BES Graphic Novel Nominees.

Big news! Big, BIG news!

The nominees in the graphic novel category of the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan (BES) Award were announced this week! This is big for so many reasons. Not only is this the first year our state book award is including a graphic novel category, it also represents the fruits of a year's hard work piloting the committee as we worked to define what makes for an outstanding graphic novel. 

As the committee chair for the BES Graphic Novel Award, I can't begin to articulate how proud I am of the nominees our committee members selected and how privileged I am to have worked with such a great group of teacher librarians in selecting these titles.

We selected 10 graphic novels published within the past three years (2010, 2011, and 2012) that we felt were outstanding titles for students in grades 4-6. These are graphic novels we also consider to be must-haves for library collections and titles we feel will quickly earn the hearts of students and teachers alike. They represent a variety of genres including action/adventure, science fiction, nonfiction, and memoir. But more importantly, there are a testament to the great strength graphic novels possess in storytelling. We hope you and your students enjoy these titles as much as we do! 

The 2013-2014 BES Graphic Novel Award Grades 4-6 Nominees are:

Giants Beware! by Rafael Rosado and Jorge Aguirre

Young Claudette is tired of her same-old town and is looking for adventure. But will the journey from home prove too much for even the bravest of aspiring giant slayers and her loyal companions?

Rafael Rosado (@Raf_Rosado) lives in Ohio and Jorge Aguirre (@jorgeagu) lives in New Jersey. Visit  GiantsBeware.com!

Gabby & Gator by James Burks

Gabby's new friend may have a lot to learn when it comes to manners, but as far as friends are concerned, I'd say this is a perfect match. For those who never quite feel like they fit in comes a tale of an unlikely friendship and an unfriendly animal catcher. 

James Burks (@JamesBurksArt) lives in Southern California. Visit  JamesBurks.com for more info.

Luz Makes a Splash by Claudia Dávila

With a heat wave and a drought threatening the city's water supply, Luz and her friends dive into the fight to save the swimming pond and Friendship Park.

Claudia Dávila (@ClaudiaDrawings) lives in Toronto, Canada. Visit The Future According To Luz Facebook page for more info.

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy by Nathan Hale

Nathan Hale, the author’s historical namesake, was America’s first spy, a Revolutionary War hero who famously said “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country” before being hanged by the British.

Nathan Hale (@MrNathanHale) lives in Utah. Visit SpaceStationNathan.com for more info.

Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

When her best friend is abducted by an alien doomsday cult, Zita leaps to the rescue and finds herself a stranger on a strange planet. 

Ben Hatke (@BenHatke) lives in Virgina. Visit HouseHatke.com for more info.

A Wrinkle in Time: the Graphic Novel adapted and illustrated by Hope Larson

Hope Larson takes the classic story to a new level with her vividly imagined interpretations of tessering and favorite characters like the Happy Medium and Aunt Beast.

Hope Larson (@HopeLarson) lives in California. Visit HopeLarson.com for more info.

Little White Duck: a Childhood in China by Na Liu and Andres Vera Martinez

The world is changing for two girls in China in the 1970s. When their country's leader, Chairman Mao, dies, new opportunities begin to emerge. Da Qin and Xiao Qin soon learn that their childhood will be much different than the upbringing their parents experienced.

Andres Vera Martinez (@AndresVera) and Na Liu, his wife, live in New York. Visit AndresVera.com for more info.

Hilda and the Midnight Giant by Luke Pearson

Follow Hilda on her many adventures and travels through the magical fjords and enchanted mountains of her birthplace as she unravels the mysteries of the supernatural world that surrounds her.

Luke Pearson (@ThatLukePearson) lives in the United Kingdom. Visit LukePearson.com for more info.

The Unsinkable Walker Bean by Aaron Renier

Walker Bean never wanted to be a high-seas pirate waging a pitched battle against the forces of the deep. It just worked out that way.

Aaron Renier (@AcornReindeer) lives in Illinois. Visit AaronRenier.com for more info.

Sidekicks by Dan Santat

Get ready for sibling rivalry royale as pets with superpowers duke it out for the one thing they all want - a super family.

Dan Santat (@DSantat) lives in California. Visit Dan Santat.com for more info.

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(The following was adapted/updated from my Picture Book Nominees post from March 14, 2012) 

State book awards are as unique as the state awarding them, as is the process for selecting the titles. The Black-Eyed Susan Award has been given to authors each year since 1992 and the award recognizes outstanding literature for children in the categories of Picture Book, Grades 4-6, Middle School, and High School. Book nominees are selected in each category by committees of active and retired school librarians from throughout the state. The nominees are announced in March for the following year. Winners are student-selected in April of the following school year. 

Announcing the nominees now gives us a chance to familiarize ourselves with the books, start planning lessons and activities for the following school year, and earmark money from our book budgets to purchase the nominated titles. 

Personally, I really like scouring the list of nominees to see if an author of a nominated book could visit our school in person or virtually via Skype. 

Having said that, I want to share a resource with you I created to help promote the nominated books and save time finding information on author visits for our nominees. Visit my BES Graphic Novel Author Visits 2012-2013 sqworl for links to the author's school visit information (where available). I've noted where the authors travel from in case it helps you plan your author visit more easily. (I know travel expenses can sometimes make or break our school's decision, but you can always explore alternate means of funding such as grant writing and fundraising. Some authors will even Skype for a 15-minute session for FREE!)