THE CHILDREN'S BOOK ACADEMY
  • Home
  • WRITING
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
    • The Chapter Book Alchemist
    • New!! Middle Grade Mastery Instant Access
    • Mastering Graphic Novels
    • 2022 Kidlit Palooza >
      • 2022 Palooza Program
      • 2022 Palooza Faculty
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • NEW!! Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books Instant Access
    • Never a Dull Moment Workshop
  • TECH
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty, Lives & GT Judges
    • Testimonials
    • Books by Students
    • Our Bookshop
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Blogfish
  • MN Course Access
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • 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

Graphic Novels and Web Comics for Tweens & Teens

2/5/2016

4 Comments

 
As the author of the web comic Box O' Robotics, I am always on the look out for the next best selling graphic novel, classic comics, web comics and top market Japanese manga. Sometimes I'll spend a few hours in the bookstore browsing the shelves and studying what makes this type of literature so great on the market. Today I'm going to be recommending graphic novels and web comics that your tweens and teens will love, and talk about how I'm going to be assisting the upcoming Middle Grade Mastery Course for the Children's Book Academy. 

TWEEN & TEEN GRAPHIC NOVEL RECOMMENDATIONS:
Picture
NIMONA (Noelle Stevenson)-

ABOUT NIMONA:

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.


WHY DO I RECOMMEND IT (Tweens & Teens):

The reason Nimona is a must have for tweens and teens is because it is jam-packed with amazing symbolism and butt kicking adventure. I recently heard about Nimona at the National Book Awards and was so in awe with it that I had to learn more. When KidLit TV's founder Julie Gribble and I went to Books of Wonder in NYC I also discovered that Nimona was first a web-series before it went off to be an amazing classic. 
​
Picture
LUMBERJANES (Noelle Stevenson, Brooke A. Allen, Shannon Watters) -

ABOUT LUMBERJANES: 
​
Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together...and they’re not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! Not only is it the second title launching in our new BOOM! Box imprint but LUMBERJANES is one of those punk rock, love-everything-about-it stories that appeals to fans of basically all excellent things. It’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Gravity Falls and features five butt-kicking, rad teenage girls wailing on monsters and solving a mystery with the whole world at stake. And with the talent of acclaimed cartoonist Noelle Stevenson, talented newcomer Grace Ellis writing, and Brooke Allen on art, this is going to be a spectacular series that you won’t want to miss. 

WHY I RECOMMEND IT (Tweens & Teens):

Camp, adventure, a cast of diverse, amazing, risk-taking strong female character leads! Lumberjanes has got it all. This graphic novel is perfect for girls and boys, especially those that like to get their hands dirty and start their own summer adventures. 
Picture
THIS ONE SUMMER (Mariko Tamaki)-

ABOUT THIS ONE SUMMER: 
​

Every summer, Rose goes with her mom and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It's their getaway, their refuge. Rosie's friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose's mom and dad won't stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama, they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. One of the local teens - just a couple of years older than Rose and Windy - is caught up in something bad... Something life threatening.
It's a summer of secrets, and sorrow, and growing up, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.

This One Summer is a tremendously exciting new teen graphic novel from two creators with true literary clout. Cousins Mariko and Jillian Tamaki, the team behind Skim, have collaborated on this gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful story about a girl on the cusp of childhood - a story of renewal and revelation.

WHY I RECOMMEND IT (Teens):
It's heart wrenching, beautifully illustrated with both story and pictures and really teaches the reader something truly important about growing up.

TWEEN & TEEN WEB COMICS: 
Picture
BOX O' ROBOTICS (Katya Szewczuk)
The official B.O.R. website will be up and running soon! But until thenread B.O.R.on my website!

ABOUT BOX O' ROBOTICS:

Box O’ Robotics follows a teenage boy named Samuel McAlister who always dreamt about being an inventor. But living in a futuristic world where robots and artificial intelligence have more of the advantage is troublesome. But that’s the least of his worries. When he is sent to the famous Sterling Academy to work on his inventions he learns that human beings are used as a life/energy source so the robots and artificial intelligence can create more inventions. He then meets the notorious bad boy Porter whose harum-scarum personality always gets him into trouble. Samuel finds out that Porter was on a mission to destroy the futuristic world because of its true evil. And he can only do so with Samuel by his side. Jam-packed with adventure and fun, Samuel goes on a risk-taking adventure that forces him out of his comfort zone. And suddenly everyone is against him. ​It’s a tale of man versus robo-power!

WHY I RECOMMEND IT (Teens): 

You might be thinking, "What the robo-brains? Why are you recommending your own series?" The reasons for this are because:
  1. The first page of the Box O' Robotics comic was created when I took the Children's Book Academy's Craft and Business of Illustrating Children's Picture Books.
  2. It is a Young Adult Web Comic, but its activities can relate to many kids. (See how to make your own comic activity on KidLit TV!) 
  3. There are many authors and illustrators in the industry who have responded positively to it.

​Box O' Robotics isn't just a web comic, it's an interactive comic that I hope will teach many tweens, teens and adults about the wonders of technology and how not to abuse technology. It was also strongly inspired by Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics and is great for girls and boys who love engineering and inventing. 
Picture
Fantomstein (Beka Duke)

ABOUT FANTOMSTEIN
What if Frankenstein's Creature lived on to become the infamous Phantom of the Opera? "What a silly thing to say" says you. "What a fun idea for a comic!" says I.

WHY I RECOMMEND IT (Teens)
If you love the story of Frankenstein's Creature and Phantom of the Opera you will fall in love with this web comic. Fantomstein is the story in which frankenstein’s monster actually becomes the phantom of the opera. And if you appreciate original, hauntingly bewitching illustrations you will adore this series. 
Picture
Zoophobia (Vivienne Medrano)

Zoophobia
 is a fantasy/humour webcomic by Vivienne Medrano about a neurotic young woman named Cameron who, when desperate for a job, winds up being unexpectedly thrust into Safe Haven, a fantastic world full of incredible beasts, unimaginable beings and zany characters. She receives a job as a guidance counselor at the Zoo-Phoenix Academy, where she faces head-on with a colorful cast of talking animals and strange creatures. Unfortunately, Cameron has quite the terrible case of zoophobia and is ultimately terrified by the very students and staff she must work with.

WHY I RECOMMEND IT (Teens)
Nothing is like Zoophobia. Between art and story, this is one original comic that has made web comic history. If your teens love animals and a world of color and imagination than this this the perfect comic for them. Vivienne is also a superstar animator who animates her comic characters. 


MEET WITH ME AT THE MIDDLE GRADE MASTERY COURSE:
​
Picture
This year I will be assisting the CBA with its upcoming Middle Grade Mastery Course. This course has so much to offer you. You'll not only learn the basics of how to write the perfect middle grade novel, but you'll also learn about the inside scoop of what makes middle grade novels, and graphic novels stand out in the market. There are also many offers and golden ticket opportunities that only the CBA can offer you, such as being taught by agents and editors and submitting your work to them at the end of the course. 

What are some of your favorite tween and teen graphic novels? I'd love to hear your recommendations! 
​
4 Comments
Kristin
2/9/2016 04:35:50 pm

Great round-up, Kat! Graphic novels are HUGE and lots of parents are on the hunt for good ones. I know you pointed me in the right direction for my kiddo so I'm sure these are great, too :)

Reply
Marsha Diane Arnold link
2/12/2016 07:38:20 am

Graphic novels are not an area I'm up on, so this was most helpful, Katya. Thank you! I'm definitely checking out your Box O'Robotics. The theme is similar to a chapter book I want to get back too. So glad you're here with the Blogateers.

Reply
Nate
1/3/2018 03:17:28 pm

I think someone stole your link to "read B.O.R.on my website!"

Reply
custom essay paper link
4/27/2018 04:43:27 am

Tweens love exploring. Most of the time, they love following what's the trend because they always want to be "in" to what's new. Graphic novel is a thing nowadays because of its visual impact for the audience. Of course, it's so fun to read when you have your reference for it. You don't need to imagine anymore because it's the author's job to provide you the visualization you need for the story.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Meet the Friday Blogonauts

    First Fridays will feature Bryan Patrick Avery, published writer , man of mystery, and professional magician among other things.

    Second Fridays will feature  awesome multi-award winning author Marsha Diane Arnold who will be writing about character-driven and/or nature-based books and/or anything she likes :)

    Third Fridays
    will feature independent Aladdin/Simon & Shuster editor Emma Sector who has helped bring many books into the world.

    Fourth Fridays will feature the great Christine Taylor-Butler who has published over 70 award-winning fiction and non-fiction and nonfiction books including the acclaimed new middle grade series - The Lost Tribes.

    Fifth Fridays will feature the fabulous Carl Angel award-winning multi-published Illustrator and graphic designer.


    Join our Tribe

    and receive 7 Steps to Creative Happiness, access to free webinars, and lots more!

    Your email addresses are always safe and respected with us.
     
     

    Follow our Blog!

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Archives

    January 2019
    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

    Categories

    All
    Art Technique
    Authorartist
    Author Platform
    Author Visits
    Bitsy Kemper
    Book Marketing
    Books For Children
    COPPA
    Creative Flow
    Digital Books
    Diversity In Children's Books
    First Voice Multicultural Children's Books
    Illustrating Your Own Story
    Independent Publishing
    Magic In Books
    Marketing
    Maya Gonzalez
    Middle Grade Novels
    Picture Books
    Picture Books And Death
    Print-on-demand
    School Visits
    Self-publishing
    Understory
    Writer Platform
    Writing
    Writing Exercise
    Writing For Children

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
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
  • WRITING
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
    • The Chapter Book Alchemist
    • New!! Middle Grade Mastery Instant Access
    • Mastering Graphic Novels
    • 2022 Kidlit Palooza >
      • 2022 Palooza Program
      • 2022 Palooza Faculty
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • NEW!! Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books Instant Access
    • Never a Dull Moment Workshop
  • TECH
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty, Lives & GT Judges
    • Testimonials
    • Books by Students
    • Our Bookshop
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Blogfish
  • MN Course Access
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • 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