Stoomio kidlit reviews

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If you want kids reading for joy, not just levels, you’re in the right place.

Expect:

a. Honest, insightful reviews
7. The best new kids’ graphic novels
π. Guidance for educators and carers
42. Real discussion, not marketing talk
∞. Mini-adventures, Stoom Squad mischief, and a few doughnuts

Just honest reviews, thoughtful commentary, and a mild vendetta against the evil organisation Bofsted, who apparently hate libraries, adventure, and imagination.

Hi, I’m Eddy, the pencil loving, biscuit devouring human behind Stoomio.

I help parents, teachers, aliens, and librarians find kids’ graphic novels and children’s books that actually get kids turning pages.

No brown-nosing publishers or authors. No PR fluff. No hype cycles.

If books came with post-credit scenes like Marvel movies… which one would you stay seated for?

I prefer them a lot of the time.

Ooo I love warhammer! What is your faction?

Get them added to your tbr immediately. You won't regret it.

It's tremendous. I love reading it with my son. We have a right laugh

Experience Epic Middle-Grade Pirate Adventures With the Amazing ND Stevenson Ahoy! Dive into this exclusive interview of the creation of the pirate adventure novel Scarlet Morning by the talented Middle-Grade author ND Stevenson.

This was a fun interview! bookstr.com/article/expe...

Well yes 😁 middle grade chapter books make up the bulk of my content. But the goal of this post was to shine a light on the fantastic graphic novels about that some deem 'not real reading'.

Great when your kid gets a teacher like that.

Thanks 🤝

😂 On that note... Can I send you an email? Or DM? Or ancient scroll carried by Sir Scribblescoil the Snake... Well actually he IS the scroll. He will unfurl dramatically to reveal the message along his belly.

So yes, Dog Man absolutely counts as reading. It’s not a stepping stone to “proper books”, they are proper books. And if it helps a child fall in love with stories, then it’s doing its job perfectly.

These graphic novels are full of heart, humour, proper storytelling and a genuine passion for kids literature; everything that’s missing from, for example... certain celebrity authors... ahem *cough* Walliams books. Aka 'proper books'.

These have the fun and pace of Dog Man but with more character depth and emotional range.

📚 Hilo by Judd Winick
📚 InvestiGators by John Patrick Green
📚 Cleopatra in Space by Mike Maihack
📚 Monkey vs Bunny by Jamie Smart
📚 Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi

If your child’s loving Dog Man, (my 2 eldest love the series) celebrate it. Read it with them! It's honestly a laugh. Then, when they’re ready, try books that bridge into richer storylines while keeping the same visual energy they already love. A few great options:

Graphic novels build stamina, comprehension, and confidence, a few of the things that actually create lifelong readers. Once that spark is there, kids naturally explore stories with more depth and less visual support. There’s no need to rush that step.

When a child reads graphic novels, they’re not just looking at pictures. They’re decoding visual and written text together, following sequence and flow from panel to panel, inferring meaning that’s never directly said, and most importantly, they’re choosing to read.

It’s a really common view, and I completely understand where it comes from. But it’s also one I’d love to gently challenge, because Dog Man (and graphic novels in general) are doing far more for young readers than most people realise.

No shade I promise 👀 but I saw a post in a Facebook group about a kid who loves Dog Man, but his family were hoping he’d move on to “something else” because it’s “cartoon style.”

If you fancy it I'm running a free kids summer reading challenge.

👉 Free to join
👉 Read 5 books
👉 Earn a snazzy certificate
👉 Win a bookish prize! (maybe)

Join here: stoomio.kit.com/b802d80988

#SummerOfStoom #KidsReadingChallenge
#summerreadingchallenge

Tag a teacher or parent who always has the best recommendations. I’m building a fresh list to share in the next newsletter!

💌 The Stoomio newsletter returns THIS FRIDAY. (Sign up here 👉 subscribepage.io/thepilgrimage)
🧠 A wild Summer Reading Challenge is nearly ready
📚 And I’d love to know:

👉 What’s a book your kid has loved this year?

👇

But I’m BACK. A little sleep-deprived, a lot inspired, and ready to help you find books your kids will actually want to read this summer. 👇

As mentioned... I’ve been a bit quiet lately.

Turns out, a gang of naughty book ninjas kidnapped me and made me read non-stop for weeks. No breaks. No snacks. Just book after book after book.

Every time I tried to leave, they whispered “just one more chapter…” 😵‍💫

Continued 👇

Hey children's illustrators... Share the book covers you've made and are super proud of 😁

#childrensillustrators