children's & YA recommendations on the go
A new book in the Bunny vs Monkey series! Some of the comics in this book were originally published as Bunny vs Monkey: The Floating Cow Catastrophe.
There’s a new animal joining Bunny and the gang. Ai – a supersonic, super-fast aye-aye! But how will Ai fit in to the Woods? What mischievous schemes is Skunky cooking up? And will Monkey ever stop trying to hit her with a stick?
Follow Jamie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiefumboo/
“Originally a short story in King’s adult collection One Good Story, That One, this comics version retains its complexity, dry humor, and sharp political edge… The thematic and literary richness of this story is exhilarating, unsettling the insistent binary of American/Canadian nationalities for the lived reality of Indigenous nationhood. But the story is textured, too: the unspoken reasons for the mother’s resistance to her daughter’s departure; the daughter’s own motives in going. The geography, accurately and evocatively rendered by Donovan, is yet another multi-layered presence, raising a multitude of insights and questions about borders, identity, and the passing on of culture. All this is delivered with a light touch by the narrator, whose perpetual quest for food is realistic and funny.” Horn Book
“Brilliant.” KIRKUS
“Sobering yet inspiring.” Publishers Weekly
A masterfully told story about a boy and his mother whose road trip is thwarted at the border when they identify their citizenship as Blackfoot. Refusing to identify as either American or Canadian first bars their entry into the US, and then their return into Canada. In the limbo between countries, they find power in their connection to their identity and to each other.
Borders explores nationhood from an Indigenous perspective and resonates deeply with themes of identity, justice, and belonging.
Find out more about the illustrator, Natasha Donovan.
Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/natashamdonovan
Here are some of her other titles…
Karen is just an average thirteen-year-old from New Jersey who loves to play video games with her friends and watch movies with her mom. But when she moves to Greece to live with her eccentric, mysterious father, Zed, suddenly everything she thought about herself – about life – is up in the air. Starting a new school can be difficult, but starting school at Mt. Olympus Junior High, where students are gods and goddesses, just might take the cake. Especially when fellow classmates start getting turned to stone. Greek mythology . . . a little less myth, a little more eek! And if Karen’s classmates are immortal beings, who does that make her?
Follow the illustrator Juliana Moon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianamoon/
Follow Stephanie Cooke on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellocookie/
Big thick bumper edition – super value!
This brand new remastered book collects together Bunny vs Monkey 3: The Stench and Bunny vs Monkey 4: The Wobbles for the first time. Since he crash-landed to Earth in a rocket, Monkey has been causing absolute mayhem! Bunny and the gang (Squirrel, Pig [the Pig], Action Beaver, and Skunky the Inventor) have almost had enough. In this rollicking comic extravaganza, the pint-sized friends must tackle a helliphant, rocket-powered hot air balloons, and the most mind-boggling creatures of all… hew-mans…
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiefumboo/
ACHUKA Book of the Day 20 Nov 2020
The award-winning, bestselling verse novel is now a stunning graphic novel with illustrations by Danica Novgorodoff.
SHORTLISTED for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, WINNER of the UKLA
‘A masterpiece from beginning to end.’ Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give
‘A heartrending and convincing blank verse narrative.’ Sunday Times, BOOKS OF THE YEAR ‘Astonishing.’ Kirkus Reviews
‘A tour de force.’ Publishers Weekly
‘Will attract teenagers who don’t consider themselves ‘readers’.’ The Inis Reading Guide
AND THEN THERE WERE SHOTS
Everybody ran, ducked, hid, tucked themselves tight. Pressed our lips to the pavement and prayed the boom, followed by the buzz of a bullet, didn’t meet us. After Will’s brother is shot in a gang crime, he knows the next steps. Don’t cry. Don’t snitch. Get revenge. So he gets in the lift with Shawn’s gun, determined to follow The Rules. Only when the lift door opens, Buck walks in, Will’s friend who died years ago. And Dani, who was shot years before that. As more people from his past arrive, Will has to ask himself if he really knows what he’s doing. This haunting, lyrical, powerful verse novel will blow you away.
Follow the illustrator on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novgorodoff/
Follow Jason Reynold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonreynolds83/
Harvey Awards 2019 Category Winner
“Tamaki explores the nuances of both romantic and platonic relationships with raw tenderness and honesty. Valero-O’Connell’s art is realistic and expressive, bringing the characters to life through dynamic grayscale illustrations featuring highlights of millennial pink…a triumphant queer coming-of-age story that will make your heart ache and soar.” —Kirkus, starred review
“Relatable, heart-wrenching, and often funny… Black-and-white panel illustrations with pink accents provide additional characterization and feature a cast diverse in race, gender identity, and body type.” —Horn Book, starred review
“Tamaki and Valero-O’Connell do bring to life an artful narrative of relationships–old, new, harmful, and healing–and what happens when you learn to navigate them.” —School Library Journal
Follow Mariko Tamaki on Instagram: https://instagram.com/marikotamaki
Follow Rosemary Valero-O’Connell on Instagram: https://instagram.com/hirosemaryhello
Primary school children in North and South Lanarkshire received a masterclass in comic book creation when dynamic writer-artist duo the Etherington Brothers visited Scotland this month.
As part of the second Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour of 2013, run by Scottish Book Trust, over 1,500 lucky North and South Lanarkshire primary school pupils were invited into Robin and Lorenzo Etherington’s zany world of comic art and storytelling.
The brothers will have visited ten schools during the tour, including five schools in North Lanarkshire from 13 to 15 May, and a further five schools in South Lanarkshire from 15 to 17 May.
The energetic and engaging Etherington Brothers are a British comic book duo who are changing how pupils and teachers up and down the country are thinking about comic books. With Robin writing and Lorenzo illustrating they show pupils how to devise original characters, worlds and stories for a 21st century audience. Aside from original material, the talented brothers have also produced comic work for Transformers, Star Wars, Wallace and Gromit, and Terminator. They’ve also worked on movies such as Dreamworks’ Monster vs. Aliens and Madagascar.
Commenting on their upcoming tour, Robin Etherington said:
“It is a genuine honour to be invited to take part in the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour. For over a decade Scottish Book Trust and Scottish Friendly have been exciting readers and writers and artists by bringing a host of incredible authors to schools and libraries across Scotland and England, and we feel truly privileged to join their ranks.”
Chris Newton, Children’s Events Manager at Scottish Book Trust added:
“Scottish Book Trust is delighted to have the Etherington Brothers on the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour. Their events are great fun and I can guarantee that children and adults alike will be spellbound. We hope that the brothers will inspire pupils in North and South Lanarkshire to have a go at writing and drawing their own comics, and most importantly have a long lasting impact on the children’s enthusiasm for reading.”
