Good Comics for Kids

November 10, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (2)

A recent visit to my local comic book store revealed a surprising array of kid- and teen-friendly comics available in pamphlet form. While I’m a big fan of the Toon Book approach – that is, packaging comics in a more durable, picture-book format – it’s hard to deny the appeal of the floppy with its allowance-friendly price tag and short length. From time to time, therefore, I’ll be exploring the spinner rack in search of great floppies for younger readers. This month’s haul includes Age of Reptiles: The Journey (Dark Horse), a dino-centric series set in the Cretaceous Period; The Marvelous Land of Oz (Marvel), a graphic adaptation of the second book in Frank L. Baum’s Oz saga; and The Stuff of Legend (Th3rd World Studios), a dark fable about a group of toys who can walk, talk, and fight closet-dwelling monsters.
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Industries: Graphic Novels

October 1, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Our Summer Reading Challenge inspired us to review even more books than usual in the last three months, from comic-book treatments of classic fables to horror stories featuring talking housepets. Below, you'll find the complete list of titles we reviewed last quarter, an index that's divided into three broad categories: Comics (essentially, the titles you'd find on the spinner rack at your local comic book store), Graphic Novels, and Manga/Manhwa. We encourage you to follow the links, read the reviews, and give us feedback on our recommendations, especially if the kids and teens in your life beg to differ with us. N.B. Age guidelines and publication information (author, full title, publisher, price, ISBN) are included in every review.

COMICS
Bea...Read More
Industries: Graphic Novels

September 21, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (2)

Most librarians know Jill Thompson as the creator of Magic Trixie, a charming trilogy of graphic novels about a feisty young witch and her friends, but Thompson’s career has spanned a number of genres and major franchises, from Sandman to Wonder Woman to Swamp Thing. Her latest series, Beasts of Burden, pairs her with screen- and scriptwriter Evan Dorkin, the creative force behind such titles as Dork, Milk and Cheese, and Superman and Batman: World’s Funnest. The two collaborated on four previous “Beasts of Burden” stories, which appeared in various Dark Horse anthologies such as The Book of the Dead and The Book of Hauntings. After the two nabbed Eisners for their work on “Beasts,” Dark Horse commissioned a four-issue mini-series featuring the same characters introduced ...Read More
Industries: Graphic Novels

August 30, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Welcome to the August edition of Good Manga for Kids! The column has been on hiatus for a few months, as most of this summer’s new kid-friendly releases fell into one of two categories: ongoing series that have already been reviewed at Good Comics for Kids (e.g. The Big Adventures of Majoko, Happy Happy Clover, Leave it to PET!) or series with an obvious tie to merchandising (e.g. Pokemon). The fall looks more promising, offering a greater variety of titles for the under-twelve set, with Kat & Mouse and Yotsuba&! returning from hiatus, and new...Read More
Industries: Graphic Novels

August 27, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Don't be fooled by the sparkly pink covers: Fashion Kitty is a smart, funny series that recognizes girls' interest in fashion without talking down to them or encouraging them to become pint-sized Anna Wintours. Though the titular character does, in fact, help classmates discover themselves through clothing, the series is as much about Fashion Kitty's efforts to fit in with her peers and cope with her pesky little sister as it is about finding the right accessories or the purr-fect sweater.

Fashion Kitty
By Charise Mericle Harper
No rating (Recommended for ages 7-10)
Hyperion Books, 2005, ISBN: 978-078685134-8
90 p...Read More
Industries: Graphic Novels