Fast Five Fiction: My Top Five Graphic Novels of 2021

There were a lot of really great books published in 2021. Over the next few weeks we'll be counting down some of my favorite reads from last year. I had a great reading year and read 267 books across all different age groups and genres. I'm continually impressed, year after year, with the amount of quality literature that is being published. If you want to follow along with my 2022 reading adventures, you can follow me on Goodreads for even more reading recommendations. 

Click the title to be directed to the book in our catalog. Book descriptions are from Goodreads.

My 5 favorite Middle Grade Graphic Novels of 2021 (in no particular order):

Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd

At home, Maggie is the odd one out. Her parents are preoccupied with getting ready for a new baby, and her younger brothers are twins and always in their own world. Maggie loves animals and thinks a new puppy to call her own is the answer, but when she goes to select one on her birthday, she breaks out in hives and rashes. She's severely allergic to anything with fur!

Can Maggie outsmart her allergies and find the perfect pet? With illustrations by Michelle Mee Nutter, Megan Wagner Lloyd uses inspiration from her own experiences with allergies to tell a heartfelt story of family, friendship and finding a place to belong.

Wicked Epic Adventures by Will Henry

The third installment of the Wallace the Brave series. Join Wallace and his friends as they explore the coastal surroundings of Snug Harbor, Rhode Island, uncovering new mysteries, adventure, and mischief wherever they turn.

Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte

Twelve-year-old Cici has just moved from Taiwan to Seattle, and the only thing she wants more than to fit in at her new school is to celebrate her grandmother, A-má’s, seventieth birthday together.

Since she can’t go to A-má, Cici cooks up a plan to bring A-má to her by winning the grand prize in a kids’ cooking contest to pay for A-má’s plane ticket! There’s just one problem: Cici only knows how to cook Taiwanese food.

And after her pickled cucumber debacle at lunch, she’s determined to channel her inner Julia Child. Can Cici find a winning recipe to reunite with A-má, a way to fit in with her new friends, and somehow find herself too?

Winged Heroes: For All Birdkind by Mya Thompson

Birds have real superpowers. Peregrine Falcons have super-speed and can fly up to 242 miles per hour as the fastest animal on earth. Hummingbirds have super-stability and can hover in place and fly backwards like a helicopter. Snowy Owls have super-hearing and can find animals buried under snow by listening. Golden Eagles have super-sight, seeing prey more than a mile away. Wandering Albatrosses have super-endurance and can fly up to 75,000 miles a year across oceans. To humans, these and other natural bird superpowers are astounding.

This is the story of Emilio, an ordinary kid who just happens to be a pigeon. When life gets him down, he looks to his favorite comic book heroes for answers-- The Winged Heroes . No matter what, they always find a way to save birdkind with their amazing superpowers and daring missions. So why can't he score even a small crust of bread at the park? Join Emilio on a journey to discover his own powers in a world of challenges.

Goldilocks: Wanted Dead or Alive by Chris Colfer

When we first meet her in The Land of Stories:The Wishing Spell, Goldilocks is a beautiful and tough-as-nails outlaw. Discover her origin story and more in this brand new, lushly illustrated full-color graphic novel, as she takes you on adventures where she may or may not break a few laws along the way.

Once upon a time, the kingdoms of the fairy-tale world lived in perfect harmony under the guidance of the Happily Ever After Assembly. But not all creatures and territories have been invited to this peaceful union. Monsters and criminals have found refuge in the Dwarf Forests, a land without rulers or law. When a plot by the Charming brothers is unveiled and threatens to push society's unwanted from their homes, the fairy-tale world's harmony and Goldilocks' home are put in jeopardy . . .

New and returning fans of the Land of Stories will fall in love with the adventures of Goldilocks before she met Alex and Conner Bailey. 

Happy Friday, and happy reading!