THE CHILDREN'S BOOK ACADEMY
  • Home
    • Terms of Service
  • WRITING
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
    • The Chapter Book Alchemist
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books Instant Access
    • The Pleasures of Procreate
    • Fun with Photoshop for Kids Book Creatives
    • Never a Dull Moment Workshop
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty
    • Testimonials
    • Our Bookshop2
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • TECH
  • Blogfish
  • MN Course Access
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships
      • Larissa Marantz Merit & Need Scholarship

Three Graphic Novels That Will Inspire You This Year

1/16/2023

4 Comments

 
by Bryan Patrick Avery

It’s a new year and, for many, that means trying new things. A lot of my friends in the kid lit community and considering trying their hands at writing a graphic novel. My advice is always the same: “Do it!”

As a kid, I loved reading graphic novels (yes, graphic novels count as reading). The Uncanny X-Men and Detective Comics were among my favorites. When I started writing for kids, I knew that, one day, I wanted to write at least one graphic novel. I wrote my first, and it’s currently on submission. I plan to complete my second this year. So, for any of you who may be interested in taking a crack a graphic novel of your own. I thought I’d share a few great examples of the genre and a couple of resources that can help you get started.
Picture
​If you’re interested in writing a graphic novel in the chapter book space, check out COOKIE & BROCCOLI: READY FOR SCHOOL by Bob McMahon. One book in a fantastic series, it features Cookie and Broccoli who become friends and learn to navigate social situations together. It’s both funny and touching and a perfect example of how simple illustrations can go a long way in a graphic novel.
Picture
​For the middle grade crowd, check out Dana Simpson’s PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN. It’s hilarious. Phoebe meets a unicorn and decides they’re going to be best friends. It takes some time though, as this particular unicorn is pretty egotistical. Perhaps that’s not too surprising since her name is Marigold Heavenly Nostrils Still, over time, the two become close as Phoebe learns all about unicorns and Marigold learns all about humans, particularly kids. If you’re looking for an example of great middle grade graphic novel, check out PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN.
Picture
​If you’re looking for a mentor text for YA readers that’s a bit darker, check out DAYBREAK. Written and illustrated by Brian Ralph, it takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. What really makes this book interesting though, is that the reader is the main character in the book. Every panel shows the action through the reader’s eyes. Also, Ralph does an excellent job of letting the looming danger drive the action. This isn’t a breakneck race through a horde of zombies. Instead, it’s a careful trek through a world that has obviously been decimated by something awful that still lurks in the shadows. It’s an amazing read, all the way to it’s stunning conclusion.
Picture
Picture
If you want to dive into writing graphic novels, there are no shortage of books to guide you on your way. I’d recommend checking out MAKING COMICS by Scott McCloud and COMICS AND SEQUENTIAL ART by Will Eisner. Both will give you a crash course in writing comics and will no doubt inspire you to push forward.
​
Well, that’s all for this month. Happy writing and have a magical month!
Picture
Bryan Patrick Avery is an award-winning poet and author of more than a dozen books for children. His middle grade collective biography, BLACK MEN IN SCIENCE, illustrated by Nikita Leanne, was released in 2022. Bryan is also the author of the middle-grade story, “The Magic Day Mystery”, which appears in SUPER PUZZLETASTIC MYSTERIES, THE FREEMAN FIELD PHOTOGRAPH, illustrated by Jerome White, the early chapter book series, MR. GRIZLEY’S CLASS, illustrated by Arief Putra and the picture books EARL LEARNS A LESSON and MAX’S MAGIC CHANGE, both illustrated by Roman Diaz.
 
Bryan serves on the board of directors of the Northern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and is an Amplify Black Stories Fellow, a joint program presented by the Brown Bookshelf and the Highlights Foundation. Bryan lives in northern California with his family.
​

4 Comments
commercial metal roofing link
7/18/2023 12:33:26 am

Having a decent and durable rooftop is very much like putting resources into a wellbeing vault to guard every one of your assets and possessions. However, the issue with most property holders is that they don't either have the opportunity.

Reply
Reg A Lawyer link
7/18/2023 02:50:47 am

Yes, the formation of the argument is followed for the approval for the terms. The challenge of the for all visitors. A complete range of the customer service is held for the legal aid and all shows for the suggestion for the citizens.

Reply
fourbuzz.com link
7/18/2023 03:10:11 am

AI has revolutionized the legal profession, offering attorneys new opportunities to enhance their practice and provide more efficient services to their clients. With its ability to process vast amounts of data quickly and accurately.

Reply
https://shop.izzbie.com/ link
7/18/2023 03:18:48 am

Users can safeguard their data against hardware failures, accidents, or natural disasters. Cloud storage providers often have robust backup and recovery mechanisms in place, giving users peace of mind and minimizing downtime in case of emergencies.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    We are so excited to be mixing things up at CBA, beginning with some delicious additions to the Blogfish. Meet our  awesome bloggers!!

    Here's our lineup:
    1st Mondays begin with awesome Aussie debut author and former student Amanda Lieber who will be focusing on Aussie  kidlit.

    2nd Mondays will feature super smart Melissa Stoller whose career is taking off with several new books.
     

    3rd Mondays will feature STEM, STEAM & SEL obsessed author Kourtney LaFavre sharing delightfully dorky, quirky, and fun info.

    ​4th Mondays will be a mystery for right now.


    And 5th Mondays we'll be taking a break

    Enter your email address to follow this blog:

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

Picture
Discover
Why Us?
Courses
Blogfish
Book Shoppe
About Us
Meet the Academy Faculty
Community
Contact Us

Privacy Policy
Join Us
Social Media
Join our Community and receive a fabulous free gift, yummy newsletters, scholarship info, contests, and more!

Like us on Facebook 
Join our interactive FB Group  
Find us on Twitter 
Follow us on ​Instagram  
Look for us on Pinterest
​
Watch us on YouTube
© 2012-2021  All content on this website is copyrighted. Sorry, all courses are non-refundable.
  • Home
    • Terms of Service
  • WRITING
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
    • The Chapter Book Alchemist
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books Instant Access
    • The Pleasures of Procreate
    • Fun with Photoshop for Kids Book Creatives
    • Never a Dull Moment Workshop
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty
    • Testimonials
    • Our Bookshop2
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • TECH
  • Blogfish
  • MN Course Access
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships
      • Larissa Marantz Merit & Need Scholarship