Bella's Boat Surprise
(My First Graphic Novel)

K-Gr 1 Each page of these graphic novels contains one to four picture boxes. Illustrations are done in bright basic colors that portray the emotions of the characters. Enough detail is added to make them interesting but not overwhelming. The texts are highlighted in a separate boxes to help readers follow along in sequence. A few bubbles contain more information. In "Goalkeeper Goof", David likes to play soccer except for the goalie position because of past mistakes. His turn to play goalie makes him nervous but his determination to keep trying ends in success. In "The End Zone, " Olivia likes tag football but the boys exclude her because shes a girl. When one of their players is sick, she fills in and proves she is an asset to the team. Both stories pose a problem with a happy ending that kids will enjoy. Good choices for beginning readers drawn to graphic novels. - Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio, TX

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.