Links: ‘Drama’ Among the Most Challenged Books—Again

The American Library Association released its list of the 10 most challenged books of 2017 last week, and this year, there was only one graphic novel: Raina Telgemeier’s Drama, which has become sort of a perennial. Some important takeaways from this year’s list is that more than ever, books for children and teens are being challenged, and that in many cases administrators are pre-emptively removing books in an attempt to avoid controversy. There’s more at the above link, including some downloadable graphics, and in the ALA’s State of America’s Libraries 2018 report.

More Lumberjanes! BOOM! studios has announced an original Lumberjanes graphic novel, Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass. Here’s the executive summary:

Eisner Award-nominated writer Lilah Sturges (Jack of Fables, Justice Society of America) and rising-star artist polterink present an all-new story in Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s camp for Hardcore Lady-Types when Mal, Ripley, Molly, April & Jo become separated during an orienteering outing thanks to a mysterious compass. While Molly begins to feel more and more insecure about the effect of her relationship with Mal on the other girls, a lonely woman explorer is trying to steal the compass…with the help of some weirdly polite automaton butlers, of course.

In other news…

• George Gene Gustines talks to Peter Tomasi and Sara DuVall about their graphic novel The Bridge, the story of the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, which is out this week.
• Black Panther: World of Wakanda, by Roxane Gay and Ta-Nehisi Coates, has won the 2018 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book.
• DC’s new comics lines, DC Zoom (for middle-grade readers) and DC Ink (YA) will not launch until sometime next year, the publisher announced at the Diamond Summit immediately preceding C2E2.
• Wendy and Richard Pini are celebrating the 40th anniversary of Elfquest by going on the Forty Years of Pointed Ears Tour.

Reviews

At the Bookends blog, Terry Hong rounds up some graphic novels for middle-grade and YA readers—some new, some not so new, but all worth a read.

Megan Rupe on The Altered History of Willow Sparks (No Flying, No Tights)
Jen Hubert on Brazen! Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World (Reading Rants)
Johanna Draper Carlson on Dead Weight: Murder at Camp Bloom (Comics Worth Reading)
Renata Sancken on Diary of a Reluctant Dreamer: Undocumented Vignettes from a Pre-American Life (No Flying, No Tights)
Andrew Wheeler on Lewis and Clark (ComicMix)
Stergios Botzakis on March: Book Three (Graphic Novel Resources)
Stergios Botzakis on Peter and Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths (Graphic Novel Resources)
Johanna Draper Carlson on several Phoebe and Her Unicorn books (Comics Worth Reading)
Stergios Botzakis on Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter (Graphic Novel Resources)
Mexi Gremillion on Scales & Scoundrels #8 (Comicosity)
Stergios Botzakis on Science Comics: Robots & Drones (Graphic Novel Resources)
Darcy Forrester on the latest issue of Shonen Jump (Multiversity Comics)
Spokhette on Sonic the Hedgehog #1 (Comicosity)
Sarah Stevenson on Soupy Leaves Home (Finding Wonderland)
Sarah Stevenson on Suee and the Shadow (Finding Wonderland)
A Library Girl on vols. 2 and 3 of Yukarism (A Library Girl’s Familiar Diversions)

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