Graphic novels are a great way to get kids excited about reading. The following new graphic novels from Amulet Books range from emerging readers to choose your own adventure to science and humor.
GET OUTER MY SPACE! (The Cosmic Adventures of Astrid and Stella Book #3 (A Hello!Lucky Book)): A Hello!Lucky Book, by Sabrina Moyle and Eunice Moyle, Amulet Books, Sept. 26, 2023, Hardcover, $12.99 (ages 6-9)
Blast off with Astrid & Stella in Get Outer My Space, the third book in the full-color young readers graphic novel series from the bestselling creators of Hello!Lucky, Sabrina and Eunice Moyle, and perfect for fans of Narwhal and Jelly.
Fire up the turbo pumps, best friends Astrid and Stella are off on another high-flying adventure!
When the Wi-Fi goes out on the Friend Ship, Astrid and Stella make an emergency landing on the only planet that still has Internet to spare. There, they dive into video game fun until they realize something is terribly wrong—the games have no rules—and everything falls into chaos. But this is nothing the dynamic duo can’t solve! From there, Astrid and Stella visit planet Wink 40 to find tools to conquer their worst nightmares—nightmares that have kept them (and their trusty assistant, Bobo) up for nights on end. They also take a detour to help an alien neighbor out of a tight spot. —Synopsis provided by Amulet Books
The Cosmic Adventures of Astrid & Stella series is perfect for emerging readers who are moving into chapter books. Though part of a series, the books don’t have to be read in order. Bright colors and a comics-style layout quickly draw readers in to this three-chapter, approximately 100-page book. There’s a lot of sill fun here mixed with social-emotional learning.
ADVENTUREGAME COMICS: THE BEYOND (Book 2), by Jason Shiga, Harry N. Abrams, Aug. 22, 2023, Hardcover, $14.99 (ages 8-12)
Adventuregame Comics is a new series of interactive graphic novels from Jason Shiga in the vein of his hit graphic novel Meanwhile. Readers follow the story from panel to panel, using tubes that connect them, and sometimes the path will split, giving readers the chance to choose how the story unfolds.
The Beyond takes place in some sort of afterlife. You don’t know much when you begin, save that you’re dead and that you’ve ended up in a room that includes a door, a window, and a table with some books. You need to get out, so you try the door. And then the window. And then you finally turn to the books—and when you open them, you’re pulled into the worlds of those pages. Could these fictional worlds hold the key to your escape? Or is there more to this room than first meets the eye? —Synopsis provided by Amulet Books
With muted tones and good use of white space, The Beyond is an adventure that will appeal to fans of all genres. The text is fairly simplistic, but the interactive nature makes it feel like something “more.”
OLIVER’S GREAT BIG UNIVERSE, by Jorge Cham, Amulet Books, Sept. 26, 2023, Hardcover, $15.99 (ages 8-12)
Oliver has a lot going on starting his first year of middle school—new friends, new classes, new everything. But at least there’s one thing that still makes sense: science! Determined to be an astrophysicist one day, Oliver explains everything he learns—like how the sun burps, how ghost particles fly through you, the uncanny similarities between Mercury and cafeteria meatballs, and most important, how the Big Bang is basically just like a fart in the school hallway. (Also, there are time-bending black holes, exploding supernova stars, and aliens! Well, there could be aliens.)
Oliver finally feels like he’s starting to figure things out . . . but can he stay out of the principal’s office or catch a break from his annoying sister? —Synopsis provided by Amulet Books
Oliver’s Great Big Universe has a definite Diary of a Wimpy Kid vibe. Kids will relate to this easily-distracted kid that loves science. Expressive illustrations throughout add to the diary-type nature of this book. It’s easy to see this becoming a break-out favorite.
Copyright © 2023 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.
