy in my JLG shipment.  But some goofs are just meant to be-this gave me the chance to purchase one of them for myself and I loved reading it. I even caught The Kid reading it one night even though it’s not a full on graphic novel.  It provided a great opportunity to have a conversation about power and hate.

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu

Reader Friends-have you heard that boys won’t read books with girls on the cover? It’s baloney. You just have to hand them a book, tell them it’s amazing, and watch the magic happen. I borrowed this from the Library for me to read and once I brought it home, I had to repeatedly track it down because The Kid couldn’t put it down. Now, I’ve seen it shelved in various places at different Libraries. Some put it in Adult, some YA, and some just have dedicated graphic novel sections. According to the publisher First Second, it’s aimed at ages 14-18, well, The Kid is 10 and we don’t follow the rules.

Brazen covers the lives of 29 amazing and history-making women. There are some pretty well known women like Nellie Bly and Mae Jemison, as well as some that were new to me like Frances Glessner Lee and Sonita Alizadeh. I really enjoyed the section on Giorgina Reid, the woman who helped save a lighthouse in Montauk by terracing the side of the cliff it was built on to help prevent erosion. Like many of the stories, if men had taken her seriously, the world would be a much better place. And have less erosion.

The artwork is absolutely delightful. The story panels use a limited number of colors and they change from story to story. At the end of each section there is a two page drawing of the featured subject and I had to remind myself several times that I couldn’t rip them out and frame them-I don’t think the Librarian would be very happy with me. They are so bright and vibrant and just beautiful.

I really loved this book-it covers so many different women from different time points in history and places around the world. There are artists, scientists, activists, musicians, and athletes-a little something for everyone.

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

Watersnakes by Tony Sandoval

The artwork in this book is absolutely stunning. Every drawing felt just slightly off-like there was just a little something not quite right- which added even more creepiness to the story.

Mila is a loner whose summer is about to take a dramatic turn when she meets Agnes, a beautiful girl who claims her teeth are ghosts who travel the world and have adventures. Thinking her slightly crazy, Mila agrees to meet up with her next day to hear the full story of Agnes’ teeth. What she finds instead is a wild adventure starting with a kiss gone weird, a sea king, and an amazing female army ready to battle. But Agnes still has one major secret-she’s a ghost. And not just any ghost, she holds the spirit of a sea king and her teeth are the king’s soldiers. Mila has to help the warriors save the sea king and return him to his people.

This book is wild-absolutely bonkers wild and I really enjoyed it. The artwork is incredible and the story is great. Mila is such a teenager-all emotions and confused feelings-but she steps in when it counts. The female warriors are completely badass and the fight scenes are amazing with all the swords and flying blood.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Watersnakes by Tony Sandoval is available November 20, 2018 from Lion Forge.

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

Tiger vs. Nightmare by Emily Tetri

It’s no secret that The Kid will only read graphic novels. They are what has gotten to love reading and lets him read widely. I really wish that I had something like this book years ago when it was struggle to get him to read. Reading Friends-this book is incredibly cute.

Tiger vs. Nightmare by Emily Tetri is an adorable introduction to graphic novels for younger children.  Tiger has a very special friend, a Monster who lives under her bed and scares away her nightmares.  They spend their evenings playing games and sharing Tiger’s dinner.  Tiger’s parents believe Monster is an imaginary friend, but Monster is much more.  When one nightmare becomes too big for Monster to fight off, Tiger and Monster must work together to keep Tiger’s dreams from becoming scary.

Beautifully illustrated and gently told, the story is both entertaining for little ones and teaches the lesson that sometimes you just need a friend’s help. 

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here: