After her acclaimed graphic memoir, Ephemera, Briana Loewinsohn explores a fictional account of her adolescent years in the graphic novel, Raised By Ghosts. Set in the 90’s, through her years in middle and high school, the story follows Briana traveling between the houses of her divorced parents as she finds friends, music, and art.
Loewinsohn has a distinct style to her writing and illustrations that lends itself well to remembered stories. The text is primarily in journal entries, juxtaposed against comic panels illustrating her daily life. The words are filled with emotion and metaphor, and the watercolor illustrations are toned down in shades of brown. Just as in Ephemera, her book in memory of a lost mom, Raised by Ghosts, feels like a delicate remembrance of Loewinsohn’s past.
Briana’s journal entries are written on top of illustrated torn journal pages. Through these journals we see the inner world of a young girl struggling to find a place at home and school. In the illustrations she is taking the bus to school and struggling through class. At home it is quiet and the houses are lonely with parents who are only just glimpsed through overheard comments, half-hearted replies, or shouted demands from off the page. In high school the illustrations show her with new found friends and smiles on her face, but home is still lonely and quiet, with little more than traces of either parent to grace the panel illustrations.
“Maybe years later all these hours will blend together into one eternal day. Long days on a bus that goes nowhere and will never end.” Lowinsohn’s attention to her writing and illustrations, elevates the beauty of this graphic novel. The words themselves are beautiful. I found myself collecting quote after beautiful quote. The journal pages are all handwritten. It is not a handwritten font, but rather handwriting, that evolves as Briana the character ages. There is little dialogue until her older years, as her friendships deepen and those conversations grow in importance, so the bulk of the story is told through the journal.
There are other characters in the book other than Briana, parents who are never physically seen on the page, except for the hand of her mother. Siblings are mentioned once but never seen or heard. Her friends are on the page though, such as Clera, Emily, and Jacob. However, the story is at its very core Briana’s. The others have no arcs or growth. Briana’s sense of self, existence, is defined by the absence of her parents and the presence of her friends, and that is how they are included in the story.
Briana truly finds herself when she finds art. The illustrations transform, as she slips into the pages, embraced in a way that no one else could. The surreal illustrations seep with emotion and capture more truth for Briana than the realism throughout the rest of the book.
Just as with Ephemera, this book is stunning, from top to bottom. It is a beautiful exploration of the inner life of a girl discovering herself and the world around her. It is highly recommended for anyone who loves beautiful emotional stories.
Raised by Ghosts is written for the young adult market. It may not fly off the shelf since it is not a typical graphic novel, and may not find its people among those readers. However, those who are looking for books that revolve around emotion more than plot will adore this read. When imagining who I will hand this book to, it is my poetry readers who I think will most cherish the book. Buy it, read it for yourself. It is beautiful and you won’t regret it.
Raised by Ghosts By Briana Loewinsohn Fantagraphics, 2025 ISBN: 9798875000508
Company Age Rating: 14-18
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16)
Song of a Blackbird by Maria Van Lieshout is a poetic exploration of family, resistance under oppression, and art. It tells two stories, one is of Annick, a young girl, in 2011, who is desperate to learn more about her family history while grieving the reality of her oma’s terminal illness. The other is of Emma, a resistance fighter in Amsterdam, 1943, under Nazi occupation.
The book opens with the narrator, an omnipresent blackbird who has found Annick in the midst of pain and suffering. Her oma, Johanna, is terminally ill, and without a bone marrow transplant, she will not survive. The most likely donors for a bone marrow transplant would be biological siblings, however, there is no biological connection between Johanna and her siblings. Without knowing her history, Johanna may not be able to find a suitable donor. So Annick uses the few clues they have, prints of buildings in Amsterdam signed by Emma B., to explore her oma’s history, a history that begins in Amsterdam under Nazi rule.
Our narrator, the blackbird, also tells the story of Emma, a young woman living in the Netherlands under Nazi occupation. Horrified by their oppression and violence, Emma becomes involved with the resistance. First helping to smuggle Jewish children into Dutch families, while their Jewish parents are being deported on trains, and eventually working with other resistance fighters in printing houses as they attempt to sabotage Nazi efforts in Amsterdam.
The book alternates between Annick’s investigation and the story of Emma in Amsterdam’s resistance. In each chapter, Annick focuses her investigation on a building from one of her oma’s prints. A building that is integral to Emma’s story as well.
The two stories are connected through the art prints by Emma. Chronicling the story of Johanna and her family. Art is a prominent theme in the story. In her investigation into family history Annick meets a young poet who paints his words on walls for all to see, rather than written on paper. Humanity connects through art and words. Compared to the hate embedded in propaganda, art builds compassion and connections. In the book, art connects past and present, brother and sister, and the resistance fighters to each other.
The story is fictional but based on real people. In the backmatter, Van Lieshout includes brief biographical sketches of the many people who inspired characters in the book, including her grandparents, who themselves were members of the resistance in Amsterdam under the Nazi occupation. Also included in the backmatter, on dark pages filled with black ink, is biographical information on the real life Nazi officers who committed the atrocities in Amsterdam.
It is an emotional story with beautiful illustrations about little known actions taken by members of the resistance in Amsterdam. Most illustrations are line drawings in black and white, with moments of color, such as a red coat or green background, emphasizing emotion and importance to the characters and pages. On some pages Van Lieshout illustrates real photos of buildings in Amsterdam. The art of photography was an act of resistance under the Nazis (as discussed in the backmatter), and use of the photos both anchors the story to the true historical events depicted in the story, but also honors the act of taking photographic evidence.
The blackbird’s narration is primarily in verse, offering commentary and context to the images on the page. The text of this narration is often beautiful and poignant, however, not always. There were moments that were awkward and disjointed. The plot is also disjointed in places. The investigation and clues from the prints at times feels loose and unconnected. It is an imperfect book, but one with many beautiful moments, and as a whole a strong and powerful message.
Song of a Blackbird would be a good fit with older middle school or high school readers. There are other better written graphic novels about World War II and the Holocaust, but there is beauty in this book, it is a unique story. It may be a good purchase if you are looking for books with curricular connections to World War II, the Holocaust, and resistance fighters, or are looking for books that explore the connections between the past and the present.
Song of a Blackbird By Maria Van Lieshout Macmillan First Second, 2025 ISBN: 9781250869814
Age Rating: 14 and Up
NFNT Age Recommendation: Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Dutch, Character Representation: Dutch,
Bree Paulson, the talented author and illustrator behind the beloved Garlicand the Vampire graphic novels, delves into darker themes in her latest work, The Firelight Apprentice. This shift in tone showcases her versatility and ability to weave complex narratives that resonate with readers.
At the heart of the story are two sisters, Ada and Safi. Ada is a young woman burdened by worry. She is concerned not only for her ailing father and the lighting business they run together, but primarily for her younger sister, Safi. With their mother—a king’s magician—having perished in a recent war that claimed many magical lives, the weight of responsibility rests heavily on Ada’s shoulders. Safi, full of life and brimming with potential magical talent, is in dire need of an apprenticeship to help her harness her abilities before they spiral out of control.
When a traveling magician couple and their apprentice arrive in town for a series of shows, Ada seizes the opportunity to bring Safi along, hoping the performers will notice her sister’s spark. To their delight, Safi is offered an apprenticeship aboard their magnificent flying ship, a thrilling yet risky adventure that Ada struggles to accept.
Set against a richly imagined steampunk backdrop, the narrative unfolds in a Victorian-inspired city where Ada and her father produce high-quality electric light bulbs while magicians traverse the skies in their whimsical vessels. This world is filled with contrasts: practicality and dreams, light and shadow.
The true strength of The Firelight Apprentice lies in the nuanced relationship between Ada and Safi. Ada grapples with the shadow of their mother’s legacy and her own lost sense of hope, leading her to distrust the magicians she feels might put her sister in danger. In contrast, Safi embodies pure joy and curiosity, blissfully unaware of the potential risks that accompany her newfound path. This dynamic creates a compelling tension that drives the story forward.
Paulson’s signature cartoon-like illustration style complements the narrative beautifully. The intentional color palette enhances the emotional depth of the story; in the city scenes with Ada, the colors are practical and muted, reflecting her sense of duty and burden. However, when the focus shifts to Safi aboard the ship, the hues become vibrant and rich, evoking the magic and wonder of her new life among the magicians.
While Garlic and the Vampire and its sequel, Garlic and The Witch, are celebrated for their heartwarming exploration of relationships and overcoming fear, The Firelight Apprentice takes a different path, exploring themes of trust and the complexities of familial love. It may not replace the original series in my heart, but it certainly stands on its own as an engaging and adventurous read.
This graphic novel is a solid addition to middle-grade collections, especially for readers seeking captivating fantasy adventures. It invites exploration and imagination, making a strong purchase for many collections for young readers.
The Firelight Apprentice By Bree Paulsen Quill Tree, 2024 ISBN: 9780063266599
Youth Group, written by Jordan Morris and illustrated by Bown McCurdy, explores family, friendships, and community against a backdrop of demons and a 1990s style of Christian evangelism. Kay, the daughter of divorced parents, is brought to Stone Mission Church by a mother trying to find a community. There she meets Meg and Cortland, the young youth group leaders, working together to help the teens of Orange County California avoid temptations.
Kay is skeptical, the advice of the youth leaders seems superficial, but her mother encourages her to give it a few more tries before giving up on the church community. She agrees and soon discovers that there is more to this church and herself than meets the eye.
When not leading the youth group, Meg and Cortland, under the leadership of the head pastor, fight demons. Kay stumbles upon them in the woods one night, and is brought under the wing of Meg as she joins them on their mission against the demons. She has found friendship and a community, just not the one she or her mother expected. Kay has exceptional talents against the demons, but those talents are also putting her directly in harm’s way.
The story is set in the 90s, but the year isn’t specified or important. Evangelical christianity at this time began to explore new ways to draw mainstream appeal. Growing up a Christian in the south during the 90s, I saw this everywhere I looked. This is the era of Christian rock and What Would Jesus Do bracelets. In Youth Group, Meg, Cortland, and the head pastor are an eye-rolling level of cringy. They rewrite the lyrics to popular 90s music to share a Christian message, and recommend singing to avoid the temptation of pot. It is silly in the book, and was silly 30 years ago.
Youth Group isn’t explicit in its critique of this brand of christianity. While Kay, the outsider looking in, sees cheesy puns and embarrassingly obvious attempts to seem cool, she also finds sincerity. As the story progresses, Meg, someone who Kay grows close to, is as corny as ever. Her sincere brand of sharing her Christian message is never criticized. As the characters grow, their character arcs trend toward acceptance of others and embracing themselves.
Not that there is no criticism of the evangelical Christian movement. The head pastor refuses to collaborate with other religious groups who are also fighting demons. Their ways aren’t pure, and they are unworthy of working with the christians at Stone Mission Church. Meg sees the deep flaws in his world view, and pushes back against the dangers of his close-minded and judgemental stance.
There is a Wiccan youth group fighting demons, there is some drug experimentation in the background, and there are LGBTQ+ characters. None of this is treated as antithetical to Meg and Cortland’s Christian values. Meg, arguably one of the most religiously conservative characters, embraces it all. She wants to keep the town safe, and will embrace with open arms anyone willing to join her.
The illustrations include hard lines and strong colors. This is a book about demons, and some of the illustrations tend toward the horror, but most have softer details, more reminiscent of the typical fare of First Second graphic novels. More intense demonic illustrations throughout the book would have completely changed the tone of the book. There are intense moments, but also humor, and the illustrations help to build that mood. The colors are often shaded with warm blues and purples, which has the interesting effect of adding dark to the bright cheeriness of the Stone Mission Church and Meg, but also a kind of levity or lightness to the dark fights against demons.
Kay and Meg are illustrated as the odd couple. Kay has dark short hair, and ill fitting clothes. She isn’t sure of herself, and trying to find friendship and community against the background of her parent’s divorce. She almost reluctantly finds that community and friendship in Meg, who has long blond hair, and dresses like she could be cast in the movie Clueless. A Cher excitedly bringing an awkward Tai under her wings (without the misguided makeover).
Youth Group is a fun book that will be enjoyed by many teen readers. I will purchase it for my high school and will pass it on to those looking for an adventure. Give it to fans of comics like Lumberjanes, where a found family community forms to fight the fantastical.
Youth Group By Jordan Morris Art by Bowen McCurdy Macmillan First Second, 2024 ISBN: 9781250789235
Publisher Age Rating: 14-18
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16)
In her newest graphic novel, The Deep Dark, Molly Knox Ostertag (Girl From the Sea and The Witch Boy) once again shares a hauntingly beautiful story about family and friendship with veins of the fantastical intertwined throughout. The story follows Magdala (Mags), as she holds tight to a deep dark secret, which is draining her energy and life.
Mags is isolated and lonely in a small desert town. She works, goes to school, and cares for an ailing grandmother, all in a muted fog. Ostertag, introduces the story in shades of gray, mimicking Mags’ pale existence. In the first pages there are only small splashes of color, from a text message, the glow of a tv, blood flowing down a drain, etc. Even her relationships feel empty and hollow. Her parents don’t really seem to understand her, and both they and her grandmother carry many expectations, especially in regards to the veil of secrecy she must hide behind. Mags occasionally hooks up with another girl from school, another secret, hidden from the girl’s boyfriend.
We only see hints of her secret in the basement. A lock on the basement door, a cage, and a bandaged hand. But we do see the effect: exhaustion, and little else. That changes when a childhood friend, who has since transitioned to Nessa (she/her), reaches out on social media. The illustrated memories are vibrant, in color and emotion. They are the first pages in full color. Ostertag shows sharp contrast to the current reality, creating a before and after, connected in some way to Nessa. Something happened in their childhood. A secret was shared and a young child lost their life.
Nessa is visiting for Christmas from LA, where she is studying photography. Mags comes more to life in her presence, but is still stifled. The gray becomes darker, but the color still hides. They are both eager to connect, but each holds something back. Mags is still controlled by the secret in the basement. Nessa knows something but is unsure, and she has her own story. A controlling ex-boyfriend who refuses to let go. But as their relationship rekindles, secrets come out, and with them, there is growing understanding, acceptance, and color.
The story is beautiful, and the expanding relationship between Mags and Nessa will be loved by many readers. Ostertag’s books have been a popular mainstay in many collections, and this one will be loved just as much, if not more so, than those that came before.
Both of the main characters are LGBTQ. Mags is lesbian and Nessa a trans bi-sexual woman. Their identities are clear, and a part of their character, however, they are non-issues in the plot. Both are out in the open. In a book whose main focus is secrets, it’s refreshing that their identities are never hidden.
The Deep Dark is a must purchase for high school collections. My school library will have a few copies. I know many students who seek out stories such as this one, and I know many readers will love it as much as me. Ostertag is a talented writer and illustrator, and this might be my favorite of her books.
The Deep Dark By Molly Knox Ostertag Scholastic GRAPHIX, 2024 ISBN: 9781338840001
Publisher Age Rating: 14 and up
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Lesbian, Character Representation: Latinx, Lesbian, Trans,
“When you asked if you were bipolar, she was looking for a wolf, so she wasn’t going to find a fox.”
In her graphic memoir, A Fox in My Brain, Lou Lubie explores her experience with and diagnosis of cyclothymia bipolar disorder. After a depressive episode in high school, Lubie experienced drastic and confusing shifts in mood and energy. Therapists and others in her life often dismissed her concerns about her depression, saying that she was too young to be really depressed and that it will pass on its own. It was years before therapists took her concerns seriously, and she was able to find treatments and medications to help reign in the fox in her brain.
It would be difficult to discuss the illustrations and story separately. Lubie illustrates the book in a palette limited to shades of bright orange and gray. The simplified palate and illustrations help to highlight the personification of her shifts in mood and energy. Some of my favorite personifications are early in her depression, with swallowed pills dispersing a shadow of depression and in another depressive roots clinging to her while she attempts to pull it out. As the story progresses, her depression is more often illustrated as a menacing shadow with sharp eyes and teeth bearing down on her. It isn’t until a therapist starts to ask about her non-depressive moods when she is full of energy and feels invincible, that an orange fox starts to peep into the illustrations.
After talking with the therapists and a little digging on the internet, she came across the term cyclothymia, a temperament characterized by mood swings. It is at this point that she notices the fox in her brain. A mischievous (sometimes cute) creature with a dark side. Cyclothymia isn’t a disorder, but can become one when fed with stress, exhaustion, trauma, and in Lubie’s case, possibly antidepressants (which can trigger manic episodes). When classified as a disorder, it is considered a lesser form of Bipolar I or II. In the book at one point, she describes it as Bipolar II ½. Rather than the extreme and often long-lasting shifts of Bipolar I and II, bipolarity with cyclothymia is characterized by more frequent shifts. The moods exceed the typical, and can sometimes be triggered more easily than those with more drastic bipolar disorders.
Lubie’s diagnosis brought about insights into herself and her relationships with others, including friends and her boyfriend. Naming the fox in her brain, also aided in her ability to manage it. She began to see and acknowledge that the fox was there, and learned to feed it with moments of novelty while also keeping it on a leash. Cognitive Behavior Therapy combined with medication gave her back control of her life. Interspersed throughout her story are informative asides about the nature of depression, bipolarity, cyclothymia, and associated treatments, and she ends the book with letters from others experiencing this condition, offering her advice and validation.
There were a few frustrating moments in her informational asides with some fatphobia. While concerning, I think that the book as a whole is so powerful, well-written, and potentially validating, I can forgive those missteps. I am not a therapist, nor do I have a bipolar diagnosis, so I can’t speak directly to the accuracy of the information about the disorder and management. According to a letter in the end pages, she wrote this under the supervision of a therapist, to help provide the best information about cyclothymia bipolar disorder. She also notes that this book cannot take the place of a diagnosis or advice from a licensed therapist or psychiatrist.
Lubie suffers from suicidal ideation and is at one point voluntarily hospitalized for it. She personifies her suicidal thoughts through conversations with the grim reaper in the shadowy depths of a body of water. This could be triggering for some, and definitely worth noting when considering for purchase. However, I think it is a great exploration of a difficult topic, written in a way that is informative to anyone with or without bipolar disorders, and validating for those who do. This will be purchased for my high school collection, and I believe that many students will resonate with a story about struggling to identify and manage mental health.
A Fox in My Brain By Lou Lubie FairSquare Comics, 2024 ISBN: 9781960171108
Publisher Age Rating: 13-18 NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16)
Creator Representation: French, Bipolar Character Representation: French, Bipolar
“I wondered why I suddenly needed a manual for understanding my friend.”
In But You HaveFriends, Emilia McKenzie uses short anecdotes told in comic format to tell the story of a friendship. After frequent moves as a young child, Emilia struggled to fit in and find friends, until she met C. Their friendship blossomed into a deep connection lasting nearly 20 years, until C’s death by suicide in 2018. This memoir is McKenzie’s attempt to process the friendship, C’s death, and her grief.
Emlia and C (Charlotte) met when avoiding lunch during year 10. This friendship felt different from the beginning. Other relationships felt surface level, but C and Emilia were able to talk about deeper issues in their lives, like their emotions and mental health (even when they didn’t quite have the vocabulary to understand it). It was, “just the two of us against the world.”
Long-lasting friendships evolve over time, especially those with foundations in your adolescence. C and Emlia were separated by distance in uni, and their relationship to each other changed, but not in importance. Though only occasionally together, they still found depth in each other without judgment.
C’s mental health issues became more severe while at uni. Eventually, she was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. After uni, from Emlia’s perspective, C’s mental health ebbs and flows, with a sharp decline in the few years preceding her death.
The book is not McKenzie’s attempt to share C’s life story or to educate anyone about mental health and suicide. It is about friendship. As C’s mental health deteriorates, Emelia makes every attempt to be there as a friend. However mental health is personal and difficult to understand from an outside perspective.
I, fortunately, have not lost a loved one to suicide, but I have had close friends and loved ones deal with severe mental health episodes. This book resonated with me. Some people who shower love onto friends with ease and no judgment are often those same people struggling to find peace for themselves.
McKenzie’s illustrations are hand-drawn with light purple shading (C’s favorite color). Emotion, emphasis, and even age are depicted through simple lines on the face or in the panel. Even the text is handwritten. It is more reminiscent of a diary than a polished published comic. It mirrors the writing, which focuses more on relationships and the emotional response, rather than a cohesive story. The effect is disarmingly intimate. And despite every attempt to appear professional at my desk at work, I felt tears in my eyes throughout the last half of the book. The story affected me more than I realized it would, and I anticipate many others will feel similarly.
But You Have Friends is a tender exploration of friendship, love, and grief. The book is published for an adult audience. It is from the point of view of an adult looking back at the journey of a friendship, and many adult readers will find resonance or parallels with their own relationships. I will be purchasing it for my high school’s collection, as I think many teens will also appreciate a touching memoir about friendship and mental health.
But You Have Friends By Emilia McKenzie Top Shelf, 2023 ISBN: 9781603095273
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
Character Representation: Borderline Personality Disorder
In Layers: a Memoir, Pénélope Bagieu, the author and illustrator of the Eisner-winning book Brazen, explores the complexities of her youth with grace and wit. As adults, it is often tempting to view our past through a lens of cynicism or jest, especially when recounting embarrassing fumbles or difficult mistakes. However Bagieu cares for her younger self with respect, and in doing so she also respects the mistakes and fumbles of her young readers.
The book opens with the story of a beloved pet cat. The story is told with wit and humor, and some tears. You can’t share stories of childhood pets without tears, but it is a strong opening to a book that explores the complex spectrum of emotions associated with relationships and moments from our youth.
I think the intended teen audience will appreciate the emotional honesty of Bagieu’s work. Some of the memoir focuses on her days as a teen or in high school, but much of it follows her life in and just after university. It explores the awkward growing pains of this time, with a sense of pride for her younger self.
The memoir is split into chapters. They might better be characterized as comic essays, each one exploring a different theme or relationship. The stories are based on diary entries from Bagieu’s youth and range from lighter moments recounting some embarrassing story from her past to darker depths related to sexual assault and broken relationships.
In a few chapters, she illustrates difficult moments from her teen years paralleled against devastatingly similar ones from her life as a young adult. Literally paralleled. The stories from high school on the left side of the page, while the ones from her 20s on the right. It is a poignant choice to connect themes that are recurring elements in the lives of many young women who may read this memoir.
The handling of sexual topics is well done. It is a sex-positive book that does not use sex as a cautionary tale but does accurately portray the ways that young adults must navigate it. In one scene a nurse at a Planned Parenthood gives Bagieu advice on sexual health. In that essay, she notes how eternally grateful she was as a teenager to get clear and honest advice about sex from an adult. At a moment that for many may be filled with shame and embarrassment, she was treated with respect and care. I believe that Bagieu holds the same level of respect and care to her younger readers in the way she discusses sex in the book.
The hand-drawn black and white illustrations are not crisp and clean. The style isn’t dissimilar from her work in Brazen. But unlike in Brazen, she took away the color and added some chaos to the lines. When we look back on the chaotic time in our own lives in the transition from teen to adult, this stylistic choice is incredibly appropriate. Black and white pictures, with harried lines, are also reminiscent of the thoughts (sometimes in words and sometimes through pictures) scribbled into the diaries of young people.
Many adults, when imparting learned wisdom to the younger generation, condescend and/or tell their stories through rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia and focus on the lessons. However, despite telling stories from 20 years ago, these essays feel fresh and relevant to today’s teens. She does not organize the chapters on passed-on lessons, rather she focuses on honest snippets of her life. The moments of struggle juxtaposed against levity are honest and refreshing.
I think it is a strong choice for collections serving teens, and I think many young people will see themselves in the pages of the book.
Layers was originally published in France in 2021, and has been translated to English by Montana Kane.
Layer A memoir Vol. By Pénélope Bagieu, Montana Kane, , Macmillan First Second, 2023 ISBN: 9781250873736
Publisher Age Rating: 14-18
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: French,
Things in the Basement, written and illustrated by Ben Hatke, is a heroic journey through the depths of a basement on a quest to find a lost sock. Milo is in a new house. Well, the house isn’t new. It is old and filled with mysteries and adventure, and Milo is ready to explore in the shadow of moving boxes. However, while busy with twin infant sisters, Milo’s mother needs help finding a lost pink sock, made by his Tia Maria for his sister Lucy. He has been called for a quest, and heroes must answer the call.
Milo ventures into the basement, reluctantly peering into shadows and around corners, until he finds the sock in the mouth of a rat. When the rat disappears into a wall, Milo must follow. In his quest to find the rat and the sock, Milo uncovers unknown depths to his basement, monsters, mountains of socks, and some friends along the way.
The story is a classic hero’s journey into the underworld from the point of view of a child. It is abundantly clear that Hatke respects that point of view, and I think because of that many children will find themselves in Milo and in the story. The plot follows a child-like logic without being demeaning or using it as a punchline. The levels of the basement underworld unfold in the way pretend play with an adventurous child does, with something akin to the “yes, and…” improvisational structure. Turn the corner, embrace the unknown, and move forward bravely. Above all else, a sock must be found.
I always appreciate stories of children who waste little or no time in confusion when falling into a new magical world. There is no need to put up a pretense that this isn’t the exact type of world a boy like Milo could imagine for his basement. He befriends a large eyeball with tentacles instead of a body and a skull that talks in simple images, because why would he not. They were perfectly friendly, and as we all know, heroes need support on their quests.
Hatke’s illustrations perfectly blend the strange, dark, and unusual with enough whimsy to ease the imaginations of his young readers. Most of the book pages have monotone color palettes ranging from sepias to some blue and green. There are occasional pops of intense color for menacing green ooze and Lucy’s lost pink sock. The palette evokes the feeling of epic adventures. It also gives room for the strange details of each basement level to remain in the background, available for those interested in looking with a closer eye, but without taking attention from the story at hand.
Milo is Latino with brown skin, but overall his illustration lacks detail. He has a mop of tousled hair that obscures his eyes. The absence of great detail leaves room for children who want to see their face on Milo’s. Without eyes, we follow Milo’s emotion through his posture and movements. Hatke also has to be similarly creative with other important side characters, such as the skull and the eye, or a shepherd with a bell for a face. For young readers to have empathy for the strange and unknown, there must be some level of familiarity. Hatke accomplishes this balance of making the strange familiar through the character’s emotions, often without the ability to rely on facial expressions. It is a tightrope to walk as an illustrator, but one that Hatke clearly masters.
Things in the Basement made me smile, laugh, and feel all sorts of warm fuzzy feelings. It includes themes of friendship and kindness, but isn’t overtly didactic, and is funny without mocking. It’s a journey with child-sized epic proportions. I highly recommend it for elementary and other graphic novel collections for young and middle grade readers. I truly think children will love this story, along with those of us adults who appreciate authors who understand childhood.
Things in the Basement By Ben Hatke Macmillan First Second, 2023 ISBN: 9781250836618
Publisher Age Rating: 6-9 Series ISBNs and Order Related media:
Garvey’s Choice joins a long line of books adapted as a graphic novel. The original Garvey’s Choice is a novel in verse by Nikki Grimes. Garvey struggles to connect with his dad, who expects him to be someone who he is not. It is told in a series of poems in the Japanese Tanka style. The book which came out in 2016 has been popular with middle grade readers, for good reason. It’s a heartwarming story about finding your voice, and the poetry of Nikki Grimes is poignant and deep while using few words.. I am a huge fan of her writing, and was excited to read this book.
Garvey is a young black boy in a larger body. He loves science fiction, space, and reading, however, his father wants him to play sports. The relationship between father and son is strained. They have a difficult time relating to each other, and in general Garvey struggles with feelings of isolation and loneliness. Over the course of the book, Garvey finds his voice through music, with his friends, and eventually with his family.
The Tanka style is discussed in an author note at the end of both the original book and the graphic novel. It is a format that originated in Japan. Each poem is five lines long, with specific syllable patterns, however, Grimes does not follow the syllable counts exactly. The poetry style which focuses on mood and emotion, fits Garvey’s character arc on his journey to find himself.
Theodore Taylor III illustrates the graphic novel in a bright cartoonish style, similar to that of Jerry Craft’s New Kid. The graphic novel illustrates the characters, plot, and poetic metaphors from the original book, but doesn’t necessarily add much depth to the mood or themes. The best parts of the graphic novel are from the poetry text. And while, I do not think the illustrated format adds much to the story, I do think it is a great purchase for elementary collections, because of the illustrations. Poetry can be an intimidating format for some readers. In condensing text to verse, some context must be implied rather than stated, which can be confusing for some. By illustrating the entire text through the graphic novel format, that context is no longer implied but clearly shown, which can provide a strong scaffold for some readers.
The graphic novel text is fairly similar to Grime’s original verse. There are times that the wording of the poems is adjusted, and they switch up the order of some poems, but for the most part, the text of the graphic novel is very consistent with the book. Lines from the poems are turned into speech bubbles or as narration on the page. Some of the poems are told over the course of a two-page spread, sometimes multiple poems share the spread, but most are confined to one page. The illustrated metaphors add weight to Garvey’s emotional journey.
Notably, a large part of the novel explores Garvey’s relationship with his weight, which is also a source of contention with his dad. But Garvey isn’t illustrated with a body size that is noticeably larger than other characters. He is round, but so is everyone else. I think this is a missed opportunity for body representation.
While not perfect, I think the graphic novel Garvey’s Choice is a strong purchase for elementary collections, especially if novels in verse or books by Grimes are used in the curriculum. In such cases, this graphic novel adaptation could be a good supplement. Either way, Garvey’s Choice is an excellent book and story, whether you read it in the original format or as a graphic novel.
Garvey’s Choice Vol. By Nikki Grimes Art by Theodore Taylor III Wordsong, Astra Publishing House, 2023 ISBN: 9781662660085
Publisher Age Rating: 9-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11) Creator Representation: Black, Character Representation: Black,
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Grimes. Garvey struggles to connect with his dad, who expects him to be someone who he is not. It is told in a series of poems in the Japanese Tanka style. The book which came out in 2016 has been popular with middle grade readers, for good reason. It’s a heartwarming story about finding your voice, and the poetry of Nikki Grimes is poignant and deep while using few words.. I am a huge fan of her writing, and was excited to read this book.
