In Waves

Created by AJ Dungo

Published by Flying Eye Books

I cried. Not noisily or with sobs, it was more tears simply flowing down my cheek,  dropping onto the book making me realise it was happening. I needed tissues. I kept reading.

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That is the power of this graphic novel, this story.

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A story of then and now, the two distinguished by the colour palette used, this is a personal, heart-breaking narrative filled with unbelievable beauty. Solace is found on the waves, with a surfboard, hope is found there too and it is there that memories are made. Memories are the best possible thing we can have and this story reminds us we should hold onto them all.

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Not only do we have a personal ​story of love and loss, one that will break and remake your heart, we also have the story ot surfing and some fantastic recounting of the stories of some of the world's greatest surfers. This novel has so much to offer, keep the tissues close, set your feelings free and immerse yourself in a true love story for the ages.​

Raise The Bar

Written by Fernanda Frick H

Published by Guppy Books

She has no coach, she doesn't even have the proper equipment, she does have a dream. Sam Sanchez wants to be Chile's first gold medalist for weightlifting.

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More than wanting to hold that gold medal, Sam knows she can do it.

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An opportunity presents itself, she can train at the high-performance centre and she can do it with Olympic gold medallist Eva Dos Santos. Can it get any better than this for a girl who has dreams and a determination to make them come true? It might be that she has to go behind her parents backs, it will mean making new friends, it will mean gaining a rival and having to work incredibly hard to qualify. Sam's story is one of perseverance and sport, the competitiveness of it. It is also a story of believing in yourself, believing you belong, believing that you are strong. It's an inspirational story and makes a fantastic graphic novel allowing, encouraging us to follow Sam's journey through all. her ups and downs, inspiring hope in all of us.

Windrush Child

Created by Benjamin Zephaniah & Marika Jenai

Published by Scholastic

The WIndrush generation is often spoken of, books have been written about it, stories told but with this graphic novel we can see just what it was like to have been a child of that generation, experience it for ourselves.

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When Leonard arrives in England the shores of Southampton are grey, nothing like Maroon Town in Jamaica where his journey began. He's been told by his parents that they have come to England for a better life. He tries hard. He tries not to complain when the food tastes so very different, when it's hard to make friends, when people think it's okay to hurt him with fists. He's only ten years old and yet he has to learn to adjust to a brand new life, leaving behind everything he has known. It's hard for people in England to understand too but that doesn't excuse their behaviour.

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No excuses are made for anyone in this book, it simply tells the story from the perspective of a young boy, uprooted. It encourages young readers to learn more about diversity and inclusivity through an accessible story.