Summer Reading for NCCS Upper School Students 2022: Graphic Novels

From the heart of Finnish folklore comes a breathtaking tale of mothers, daughters, stars and legends, and the old gods and the new. Grde 7-10

Damian is the new kid at school, and he has a foolproof plan to avoid the bullying that's plagued him his whole childhood: He's going to stop talking. Starting on the first day of seventh grade, he won't utter a word. If he keeps his mouth shut, the bullies will have nothing to tease him about, right? Wrong--his vow of silence just makes him a bigger target, and it doesn't keep his classmates from discovering the many ways that Damian is different. His family doesn't look like the kind you see on TV: His mother is dead, his father is gone, and he's being raised by his grandparents in a low-income household. And he does things that other boys tease him about, like playing with dolls instead of action figures. But if boys can be so cruel, why does Damian have a crush on one? Grade 7+

Aiza has always dreamt of becoming a Knight. It's the highest military honor in the once-great Bayt-Sajji Empire, and as a member of the subjugated Ornu people, Knighthood is her only path to full citizenship. It's not how she imagined it, though. Aiza must navigate new friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the unyielding General Hende, all while hiding her Ornu background. As the pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the "greater good" that Bayt-Sajji's military promises might not include her, and that the recruits might be in greater danger than she ever imagined. Grade 8-11

Following up their mega-bestselling Real Friends and Best Friends graphic memoirs, Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham are back with Friends Forever, a story about learning to love yourself exactly as you are. Grade 6-9 (Lexile: 420)

laire is a young girl, tough-minded and independent. She isn’t afraid to explore her world, which is how she encounters the old hermit Lontar. The crazy old coot is inspired by a supernatural revelation he had many years ago. He believes that if he leaves a cave where he has lived for many years, the world will be invaded by dragons. It is his conviction that he must remain in self-imposed exile until the emergence of a true hero, someone who is capable of leading humanity in the fight against these terrible creatures. Treated as if he were crazy by the local villagers, he relies on Claire to provide for his needs. However, Claire has not yet realized that Lontar believes that she is the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy! Grade 7-10

Tells the story of 10-year-old Elvie and her crucial mission to save humanity from extinction after a sun shift has changed life on earth as we know it. Grade 5-8

The ancient world was filled with restless spirits and powerful forces. 2 million years ago, human evolution made its move. It chose Fire. At the dawn of humanity, during a period of tremendous change and drought, three lost children meet a mysterious traveler named Tuki. Together, their search for the Motherherd of all Buffalo leads them far north through the dangerous territory of a rival species called the Habiline. The Habiline hunt and kill anyone found using fire. Tuki's reputation precedes them and soon they find themselves at the center of unwanted attention not only from Habiline warriors, but of tribal spirits and giants. Grade 4-8

Marisol loves her colorful island home. Cuba is vibrant with flowers and food and people...but things are changing. The home Marisol loves is no longer safe--and then it's no longer her home at all. Her parents are sending her to the United States. Alone.
Nothing about Marisol's new life in cold, gray Brooklyn feels like home--not the language, school, or even her foster parents. But Marisol starts to realize that home isn't always a place. And finding her way can be as simple as staying true to herself. Grade 5-8

Explores the history of vaccinations and the struggle to protect people from infectious diseases, from smallpox—perhaps humankind’s greatest affliction to date—to the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlighting deadly diseases such as measles, polio, rabies, cholera, and influenza, Brown tackles the science behind how our immune systems work, the discovery of bacteria, the anti-vaccination movement, and major achievements from Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who popularized inoculation in England, and from scientists like Louis Pasteur, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, and Edward Jenner, the "father of immunology." Timely and fascinating, A Shot in the Arm! is a reminder of vaccines’ contributions to public health so far, as well as the millions of lives they can still save. Grade 4-7

Tells the story of 10-year-old Elvie and her crucial mission to save humanity from extinction after a sun shift has changed life on earth as we know it. Grade 5-8

Following up their mega-bestselling Real Friends and Best Friends graphic memoirs, Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham are back with Friends Forever, a story about learning to love yourself exactly as you are. Grade 6-9 (Lexile: 420)

Damian is the new kid at school, and he has a foolproof plan to avoid the bullying that's plagued him his whole childhood: He's going to stop talking. Starting on the first day of seventh grade, he won't utter a word. If he keeps his mouth shut, the bullies will have nothing to tease him about, right? Wrong--his vow of silence just makes him a bigger target, and it doesn't keep his classmates from discovering the many ways that Damian is different. His family doesn't look like the kind you see on TV: His mother is dead, his father is gone, and he's being raised by his grandparents in a low-income household. And he does things that other boys tease him about, like playing with dolls instead of action figures. But if boys can be so cruel, why does Damian have a crush on one? Grade 7+

Marisol loves her colorful island home. Cuba is vibrant with flowers and food and people...but things are changing. The home Marisol loves is no longer safe--and then it's no longer her home at all. Her parents are sending her to the United States. Alone.
Nothing about Marisol's new life in cold, gray Brooklyn feels like home--not the language, school, or even her foster parents. But Marisol starts to realize that home isn't always a place. And finding her way can be as simple as staying true to herself. Grade 5-8