graphic novels & manga

Laser vision isn't so hot when you're cross-eyed, and supersonic flight's a real downer when motion sickness keeps you grounded. 12-year-old Marshall is a Defective: a person with superhuman abilities that are restricted by some very human setbacks. While other kids are recruited to superhero teams, Marshall's stuck in seventh grade with a kid who can run at super speed but can't turn a corner, another with a radioactive peanut allergy that turns him into a swollen Hulk, and a telepath who reads everyone's thoughts out loud. Defectives aren't exactly superhero material, but when he uncovers a plot to destroy one of the greatest superhero teams of all time, Marshall and his less-than-super friends set out to prove that just because you're defective doesn't mean you can't save the day.

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DIRECTIONS: For each book, read the book’s description. If it doesn’t grab your interest, move on to the next book.

If you think it might be interesting, check the “Sounds Good” box. If you are super excited about the book and really hope we

get it, check the “I Must Read This” box. And if you have anything you want to say about the book — you’ve read it and have a

mini-review, or you have questions — jot them down in the Comments box (or feel free to add a sticky note or something).

PLEASE NOTE: Some items in this packet are manga, some are graphic novels; some are nonfiction, and most are fiction.

For this packet we have included thumbnail sample pages to give you a sense of the artwork. Because this packet is

printed in black and white, some of the quality of the artwork will suffer. A full-color PDF of this packet will be available

on the LSMS library website for your review if you’d like to see the thumbnails and covers in color.

Name

Manga. Lucy is a young, rebellious celestial wizard with a dream: to join Fairy Tail, the world’s most rambunctious and powerful magical guild! When she happens to meet one of Fairy Tail’s top wizards, he turns out to be not quite what she expected: a slob traveling with a flying cat. But the promise of adventure is real, and together they escape from pirates and a devious magician! Their next task: to steal a book from the evil wizard-killing Duke Everlue, and outsmart his death trap. Eccentric new friends join along the way in this manga omnibus containing volumes 1-5.

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graphic novels & manga… page two

When imaginations go wild in the schoolyard, anything can happen. Normal kids become world-saving heroes, girls become power-hungry pirates, and zombies take over the school after being infected by the dreaded epidemic ― cooties! It's up to Scrap, his partner Yoshi (don't you dare call her a sidekick!), and Clinton, the baddest cowboy in the, um, badlands, to stop recess from collapsing into total apocalyptic chaos. With dynamic full-color art and nonstop action, Recess Warriors is irresistibly fun.

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Manga. On her first date with the cutest boy in school, Ichigo is exposed to a mysterious ray that meshes her DNA with that of the endangered Iriomote wildcat. She soon discovers that she has developed superhuman abilities and enhanced agility. Her new powers are put to the test when she leads a team with four other girls, each endowed with special abilities of their own. Together, they must now protect the Earth from an alien menace known as Deep Blue. This edition contains volumes 1 and 2.

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It is 1872, and the Apache nations are town apart by decades of war. Goyahkla has lost his family and everything he loves. After having a vision, Goyahkla approaches the Apache nation, to lead an attack against the Mexican village of Azripe. It is this wild display of courage that transforms the young brave Goyakhla into the Native American hero Geronimo. But the war wages on. As they battle their enemies, lose loved ones, and desperately cling on to their land and culture, they would utter, "Indeh," or "the dead." When it looks like lasting peace has been reached, it seems like the war is over. Or is it?

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graphic novels & manga… page three

Manga. Clover the Bunny and her fluffy friends are always getting into mischief in mysterious Mikazuki Forest! More Fun Than Vegetables! Clover uncovers the secret of a haunted spring, meets a big bad fox, fights mean humans who want to cut down all the trees in her forest home--and gets lost in the dark! Scary! Clover and her bunny friends live in Crescent Forest, which is a happy place except when Clover’s wild schemes get them all in trouble. Together, the fearless rabbits make new friends, learn about the secrets of their home, and discover the dangers of the outside world.

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How does an ordinary girl from Krypton became the most extraordinary girl on Earth? And if you think life is tough as a hero, try being in the eighth grade! Super-strength, the ability to fly and extra-speedy reflexes should make a girl's life easier, but they only seem to complicate things for Linda Lee, AKA Supergirl. Life gets a lot crazier, though, when a new enemy named Belinda Zee shows up. And with girls like Belinda around, facing down super-villains doesn't seem so bad. Arch-frenemies, scheming faculty, an intergalactic orange kitty and a flying horse are just a few things that come her way. Supergirl is so busy as a hero, will she even make it to graduation?

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Madison, Ava, Emma, Aidan, and Dylan have pretty normal lives for a group of 12-year-olds: they go to school, participate in extracurricular activities, and oh, yeah, they also have AWESOME SCIENCE ADVENTURES. Together they form The Not-So Secret Society. When the team invents a candy-making machine for their school’s annual science fair, things don’t go according to plan... when their candy creation comes to life and escapes! Halloween just got a whole lot scarier, and a whole lot more fun. An all-ages adventure that celebrates the value of teamwork and lifelong friendships.

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graphic novels & manga… page four

Manga. As a child, Monkey D. Luffy dreamed of becoming the King of the Pirates. But his life changed when he accidentally gained the power to stretch like rubber…at the cost of never being able to swim again! Now Luffy, with the help of a motley collection of pirate wannabes, is setting off in search of the "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the world! This book collects volumes 1-3 in the series.

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"Here comes Halloween!" Collectors and fans of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas will love the deluxe cinestory comic companion to the movie, which celebrates the charm, heart, and spooky fun of the classic stop-motion film. Bored with the same old scare-and-scream routine, Pumpkin King Jack Skellington longs to spread the joy of Christmas. But his merry mission puts Santa in jeopardy and creates a nightmare for good little boys and girls everywhere.

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What began in the funny pages in 1950 has developed into an enduring classic. Whether you're a fussbudget like Lucy, philosopher like Linus, Flying Ace like Snoopy, or a lovable loser like Charlie Brown, there is something to touch your heart or make you laugh in Peanuts. Charles Schulz’s Peanuts is one of the most timeless and beloved comic strips ever. Now AMP! helps carry on that legacy with new collections of Peanuts classics focused around topics sure to resonate with middle-grade readers. Kicking off the series is Snoopy: Cowabunga!

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graphic novels & manga… page five

Greg has lived in Lancaster his whole life. The town's always had its quirks, and being born without a shadow means he's counted among them. When Greg discovers an old mansion in the woods just outside of town, he didn't expect to meet a smart, beautiful, funny, and...very dead teenaged girl named Eleanor. Yeah. He's in love with a ghost. And before he knows what's happening, Greg finds himself at the wrong end of a history lesson when the town's past, and his own, threaten to pull the two of them apart permanently!

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Twelve portals have opened between Earth and the dark world of Metamoor, weakening the mystic veil that separates the two and protects humanity from an evil that threatens to consume it. Five girls have been chosen as Guardians to stand against this menace. Gifted with powers over the elements, Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin step into their new roles and together become the force for good known as W.I.T.C.H.!

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In a world of sleeping gods, a broken government, and a fragile peace held in the hands of the corrupt, one youth must find the strength to stand up against evil and save humanity. This story is not about that youth. It’s about Abbie, a deaf girl who just wants to get to the mountain range called the Potter’s Spine, scatter her mother’s ashes, and then live out her life in sweet, blissful solitude. Unfortunately, everyone she meets wants to whine at her about their woes, tag along on her quest, arrest her for no reason, or blow her to bits. Journeys are hard on the social recluses of the world.

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graphic novels & manga… page six

Nonfiction. A nonfiction graphic novel exploring the life of one of the most influential figures in modern history: Albert Einstein, the German-born physicist who developed the theory of relativity. He is considered the most influential physicist of the twentieth century. You've probably heard of him, but you've never seen him like this! A caricature version of Einstein, a rumpled and mustachioed older man, with a nimbus of hair, narrates and comments on the story of his life. The cartoon style and conventions are well suited to expressing what Einstein calls the "universe of my thoughts."

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From favorites like "Puss in Boots" and "Goldilocks" to obscure gems like "The Boy Who Drew Cats," Fairy Tale Comics has something to offer every reader. Seventeen fairy tales are wonderfully adapted and illustrated in comics format by seventeen different cartoonists, including Raina Telgemeier, Brett Helquist, Cherise Harper, and more. Many classics appear, from “Snow White” to “Goldilocks” to “Hansel and Gretel,” but an effort has been made to turn up a few more obscure fables, and the balance between familiarity and novelty proves just right.

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Priyanka has so many unanswered questions: Why did her mother abandon her home in India years ago? What was it like there? And most importantly, who is her father, and why did her mom leave him behind? But Pri’s mom avoids these questions―the topic of India is permanently closed. For Pri, India can only exist in her imagination. That is, until she find a mysterious pashmina tucked away in a forgotten suitcase. When she wraps herself in it, she is transported to a place more vivid and colorful than any guidebook or Bollywood film. But is this the real India? And what is that shadow lurking in the background? To learn the truth, Pri must travel farther than she’s ever dared and find the family she never knew.

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graphic novels & manga… page seven

16-year-old Wendy crashes her car into a lake on a late summer night in New England with her two younger brothers in the backseat. When she wakes in the hospital, she is told that her youngest brother, Michael, is dead. Wendy ― a once rational teenager – shocks her family by insisting that Michael is alive and in the custody of a mysterious flying boy. Placed in a new school, Wendy negotiates fantasy and reality as students and adults around her resemble characters from Neverland. Given a sketchbook by her therapist, Wendy starts to draw. But is The Wendy Project merely her safe space, or a portal between worlds?

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Budding detective or princess in training? These are just a few of the questions Princess Maxine Titan must ask herself on her tenth birthday. See, turning ten is the very important day when every princess meets her very own fairy godmother and receives a special gift. When Max is bestowed with the powers of every princess in the known universe she longs to reject this clichéd royal convention and follow in the footsteps of her greatest heroes: Philip Marlowe! Sherlock Holmes! Miss Marple! Poor Max fears her detective career may end before it starts, that is, until her baby brother is kidnapped...

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Nonfiction. Alexander Hamilton was one of the most influential figures in United States history—he fought in the Revolutionary War, helped develop the Constitution, and as the first Secretary of the Treasury established landmark economic policy that we still use today. Cut down by a bullet from political rival Aaron Burr, Hamilton has since been immortalized alongside other Founding Fathers such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson—his likeness even appears on the ten-dollar bill. A graphic novel biography of the American legend who inspired the hit Broadway musical Hamilton.

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graphic novels & manga… page eight

When a confrontation with the vengeful elder god Proteus goes awry, Peter, Ray, Winston, and Egon will meet… The Real Ghostbusters! But even the combined might of eight ’Busters may not be enough to stop Proteus from getting his revenge. Then, the guys pack their bags and head international! After a bust at the United Nations the boys—and girls—in gray are charged to investigate some Old World hauntings, where they begin to unravel a mystery that sends them around the globe. Collects the 2015 Annual, the Get Real mini-series, and Ghostbusters International #1–11.

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For their summer vacation, Californian 12-year-old twins Dipper and Mabel Pines are dropped off in the town of Gravity Falls, Oregon, to live with their Great Uncle Stan (often shortened to Grunkle Stan). Things are not what they seem in this small town, and with the help of a mysterious journal that Dipper finds in the forest, they realize that their everyday lifestyle has changed. Three episodes of adventure in comic style screen captures will keep you hooked, including the episode that started it all!

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Manga. On the day that Naho begins 11th grade, she recieves a letter from herself ten years in the future. At first, she writes it off as a prank, but as the letter’s predictions come true one by one Naho realizes that the letter might be the real deal. Her future self tells Naho that a new transfer student, a boy named Kakeru, will soon join her class. The letter begs Naho to watch over him, saying that only Naho can save Kakeru from a terrible future. Who is this mystery boy, and can Naho save him from his destiny? The heart-wrenching sci-fi romance that has over million copies in print in Japan!

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graphic novels & manga… page nine

Manga. When schoolgirl Haru, a quiet, shy girl with a long-suppressed ability to talk to cats, rescues a cat on her way home, she becomes honored by the royal feline family and is drawn into an alternate world inhabited by talking cats where she is expected to become the next Cat Princess. The cat turns out to be Lune, Prince of the Cat Kingdom. In return, the cats shower her with gifts of catnip and mice. She is then offered the Prince's hand in marriage.

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Nonfiction. Hilarious, entertaining, and illustrated histories behind some of life's most common and underappreciated objects - from the paperclip and the toothbrush to the sports bra and roller skates. Readers learn how Velcro was created after a Swiss engineer took his dog for a walk; how a naval engineer invented the Slinky; a German housewife, the coffee filter; and a radical feminist and anti-capitalist, the game Monopoly. This is both a book of histories and a book about histories. It explores how lies become legends, trade routes spring up, and empires rise and fall―all from the perspective of your toothbrush or toilet.

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Nonfiction. It is, perhaps, the perfect video game. Simple yet addictive, Tetris delivers an irresistible, unending puzzle that has players hooked. Play it long enough and you’ll see those brightly colored geometric shapes everywhere. You’ll see them in your dreams. In 1984, Alexey Pajitnov created Tetris in his spare time while developing software for the Soviet government. It was an instant hit. Nintendo, Atari, Sega―game developers big and small all wanted Tetris, leading to clandestine trips to Moscow, backroom deals, innumerable miscommunications, and outright theft. This graphic novel untangles this complex history and delves deep into the role games play in art, culture, and commerce.

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graphic novels & manga… page ten

In a world where there are dragons, wyverns, and haunted squash, you’d figure someone would have recipes for them, right? Rutabaga and his magic cooking pot, Pot, join young adventurers Winnifred, Manny, and Beef on a quest to defeat a dragon, discover new ingredients, find monsters to have for and/or to dinner, and to save the day through cooking. Rutabaga will dare any danger to uncover new tastes, and there’s a whole world full of food to try—from roasted mud leech to spider soup to peanut butter on crackers. His heroic recipes combine real ingredients, fantasy ingredients, and real ingredients that sound fantastical.

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You'll see what life is like for the very young heroes of Sidekick Elementary and learn what could go wrong when the kids of Sidekick Elementary spend an afternoon in the Batcave in this new graphic novel. These all-ages tales from the DC Universe, beautifully written and illustrated by Art Baltazar and Franco, will entertain new readers and seasoned fans of comics.

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Inspired by a true story. A century before the first computer was built, real-life Victorian computing pioneers Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage ALMOST invented one... but fate had other plans, and their “Difference Engine” was never built. This book imagines an alternate reality where they succeeded in building the "Difference Engine" and use it to change the world! A fun read for fans of science, history, computer programming, and the Victorian era.

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