When I ask my college students if they’ve ever read a graphic novel of them, most of them look confused. You mean superhero comics? Well, yes– of course! But there’s more. There are always a few whose faces light up as they tell me about having read Watchmen, or Maus, or more recent stories like Smile or War Brothers. Using …
2015 Graphics Judges
Round 1Nicola Mansfield@Niagara_NikkiIt’s all Comic to Me Sharon Levin@sharonreaderLife Literature Laughter Matt Esenwine@MattForrestVWRadio, Rhythm & Rhyme Samantha Silva@readinghappilyReading. Happily.Gary Anderson@AndersonGLWhat’s Not Wrong? David Elzey@delzeyGuys Lit Wire Liz Jones@lizjonesbooksLiz Jones Books Round 2Emma WeilerNo Flying No TightsAlysa Stewart@evereadEveread Blooey Singson@sumthinblueBookmarked! Mike Lewis@145lewisLewis5 Emily Mitchell@emilyreadsEmily Reads
List Fun: YA Graphic Novels
What can I say about my passion for graphic novels? Here’s what I can’t say: I am a good drawer; I know how to use water paint, oil, ink, charcoal with positive results. But, when I crack the fresh spine of a graphic novel, I feel like I can do any of things, if only I just gave myself a …
List Fun: Great Graphic Novels that started as Webcomics
I love graphic novels! When I found out that many of the Cybils books I loved started out as webcomics, I was thrilled. “You mean I can read some of the best sequential art out there for free on the internet? And it’s legal?!” What is a webcomic? It is a comic that is posted online as it is made. …
List Fun: YA Graphic Novels with Diverse Characters
My very first time as a Cybils judge was in 2006, as a part of the Graphic Novels round 1 panel. I’ve participated every year since then (not always in Graphic Novels, but often), and one of my favorite aspects of Cybils judging is having the opportunity to read such an immense variety of books with intriguing, diverse characters and …
Interview with Jen Wang
First off, congrats! In Real Life is a fantastic graphic novel. Could you tell us a bit about how the book came to be? JW: Sure! I’d previously done a book for First Second called KOKO BE GOOD, and sometime after that had come out and I was in between projects that weren’t working out, First Second approached me about …
Interview with Cece Bell
First off, congrats! El Deafo is a fantastic graphic novel. Can you tell us a bit about how this book came to be? CB: Thanks so much. I’m so pleased you enjoyed the book! And let me give you a big thank-you for this award. It means a LOT to me. I’ve been off Twitter for a while and have …
Review: Shadow Hero
Today’s review of Graphic Novelist finalist Shadow Hero, by Gene Luen Yang comes from our former blog editor, and current go-to-person (when we need an extra helping hand), Sarah Stevenson. She blogs with friend and fellow author Tanita Davis at Finding Wonderland, where last summer they discussed this graphic novel. They wrote: Of course, readers all want to look for …
Review: Harlem Hellfighters
For those in the U.S.: Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! I was thinking that we’d feature something to do with the Civil Rights movement today. I found several books among our nominees that would fit, including YA Nonfiction finalist The Freedom Summer Murders, by Don Mitchell; Fiction Picture Book Nominee Knock Knock, by Daniel Beaty and Bryan Collier; but …
Review: Bird & Squirrel on Ice
Graphic Novel nominee Bird & Squirrel on Ice, by James Burks is our featured review today. The review comes from Nicola, a round one panelist on Graphic Novels. She writes on her blog It’s All Comic to Me: Another great Bird & Squirrel book! I love these two characters; they are like a modern day Frog and Toad. Two friends with …