If You Like Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales…
Yesterday the teenager competed at a taekwondo tournament. While I was standing at the sidelines watching the action, I was distracted by a book. (No surprise there!) A kid was holding a Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales book I hadn’t seen before: the 13th in the series, Bones and Berserkers. The mom was afraid the kid had attracted my attention in some negative way, but I explained I was just a fan of those graphic novels and was interested in the new one. She said her kids loved them, and she really needed more series to entertain them. Put on the spot, I could only think of one suggestion for her at the time, but now I’ve come up with a handful more.
In the Hazardous Tales series, spy Nathan Hale tells stories of history before being hanged for treason. The hangman and others become characters through the series as Hale informs them of the past and future. They include stories from the U.S. Revolutionary War, both World Wars, the Alamo, and even the Donner party. The books are based on fact but presented as engaging narratives with great jokes and suspense to get kids hooked.
Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang and Lark Pien (2013)
This historical two-book series follows two youngsters during the Boxer Rebellion. Little Bao is a keen observer of the powerful in his village. As he grows, he becomes a leader in the Boxer Rebellion, fighting against the Christians. Four-Girl is overlooked by her family and decides to convert to Christianity. When the Boxers attack the church, Little Bao and Four-Girl come face to face.
Secret Coders series by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes (started 2015)
The intrepid students of Stately Academy use their smarts and coding skills to solve mysteries. Puzzle lovers and computer geeks will love this series that gets their brains in action. Hopper, Eni, and Josh team up with their robot sidekick in each of the four books.
Science Comics series by various authors and illustrators (started 2016)
This ever-expanding series covers topics from cats to brains. Though the texts are informational, they are presented in a narrative format, with a frame to engage readers who may be reluctant to learn the same info from a textbook. Want to know about plagues, robots, rockets, dinosaurs, or weather? Science Comics has you covered. Once your kid starts with these, it’ll be hard to stop them.
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker (2019)
Actor George Takei and his co-creators tell of his time in an internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II in this graphic memoir. In 1942, President Roosevelt ordered that Americans of Japanese dissent were moved to “relocation centers.” Takei describes the daily routines and the pain of their captivity.
History Comics series by various authors and illustrators (started 2020)
Much like the Science Comics from the same publisher, History Comics is a wide-ranging series covering a number of historical events and eras in a highly readable style. Each book makes sure that there are characters to relate to within the historical context. Subjects range from the Depression to hip hop. One of the standouts for me is on the Challenger disaster, a moment in history that defined my generation in a lot of ways.
When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed (2020)
Graphic novelist Jamieson partnered with Mohamed to tell his story of a childhood as a refugee. Omar Mohamed and his brother Hassan are from Somalia but have spent most of their lives in a refugee camp in Kenya. Hassan doesn’t speak, and Omar has little help taking care of him. When an opportunity arises to attend school, Omar is torn between caring for Hassan and taking the chance to change his fortune.