Tween Comic Club is a place for comic lovers ages 9-14 to discuss what they are reading each month. Here is the latest list of the books we’ve been talking about and that our tween readers recommend! Follow the links to check out a copy for yourself. And don’t forget to join a Tween Comic Club meeting if you would like to learn how you can submit your own recommendations to our feature! We typically meet on the third Tuesday of each month. Find our next meeting on the events calendar.
The Weirn Books, Vol. 1: Be Wary of the Silent Woods by Svetlana Chmakova
Night creatures prowl the town after dark. Ailis and Na’ya are young weirns, witches who have connected astrals. But they still have to go to school, taking a shortcut through the creepy woods. Then Na’ya’s younger brother D’esh goes missing–and his disappearance seems to be connected to the old house in the woods. Can Ailis and her friends defeat an ancient evil before it’s too late? From the author of the Berrybrook Middle School books Awkward, Brave and Crush.
Ms. Krysta says: “Svetlana Chmakova presents another winning book about finding one’s strength and finding one’s friends. Young weirns Ailis and Na’ya do not heed the warning to avoid the silent woods–and then Na’ya’s younger brother goes missing. To save him, the two will have to journey into the woods and work together with their shared enemy, a popular girl who makes fun of them at school. But saving D’esh is more important than any petty grievances and, together, the girls learn that they are more powerful than they realized. A beautifully-illustrated story sure to capture readers’ imaginations.”
Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd
Maggie feels left out. Her parents are preoccupied with preparing for the new baby, and her twin brothers always hang out with each other. Maggie thinks that a new puppy is the answer. There’s just one problem–she’s allergic to anything with fur! How far will Maggie go to get a new pet?
Ms. Krysta says: “Allergic is a sweet coming-of-age story about a girl, Maggie, who does not feel like she quite fits in with her family. Determined to find her own special someone to care about, she decides to get a dog–only to realize that she is severely allergic to anything with fur or feathers. Yikes! Maggie has to overcome her feelings of disappointment, as well as her jealousy of her friends with dogs, before she will find her place. Recommended for fans of Smile, Real Friends and Twins.”
The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill
Greta, a young blacksmith’s apprentice, finds a lost tea dragon in the marketplace. When she returns it to the tea shop, she learns all about the dying art of raising tea dragons and harvesting their leaves for a very special kind of tea. Followed by The Tea Dragon Festival.
The Doctor says: “The Tea Dragon Society is a cute fantasy graphic novel about this magical world where there are creatures called tea dragons. A young, teenaged goblin girl returns a tea dragon to its owner after it’s found lost in the town. Some time after she returns it to its owner, a mystical old dragon who runs a tea shop, she ends up learning how to take care of tea dragons. The artwork is really cute and sweet, and so is the story. It’s a nice relaxing graphic novel for whenever you want to relax and go to a fantasy world.”
Mera: Tidebreaker by Danielle Paige, Ill. by Stephen Byrne
As heir to the throne of Xebel, a colony of Atlantis, Mera is expected to marry a future king. But she has other plans. If she assassinates Arthur Curry, heir to Atlantis, she can free Xebel from Atlantian rule. Complications arise, however, when Mera finds herself falling in love with Arthur instead.
Skylan the Tea Dragon Lover says: “I love this book because of the artistry and the backstory. I love how Danielle Page takes infamous superheroes (or super villains) and creates a unique backstory for them. Like how Mera tries to be like her mother: a brave warrior, queen, and mother.”
Drama by Raina Telgemeier
As part of the stage crew for a middle school theatre production, Callie thought she would be out of the spotlight. But there is plenty of drama backstage as well as the actors and crew fall in love, break it off, and all try to find their happily ever after. From the author of Smile.
Asya B. says: “A school girl named Callie has to run a play. But so much drama happens. One of the cast members goes through a breakup, and someone has a crush one someone who has that same crush. It’s chaos. This book is a 10/10 for me.”
