Author: Mollie Hall

The Library has lots of graphic novels for all ages. And be sure to check out our new Manga sections in the juvenile area and the Teen Zone!

If you’d like a little help choosing your graphic novel or manga, here are some suggestions:

Many excellent authors were born in Michigan or make the state their home. Read a book by one of these writers. Check out our suggestions below:

Children’s Books:

• M is for Mitten: a Michigan Alphabet by Annie Appleford – EASY APP
• Our Michigan! We love the Seasons by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen – EASY FRA
• Summer’s Call: A Michigan Day by Amber Lynn Hellewell – EASY HEL
• With Dad by Richard Jackson – EASY JAC
• Lulu and Rocky in Detroit by Barbara Joose – EASY JOO
• The Legend of Michigan  by Trinka Hakes Noble – EASY NOB
• The Little Kids’ Table by Mary Ann McCabe Riehle – EASY RIE
• The New Puppy by Kristen Bell – READER1 E B
• Dear Dragon series by Margaret Hillert – READER1 E H
• Roscoe Riley Rules series by Katherine Applegate – SERIES ROSCOE
• The Ghostly Tales of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula by Diane Telgen – J 133.109 TEL
• The Edmund Fitzgerald: Song of the Bell by Kathy-Jo Wargin – J 977.49 WAR
• Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith – J ANC/J BOCD ANC
  
• The House with a Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs – J BEL
• Isaiah Dunn is My Hero by Kelly J Baptist – J BAP
• What Lives in the Weeds by Lindsay Currie – J CUR/J BOCD CUR
• Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis – NEWBERY 2000/J BOCD CUR/J LP CUR
• Charlotte Avery on Isle Royale by Rebecca S. Curtis – J CUR
• Skating on Mars by Caroline Huntoon – J HUN
• The Contract by Derek Jeter – J JET
• The Star that Always Stays by Anna Rose Johnson – J JOH
• The Turtle of Michigan by Naomi Shihab Nye – J NYE/J BOCD NYE
• Miles from Motown by Lisa Sukenic – J SUK

Teen Books –

• Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley – YA BOU/YA BROWSING B/YA LP BOU
• Royal Blood by Aimee Carter – YA CAR
• The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch – YA COU
  
• Even if it Breaks Your Heart by Erin Hahn – YA HAH
• Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle – YA LAD
• A Guide to the Dark by Meriam Metoui – YA MET
• The Ones We Burn by Rebecca Mix – YA MIX
• Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price – YA PRI/YA BOCD PRI
• Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe by Lindsay S Zrull – YA BROWSING Z
• Nothing Special, volume one: Through the Elder Woods by Katie Cook – YA GRAPHIC NOT

Many holidays are celebrated during the winter. Read a book featuring one of these holidays or any holiday you’d like.

If you’d like a little help choosing your book, here are some suggestions:

Children’s Books –

• The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper – EASY COO
• The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie DePaola – EASY DEP
• Winter Holidays by Julie Murry – EASY MUR
• The Sound of Kwanzaa by Dimitera Tokunbo – EASY TOK
• Santa’s First Christmas by Mac Barnett – HOLIDAY BAR/J WONDERBOOK BAR
  
• Santa’s Gotta Go by Derrick Barnes – HOLIDAY BAR
• Tamales for Christmas by Stephen Briseno – HOLIDAY BRI
• Hanukkah Pajamakkas by Dara Henry – HOLIDAY HEN
• All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah by Emily Jenkins – HOLIDAY JEN
• If you Ever Want to Bring a Pirate to Meet Santa, Don’t! by Elise Parsley – HOLIDAY PAR
• Don’t Invite a Bear inside for Hanukkah by Karen Rostoker-Gruber – HOLIDAY ROS
• Ty’s Travels: Winter Wonderland by Kelly Starling Lyons – READER1 E L
• Is it Hanukkah Yet? by Nancy E. Krulik – READER2 E K
• Pinkalicious and the Holiday Sweater by Victoria Kann – READER2 E K
• The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser – J GLA/JBOCD GLA
  
• Rachel Friedman and Eight Not-so-Perfect Nights of Hanukkah by Sarah Kapit – J KAP
• The Golden Dreidel by Ellen Kushner – J KUS
• Let it Glow by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy – J MEY
• Greenglass House by Kate Milford – J MIL/JBOCD MIL
  
• The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson – J ROB/JBOCD ROB
  
• A Donut in Time: a Hanukkah Story by Elana Rubinstein – J RUB
• Come and Join Us! 18 Holidays Celebrated all Year Long by Liz Kleinrock – J 394.26 KLE
• Beam of Light: The Story of the First White House Menoarah by Eliza Boxer – J 296.4 BOX
• We Celebrate the Light by Jane Yolen – J 394.261 YOL
• The Giving Flower: The Story of the Poinsetta by Alda P Dobbs – J 635.933 DOB
• The LEGO Holiday Games Book by Tori Kosara – J 688.725 LEG
• Winter Crafts Across Cultures by Megan Borgert-Spaniol – J 745.594 BOR
• Celebrate with Me! Recipes, Crafts, and Holiday Fun from Around the World edited by Laura Gladwin – J 745.594 CEL
• Ho-ho-ho-larious Christmas Jokes by Chris Cate – J 818.602 CAT

Teen Books –

• Eight Dates and Nights by Betsy Aldredge – YA BROWSING A
• How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow – YA ARL
• Love in Winter Wonderland  by Abiola Bello – YA BEL
• Together at Midnight by Jennifer Castle – YA CAS
• Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan – YA BROWSING C
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – YA DIC
• 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston – YA ELS/YA BOCD ELS
  
• For the Rest of Us: 13 Festive Holiday Stories to Celebrate All Seasons, ed. by Dahlia Adler – YA FOR
• The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand – YA HAN
• Flopping in a Winter Wonderland by Jason June – YA JUN
• The Holiday Switch by Tif Marcelo – YA BROWSING M
• The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park – YA BROWSING P
• Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds – YA REY
• Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas by Megan Shepherd – YA SHE
• Finding My Elf by David Valdes – YA VAL
• Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham – YA GRAPHIC LUN

Picture books are for everyone! Teens and tweens – if you’re having trouble picking a picture book to read for your Beanstack badge, here are some ideas and suggestions from Teen/Tween Librarian Mollie:

• Revisit a favorite childhood book or story.
• Look in the Juvenile biography section (J 920) to learn about a historical figure in a picture book format.
• Read one of Mollie’s favorites that even older readers will enjoy or connect with:
  • Mr. S by Monica Arnaldo – EASY ARN
  • Journey by Aaron Becker – EASY BEC
  • Leave Me Alone! by Vera Brosgol – EASY BRO
  • We are Definitely Human by X. Fang – EASY FAN
  • Big by Vashti Harrison – EASY HAR
  • Spaghetti Hunters by Morag Hood – EASY HOO
  • Pizza! A Slice of History by Greg Pizzoli – EASY PIZ
  • Unstoppable by Adam Rex and Laura Park – EASY REX
  • There was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynolds, Jerome Pumphrey, and Jarrett Pumphrey – EASY REY
  • Cookie Time by Jessie Sima – EASY SIM
  • Flotsam by David Wiesner – EASY WIE

Get cooking and try some new recipes this December! Here are some cookbooks you might like to try:

Children’s Books –

• Chef Snoopy Cookbook: Tasty Recipes for Young Chefs  – J 641.5 CHE
• Chef in Training: Kids in the Kitchen by Bernice Ho – J 641.5 KIT
• Spider-Man: the Official Cookbook by Jermaine McLaughlin – J 641.5 SPI
• Bake, make and learn to cook : fun & healthy recipes for young cooks by David Atherton – J 641.508 ATH
• The Complete Cookbook for Young Scientists by America’s Test Kitchen – J 641.512 AME
• Delish: The How-To Cookbook for Young Foodies by Joanna Saltz – J 641.5 SAL
• Annabel Karmel’s My First Cookbook by Annabel Karmel – J 641.512 KAR
• Recipes for Change: 12 Dishes inspired by a Year in Black History by Michael Platt – J 641.512 PLA
• Tiana’s Cookbook from Disney’s Princess and the Frog – J 641.512 TIA
• Children’s Quick and Easy Cookbook by Angela Wilkes – J 641.512 WIL
• Omari McQueen’s Best Bites Cookbook by Omari McQueen – J 641.563 MCQ
• The Vegan Cookbook for Kids by Barb Musick – J 641.563 MUS
• Priya’s Kitchen Adventures by Priya Krishna – J 641.59 KRI
• Cocinando on Cook Street: a Collection of Mi Familia’s Recipes by Marcela Valladolid – J 641.597 VAL
• A Sweet Year: Jewish Celebrations and Festive Recipes for Kids and Their Families by Joan Nathan – J 641.567 NAT
• The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Pizza Cookbook by Peggy Paul Casella – J 641.824 CAS

Teen Books –

• The Complete Cookbook for Teen Chefs by America’s Test Kitchen – YA 641.5 COM
• The Official Five Nights at Freddy’s Cookbook by Scott Cawthon and Rob Morris – YA 641.512 CAW
• The Super Easy Teen Cookbook by Christina Hitchcock – YA 641.512 HIT
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians the Official Cookbook by Jarrett Melendez – YA 641.5 MEL
• Bread Baking for Teens! 30 Step-by-step Recipes for Beginners by Katie Shaw – YA 641.815 SHA
• The Unofficial Studio Ghibli Cookbook by Jessica Yun – YA 641.595 YUN
• Sushi Cookbook for Beginners by Chika Ravitch – YA 641.82 RAV
• Minecraft: Gather, Cook, Eat! Official Cookbook by Tara Theoharis – YA 641.5 THE
• Anyone Can Cake by Whitney DePaoli – YA 641.865 DEP
• The Nightmare Before Christmas Official Baking Cookbook by Sandy K Snugly – YA 641.865 SNU
• Kawaii Cafe Bubble Tea by Stacey Kwong and Beyah Del Mundo – YA 641.87 KWO
• Noodles, Rice, and Everything Spice: A Thai Comic Book Cookbook by Christine de Witte and Mallika Kauppinen – YA GRAPHIC NOO

There are so many ways to get creative this winter! You can create whatever you would like, but if you’d like to learn something new, check out the books listed below. You can also find video lessons for many different arts and crafts on Creativebug – Log on with your DDL library card number and PIN.

Children’s Books –

• If you are an Artist by Meg Auchenbach – EASY AUC
• I Know How to Draw an Owl by Hilary Horder Hippely – EASY HIP
• Time to Make Art by Jeff Mack – EASY MAC
• Boxitects by Kim Smith – EASY SMI
• The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires – EASY SPI
• The Artist by Ed Vere – EASY VER
• Olive Oh Gets Creative by Tina Kim – READER4 E K
• Creatively Human: Why We Imagine, Make, and Innovate by Lois Peterson – J 153.35 PET
• LEGO Build Your Own LEGO Escape Room by Simon Hugo – J 688.725 BUI
• LEGO Ideas on the Go by Hannah Dolan – J 688.725 DOL
• Let’s Get Creative: Art for a Healthy Planet by Jessica Rose – J 704.949 ROS
• Let’s Make History! Create Your Own Comics by Nathan Hale – J 741.2 HAL
• Manga Art for Beginners: How to Create Your Own Manga Drawings by Danica Davidson – J 741.4 DAV
• Make Your Own Squishies: 15 Safe, Slow-rise and Smooshy Projects for You to Create by Stacia Ann – J 745.592 ANN
• Make Music! : A Kid’s Guide to Creating Rhythm, Playing with Sound, and Conducting and Composing Music by Norma Jean Haynes, John Langstaff, and Ann Sayre Wiseman – J 781.4 HAY
• Write and Record Your Own Songs by Anna Leigh – J 782.421 LEI
• Maker Projects for Kids who Love Music by Rebecca Sjonger – J 784.192 SJO
• How to Make a Picture Book by Dr. Elys Dolan – J 808 DOL
• Your Story Matters: A Surprisingly Practical Guide to Writing by Richard Scrimger – J 808 SCR
• How to Make a Book (About My Dog) by Chris Barton – J 808.02 BAR
• Write Your Own Scripts by Andy Prentice and Matthew Oldham – J 808.2 USB

Teen Books –

• Make a Zine! Start Your Own Underground Publishing Revolution by Joe Biel – YA 070.5 BIE
• Cute Creature Art Class by Naomi Lord – YA 741.2 LOR
• The Unnofficial Book of Handmade Cricut Crafts: Creating Personalized Gifts With Your Electronic Cutting Machine by Crystal Allen – YA 745.5 ALL
• Creative Crafts for Teens: 25 Empowering Projects by Jennifer Perkins – YA 745.5 PER
• Crafting Change by Jessica Vitkus – YA 745.5 VIT
• Cute & Cuddly Crochet by Lauren Bergstrom – YA 746.434 BER
• Pokemon Crochet by Sabrina Somers – YA 746.434 SOM
• Cute Kawaii Cross Stitch by Sosae and Dennis Caetano – YA 746.44 CAE
• 15-Minute Watercolor Masterpieces by Anna Koliadych – YA 751.422 KOL
• They Changed the Game: 50 Stories and Illustrations Celebrating Creativity in Sports by Ariana Broerma – YA 796 BRO
• You: The Story by Ruta Sepetys – YA 808.02 SEP

Want to access audiobooks on your computer, phone, or other device? The Library has access on hoopla and Libby/Download Destination. Get more information on our Digital Collections page.

Podcasts can be found on many apps on a mobile device, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Check out some suggestions below if you need help selecting an audiobook or podcast:

Children’s Podcasts/audiobooks –

• Culture Kids Podcast
• News Pooloozi – The News Pod for Kids
• The Plate Show Podcast
• Professor Theo’s Mystery Lab
• Tumble Science Podcast for Kids
• Unspookable – Family-friendly look at the stories behind urban legends
• Scorpion vs. Tarantula by Thomas K Adamson – VOX ADA
• The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee – MEDIA KIT AGE or find on hoopla
• Hi! Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold – MEDIA KIT ARN or find on hoopla
• Little Elliot, Big City by Mike Curato – WONDERBOOK CUR
• Parker Looks Up by Parker Curry and Jessica Curry – VOX CUR
• Oona and the Shark by Kelly DiPucchio – VOX DIP or find on hoopla
• Rick the Rock of Room 214 by Julie Falatko – VOX FAL
• Pearl by Molly Idle – WONDERBOOK IDL
• Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin – MEDIA KIT MAR or find on hoopla
• Nerdycorn by Andrew Root – VOX ROO
• Caps for Sale by Espher Slobodkina – MEDIA KIT SLO or find on hoopla
• A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead – MEDIA KIT STE/WONDERBOOK STE or find on hoopla
• Abdul’s Story by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow – VOX THO
• Gravity is Bringing Me Down by Wendelin Van Draanen – WONDERBOOK VAN
• Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems – MEDIA KIT WIL
• Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron – JBOCD BAR or find on hoopla
• The Wild Robot by Peter Brown – JBOCD BRO
• New Kid by Jerry Craft – JBOCD CRA or find on hoopla
• The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz – JBOCD GID
• Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins – JBOCD JEN
• Frog and Toad Audio Collection by Arnold Lobel – JBOCD LOB or find on hoopla
• Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls by Beth McMullen – JBOCD MCM or find on hoopla
• A Horse Called Sky by Rosanne Parry – JBOCD PAR or find on hoopla
• A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat – JBOCD SOO
• Clean Getaway by Nic Stone – JBOCD STO
• Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga – JBOCD WAR or find on hoopla

Teen Podcasts/Audiobooks –

• Dear Hank and John
• Nightingale
• Six Minutes
• Stuff You Missed in History Class
• Welcome to Night Vale
• Promise Boys by Nick Brooks – find on hoopla
• Slugfest by Gordon Korman – YA BOCD KOR or find on hoopla
• The Honeys by Ryan La Sala – find on hoopla
• You Don’t Have a Shot by Racquel Marie – YA BOCD MAR or find on hoopla
• Little Thieves by Margaret Owen – find on hoopla
• All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V Sawyerr – YA BOCD SAW or find on hoopla
• Stateless by Elizabeth Wein – YA BOCD WEI
• Bianca Torre is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans – YA BOCD WIN or find on hoopla