A rapid fire round up of three YA graphic novels for mature teen readers. Graceling by Kristin Cashore, adapted and illustrated by Gareth Hinds. Clarion Books, 2021, 272 pages. A gorgeous, lyrical graphic novel about a girl graced with a deadly gift. In Cashore’s fantasy world some people are “gracelings,” strange-eyed and possessing a magical ability. Katsa has the rare gift of killing and as the book begins, she is the unwilling tool of her uncle. But Katsa is too independent to stay under anyone’s thumb for long. Soon she is on her own quest, accompanied by Po, a young prince with his own unique gift. While a compelling adventure…

In the tradition of Susan Cooper, a lyrical, dark fantasy for mature middle grade readers. Once There Was by Kiyash Monsef. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023, 416 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grade, Ages 12-15 Recommended For: Ages 12 and up Marjan cannot remember a time she was close to her father. After her mother’s death, he lived in his own world. But now he’s been murdered, and the police have no leads. 15-year old Marjan is left with his veterinary practice to run and school to finish. Then, a stranger arrives with a commission for Marjan, and she realizes her father lived a double life. In one,…

SmART, a young-reader version of the best-seller Visual Intelligence, employs art as a way of teaching observation and interpretation. SmART: Use Your Eyes to Boost Your Brain by Amy E. Herman with Heather McLean. Simon & Schuster, 2022, 169 pages plus notes, index, and note to parents. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-15 In Visual Intelligence, a best-seller from 2016, Amy Herman instructed adults how to “Sharpen Your Perception, Change Your Life.” SmART is an adaptation for middle-graders and up. She uses “three simple steps” to truly seeing, thinking about what you see, and talking about what you see. In other words, observation, interpretation, and communication.…

Authority vs. Anarchy: Opposites? Two sides of the same coin? Romans 13 reminds us to obey our governing (civic) authorities. Exodus 20 and Ephesians 6 remind us to obey our parental authorities. Certain people in the church are given spiritual authority over those they shepherd in their congregations. We’re all to obey the Lord as our ultimate authority. Thus, we’re all under authority. Simultaneously, we’re all in authority over someone, even if that someone is only our own self. After all, self control is exerting authority over one’s own self. Anarchy is a revolt against God-given authority and authority structures. But what happens with that God-given authority structure is broken?…

A 13-year-old boy must help his large family survive an ElectroMagnetic Pulse in The Switch. The Switch by Roland Smith. Scholastic, 2022, 303 pages. Reading Level: Teen, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 13-16 On the morning after his 13th birthday, Henry Carter passes up an opportunity to go to work with his father. His father happens to be head keeper of the Portland, Oregon, Zoo, so what kid would pass up such an opportunity? This one, apparently; the zoo extends to his own family compound, where Dad occasionally brings exotic animals needing extra care. Besides, his birthday party the day before had been the usual noisy, rambunctious affair, with all…

Sparrow Being Sparrow introduces a likeable heroine with some impulsive ways that are open to correction. Sparrow Being Sparrow by Gail Donovan, illustrated by Elysia Case. Atheneum, 2023, 178 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 5-8 as a read-aloud, 7-11 for independent readers Sparrow gets carried away easily—often too easily, as her parents have pointed out many times. Of course she didn’t mean to bump into her elderly neighbor so hard the lady fell down and broke her hip. But Mrs. LaRose may have got a little carried away as well, while the two were doing their butterfly dance. Anyway, the lady’s chief concern as the…

Vincent and his cousin Georgia travel through the Corridor and art masterpieces to rescue Vincent’s little sister while trying to undo the villainous efforts of the Deconstructionsts. An art adventure woven with truth and beauty. Beneath the Swirling Sky by Carolyn Leiloglou, illustrated by Vivienne To. Waterbrook, 2023. 320 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, Ages 8-12 Recommended For: Ages 8-12. Although Vincent would rather spend his vacation relaxing at the beach or playing video games with his friends, his parents leave him and his little sister Lili with an uncle and second cousin they’ve never met. Uncle Leo is an art conservationist, so his house is filled with paintings…and family…

Some of us love ancient literature, especially the great Homeric epics. Others shudder at the thought. I’m in the former camp, but I haven’t always been. I dreaded reading ancient literature in high school, especially Homer’s Iliad. I remember very little other than being unimpressed. Now, as I plan to teach not only The Iliad, but The Odyssey and The Aeneid to high school students this school year, I’m girding my loins, so to speak. To date, I’ve taught Shakespeare to hundreds of students, Beowulf to a hundred or so, and countless “hard” works of poetry to my own three teenagers. There’s no magic formula, but here’s what’s worked for…

Stuff Kids Should Know draws from a popular podcast to detail the fascinating histories behind some everyday realities. Stuff Kids Should Know: The Mind-Blowing Histories of (Almost) Everything by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant. Henry Holt, 2023, 208 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 12-15 “The world is so full of a number of things,/ I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings,” wrote Robert Louis Stevenson in a Child’s Garden of Verses. I’m always reminded of that line when paging through a book like this: a compendium of bet-you-never-thought-about-this facts from our amazing world. From the origins of Mr. Potato Head (which was,…

Gumluck the Wizard is a charming chapter-book character with some humorous misapprehensions. The Story of Gumluck the Wizard (Book One) by Adam Rex. Chronicle Books, 2023, 133 pages. Reading Level: Chapter Book, ages 6-8 Recommended for: ages 4-8 as a read-aloud, 7-10 for independent readers On Mondays, Gumluck receives visitors from town asking for help. One needs a new dress and another wants a muscly physique, and the little wizard uses magic to grant their wishes. But they’re never grateful because Gumluck always grants wishes in his own peculiar way. Not on purpose–he’s just a noodlehead. Or that’s the opinion of Helvetica, the Raven telling his story. Helvetica, readers might…