Review By: Diana Cashman
Published: 2025
Genre(s): Graphic Novel, Comic, Fiction, Realistic Fiction
Audience: Grades 4–7
Content Warnings: A character loses her father to an illness
Goodreads Link: The Cartoonists Club
Publisher’s Summary:
#1 New York Times bestselling cartoonists Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud team up for a one-of-a-kind friendship story about creativity and self-expression that blends how-to and comics magic. Welcome to the club!
Makayla is bursting with ideas but doesn’t know how to make them into a story. Howard loves to draw, but he struggles to come up with ideas and his dad thinks comics are a waste of time. Lynda constantly draws in her sketchbook but keeps focusing on what she feels are mistakes, and Art simply loves being creative and is excited to try something new. They come together to form The Cartoonists Club, where kids can learn about making comics and use their creativity and imagination for their own storytelling adventures!
Review:
The Cartoonists Club is the perfect book for students who love graphic novels and dream of creating their own. The characters are relatable, and you can’t help but root for them throughout the story. One of the characters faces a parent who doesn’t appreciate graphic novels and believes they’re a waste of time—a feeling many students may recognize from parents, teachers, or even peers. It’s refreshing to see how the story highlights the positive impact that comics and creativity can have on young people. This book will be a wonderful addition to my classroom library and an excellent teaching tool to inspire students before they create their own comics.
I really like how the main characters work together and support each other. They are all very unique in their own way, but they are all working for a common goal. It was especially nice that the two main characters included a very shy student who was afraid to share her drawings because she didn’t think they were good enough.
This particular character, Lynda, is a perfectionist and has a really difficult time getting started and moving past mistakes. I have had many students in my classroom like this, and Lynda’s character would be relatable to many students.
This school year, instead of writing a traditional essay, my students created a personal narrative in the form of a comic. It was an exciting new way for them to share their stories. One of the most challenging parts of the assignment was helping students make sure their writing and illustrations worked together to tell a cohesive story. Next year, I plan to use The Cartoonists Club to introduce this project and guide students through the creative process.
