History Comics – Mom Read It

As I continue scaling Mount TBR, I’ve got some good graphic novels to share!

Batcat, by Meggie Ramm, (March 2023, Amulet Books), $13.99, ISBN: 9781419756573

Ages 7-10

Batcat is a round, pink, half-bat and half-cat who lives alone in their oak tree home on Spooky Island. They love mushroom pizza and junk food, video games, and being alone – until the day when a ghost decides to haunt their home. Batcat is besides themselves: the ghost is SO RUDE! The ghost is constantly talking, and commits the cardinal sin of eating Batcat’s ice cream. Fed up, Batcat heads to the Island Witch for a spell to get rid of the ghost, and ends up on a journey for the ingredients to mix up the spell. First, Batcat has to go to the Cavernous Caves, where bats tell Batcat that they aren’t batty enough to be a bat. Then, it’s off to the Whispering Cemetery, where the cats that live there tell Batcat that they’re not committed to being cat enough. Batcat is frustrated and sad: why do they have to be one thing or the other? That’s the whole point of Batcat: it’s perfectly fine to be yourself, and don’t let anyone pressure you into being something you’re not comfortable with. Batcat is a delightful story about embracing our own individuality, delivering a strong, sweet message to readers throughout the story: “The Island Witch was neither a good witch nor a bad witch. She was somewhere in between. Batcat liked that, as they were neither one thing nor another themselves”. This message runs throughout the story, and some readers may notice the bright, vibrant colors running throughout the story map to the colors of the Nonbinary flag. Full of humor and moments of self-awareness and acceptance, Batcat is an adorable story about finding friendship and discovering our place in the world.

Batcat has a starred review from School Library Journal.

History Comics: Rosa Parks & Claudette Colvin: Civil Rights Heroes, by Tracey Baptiste/Illustrated by Shauna J. Grant, (Jan. 2023, First Second), $19.99, ISBN: 9781250174215

Ages 9-13

The History Comics series is another nonfiction graphic novel win. The kids in my library love them, and First Second’s strong author and illustrator teams make for a winning combination of solid writing, pacing, and art. Rosa Parks & Claudette Colvin: Civil Rights Heroes brings Claudette Colvin’s story to the forefront. Most people think that Rosa Parks was the first person to refuse to move to the back of the bus during the Jim Crow South, but 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was actually the first. Narrated in Colvin’s voice, readers get a summation of life during segregation and the seeds of activism planted by her teacher, Mrs. Lawrence, who told her class the unvarnished truth about history: “Are you who theysay you are? Or are youwho you say you are?” The narrative moves into Colvin’s arrest and trial, her civil rights work, and how Parks and Colvin knew one another long before Rosa Parks’s defining moment in Montgomery, which led to the Montgomery bus boycott. While covering history, Baptiste also gives a glimpse into Colvin’s and Parks’s life, providing a look at the people behind the legends. Baptiste, a bestselling middle grade author, knows how to write for her audience and provoke feelings of frustration, anger, and the desire for change. She does not shy away from the ugly side of history, touching on Emmett Till’s violent murder and Recy Taylor’s rape at gunpoint. Grant’s expressive illustrations bring Baptiste’s words to life and keep readers engaged. Afterwords from Baptiste and Grant complete the back matter. An essential addition to civil rights, social justice, and graphic novel nonfiction collections.

The Zinn Education Project has webpages dedicated to Colvin, including a Day in History link to March 2, 1955, when she refused to give up her bus seat, with links to more resources. There is a wealth of information on the Montgomery Bus Boycott, including History.com, Encyclopedia Britannica, the National Women’s History Museum, and the Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Codex Black (Book One): A Fire Among Clouds, by Camilo Moncada Lozano, (Apr. 2023, IDW Publishing), $16.99, ISBN: 9781684059591

Ages 12+

Set in 15th century Mesoamerica, the first book in the Codex Black series is an adventure bringing together Donají, a teen Zapotec girl who sets out on a journey to find her father, and Itzcacalotl, a teen Mexica warrior, who happens to have wings. Together, along with the god that lives inside Donají’s poncho, the two face monsters and defend villages, while trying to solve the mystery behind Donají’s father’s disappearance. Originally a webcomic on Tapas, Codex Black: A Fire Among Clouds makes a seamless transition to graphic novel. Lozano weaves a hero/heroine’s journey with fantastic and historical elements, rich in pre-Columbian history. The vibrant artwork, the expressive characters, the historical clothing, and cultural details are all breathtaking. Perfect for middle school into high school readers, this is what to hand your readers that have moved beyond (but never away from) Rick Riordan and Rick Riordan Presents adventures.

Want to learn more about the differences between Webtoons and Tapas? Check out this helpful article. Teachers Pay Teachers has some good resources for Mesoamerican studies, too: Tony the Tourist has reading passages; Teaching to the Middle has passages on Mayan religions; Mama Made Resources has reading comprehension on the Olmecs; Carroll’s Curations has a Mesoamerican Overview presentation on Powerpoint, and SimplyKristalClear has a Mesoamerican Geography document.

What Happens Next?: Talent Show Troubles, by Jess Smart Smiley, (Apr. 2023, First Second), $12.99, ISBN: 9781250889263

Ages 7-10

The Choose Your Own Adventure model works so well with this funny graphic novel about Megan, a tween targeted by seagulls and determined to do her part in making the school talent show a success. As readers make choices throughout the story, they’ll encounter dogs pooping backstage, a sick stage manager (or is it more?) and a wanted bandit – and that’s just a few of the wacky events in store for readers. Each turn of the page brings new decisions and consequences; there are over 100 paths and 29 endings available, meaning a LOT of re-reads in this book’s future. Bold cartoon art and hilarious dialogue makes this a graphic novel that readers are going to enjoy the first time and the hundredth time. What Happens Next?: Science Fair Frenzy just hit shelves in June, so pair them up. Booktalk this one to your storytellers who enjoy having some control over the outcome of a story.

Jess Smart Smiley’s webpage has links to events, animated stickers, and info on joining his First Readers Club, where readers can read his newest books for free while giving him feedback.

More to come!

Count this as a subset of my running Books From Quarantine posts. I’ve been stressed out thinking about my second grader, soon to be rising third grader, this summer, when half of his school year has consisted of less homeschooling than crisis management. I want to find things for my kiddo to read and enjoy that give him a little bit of each of his subjects, you know? I know you know. So consider these Summer’s Cool posts as my way of sharing some bookish and Web-ish things I find along my way. Today, I’m talking History Comics, a new nonfiction graphic novel series from First Second; the imprint we know and love that’s given us Science Comics and Secret Coders.

The Roanoke Colony: America’s First Mystery (History Comics), by Chris Schweizer, (June 2020, First Second), $19.99, ISBN: 9781250174345

Ages 8-13

Before the pilgrims set foot on Plymouth Rock; before Captain John Smith landed at Jamestown, the first English settlers arrived in what we now call the United States, on Roanoke Island. Colony governor John White returned to England to get supplies for the colony, but we delayed for three years. When he returned, the colony was abandoned; the settlers, gone. No trace. It’s one of the biggest mysteries in American history, and Chris Schweizer investigates in this History Comic.

Similar in format to Science Comics, we get two guides through the story: in this case, Wanchese a Roanoke Indian, and Manteo, a Croatan chief, inspired by the actual Native Americans who met with the settlers and Sir Walter Raleigh in the earliest days of the settlement. At once a history of the Roanoke Colony and the politics behind its settlement and a discussion of Native Americans and the settlers’ condescending treatment of them from the beginning, The Roanoke Colony is an historical mystery filled with explorers, pirates, jealous queens, shady businessmen, and a brewing war. Very readable and with cartoon-realistic illustrations, this will enchant a new generation of budding historians the same way In Search Of pulled me in when I was a kid. The book examines theories, some plausible and some… well, out there, that persist as people try to work out what happened to the colonists at Roanoke. An afterword from the author on what we know about Roanoke includes a discussion of primary and secondary sources: hugely helpful when working on research reports!

For more information about Roanoke, check out The First Colony Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to research and public education. Education site Ducksters has a unit on the Roanoke Colony. And DreamWorks TV has a YouTube channel, Peacock Kids, that’s also published a Roanoke mystery video.

The Great Chicago Fire: Rising from the Ashes (History Comics), by Kate Hannigan/Illustrated by Alexandra Graudins, (June 2020, First Second), $19.99, ISBN: 9781250174253

Ages 8-13

In October of 1871, a fire started in the city of Chicago and burned for two days, destroying homes, taking lives, and causing millions of dollars in damage. It’s become a moment in history and an American legend. The story of the Chicago Fire is told here, through the points of view of two siblings, Franny and John Patrick (JP), as they search for their parents in the midst of the fire and the chaos that erupts. It was a disaster that made an urban legend out of a woman named Catherine O’Leary: the fire began about 10 blocks from her home, leading anti-Irish residents to lay the blame on her and her cow; stories ranged from the cow kicking over a bucket while being milked to one of O’Leary’s renters hosting a drunken party which resulted in a lantern being knocked over. These theories, and more plausible ones are covered here, as Franny’s and JP’s story progresses.

Back matter includes a timeline of the fire, a map of spots mentioned in the story, a section dedicated to fire sites to visit in Chicago, a list of fast facts, and a bibliography and resources for further reading. Rising From the Ashes is a comprehensive, thrilling retelling of a major moment in American history.

For more Great Chicago Fire resources, point your browser to The Great Chicago Fire and The Web of Memory, a joint project with the Chicago History Museum and Northwestern University Information Technology (NUIT) Department of Academic and Research Technologies (A&RT), and supported by the Guild of the Chicago History Museum. It’s got a wealth of information, including stories from eyewitnesses, image galleries, songs inspired by the fire, and excerpts from media and personal correspondence. The History Channel has a section about the fire; Smithsonian magazine has an article on the Mrs. O’Leary myth; education site Ducksters.com has a section on the fire, and so does Kids Britannica.

Booktalk these to your I Survived readers – they will eat these up (especially with I Survived graphic novels also hitting shelves). There is an I Survived the Great Chicago Fire chapter book available, so make sure to have a copy handy (cross-promotion is everything)!

Tag: History Comics

Summer School? Summer’s Cool! Books to read with your kids this summer: History Comics