Art Club by Rashad Doucet (Little, Brown Ink, 240 pages, grades 4-7). When Vice Principal Ruffin assigns kids to research a career that will give them stability and a good income, Dale is stumped. He wants those things, but he also wants to do something he enjoys. A report on an art career lands him in the principal’s office, where the more lenient Principal Johnson lends a sympathetic ear and agrees to let Dale start an art club…if he can find three other members and figure out a way to generate revenue. The art teacher agrees to sponsor them, recalling her own art club days that were cut short by the same Vice Principal Ruffin. The club provides Dale with ways to learn more about art and to make some new friends as he recruits other kids with a variety of talents. They work together to create art, support each other, and find ways to make money. When Ruffin offers a series of challenges designed to shut down the club, Dale and his friends rise to the occasion, finally convincing him to allow the club to continue for at least the rest of the year. The final pages show how the graphic novel was created, sure to inspire budding artists along with the kids’ own inspiring story.
Spirited 1: Day of the Living Liv by Liv Livingston, illustrated by Glass House Graphics (Little Simon, 144 pages, grades 2-5). Liv is unhappy when her parents decide to move the family from Pleasant Place to Gloomsdale. School proves extra challenging, since the other students are ghosts and other supernatural creatures. Liv is something of a curiosity as the only living student, but she soon makes friend with a werewolf and a vampire, who help her stand up to the bullying ghost Astrid. By the end of the story, Liv has embraced her unusual new home, and the stage is set for further adventures in book 2.
These two titles will undoubtedly be welcomed by fans of the ever-growing library of graphic novel school stories. Spirited is a great introduction to the genre, a quick read for kids ready for short chapter books. The spooky setting and characters will appeal, although Liv’s new school and town are more fun than scary. Art Club, based on the author’s own school experiences, presents readers with four distinctive characters that they will find relatable. The video game subplot dials the art up a notch and is sure to be a draw as well. I’m hoping both books will have at least one sequel.