ALA: Core titles list

The Good Comics for Kids team was at the American Library Association meeting in Washington, DC, last weekend, and on Sunday, June 27, we presented a panel titled “Good Comics for Kids.” I’m happy to say that over 100 people attended the hour-and-a-half session and the vast majority stayed until the last question was answered. We handed out a list of core titles at the presentation, and at the request of several people, we are posting them here as well. We have added ISBNs for some titles for your convenience.

CORE TITLES LIST

Grades K-2
Non-Fiction

Western Comics
The Adventures of Polo, by Regis Faller. 9781596431607 (Roaring Brook) $17.95
Benny and Penny series by Geoffrey Hayes. (Toon Books) $12.95/each
—Benny and Penny in Just Pretend. 9780979923807
—Benny and Penny in The Big No-No. 9780979923890
—Benny and Penny in The Toy Breaker. 9781935179078
Binky the Space Cat series by Ashley Spires. (Kids Can Press) $16.95
—Binky the Space Cat. 9781554533091
—Binky to the Rescue. 9781554535026
Captain Raptor series by Kevin O’Malley and Patrick O’Brien. (Walker) $16.95/each
—Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery. 9780802789358
—Captain Raptor and the Space Pirates. 9780802795717
Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye series by Colleen A.F. Venable and Stephanie Yue. (Lerner/Graphic Universe) $27.93/each
—Hamster and Cheese. 9780761345985
Johnny Boo series by James Kochalka. (Top Shelf) $9.95/each
—The Best Little Ghost in the World. 9781603090131
—Twinkle Power. 9781603090155
—Happy Apples. 9781603090414
—The Mean Little Boy. 9781603090599
Korgi series by Christian Slade. (Top Shelf) $10.00/each
—Sprouting Wings. 9781891830907
—The Cosmic Collector. 9781603090100
Little Mouse Gets Ready by Jeff Smith. 9781935179016 (Toon Books) $12.95
Long Tail Kitty by Lark Pien. 9781934706442 (Blue Apple) $14.99
Luke on the Loose by Harry Bliss. 9781935179009 (Toon Books) 12.95
Mr. Badger and Mrs. Fox: The Meeting by Brigitte Luciani and Eve Tharlet. 9780761356257 (Lerner/Graphic Universe) $25.26
Owly series by Andy Runton. (Top Shelf) $10.00/each
—The Way Home and the Bittersweet Summer. 9781891830624
—Just a Little Blue. 9781891830648
—Flying Lessons. 9781891830761
—A Time to Be Brave. 9781891830891
—Tiny Tales. 9781603090193
Sam & Friends Mystery series by Mary Labatt. (Kids Can Press) $16.95/each
—Dracula Madness. 9781554534180
—Lake Monster Mix-Up. 9781553378228
—Mummy Mayhem. 9781554534708
Seadogs: An Epic Ocean Operetta by Lisa Wheeler and Mark Siegel. 9780689856891 (Aladdin) $17.95
Stinky by Eleanor Davis. 9780979923845 (Toon Books) $12.95
There’s a Wolf at the Door by Zoe Alley and R. W. Alley. 9781596432758 (Roaring Brook) $19.99
The Three Little Pigs by David Wiesner. 9780618007011 (Clarion) $16.00

Manga
The Big Adventures of Majoko by Tomomi Mizuna. Volumes 1-5 of 5 available in English. (Udon)
Fairy Idol Kanon by Mera Hakamada. Volumes 1-4 of 4 available in English. (Udon)
Ninja Baseball Kyuma by Shunshin Maeda. Volumes 1-3 of 3 available in English. (Udon)
Swans in Space by Lun Lun Yamamoto. Volumes 1-3 of 3 available in English. (Udon)

Hybrids

Grades 3-5
Non-Fiction
Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles into Comics by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost. 9781596433694 (First Second) $12.99
Amazing Greek Myths of Wonders and Blunders by Michael Townsend. 9780803733084 (Dial) $14.99
Max Axiom, Super Scientist series. 22 volumes. (Capstone) $20.99/each
No Girls Allowed: tales of daring women dressed as men for love, freedom, and adventure by Susan Hughes and Willow Dawson. 9781554531783 (Kids Can Press) $8.95
Tail-End Charlie by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom. 9781845076511 (Frances Lincoln) $16.95
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis. 9780374347017 (Farrar Straus Giroux) $18.00

Western Comics
The Adventures of Daniel Boom aka Loud Boy series by D.J. Steinberg and Brian Smith. (Grosset & Dunlap) $6.99/each
—Sound Off! 9780448446981
—Mac Attack! 9780448446998
—Game On! 9780448447001
—Grow Up! 9780448447018
The Adventures of Tintin series by Herge. 22 volumes. (Little Brown)
Alison Dare series by J. Torres and J. Bone. (Tundra) $12.99/each
—Little Miss Adventures. 9780887769344
—Heart of the Maiden. 9780887769351
Amelia Rules series by Jimmy Gownley. (Simon and Schuster) $10.99/each
—The Whole World’s Crazy. 9781416986041
—What Makes You Happy. 9781416986058
—Superheroes. 9781416986065
—When the Past is a Present. 9781416986072
—The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular. 9781416986089
Archie & Friends All Stars series. (Archie) $9.95/each
—Veronica’s Passport. 9781879794436
—The Best of Betty’s Diary. 9781879794467
—The Cartoon Life of Chuck Clayton. 9781879794481
—Betty & Veronica’s Beach Party. 9781879794504
—Archie’s Haunted House. 9781879794528
Asterix series by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. 34 volumes. (Orion)
Babymouse series by Jennifer Holm and Matt Holm. 12 volumes. (Random House)
Baby-sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin and Raina Telgemeier. (Scholastic)
—Kristy’s Great Idea. 9780439871655
—The Truth About Stacy. 9780439739368
—Mary Anne Saves the Day. 9780439885164
—Claudia and Mean Janine. 9780439885171
Big Fat Little Lit edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly. 9780142407066 (Puffin) $14.99
Bone series by Jeff Smith. 9 volumes. (Scholastic)
The Clouds Above by Jordan Crane. 9781560979098 (Fantagraphics) $16.99
Donald Duck Classics: Quack Up by Carl Barks, et al. 9781608865406 (Boom Kids) $24.99
Ed’s Terrestrials by Scott Christian Sava and Diego Jourdan. 9781600103100 (IDW) $11.99
Elsewhere Chronicles series by Nykko and Bannister. (Lerner) $6.99/each
—The Shadow Door. 9780761339632.
—The Shadow Spies. 9780761344605.
—The Master of Shadows. 9780761344612.
—The Calling. 9780761360698.
Fashion Kitty series by Charise Mericle Harper. (Hyperion)
—Fashion Kitty. 9780786851348. $6.99
—Fashion Kitty versus the Fashion Queen. 9780786837267. $8.99
—Fashion Kitty and the Unlikely Hero. 9780786837274. $8.99
G-Man: Learning to Fly by Chris Giarrusso. 9781607060871 (Image) $9.99
Geronimo Stilton graphic novel series. (Papercutz) $9.99/each
—The Discovery of America. 9781597071581
—The Secret of the Sphinx. 9781597071598
—The Coliseum Con. 9781597071727
—Following the Trail of Marco Polo. 9781597071888
—The Great Ice Age. 9781597072021
Hardy Boys series by Scott Lobdell, Lea Hernandez and Daniel Rendon. 20 volumes. (Papercutz)
Kit Feeny series by Michael Townsend. (Knopf) $5.99/each
—On the Move. 9780375856143
—The Ugly Necklace. 9780375856150
Knights of the Lunch Table series by Frank Cammuso. (Scholastic) $9.99/each
—The Dodgeball Chronicles. 9780439903226
—The Dragon Players. 9780439903233
Little Adventures in Oz series by Eric Shanower. (IDW) $9.99/each **new edition**
–Book One. 9781600105890
–Book Two. 9781600106781
Little Lulu series by Marge Buell. 24 volumes. (Dark Horse)
Little Vampire by Joann Sfar. 9781596432338 (First Second) $13.99
Lunch Lady series by Jarrett Krosoczka. (Knopf) $6.99/each
—Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. 9780375846830
—Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians. 9780375846847
—Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta. 9780375860942
—Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown. 9780375860959
Magic Pickle by Scott Morse. 9780439879958 (Scholastic) $9.99
Magic Trixie series by Jill Thompson. (Harpercollins) $7.99/each
—Magic Trixie. 9780061170454
—Magic Trixie Sleeps Over. 9780061170485
—Magic Trixie and the Dragon. 9780061170508
Meanwhile: pick any path–3,856 story possibilities by Jason Shiga. 9780810984233 (Amulet) $15.95
Missile Mouse: The Star Crusher by Jake Parker. 9780545117159 (Scholastic) $10.99
Nancy Drew series by Stephan Petrucha, Sarah Kinney, and Sho Murase. 20 volumes (Papercutz)
Power Pack: The Kids are All Right. 9780785129158 (Marvel) $24.99
Robot City Adventures series by Paul Collicut. (Templar) $8.99/each
—City in Peril! 9780763641207
—Rust Attack! 9780763645946
Salt Water Taffy series by Matthew Loux. (Oni Press) $5.95/each
—The Legend of Old Salty. 9781932664942
–A Climb Up Mt. Barnabas. 9781934964033
—The Truth about Dr. True. 9781934964040
Sardine in Outer Space series by Joann Sfar and Emmanuel Guibert. 6 volumes. (First Second)
Star Wars Adventures series. (Dark Horse) $7.95/each
—Han Solo and the Hollow Moon of Khorya. 9781595821980
—Princess Leia and the Royal Ransom. 9781595821478
—Luke Skywalker and the Treasure of the Dragonsnakes. 9781595823472
Star Wars Clone Wars Adventures series. 10 volumes. (Dark Horse)
Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade by Landry Q. Walker and Eric Jones. 9781401225063 (DC Comics) $12.99
Tiny Titans series by Art Baltazar and Franco. (DC Comics) $12.99/each
—Welcome to the Treehouse. 9781401220785
—Adventures in Awesomeness. 9781401223281
Tiny Tyrant series by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Parme. (First Second) $9.99/each
—The Ethelbertosaurus. 9781596435100
—The Lucky Winner. 9781596435230
Transformers Animated series. 13 volumes (IDW) $7.99/each
Warriors graphic novel series by Erin Hunter, et al. (TOKYOPOP) $6.99/each
–Volume One. 9780061240614
–Volume Two. 9780061252310
–Volume Three. 9780061252334
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and Skottie Young. 9780785129219 (Marvel) $29.99
The World of Quest series by Jason Kruse. (Yen Press) $9.99/each
–Volume One. 9780759524026
–Volume Two. 9780759528895

Manga
Baron the Cat Returns by Aoi Hiiragi. Volume 1 of 1 available in English. (VIZ)
The Big Adventures of Majoko by Tomomi Mizuna. Volumes 1-5 of 5 available in English. (Udon)
COWA! by Akira Toriyama. Volume 1 of 1 available in English. (VIZ)
Dinosaur Hour by Hitoshi Shioya. Volume 1 of ongoing series available in English. (VIZ)
Dragon Drive by Ken-ichi Sakura. Volumes 1-14 of 14 available in English. (VIZ)
Fairy Idol Kanon by Mera Hakamada. Volumes 1-4 of 4 available in English. (Udon)
Happy Happy Clover by Sayuri Tatsuyama. Volumes 1-5 of 5 available in English. (VIZ)
Leave it to PET by Kenji Sonishi. Volumes 1-4 of 4 available in English. (VIZ)
Ninja Baseball Kyuma by Shunshin Maeda. Volumes 1-3 of 3 available in English. (Udon)
Pokemon Adventures by Hidenori Kusaka. Volumes 1-8 of 10 available in English. (VIZ)
Swans in Space by Lun Lun Yamamoto. Volumes 1-3 of 3 available in English. (Udon)
Yotsuba&! by Azuma Kiyohiko. Volumes 1-8 of ongoing series available in English. (Yen Press)

Hybrids
Amelia’s Notebook series by Marissa Moss. 23 volumes. (Simon and Schuster)
Big Nate in a Class by Himself by Lincoln Peirce. 9780061944345 (Harper Collins) $12.99
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney. (Amulet) $13.95/each
—Diary of a Wimpy Kid. 9780810993136
—Rodrick Rules. 9780810994737
—The Last Straw. 9780810970687
—Dog Days. 9780810983915
Dragonbreath series by Ursula Vernon. (Dial) $12.99/each
—Dragonbreath. 9780803733633
—Attack of the Ninja Frogs. 9780803733657
Ellie McDoodle series by Ruth McNally Barshaw. (Bloomsbury)
—Have Pen, Will Travel. 9781582347455. $11.95
—New Kid in School. 9781599902388. $12.99
Frankie Pickle series by Eric Wight. (Simon and Schuster) $9.99/each
—Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom. 9781416964841
—Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000. 9781416964858
Max Disaster series by Marissa Moss. (Candlewick) $6.99/each
—Alien Eraser to the Rescue. 9780763644079
—Alien Eraser Unravels the Mystery of the Pyramids. 9780763644086
—Alien Eraser Reveals the Secrets of Evolution. 9780763644192
The Popularity Papers: research for the social improvement and general betterment of Lydia Goldblatt & Julie Graham-Chang by Amy Ignatow. 9780810984219 (Amulet) $15.95
Spring-Heeled Jack by Philip Pullman and David Mostyn. 9780440418818 (Yearling) $5.99

Grades 6-8
Non-Fiction
Houdini: the Handcuff King by Jason Lutes and Nick Bertozzi. 9780786839032 (Hyperion) $9.99
Kampung Boy by Lat. 9781596431218 (First Second) $17.95
Olympians series by George O’Connor. (First Second) $9.99/each
—Zeus: King of the Gods. 9781596434318
—Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess. 9781596434325
Satchel Paige : striking out Jim Crow 0786839007 (Hyperion) $16.99
Smile by Raina Telgemeier. 9780545132053 (Scholastic) $21.99
To Dance: a ballerina’s graphic novel by Siena Cherson Siegel and Mark Siegel. 9780689867477 (Atheneum) $17.95

Western Comics
Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean by Sarah Stewart Taylor and Ben Towle. 9781423113379 (Hyperion) $17.99 **historical fiction**
Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi. (Scholastic) $10.99/each
—The Stonekeeper. 9780439846813
—The Stonekeeper’s Curse. 9780439846837
Artemis Fowl graphic novels by Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin and Giovanni Rigano. (Hyperion) $9.99/each
—Artemis Fowl. 9780786848812
—The Arctic Incident. 9781423114079
The Arrival by Shaun Tan. 9780439895293 (Arthur A. Levine) $19.99
Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! by Mike Kunkel and Art Baltazar. 9781401222482 (DC Comics) $12.99
City of Spies by Susan Kim, Laurence Klavan, and Pascal Dizin. 9781596432628 (First Second) $16.99
Courtney Crumrin series by Ted Naifeh. (Oni Press) $11.95/each
—Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things. 9781929998609
—Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics. 9781929998593
—Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom. 9781932664010
—Courtney’s Monstrous Holiday. 9781934964118
Crogan Adventure series by Chris Schweizer. (Oni Press) $14.95/each
—Crogan’s Vengeance. 9781934964064
—Crogan’s March. 9781934964248
A Family Secret by Eric Heuvel. 9780374322717 (Farrar Strauss Giroux) $18.99
Gunnerkrigg Court series by Tom Siddell. (Archaia) $26.95/each
—Orientation. 9781932386349
—Research. 9781932386776
Kaput & Zosky by Lewis Trondheim. 9781596431324 (First Second) $13.95
Laika by Nick Abadzis. 9781596431010 (First Second) $17.95
Little Rock Nine by Marshall Poe and Ellen Lindner. 9781416950660 (Aladdin) $7.99
Mouse Guard series by David Petersen. (Archaia) $24.95/each
—Fall 1152. 9781932386578
—Winter 1152. 9781932386745
Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood by Tony Lee and Sam Hart. 9780763643997 (Candlewick) $21.99
Polly and the Pirates by Ted Naifeh. 9781932664461 (Oni Press) $11.95
Rapunzel’s Revenge series by Shannon and Dean Hale and Nathan Hale. (Bloomsbury)
—Rapunzel’s Revenge. 9781599900704. $18.99
—Calamity Jack. 9781599900766. $19.99
Resistance, book 1 by Carla Jablonski and Leland Purvis. 9781596432918 (First Second) $16.99
Robot Dreams by Sara Varon. 9781596431089 (First Second) $16.99
The Search by Eric Heuvel. 9780374365172 (Farrar Strauss Giroux) $18.99
The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook by Eleanor Davis. 9781599901428 (Bloomsbury) $18.99
Spiral-Bound by Aaron Renier. 9781891830501 (Top Shelf) $14.95
The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan. 9780763636180 (Candlewick) $24.99
Usagi Yojimbo series by Stan Sakai. Volumes 1-7 available from Fantagraphics. Volumes 8-24 available from Dark Horse.
The Wizard’s Tale by Kurt Busiek and David Wenzel. 9781600105951 (IDW) $24.99
Wonderland by Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew. 9781423104513 (Disney) $19.99

Manga
Beet the Vandel Buster by Riku Sanju. Volumes 1-12 of 12 available in English. (VIZ)
Cardcaptor Sakura by CLAMP. Volume 1 of 4 available in English. (Dark Horse)
DragonBall Z by Akira Toriyama. Volumes 1-26 of 26 available in English. (VIZ)
From Far Away by Kyoko Hikawa. Volumes 1-14 of 14 available in English. (VIZ)
Goong: The Royal Palace by Park So Hee Volumes 1-8 of 16 available in English (Yen Press)
Hikaru No Go by Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata. Volumes 1-19 of 23 available in English. (VIZ)
The Prince of Tennis by Takeshi Konomi. Volumes 1-38 of 42 available in English. (VIZ)
Sandland by Akira Toriyama. Volume 1 of 1 available in English. (VIZ)
Sugar Princess: Skating to Win by Hisaya Nakajo. Volumes 1-2 of 2 available in English. (VIZ)
Sugar Sugar Rune by Moyoco Anno. Volumes 1-8 of 8 available in English. (Del Rey)
Ultra Maniac by Wataru Yoshizumi. Volumes 1-5 of 5 available in English. (VIZ)
Whistle! by Daisuke Higuchi. Volumes 1-24 of 24 available in English. (VIZ)

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REVIEW SOURCES AND SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

Booklist
–Review journal of the American Library Association
–Published 22 times per year
–Recommendation only: all titles reviewed in Booklist are recommended for library purchase
–Print subscriptions available for $109.95 for one year

Booklist Online
–Online, subscription version of Booklist magazine
–Subscriptions:
–School libraries: $350/year
–Public libraries: varies by size of library service area, beginning at $425/year
–Individual: $295/year

Comics in the Classroom
–Has lesson plans, news, reviews, web comic links, podcasts, and more

Diamond Bookshelf
–Monthly email available by free subscription
–Has articles, lesson plans, reviews, news, etc.

Good Comics for Kids
—School Library Journal‘s comic book review blog
–Has reviews, roundtable discussions, news articles, links, and more
–Updated almost every day

The Graphic Classroom
–Review blog with extensive and easy to follow information on each title reviewed
–Staff is made up of teachers and librarians

Graphic Novel Reporter
–Website that has reviews, articles, interviews, recommended lists, etc.
–Reviews are broken down by level: kids, teens, adult fiction, adult nonfiction, reference
–Also has email newsletter that comes out every two weeks containing latest information

New York Times Bestseller List
–Three lists: Hardcover Graphic Books, Paperback Graphic Books, and Manga
–Indicates sales from a variety of sources, including bookstores, online stores, and more
–NOT divided by level or reviewed

School Library Journal
–Review journal for librarians and educators who work with children and young adults.
–Also contains articles, news, and more
–Print subscriptions start at $136.99/year
–Website includes blogs, articles, and news

VOYA: Voice of Youth Advocates
–Review journal for librarians and teachers who work with teens (ages 12-18)
–Has reviews, articles, booklists, and more
–Print subscriptions start at $36.95/year
–Website includes articles, booklists, and information about magazine’s contents

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