Graphic Novels

Our warehouse is now stacked with shiny new copies of all 6 Graphic Novels ready to inspire your reluctant readers! The compelling stories and awesome artwork can be enjoyed by all abilities whether struggling, developing or simply reading for pleasure.

If you haven't had a chance to pre-order your copies, you can purchase them using the links above and all 6 imaginative titles will be with you very soon!

Christmas is just around the corner and is a magical time for giving and goodwill. Here at Badger Learning, we like to give throughout the year (not just at Christmas!), and this coming January we have a special treat lined up for an avid graphic novel enthusiast!

We will be giving away a framed illustration from Tommy Donbavand's graphic novel The Head Is Dead, signed by illustrator Mark Penman. There is also a surprise mystery gift up for grabs that Mark will commission especially for the lucky winner!

Mark's unique illustrations effortlessly bring characters to life and you could have your very own Mark Penman print hanging on your wall in the New Year!

For a chance to win these bespoke prizes visit our competitions page www.newresourcesforschools.co.uk/competitions and answer one simple question! Competition now closed.

Illustrator Peter Richardson has been busy bringing Space Pirate Unicorn to life. We love how a simple pencil sketch is transformed using just a few cleverly chosen colours!

Reading graphic novels forces readers to think and become actively involved each time they move between one picture panel and the next. What's happening in that space? How do the story and the characters get from one panel to the next?

Analysing graphic novels also helps children and teens learn the ins and outs of visual literacy, better preparing them to deal with the media they encounter every day.
In Danny Pearson's graphic novel, Hali, the Space Pirate Unicorn (of course, what else?!) is in a race to deliver a package to a rock concert with the help of 3 earthlings.
Traditionally unicorns are portrayed as mythical, majestic creatures who appeal to girls but Danny has cleverly reinvented them into grungy rocking space pirates that both sexes will appreciate!

A few weeks ago we gave you a sneak peak at Kev Hopgood's rough artwork for Tommy Donbavand's, The Colony, and now we're excited to share a draft full page layout; Kev's eye popping use of colour is really starting to bring the scenes of this graphic novel to life!

During their mission to kill the Queen Ant, the young group of volunteers have become surrounded by genetically modified ants; can they escape and ultimately save the human race from being turned into slaves or, even worse, food? Find out in January!

We've been teasing you with graphics and plot outlines this past month and we are now chuffed to be able to reveal our final front covers for all 6 Graphic Novel titles!

With a reading age of 7.5-8 years, an interest age of 11-13 years and a word count of 500-750, these books, with their impressive covers, will definitely catch the eye of any reluctant reader and encourage them to turn the pages!

Author Danny Pearson talks to us about his last minute decision to change the title of his graphic novel...

"I loved the name of this title, 'Pirate Unicorn', but something just wasn't quite right. I felt like it was missing something. I stared at the first draft of the cover and I felt like it certainly gave out the message that the story had a pirate unicorn in, but, it was missing the science fiction element to it. So I decided (over a rather large meal on a Sunday) that the title needed to be injected with a bit of sci-fi!

It was simple. All that needed to be done was to add in the word SPACE. So this is where I am now with this title. You still have your Unicorn... who is a pirate... but you now know that he comes from SPACE!

Sci-fi, adventure, and a pirate (who is also a unicorn). What more can you ask for?"

Last month we gave you a sneak peak of the plot outline and cover artwork for The Head is Dead by Tommy Donbavand and now we have some utterly brilliant inside artwork from illustrator Mark Penman to entice you with!

We love seeing how a simple sketch can suddenly evolve into an expressive character with a bit more shading and detail. Mr McShane, one of the main protagonists of this novel, is looking slightly worse for wear in this illustration... Find out why in January!

Written by author Jonny Zucker and illustrated by Pablo Gallego

When all of the other kids start acting weirdly after school and then begin stealing stuff, Frank and Gail are totally bemused. But then they work out that every time a kid swipes their bus pass on the way home, they come under some weird power for half an hour and start nicking things.

Will they be able to break the spell? Find out in Terror Swipe!

Well they definitely come to life in this new gem of a graphic novel by Danny Pearson and Peter Richardson, entitled Pirate Unicorn.

Hali, an intergalactic space pirate, has a special delivery to make here on Earth. He enlists the help of three earthlings to help him in his quest. But will he make it to a rock concert in time to deliver the package to the lead singer of the Iron Hands?

Peter Richardson, an illustrator we have used for some of our previous Full Flight, Gems and Ignite I & II titles, yet again weaves his magic into this early cover concept and inside illustrative rough for the upcoming Pirate Unicorn.

Genetically modified ants have turned the human race into slaves or, even worse, food. Those who haven't been bitten lead a sorry life - hiding in caves and scrabbling for food and water. But the end might be close as the location of the Queen Ant has been discovered, and a group of young volunteers have been dispatched to kill her.

Illustrator Kevin Hopgood has started to sketch out rough artwork for the insides of this graphic novel and we think it's looking brilliant already! Forget Christmas, we're already excited to see the final full colour version due out in January!