Comics and Graphic Novels: New Releases in November 2021

Hey Kids! Wellington City Libraries has some new children’s comics and graphic novels this month to keep you amused just in time for Summer. So what are you waiting for? Come on down to your local branch and borrow the following:

image courtesy of syndeticsThe Smurfs tales. 1.

“On the occasion of the all-new animated TV series starting on Nick this September, an all-new series of Smurfs graphic novels! The Smurfs are back in new stories in English for the first time! First, when Papa Smurf’s stork gets wounded in a storm, he must rely on the kindness of a local farmer to nurse the stork back to flying condition. A different kind of storm arrives in the shape of Johnny, the nephew of the farmer. The boy is as aggressive as his uncle is friendly. Making his way to the Smurfs Village, Johnny leaves a path of destruction in his wake, putting the whole village in jeopardy…” (Adapted from Catalogue)

image courtesy of syndeticsMaking friends. [3], Third time’s a charm.

“Dany’s sketchbook is at it again, but this time it’s not Dany’s doing! Dany and Madison are living a new reality. Rather than best friends, the pair now believe they are twins — and that isn’t the only part of their lives that has been completely rewritten. […] Can the pair put things back the way they were, or is this magic beyond their control?” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Also available as an eBook.

image courtesy of syndeticsCat & cat. 4, Scaredy cat.

“After a long day of chasing around Sushi the cat, paying attention to Sushi the cat, and catering to Sushi the cat’s every whim, Sushi’s owner Cat and her dad get exhausted. But you did know that cats are nocturnal, right? And when Cat and her dad are away, sleeping, Sushi the cat will play… ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

image courtesy of syndeticsGrumpy monkey. 1, Freshly squeezed.

“Jim Panzee is out for his usual Wednesday walk when he accidentally squishes his stress orange into orange juice. He and his friends must cross the jungle before all of the fresh oranges are gone” (Catalogue)

image courtesy of syndeticsCity of Dragons: The Awakening Storm.

“When Grace moves to Hong Kong with her mom and new stepdad, her biggest concern is making friends at her fancy new boarding school. But when a mysterious old woman gifts her a dragon egg during a field trip, Grace discovers that the wonderful stories of dragons she heard when she was a young girl might actually be real – especially when the egg hatches overnight. The dragon has immense powers that Grace doesn’t understand. And that puts them both in danger from mysterious forces intent on abusing the dragon’s power.” (Catalogue)

image courtesy of syndeticsThe Baby-sitters Club. 10, Kristy and the snobs.

“This graphic novel adapted by rising cartoonist Chan Chau is now available in full colour! Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey are best friends and founding members of The Babysitters Club. Whatever comes up, you can count on them to save the day. Kristy’s family moves to a new neighborhood where the kids make fun of Louie, Kristy’s pet collie, who’s going blind. The Baby-sitters are not going to let them get away with it.” (Catalogue)

image courtesy of syndeticsSunny makes a splash.

“It’s summer, and Sunny is BORED. Most of her friends are out of town. Her mom wants her to baby-sit way more than Sunny wants to baby-sit. There’s nothing good on TV. The only place that’s cool (in a not-boring sense) and cool (in a not-hot sense) is the community pool. Sunny loves going there . . . and loves it even more when she’s offered a job at the snack shack. Soon she’s flinging fries and serving soft ice-cream like a pro . . . with the assistance of the very sweet boy who works with her. Sunny’s mom isn’t sure Sunny should be quite so independent. But Sunny is definitely sure: Life is best when it’s free swim.” (Catalogue)

image courtesy of syndeticsBaby-sitters little sister [4] : Karen’s Kittycat Club.

“Karen wants to start her own club! Karen’s best friend Hannie just got an adorable new kitten. Their neighbor Amanda has a cat, too, and Karen has grumpy old Boo-Boo. Now that they all have cats, Karen comes up with a great idea. She wants to start a Kittycat Club! What will the club do? Karen can’t baby-sit like her big sister Kristy… but she can cat-sit! Will anyone want to hire Karen and her friends?” (Catalogue)

image courtesy of syndeticsBeak & Ally. [1], Unlikely friends.

“Ally the alligator is perfectly happy being alone… until one day a noisy bird named Beak lands on her snout. Much to Ally’s annoyance, this chatty bird likes to sing all the time and has chosen a nearby tree to build his new nest. Even worse, he insists that he and Ally will be best friends. In fact, he has all kinds of friendship goals in mind, and it seems nothing Ally says will convince him that she’d rather just be alone. Nothing beats peace and quiet… except for maybe a new best friend?” (Catalogue)

image courtesy of syndeticsBeak & Ally. 2, Bedtime jitters.

“With weird swamp noises swirling around him, Beak the Bird cannot get any sleep until his friend Ally the alligator shows him where the racket is coming from.” (Catalogue)

image courtesy of syndeticsBig Nate Aloha!

“Aloha can mean hello or goodbye–which makes it the perfect word for sixth grader Nate Wright. Why? Because Nate doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going. Will his romance with Daisy sizzle or fizzle? Will his hair survive Teddy’s cut-rate barber skills? And when Nate spots a crime in progress at Klassic Komix, can he find his inner superhero?” (Catalogue)

Also available as an eBook.

image courtesy of syndeticsThe spellbinding episodes of Phoebe and her unicorn.

“A deluxe bind-up featuring all the comics from two different Phoebe and Her Unicorn books: Unicorns vs. Goblins and Razzle Dazzle Unicorn . In these spellbinding adventures, nine-year-old Phoebe Howell and her unicorn best friend, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, explore the possibilities of friendship, summer camp, the holidays, and even founding their own detective agency. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

image courtesy of syndeticsAbsolutely Nat.

“Natalie has just arrived at summer camp and soon realizes it isn’t anything like the brochure. Instead of spending the summer with her best friends, Zoe and Flo, Natalie is stuck with her ex-BFF, Lily, and someone even more annoying than the endless mosquitoes: Millie Flatbottom. Even worse, she’s constantly pushed out of her comfort zone and forced to come face-to-face with some of her greatest fears. Although summer camp isn’t at all what Natalie expected, could it be exactly what she needs?” (Catalogue)

Also available as an eBook.

Overdrive Kids: The Wonderful World of Children’s Comics May 2020!

There is at least one more week of being in Level 3 lock-down. Why not make the most of that week by checking out more awesome amazing comics, graphic novels, cartoon strips and manga through our Kids’ Reading Room on Overdrive!  Check out titles such as:


image courtesy of syndeticsFor Whom the Ball Rolls (Dog Man Volume 7) by Dav Pilkey.
Dog Man has to overcome while having to fight an all-new supervillain! As always Dav Pilkey’s wildly popular Dog Man series delivers on its promise of appealing to  readers of all ages and explores universally positive themes, including empathy, kindness, persistence, and the importance of doing good.

image courtesy of syndeticsBoy Crazy Stacey (Babysitters Club Graphix Series, Book 7) by Ann M. Martin and Gale Galligan.

Join the Babysitters club in Boy Crazy Stacey.  Stacey’s infatuation with a boy (who seems to not be interested in her) gets in the way of her babysitting duties and friendship with Maryanne. A must read for girls.


image courtesy of syndeticsThe Dragonet Prophecy (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel Series, Book 1) by Tui T. Sutherland and Mike Holmes.
The New York Times bestselling Wings of Fire series takes flight in this first graphic novel edition, adapted by the author with art by Mike Holmes.

image courtesy of syndeticsKaren’s Witch (Baby-sitters Little Sister Graphic Novel Series, Book 1) by Ann M. Martin and Katy Farina.
Karen Brewer lives next door to Mrs. Porter, who wears long robes and has wild gray hair. Mrs. Porter has a black cat named Midnight and always seems to be working in her garden. Karen isn’t supposed to spy on her neighbor, but she’s determined to prove that Mrs. Porter is a witch named Morbidda Destiny! Mrs. Porter is getting ready to have a special meeting at her house, and Karen is sure the meeting is for witches. Are they going to cast a spell on Karen? Or will she be brave enough to send them away — once and for all? Another delightful graphic novel that girls will enjoy reading.

image courtesy of syndeticsHow to Train Your Dragon: The Serpent’s Heir.
Hiccup, Toothless, and all their dragon-riding friends from DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon films are starting new adventures in comics! Created with the help of the film’s writer, director, and producer Dean DeBlois, these graphic novellas will bridge the gap between the second film and the upcoming third film. More adventures, more dragon lore, and more fun! You won’t have to wait years for more dragons; they are coming to you—in comics!

If you want to borrow these amazing comics and more from our collection of kids comics, all you need is a Wellington City Libraries membership — click here if you don’t have a library card and would like to join online.

Overdrive Kids: The Wonderful World of Children’s Comics!

As Wellington City Libraries enters another week of being closed, even more awesome new titles are being added all the time through our Kids’ Reading Room on Overdrive! If you like comics, graphic novels, cartoon strips and manga, why not give our collection of kids’ comics a try? Check out titles such as:

image courtesy of syndeticsChi’s Sweet Home by Konami Kanata.

Read all about Chi, a lovable and curious kitten who adopted by the Yamada family, who gets up to mischief and many adventures while making new friends along the way. A librarian’s choice and a delightful comic for cat lovers!
image courtesy of syndeticsGuts by Raina Telgemeier.

Raina Telgemeier is back, once again bringing us a thoughtful, charming, and funny true story about tummy problems,  growing up and gathering the courage to face — and conquer — her fears. A delightful and humorous comic and librarian’s choice all the way!

image courtesy of syndeticsArchie Modern Classics Volume One by Archie Superstars.

An oldie but a goodie! Read all about Archie and the Riverdale gang in this collection of the best stories from 2018. One modern classic you don’t want to miss out on! 
image courtesy of syndeticsJohnny Boo: The Best Little Ghost in the world by James Kochalka.

Read all about Johnny Boo, the best little ghost in the whole world, with Boo Power and his adventures alongside his pet ghost named Squiggle. With ghost races, wild loop the loops and even an Ice Cream Monster, there is never a dull moment in this delightful comic book.


image courtesy of syndeticsStrawberry Shortcake Volume One Issue One by Georgia Ball.

Bring a little Strawberry Shortcake into your life with this amazing comic! Read all about how Strawberry Shortcake’s solution to a tropical dilemma convinces her friends that she’s taking a trip to Luau Island. Sounds like a dream vacation, but in the middle of all of the excitement, the residents of Berry Bitty City forget to check their facts before they bid farewell! Ideal for girls and Strawberry shortcake fans!

If you want to borrow these amazing comics and more from our collection of kids comics, all you need is a Wellington City Libraries membership — click here if you don’t have a library card and would like to join online.

Kids’ Review by Jemima

Ways To Live Forever is an emotional, yet effective and powerful novel, by the one and only Sally Nicholls. Sam – the main character – is twelve years old and is struggling with leukemia. He wants to conquer everything before he dies, and with the help of his teacher and best friend Felix, he does everything from riding in an airship to kissing a girl. This book will make you laugh your head off one minute, and sob into your pillow the next! It is a whole emotional rollercoaster; a good one, of course. I would recommend it to children aged 10 – 14. 5 stars.

Review by Jemima of Karori