The Best Graphic Novels for Young Readers to Encourage Empathy

I recently wrote this guest article for Shepherd.com and here is a snippet!

Who am I?

As a graphic novel creator and art teacher with years of experience, I understand the importance of introducing serious topics for discussion in an accessible way. My art students of all ages are curious about different subjects, wondering what life is like for others and if their own feelings are normal. Graphic novels are a perfect tool for fostering these discussions. Having been interested in comics as a medium for a long time, I'm thrilled to share this with young audiences and encourage the exploration of diverse perspectives.

I wrote...

Big Apple Diaries

By Alyssa Bermudez

What is my book about?

In Big Apple Diaries, a heartfelt diary-style graphic novel memoir by Alyssa Bermudez, a young New Yorker doodles her way through middle school—until the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack leaves her wondering if she can ever be a kid again.

The books I picked & why

When Stars Are Scattered

By Omar Mohamed, Victoria Jamieson

Why this book?

This book deeply touched me. Through the eyes of a child, it portrays universal emotions of hope, family, and resilience amidst the refugee crisis.

It sheds light on the harsh realities of living in a refugee camp, offering valuable insights into the experiences of displaced families. It's a powerful tool for teaching children about empathy. The ending moved me to tears and prompted me to research and donate to several relevant foundations.

I believe graphic novels possess a unique power to immerse readers in the characters' experiences and emotions. When a child reads When Stars Are Scattered, they step into the world of a refugee camp and gain a new appreciation for everyday necessities.

This graphic novel, based on real people, offers a distinctive storytelling format that can convey silence, body language, and the passage of time in ways other mediums cannot.

Writing and Illustrating a Graphic Novel Memoir for Children

This blog entry was originally created for the Children’s Book Council of Australia, Tasmanian Branch Blog in December 2022.

I always knew I wanted to create something special from my childhood diaries, and over the course of almost ten years, I turned them into a graphic novel called Big Apple Diaries. It all started while taking a comics class in 2012 as a student in New York City, where I was born and lived my whole life at that point. When I moved from New York City to Tasmania in 2015 I realized how important the New Yorker side of my story was. There is something about seeing it from a distance that made it clearer to me. 

I used my diary entries and experiences to retell the story of my childhood in New York City around the September 11 attacks in 2001. These entries were so important for creating this book because I could capture the mindset of a young teen instead of relying solely on the memory of it. Of course, memoir-style writing can be triggering, so I don’t think it would have been possible for me to write about that part of my life without enough time and space between the experience and now. 

Big Apple Diaries is my first ever long-form graphic novel so it was definitely a learning curve for me. I’ve illustrated many picture books, but the jump from 32 pages to almost 300 was a lot to think about!

All of the writing had to be finished first, and that is something that often surprises people. The storyline is the most important part of any book. I started with very simple drafts and didn’t worry about the spelling or specific wording yet. I made sure to create story arcs within my “real story.” Once that draft made sense, I went back over it and carefully rewrote it several times. 

A very important part of the graphic novel process that makes it different from other writing is that I had to choose which parts of the story would be told in words and which parts would be told in pictures. I used different colours in my Word document to make this easier for me. Everything I wrote in black was the words of the story, and everything I wrote in blue was for the pictures. One of the best parts of the graphic novel medium is capturing emotion and subtleties through imagery. Sometimes big feelings don’t need to be named on the page, and a simple expression can speak for itself.

Once all of that was ready to go, I roughly laid out the text and created simple sketches to determine the layouts, pacing, and timing. Next came editorial feedback from the publishing team, adjustments, and sample art. Once all of the stars aligned and everyone agreed it was ready to go, I returned to page one again. This part was the most fun for me because all of that difficult problem-solving with layouts and writing was done, so I could just enjoy the process of making the artwork!

I underestimated how emotional it would be to create the images to go with something so deeply personal. It was wonderful exploring the visuals of New York City from that time and recreating the relationships with my parents and friends.

It was very meaningful to put together a story that took place twenty years ago and can still be relatable to readers today and in the future. I’ve enjoyed sharing this book with students here in Tasmania and virtually in the US. Even though Tasmania and New York City couldn’t be any further apart, the feelings that come with growing up bring everyone together.

Big Apple Diaries is ALAs Best of 2021!

“The Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table is thrilled to introduce the 2021 Best Graphic Novels for Children Reading List. This reading list highlights the best graphic novels for children aged 5 – 12 years old, published in late 2020 and through 2021, and it aims to increase awareness of the graphic novel medium, raise voices of diverse comics creators, and aid library staff in the development of graphic novel collections.”

What an honour to see my very own Big Apple Diaries on this list alongside so many beloved stories.

Older Readers (Grades 5 - 6)

Allergic. Written by Megan Wagner Lloyd. Art by Michelle Mee Nutter. 2021. Scholastic, $12.99 (9781338568905).
Maggie loves animals; however, she learns she is highly allergic to anything with fur or feathers, despite desperately wanting a pet of her own.

Artie and the Wolf Moon. Written by Olivia Stephens. Art by Olivia Stephens. 2021. Graphic Universe, $16.99 (9781541542488).
After discovering that the giant wolf stalking the woods is her mother, Artie is thrust into a new community of werewolves, and the history of her family that has remained unspoken is unearthed along the way.

The Awakening Storm: A Graphic Novel (City of Dragons #1). Written by Jamail Yogis. Art by Vivian Truong. 2021. Graphix, $12.99 (9781338660432).
After moving to Hong Kong with her mom, Grace must get used to everything from learning a new language to making new friends at her fancy boarding school. But when an old lady gifts her a mysterious dragon egg that hatches overnight, Grace will have to deal with a whole new set of problems as evil forces try to harness its power.

Big Apple Diaries. Written by Alyssa Bermudez. Art by Alyssa Bermudez. 2021. Roaring Brook Press, $14.99 (9781250774286).
In this graphic memoir, 12-year-old Alyssa navigates the challenges of the cusp of middle school--grades, friends, a first crush on a cute new classmate, preparing for NYC's complicated middle school application process, her art, working out what it means for her to be Puerto Rican, and splitting time between her mom's and dad's apartments. When the terrorist attacks of 9/11 happen, the collective loss puts everything else in stark perspective, and Alyssa tries to figure out if she can still find a way to be a kid and find purpose and meaning amidst the destruction.

Black Heroes of the Wild West. Written by James Otis Smith. Art by James Otis Smith. 2020. Toon Graphics, $16.95 (9781943145522).
A short history of Black Americans who were extraordinary individuals who lived incredible lives in the Wild West. Mary Fields was born a slave who became a stagecoach driver. Bass Reeves, was the first Black Deputy US Marshal, and Bob Lemmons was amazing with horses.

Bounce Back. Written by Mikaso Rocks. Art by Mikaso Rocks. 2021. Feiwel and Friends, $12.99 (9781250806291).
Lilico must move to America from Japan right before her basketball team's finals, and her new home is not so welcoming. The mean girls in her grade don't want her on their team or in their class.  

Class Act. Written by Jerry Craft. Art by Jerry Craft. 2020. Quill Tree Books, $22.99 (9780062885500).
Drew Ellis feels as if he works twice as hard as some of the kids at Riverdale Academy Day School but doesn’t get the same opportunities in life.  

The Dragon Path. Written by Ethan Young. Art by Ethan Young. 2021. Graphix, $12.99 (9781338363296).
Eager for adventure, Prince Sing of the Wong Clan, journeys with his clan to the Old Land in order to have a better life.

The Ghoul Next Door. Written by Cullen Bunn. Art by Cat Farris. 2021. HarperAlley, $12.99 (9780062896094).
Eleven-year-old Grey has a run in with the mysterious ghouls of his New England town. His new friend Lavinia knows tons about local history but will their unlikely bond cause problems for the living residents of Anders Landing?

The Girl from the Sea. Written by Molly Knox Ostertag. Art by Molly Knox Ostertag. 2021. Graphix, $22.49 (9781338540574).
Morgan's life has changed a lot in the past few years. Dealing with her parent's divorce, a little brother who is angry, the dynamic of her friendship with her friends changing, and a secret she is trying to hide, Morgan learns how important it is to trust your friends and love your family.

History Comics: The American Bison: The Buffalo's Survival Tale. Written by Andy Hirsch. Art by Andy Hirsch. 2021. First Second, $19.99 (9781250265838).
Learn all about the American Bison, the last of North America's megafauna and its near extinction as part of the genocidal Native American Wars and its recovery from the brink.

History Comics: The Wild Mustang: Horses of the American West. Written by Chris Duffy. Art by Falynn Koch. 2021. First Second, $19.99 (9781250174277).
Join two prehistoric horses as they explore the history or wild horses in America.

Hooky. Written by Miriam Bonastre Tur. Art by Miriam Bonastre Tur. 2021. Etch/Clarion Books, $24.99 (9780358468301).
Dani and Dorian miss their bus to magic school and don't want to disappoint their exacting parents, so they begin a wild ride of trying to find another place to learn magic. Learning under their aunt leads to them becoming wanted fugitives, so they land in an inconspicuous town with a jealous errand boy, a welcoming soothsayer, and a cute waiter.

Horse Trouble. Written by Kristin Varner. Art by Kristin Varner. 2021. First Second, $12.99 (9781250225887).
Kate loves being around horses, even though her horseback riding skills are less than amazing. But how will she navigate the snide comments of other girls in the stable without her best friend to have her back?

Jo & Rus. Written by Audra Winslow. Art by Audra Winslow. 2021. KaBOOM!, $12.99 (9781684156108).
Two unlikely friends find each other with the help of a mysterious one-eyed cat.

Jukebox. Written by Nidhi Chanani. Art by Nidhi Chanani. 2021. First Second, $14.99 (9781250156372).
Shaheen's dad lives in his own world of vintage and rare vinyl collecting, and every moment of her life has a soundtrack. When her dad does not come home one night, a mysterious Jukebox, old vinyl records, and cryptic notes on music history are her only clues to her father's abrupt disappearance.

Just Pretend. Written by Tori Sharp. Art by Tori Sharp. 2021. Little Brown Books for Young Readers, $24.99 (9780316538855).
Tori’s life has big changes as she enters 8th grade.  

The Leak. Written by Katie Reed Petty. Art by Andrea Bell. 2021. First Second, $14.99 (9781250217967).
12- year-old Ruth Keller is an aspiring journalist who finds a mysterious black substance at the local lake.

The Legend of Auntie Po. Written by Shing Yin Khor. Art by Shing Yin Khor. Kokila, $22.99 (9780525554882).
A historical look at life for a young Chinese-American girl working at a western logging camp of the late 1800s, but also a magical dive into how stories and our imaginings of heroes shape the way we view the world.

Living with Viola. Written by Rosena Fung. Art by Rosena Fung. 2021. Annick Press, $22.95 (9781773215495).
Livy's anxiety manifests as a shadowy twin named Viola who criticizes her as she moves to a new school, makes new friends, and deals with the pressure of being the child of immigrants.

Miles Morales: Shock Waves. Written by Justin A. Reynolds. Art by Pablo Leon. 2021. Graphix, $24.99 (9781338648041).
Miles is struggling to balance school, his personal and family life, and the demands of being Spider-man, when an earthquake in his mother's beloved home of Puerto Rico upsets the delicate balance.

The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow. Written by Emma Steinkellner. Art by Emma Steinkellner. 2021. Aladdin, $12.99 (9781534431485).
Moth is learning about being a witch, but her mom won't teach her any good spells, especially ones that would fix some of her problems.

The Queen’s Favorite Witch, Book 1: The Wheel of Fortune. Written by Benjamin Dickson. Art by Rachel Smith. 2021. Papercutz, $14.99 (9781545807217).
It's 1563, and nefarious plots are swirling around Queen Elizabeth I, who is newly in need of a royal witch. Meanwhile, young witch Daisy is desperate to get out of her village and do more than sell potions at the market, so she runs away from home to apply for the position.

Séance Tea Party. Written by Reimena Yee. Art by Reimena Yee. 2020. Penguin Random House, $20.99 (9780593125328).
Lora is a middle school late bloomer who feels left behind by her friends until she is reunited with a ghostly companion from the past.

Shark Summer. Written by Ira Marcks. Art by Ira Marcks. 2021. Little Brown Books for Young Readers, $24.99 (9780316461443).
Gayle, dealing with a disastrous softball season, is spending her first summer on Martha's Vineyard. A Hollywood film crew is filming a movie on the island over the summer and is hosting a youth film contest. Gayle meets Elijah and Maddie and between the three they set out to discover the
truth behind the island's own sea monster and win the prize money.

Sue & Tai-chan #1. Written by Konami Kanata. Art by Konami Kanata. Translated by Melissa Tanaka. 2020. Kondasha, $12.99 (9781632369390).
Sue is an elderly cat enjoying her feline years in relative solitude and peace, when suddenly rambunctious kitten Tai-chan comes along, wreaking havoc to her household.

Tell No Tales: Pirates of the Southern Seas. Written by Sam Maggs. Art by Kendra Wells. 2021. Amulet Books, $21.99 (9781419739668).
Anne Bonny and her crew of female pirates sail the Caribbean, seeking adventure and stealing treasure.

Tidesong. Written by Wendy Xu. Art by Wendy Xu. 2021. Quill Tree Books, $12.99 (9780062955791).
A 12-year-old girl named Sophie is sent to live with her aunt to study hard at magic and gain entry to a prestigious school of magic.

Thank you so so much.

Winter Dance 2001

Almost twenty years ago… I was 12 and had a very big crush. Everyone knew I had a crush on him too including our teachers and families.

One of the scenes in my forthcoming graphic novel, Big Apple Diaries, takes place at the school dance. It is based on a real dance that took place all of those years ago. I did in fact write about it in my diary too.

The format is different here to the actual book. Stay tuned for Big Apple Diaries in 2021! - all of the BIG feelings included.

Here is an actual photo from that night— ::CRINGE::