Paper Girls
As I mentioned previously, graphic novels are in high demand in my classroom. Some of my girl students are getting into them as well when previously it seemed like boys were my target audience. So this week when I had some money from the school budget to spend on books, I ordered several graphic novels.
I tried to specifically look for more graphic novels written by or about people of color so that I could diversify my selection a little bit better and I think I settled on some good ones. I also selected a few with female main characters to round it out as well.
One of the ones I picked was Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Cliff Chiang. Vaughan is known for his comic series Ex Machina, Runaways,and Pride of Baghdad. Chiang is known for illustrations in Wonder Woman and Green Arrow as well as many others. I think that this duo ended up with something absolutely fantastic.
Set in the '80s, Paper Girls is the story of four young girls who all run paper routes. They band together in this male dominated profession and find themselves sucked into a mind-blowing story. Aliens, time-travel, and the end of the world all present themselves as a problem in this graphic novel that the girls must face. Brave girls tackling these supernatural issues all while running their paper route makes for a perfect story.
This definitely reminds me of a Stranger Things style story. Just replace all the boys with girls and you've got it. But I think that it has a lot of unique aspects that don't make it too similar for me. I think that those who enjoy the plucky tag team on television will love this group of teenage girls. I chose this one specifically because all of the main characters are girls. I felt like it was a story that would empower my seventh grade girls and help them realize that there are comic books and graphic novels about them as well. I look forward to seeing them read it.
As mentioned above, I also purchased graphic novels intending to diversify my selection in terms of race as well. It's not explicitly stated but it appears that at least two of the main characters are not white. Having this book in my classroom library gives me hope that my students that find themselves in the minority at our school can read about characters that look like them.
I specifically wanted to praise Chaing for the illustrations in this graphic novel. This book is gorgeous! When I opened the box of books, this is the first one I picked up because it drew me right in. It's colorful and so well drawn. A lot of graphic novels geared toward middle grade and YA students are less detailed or in a more casual style but I loved just staring at these pages because they are immaculate!
As a warning, there is some language and violence in this as well as a young character that smokes (it's the '80s after all) so if those things bother you, this graphic novel is probably not for you. But otherwise, I think anyone who loves graphic novels, YA, diverse characters, and '80s aesthetic will love this book! You can purchase a copy here.
I tried to specifically look for more graphic novels written by or about people of color so that I could diversify my selection a little bit better and I think I settled on some good ones. I also selected a few with female main characters to round it out as well.
Set in the '80s, Paper Girls is the story of four young girls who all run paper routes. They band together in this male dominated profession and find themselves sucked into a mind-blowing story. Aliens, time-travel, and the end of the world all present themselves as a problem in this graphic novel that the girls must face. Brave girls tackling these supernatural issues all while running their paper route makes for a perfect story.
This definitely reminds me of a Stranger Things style story. Just replace all the boys with girls and you've got it. But I think that it has a lot of unique aspects that don't make it too similar for me. I think that those who enjoy the plucky tag team on television will love this group of teenage girls. I chose this one specifically because all of the main characters are girls. I felt like it was a story that would empower my seventh grade girls and help them realize that there are comic books and graphic novels about them as well. I look forward to seeing them read it.
As mentioned above, I also purchased graphic novels intending to diversify my selection in terms of race as well. It's not explicitly stated but it appears that at least two of the main characters are not white. Having this book in my classroom library gives me hope that my students that find themselves in the minority at our school can read about characters that look like them.
I specifically wanted to praise Chaing for the illustrations in this graphic novel. This book is gorgeous! When I opened the box of books, this is the first one I picked up because it drew me right in. It's colorful and so well drawn. A lot of graphic novels geared toward middle grade and YA students are less detailed or in a more casual style but I loved just staring at these pages because they are immaculate!
As a warning, there is some language and violence in this as well as a young character that smokes (it's the '80s after all) so if those things bother you, this graphic novel is probably not for you. But otherwise, I think anyone who loves graphic novels, YA, diverse characters, and '80s aesthetic will love this book! You can purchase a copy here.
Comments