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.
Victoria S. says: “The Weirn Books, Vol. 1 has amazing illustrations. They make the cartoons look real. Like the grandmother. She is very old, and I can tell by the wrinkles on her face. In cartoon books, that is not used very often, so that is an illustration I really enjoyed.
“The characters are like monsters. Like Ross. He is a werewolf. And Ailis has a crush on him, which is pointed out in the first part of the book, when Jasper broke her window and she had to use a magic seal to fix her window.
“There are also like little demons that help with magic. The demons are like guardians.
“Some supernatural things are happening around town. The source of the supernatural things happening is a boarding school under the school. I recommend this book for readers who like spooky comics.”
Superman: Up in the Sky by Tom King
When aliens kidnap a girl from Earth, Superman goes on a trip across the galaxy to find her. But how far will he go? And is saving one life worth leaving all of Metropolis unprotected?
Mr. Jude says: “It’s a best-of summary for all of the adventures and impossible feats done by Superman. The writing is some of the best in comics. Andy Kubert’s art is an homage to the work of Joe Kubert. It’s the best Superman story to read if you have never read the character before.”
Unfamiliar by Haley Newsome
Kitchen witch Planchette finds out her new house is haunted, and must team up with some of the local witches to exorcize the ghosts.
Ms. Faith says: “This was a cute story, but I didn’t really connect with the illustration style. I will definitely read vol. 2 to find out if Sun can be happy with the way that she looks, if she’ll be able to earn enough money to fix herself, or if she can learn to un-curse herself. Hers was the most interesting story of all of the witch friends. The other characters were solid, too, but not as interesting as Sun. It was a good story, overall. I would recommend it to anyone.”
A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
Dan has always been the good kid in school. He’s also been bullied. So he’s not sure why he’s going on a middle school trip to Europe with a bunch of his classmates who might not even like him that much. But as he experiences new things, he begins to loosen up and let go. And make the memories of a lifetime.
Ms. Krysta says: “Dan Santat recalls the middle school field trip that changed his life in this heartwarming graphic novel. Always the kid who follows the rules, Dan learns to let go and live a little when off to Europe with no parental supervision. Though he even admits in the end material that not all his choices were good ones, A First Time for Everything still manages to capture that feeling of excitement that comes when kids set out on their own and experience emerging independence. An enjoyable coming-of-age story sure to delight the author’s fans.”
Dragon Ball Super by Akira Toriyama
Now that he has defeated Boo, Goku is bored. But Beerus, god of destruction, is traveling from planet to planet in search of entertainment of his own. And he just remembered that, somewhere on Earth, there is a man called the “Super Saiyan God.” Looks like Goku will have something to do, after all.
Alphonso says: “Dragon Ball Super is an amazing manga (and anime) series where almost every 10 pages is some really funny or action-packed fighting scene. The main characters have to fight people from other planets or universes that are easy to beat, or enemies that always have tactics to outsmart or overpower the good guys. They are always trying to destroy the main characters’ home planet. You should check it out! I”m sure you’ll love it.”
Cat & Cat Adventures: Journey into Unibear City by Susie Yi
The Dragon Witch’s magical artifact collection has gone missing, but Squash and Ginny are on the case! But where is all that slime coming from?
Skylan B. says: “The illustrations were so cute! The dialogue is so nice and funny. This is book three in the series. I would also recommend Book 1: The Quest for Snacks and Book 2: The Goblet of Infinity.”
