Fall in Love with Graphic Novels
Fall is finally here, though here in Houston it certainly does not feel like it, yet. But one of the many ways for our young readers to get into the Autumn spirit is by digging into a good graphic novel! The comics in this list, to me, embody that feeling that we may not experience here but of the changing of leaves, the bite of the wind reminding us to think about bundling up, the craving to drink some hot cider and spend the night in reading a great fall feeling book...!
(Authors note: these are all not so scary, keep an eye out for a horror comics for Halloween list soon!)
Over the Garden Wall by Patrick McHale
This title is based on the limited cartoon series on Cartoon Network that aired in 2014 that every fall that no matter what since then, I have to rewatch. Nothing I’ve read or watched captures that feeling of the season like this, with its charming visuals and slightly unsettling cast of characters in the land “over the garden wall” that keeps you wondering after every page while keeping up the laughs along the way. There are several comics and limited titles by Boom! Studios of this property and all of them, the ongoing title, the four issue mini, the graphic novel Distillatoria, and more are all perfect reads for the season!
Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
Author Raina Telgemeier is undoubtedly the master of kid’s graphic novels in her easily recogniseable artstyle and incredibly relatable writing, and Ghosts is no different. In this graphic novel, the main character Catrina and her family are moving to a new city to help her little sister who was born with cycstic fibrosis get treatment and out heroine finds her misgivings about their new home will teach her a new lesson in facing her fears and becoming a protector for her sister as they discover their new home overcome with ghosts as the day of the dead approaches. It’s a touching story with a beautiful moral and a must read!
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
This is truly a harrowing must read for Gaiman fans and fans of the film or any YA reader looking for a completely engrossing book. This graphic novel adapts one of Neil Gaiman’s many masterpieces in Coraline, with it’s heroine coming to grips with taking things for granted and rescuing her family from a horrible monster in the home they’ve just found. I don’t need to tell you how fantastic this read is, with its spine chilling villain and engrossing story but if you haven’t experienced this title before I envy you for reading it the first time!
Gravity Falls Lost Legends by Alex Hirsch
Much like Over the Garden Wall, Gravity Falls is a now timeless cartoon that encapsulates Twin Peaks inspired horror and surreal woodsy Pacific(a) Northwest setting into a kids show but as bizarre as that sounds it does so perfectly. After the practically perfect ending of the show, the showrunner Alex Hirsch has the gang back for four more tales in its eerie town of Gravity Falls for the last time. Though the original story takes place over a summer vacation I can’t help but keep it synonymous with Fall do to the loveable creepiness factor so definitely give it a read!
Mouse Guard Fall 1152 by David Petersen
Mouse Guard is by now, an unrivaled classic. It’s artwork is incredibly rich and poignat and the action is unparalleled. With the title alone you get the idea that this first hardcover in the series takes place in the fall and as the series progresses the seasons change as well. This is definitely the best and first volume to get started and any fan of titles like Bone or Redwall will adore this series!
Hilda by Luke Pearson
Hilda is one of my favorite kids books series, (which recently got a Netflix cartoon adaptation…!) is an adventure comic graphic novel series with the heroine Hilda living and exploring the forest and its magical beings with her best friend and pet Twig and he coziness and fun adventure of it all, you can’t help but wish you were there too!
Spook House by Eric Powell
Eric Powell recently visited Bedrock City earlier this year and while his work will have you thinking of the classic character the Goon and now Hillbilly, his series Spook House is actually G-rated horror comics for kids and its excellent. I scare easily and these are definitely a la scary stories to tell in the dark and of course, well worth the read.
Moonstruck by Grace Ellis and Shae Beagle
This YA graphic novel has all the classic horror monsters in a cute café story focusing on the romance of the main character and the lives of the many, many, many magical creatures residing in their world with a creeping Kitsune villain in the shadows. Its such a charming read for the season I can’t help but recommend for teen readers.
Sheets by Brenna Thummler
This was a Free Comic Book Day offering this year promoting this graphic novel and its wonderful. A lonely young girl working in the family laundry business meets a oung ghost named Wendell and the two have to meet a common ground as the main character Marjorie finds herself and the will to fight to change her situation.
Goosebumps Slappy’s Tales of Horror by R.L. Stine
Nothing is more synonymous with kids horror than Goosebumps. The Graphix graphic novel series is just the way you remember these stories, always with some humor about the situation but still with the chill down your spine. Any Goosebumps fan should have this in their library!
Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Anya’s Ghost deals with a lot of heavy and relatable themes presented in a digestible way in this YA graphic novel. Anya is a Russian-american unpopular lonely girl who befriends a ghost at a bottom of a well and her life gets turned upside down in this eerie mystery book that is an excellent October read!
Courtney Crumrin by Ted Naifeh
Ted Naifeh, along with Raina Telgemeier, is one of the grandmaster of children’s graphic novel literature and Courntey Crumrin upholds that title with its magical misanthropic heroine and her almost Addam’s Family style graphic novel series and is a great read for young readers and adults as well. As always, these are just a few great graphic novels out now that’ll help kids and adult readers get into the soon to be spooky spirit and we have so many more at all six of our Houston area locations!
Written by Bedrock City Contributor: Victoria Flood
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