Her mom has her hands full with her twin brothers, so Jo is left to her own devices, wandering around her small town. It’s summer vacation, and Jo is bored and lonely. Who wouldn’t be charmed by a shaggy, tan-speckled dog who shops on his own? Perfect for newly independent readers looking for longer graphic novels to sink their teeth into, Pawcasso is 100% adorable. But the rest of you will have to wait for the ring of the school bell.)

Those of you on Instagram know what I’m talking about. (Sadly, this means my Favorite Graphic Novel of the Year so far won’t make the cut, since it’s not set in summer. It seems only right that our reading material should match the view outside. We’ve still got time with friends in Maine, time with cousins in Boston, and a family reunion in Rhode Island-fingers and toes and more fingers crossed for good health-and we’re determined to savor these precious days. We’ve just wrapped up summer swim team, and my kids are packing their bags for sleepaway camp. I realize back-to-school season is right around the corner (for some, it’s already here), but in our house, we are in blissful denial.

So, I’m limiting today’s post to favorite new graphic novels with summer themes. I had initially intended this to be a round-up of new favorites, only I found too many to fit in a single post. (Not convinced they count as real reading? Read what I said here.) I can hardly keep up with all the graphic novels hitting bookshelves these days, but I’m not complaining, since they continue to make readers out of my kids.

Long distance by whitney gardner