Reading challenges 2022 and some graphic novels to get you started!

LLast year I spotted some local reading challenges and bingo cards so I wanted to see what was happening in 2022! Personally, I think I’ll stick with my 50 pound Goodreads reading challenge. It might sound like a lot (or not, depending on your personal reading goals!), But a lot of the books I enjoy are pretty quick reads, so it’s an enjoyable and achievable goal for me. To help you achieve your own reading goals, I thought I would share a few graphic novels that I read recently. It’s not a genre I’ve explored a lot, but maybe I’ll do more this year? Who knows? Read this article in our August 2018 issue to find out “How Comics and Graphic Novels Help Grow Children’s Reading.”

Local reading challenges

MTBI Children’s Reading Challenge

Tulsa City-County Library put together a fun and unique reading challenge for kids for our January 2019 magazine. It’s worth sharing every year, because the categories are so diverse – and there are so many. books around the world – you could repeat it over and over and always read something new!

The challenge is divided by season, plus a special section for the December holidays. One of the winter suggestions is to read a book where the characters are ice skating! For older readers, “Little Women” might be a good choice! For younger readers, “Vampirina in the Snow” is quite cute 🙂 What skating books are you thinking of? Each season, the Reading Challenge recommends asking your local librarian for recommendations on different topics. It’s a fun way to read and learn more about what the library has to offer, and to connect with the amazing librarians at TCCL.

Central Library Winter Book Bingo

The Central Library welcomes Book Bingo until March 15th! As you can see their Bingo card is a good mix of activities and reading. To enter, return your bingo card to any TCCL location or email a photo to cas@tulsalibrary.org. Everyone who participates is entered to win one of three “Cozy Gift Sets”.

Winter bingo card found here

Magic City Books Bingo Cards

Oh, options! According to this Facebook post, it looks like Magic City Books offers three different bingo cards for you to read throughout the year. Including a children’s bingo card! To participate, pick up a bingo card at Magic City (221 E. Archer St.). You can also download the Genre Challenge map at bingobaker.com/#fe0e41968a2290e1.

Image found on facebook.com/tulsalitco/photos/a.2201244876658326/4687110958071693

Whitty Books Reading Challenge

Whitty Books is in the process of moving (about a block from its previous location). So I don’t see a 2022 read challenge on their website yet. But check here for updates: whittybooks.com/reading-challenge. And in the meantime, take a look at their 2021 Reading Challenge because it’s a good one and would definitely work for 2022.

Graphic novels

When I say that I haven’t read a lot of graphic novels, that of course doesn’t include dog man and Captain Slip 🙂 My favorite Dave Pilkey series is the Cat kids cartoon club because it’s a wonderful introduction to teaching kids to create their own comics. And the books show different ways of making comics. When two of the young participants want to quit because they aren’t interested in creating more traditional comics, Cat Kid and his co-teacher Molly explain that they can always create comics that more closely match their own interests. (haiku and photography). Joss even took inspiration from the second book to start making his own comic book, Cat Head and Dog Head. ??

Above are four graphic novels that I’ve read in the last month, plus one that’s in my TBR stack.

Garlic and the vampire by Bree Paulsen

I discovered this one on NPR’s 2021 best books list. The cover artwork was so cute, and I’ve been kinda on a vampire kick lately thanks to “What we’re doing in the shadows”, ha, so that grabbed my attention. Plus, the main character Garlic struggles with anxiety so I thought it might be interesting to read with Joss. He’s been struggling with some anxiety lately. Basically it takes place on a witch’s vegetable farm. The kind witch created sensitive plant aids to help her in the garden. However, their peaceful world is called into question when a suspected vampire moves into a nearby castle. Vegetables want to investigate, and Anxious Garlic seems like the obvious choice.

Golden hour by Niki Smith

This one arrived at the TulsaKids office, sent by the publisher. As someone who grew up in Wichita, the rural setting of the Kansas book appealed to me! According to the official description, “From the author of The deep and dark blue comes a tender graphic novel, perfect for our time, that gently explores themes of self-discovery, friendship, healing from tragedy, and hoping for a better future.

The illustrations are beautiful, featuring several Kansas landscapes. And although the main character suffers from PTSD, there is a lot of humor and his new friends are so encouraging and supportive that the relationships are wonderful to see.

The witch okay by Emma Steinkiller

Thanks to Eleanor’s Bookshop for this title! I discover new, intriguing books with every visit, and this one sounded too much fun. Also, I watched “The Worst Witch” on Netflix a few years ago, so while it’s a completely different series, I wanted to see a different take on witches who may or may not trust. their skills.

The witch okay tells the story of a young girl who is shocked and delighted to discover that she is a witch! She never felt out of place with her predominantly white and fairly conformist peers. But she doesn’t understand why her mother – also a witch, what ?! – is adamant against letting her explore her heritage of witchcraft.

The wizard boy by Molly Knox Ostertag

I’m not sure where I first heard of this one, but it was on my radar when I saw it on the shelves of Whitty Books. So he came home with me. The premise reminded me a lot Boys cemetery, so I was intrigued. In Boys cemetery, a trans teenager tries to prove to his family that he is a brujo, not a bruja. In The wizard boy, the male protagonist aspires to study witchcraft – with girls – rather than shapeshifting, as is considered appropriate for boys and men. A sin Boys cemetery, the protagonist Aster is determined to use the magic he knows he has inside to save a missing friend. Even if he meets resistance from those around him.

When the stars are scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

I have loved Victoria Jamieson’s work since I read “All’s Faire in Middle School” a few years ago. In this National Book Award finalist, she tells the true story of Omar Mohamed, when he was a young Somali refugee living in Kenya with a non-verbal brother. I haven’t read this yet, but it’s near the top of my TBR 2022 list.

Do you have any graphic novels or reading challenges to recommend? Tell me about them in the comments!