Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks, 209 pages

Pumpkinheads is a new graphic novel that is perfect to get you in the mood for Fall! The story takes place in an adorable pumpkin patch and has tons of food puns. If you're looking for something fast-paced, cute and cozy- this is your book! The illustrations are also great. I read the e-book version and loved it, when I normally struggle to like e-editions better in regard to graphic novels! This was the perfect way to start Fall and get me in the mood for the spooky season!

My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf, 221 Pages

I've never been huge into Graphic Novels, but I've been really trying to broaden my horizons so I can be a better asset in the reader's advisory department of this job! I have to say, I really enjoyed this! It was a fast read (which I loved for the reading challenge I set for myself,) and it was absolutely creepy! It is actually based off of true events, as the author was friends with serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in high school. It almost (ALMOST!!!) makes you sympathize with Dahmer a little bit, hearing how rough his last years of "normalcy" were. I definitely recommend this to any true crime lovers out there!

The Last Halloween by Abby Howard 448 pages

Oh, man, this is an awesome book!  I love the artwork and the story.  This started as a web comic that got published as a glorious book I can hold in my hands.  It makes me so happy.  Young Mona has a big problem, primarily a giant monster that calls on her Halloween night.  This leads her to run for help, but she finds more kids...who turn out to be monsters, also.  Well, things aren't looking great, especially since Mona gets tagged to try to stop humanity from being destroyed by monsters since the entity that was keeping it all in balance has disappeared.  This has a great energy and the white on black illustration is just gorgeous.  I can't recommend this more highly!

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani 161 pages

I love graphic novels.  I'm not a fast reader, but graphic novels let me feel like I am.  I also love India.  I love historical fiction about India, I love Indian art, music, clothing...yeah...is Hindiphile the right word?  Anyway, this was a really cool book for a younger audience to just be introduced to not only some cool Indian terms and a visual (if cartoon-y) trip to India, but also a glimpse of what one child's life as an Indian-American might be like.  Ultimately, I love the feeling of 'it's okay to be who you are, that's as awesome as it gets' that the book conveys.  So much story can be told in pictures and I think Chanani did a beautiful job capturing the color and warmth, and sometimes frenetic energy of India.  The pashmina being an integral instrument to tell different parts of the story was a cool touch, because the use of color to transport the reader was so clever.  I really liked this book!

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier 239 pages

This was such a great story.  The beauty of a graphic novel is that it is a really fast read, but you still get an emotional impact when it's done right.  Cat and Maya are sisters who have had to move because Maya has Cystic Fibrosis and a different environment was recommended.  Their new home town is rumored to be a favorite hangout for ghosts and the girls soon discover for themselves how true this is.  Maya is such a spirited kid and Cat is so fearful of the world, but anyone would be able to relate to them both.  It makes it hard to watch Cat shy away from a world that Maya would happily jump into with both feet if she were able.  As a slice of life story with a kind of fantastic twist, this is extremely satisfying.  I highly recommend to all ages, especially if you like graphic novels. 

Tetris: The Games People Play by Box Brown 253 pages

I can confidently say that most people in the world have at least heard of Tetris and many have played it, but how many know the story behind such a timeless and culturally important game. Brown shows the journey of Tetris from being a side project of a computer scientist from Moscow to a worldwide phenomenon. He also dives into how games have shaped society, and how it reveals things about psychology and human behavior. The artwork goes very well with the subject matter, showing the development of the game in such a way that makes it very understandable. This is a wonderful example of a non-fiction graphic novel done right.

El Deafo by Cece Bell 233 pages

This graphic novel is a semi-autobiographical recounting of Cece Bell's childhood.  The characters are all rabbit people, so it's not Persepolis accurate, but it's a really great book.  When Cece is 4 years old, she gets Meningitis and it causes substantial hearing loss.  The rest of the book is her trying to navigate a world she has lost one point of contact with.  We see her struggle with finding a friend who doesn't take advantage of her, or boss her around, or pity and talk down to her.  Let's face it, childhood is rough enough without feeling like you are completely unlike your peers.  Cece has a special hearing aid that requires her teacher to wear a microphone.  This ends up being a real perk when Cece begins hearing her teacher even when she's not in the room doing a lesson.  All's well that ends well, as the real Cece Bell grew up to write this wonderful book.  I hope a lot of kids read this and get a better feeling about making friends with those who have special needs of all kinds.  Those boxes may have different locks, but the treasures are just as rich if you manage to open them.