Good morning! It’s another week celebrating children’s fiction on Six for Sunday! Today’s prompt from Steph is all about those books that would make excellent graphic novels!
Six for Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely Steph at ALITTLEBUTALOT. You can find a list of prompts for October, November and December here
Children’s books that would make brilliant graphic novels
I’m going to be the first person to put my hand in the air and say I don’t read that many graphic novels, I’m not sure if it’s that there isn’t really a market for the types of genre I read in graphic format so they don’t exist, or if I’ve just missed them! One I did read this year was When Stars Are Scattered by Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson which is a graphic novel about life as a refugee aimed at a middle grade audience and is a stunning book! Would highly recommend!
Now onto my picks for a graphic novel adaptation! And yes there are technically seven I just couldn’t pick one more to lose! Be sure to click on the bold text to find my reviews for the original books!
Witch Wars by Sibéal Pounder
About The Book…
When Fran the Fabulous Fairy turns up in Tiga Whicabim’s shed to tell her she’s a witch, Tiga doesn’t believe her. Or at least not until Fran points out that TIGA WHICABIM is actually an anagram of I AM A BIG WITCH and magics her away down the drainpipes to compete in Witch Wars †“ the competition to crown the next Top Witch of Ritzy City.
Filled with silly spells, delectable dresses, ridiculous riddles and a serious shoe problem, Witch Wars is a witch story like no other. Although if you enjoyed The Worst Witch, you’ll love this too!
Witch Wars was such a fun book, although I still have the rest of the series to read! The books are already filled with wonderful illustrations by Laura Ellen Anderson – who is well known for her own Amelia Fang books – but who wouldn’t want even more of these stunning illustrations? I absolutely adore Laura’s illustration style so yes please, graphic novel version please!
High Rise Mystery by Sharna Jackson
About The Book…
The detective duo everyone is dying to meet!
Summer in London is hot, the hottest on record, and there’s been a murder in THE TRI: the high-rise home to resident know-it-alls, Nik and Norva. Who better to solve the case? Armed with curiosity, home-turf knowledge and unlimited time – until the end of the summer holidays anyway.
The first whodunnit in a new mystery series by Sharna Jackson.
I absolutely adored High Rise Mystery! I think it was a wonderfully written, fantastic mystery and even more importantly I think it’s a great book for diversity, it’s so important for all children to be able to see themselves represented in some media – so for that reason I’d love to see a full graphic novel adaptation too!
The Strangeworlds Travel Agency by L. D. Lapinski
About The Book…
At the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, each suitcase transports you to a different world. All you have to do is step inside . . .
When 12-year-old Flick Hudson accidentally ends up in the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, she uncovers a fantastic secret: there are hundreds of other worlds just steps away from ours. All you have to do to visit them is jump into the right suitcase. Then Flick gets the invitation of a lifetime: join Strangeworlds’ magical travel society and explore other worlds.
But, unknown to Flick, the world at the very centre of it all, a city called Five Lights, is in danger. Buildings and even streets are mysteriously disappearing. Once Flick realizes what’s happening she must race against time, travelling through unchartered worlds, seeking a way to fix Five Lights before it collapses into nothingness — and takes our world with it.
The Strangeworlds Travel Agency is such a special book! I absolutely loved discovering all the different worlds through each suitcase, and L. D. Lapinski does such a wonderful job bringing them all to life with worlds I’d LOVE to see them on the page in all their multicoloured glory!
The Strangeworlds Travel Agency is such a special book! I absolutely loved discovering all the different worlds through each suitcase, and L. D. Lapinski does such a wonderful job bringing them all to life with worlds I’d LOVE to see them on the page in all their multicoloured glory!
Nevermoor: The Trials Of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
About The Author…
Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she’s blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks–and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday.
But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.
It’s then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city’s most prestigious organization: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart–an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests–or she’ll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.
I don’t think there was anything I didn’t enjoy about Nevermoor when I read it, it was a story full of intrigue, magic and absolutely wonderful characters! Who wouldn’t want to see Morrigan, Jupiter and the Hotel Deucalion on the page in all their illustrated glory? Also I’ll take panel after panel of the wonderfully snarky Fen!
Everdark by Abi Elphinstone
About The Book…
It is midnight in Crackledawn – a midnight full of magic. Sea dragons stir in the depths of the ocean, silver whales surface beneath the moon and sand goblins line the shores. Everyone is waiting for the phoenix, the guardian of the kingdom’s magic, to rise up from the forests of Everdark.
But there is no sign of the phoenix tonight. Something else surges up out of Everdark instead: a harpy bent on stealing Crackledawn’s magic.
It is up to an eleven-year-old girl called Smudge and an eccentric monkey called Bartholomew to set sail beyond the legendary Northswirl and stop the harpy before it’s too late.
So, grab your compass and roll down your sail – the first adventure in THE UNMAPPED CHRONICLES is about to begin…
I’ve picked Everdark as it’s the first in The Unmapped Chronicles series but I’d love to see the full series given the graphic novel treatment! Similar to L. D. Lapinski in The Strangeworlds Travel Agency, Abi Elphinstone has created some wonderful lands and I’d love to see them on the page! Also she creates some wonderful animal sidekicks and who wouldn’t want to see Arlo the dragon?!
The Train To Impossible Places by P. G. Bell
About The Book…
A train that travels through impossible places. A boy trapped in a snow globe. And a girl who’s about to go on the adventure of a lifetime.
The Impossible Postal Express is no ordinary train. It’s a troll-operated delivery service that runs everywhere from ocean-bottom shipwrecks, to Trollville, to space.
But when this impossible train comes roaring through Suzy’s living room, her world turns upside down. After sneaking on board, Suzy suddenly finds herself Deputy Post Master aboard the train, and faced with her first delivery―to the evil Lady Crepuscula.
Then, the package itself begs Suzy not to deliver him. A talking snow globe, Frederick has information Crepuscula could use to take over the entire Union of Impossible Places. But when protecting Frederick means putting her friends in danger, Suzy has to make a difficult choice―with the fate of the entire Union at stake.
The Train To Impossible Places is another book I adored filled with stunning sounding locations. It’s also another book that is already filled with wonderful illustrations, this time thanks to Flavia Sorrentino, but despite this, or maybe because of this I’d love to see this adapted into a full graphic novel filled with her artwork!
The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher
About The Book…
The Christmasaurus is a story about a boy named William Trundle, and a dinosaur, the Christmasaurus. It’s about how they meet one Christmas Eve and have a magical adventure. It’s about friendship and families, sleigh bells and Santa, singing elves and flying reindeer, music and magic. It’s about discovering your heart’s true desire, and learning that the impossible might just be possible.
The Christmasaurus is my bonus pick as we are rapidly approaching Christmas! Now we already have the benefit of stunning illustrations by Shane Devries in the book but just look at that cover and tell me you wouldn’t enjoy a full graphic novel filled with joyful illustrations like that?!
They were my #SixforSunday! If you’ve taken part leave a link to your post below and I’ll be sure to check it out!
Sarah Withers Blogs 
Charlotte
I still have not read a lot of the books on this list. But Strangeworlds and Nevermoor would be great.
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