GRAVEYARD SHAKES

A tale about a ghost who fears other ghosts and two sisters who find more welcome in a graveyard than in school.

This two-plot graphic novel follows both the post-life adventures of Little Ghost and his nearly dead young friend, Modie, and the challenging transition Victoria and her energetic, musical, nonconformist younger sister, Katia, both white, experience as they move from home-schooling on their farm to an exclusive boarding school. When Little Ghost visits Modie, whose father, Nikola, keeps him alive by stealing the souls of live children every 13 years, the boys talk about life, death, and family. The two strands of the plot collide when Victoria, while searching the graveyard for Katia, falls into a pit that Nikola has set to catch unsuspecting children. Victoria fights back, escapes, and finds Katia, whom Nikola also subsequently captures. But he is no match for these determined sisters. Less original than Raina Telgemeier’s Ghosts (2016), this book succeeds visually in capturing the spirit of these siblings and honestly portraying both their conflicts and their unity. The children’s conversations about life and death and also the fact that two children die in the story make it a compelling springboard for these discussions with children.

Affirming girl power and the importance of staying true to yourself, this story will resonate with readers who, like Katia, build relationships on their own terms