The Makers Club: A Graphic Novel

by Reimena Yee, Tintin Pantoja (Illustrator), Melanie Ujimori (Illustrator)

Overview

For fans of Raina Telgemeier's Drama, The Maker's Club, a gorgeous graphic novel from an Eisner-nominated author, is about a group of kids who blend art and science to create incredible projects in video gaming, fashion, and a whole lot more.

Join the Makers Club, where art and science come together! This graphic novel contains two stories in one. In the first story, readers meet Nadia and Priya, who are paired up for a science fair project. With Nadia's art and Priya's coding skills, they make a video game that's sure to impress, but soon learn there's more to teamwork than just having the individual skills. In the second story, old friends Aqilah and Yong Qiang reconnect at their new school. As they both try to pursue their passions in fashion design and engineering, they'll soon find that trying to do everything and please everyone catches up to you eventually.

Readers will love this colorful graphic novel that's all about friendship, crafting, and coming up with creative solutions. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781524897413
Publisher:	Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication date:	08/06/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
Age Range:	10 - 12 Years

About the Author

Reimena Yee is an illustrator, writer, and designer. Hailing from the dusty metropolis of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, she is now based in Melbourne, Australia. She once was a STEM student, but left to pursue her passion for the world and all its histories and cultures, which she weaves into her art and stories. She is the cofounder of UNNAMED, a comics collective that builds community and resources for visual-literary creators in Southeast Asia. She is the author-illustrator of the gothic comics The World in Deeper Inspection and the Eisner- and McDuffie-nominated The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya. Séance Tea Party was her debut middle-grade graphic novel. @reimenayee

Tintin Pantoja has previously illustrated graphic novels such as WHO IS AC? (written by Hope Larson) and the MANGA MATH MYSTERIES series (by Melinda Theilbar). She enjoys journaling, fountain pens, and fine chocolates. She also loves bad puns and window shopping. Tintin lives in Manila, Philippines with four dogs and 1/2 cat.

Melanie Ujimori is a Japanese-Okinawan vector artist and letterer from Hawai’i currently transplanted to Oregon. Bunnies will be the death of her one day, if the cats don’t get her first.

Editorial Reviews

07/01/2024

Gr 4–6—Readers are introduced to a group of friends who find joy in creating new things. In the first of two stories, Nadia and Priya—new students at Pangolin Secondary School—team up to make a video game about climate change. In the second story, Aquilah and Yong Qiang take center stage as they help the school librarian form a makerspace. Pantoja's cheery art fits the mold of many school-centered graphic novels, with the addition of vibrant facial expressions reminiscent of manga artwork. While the combination of relatable characters and the demand for realistic graphic novels will make this an easy book to recommend, the transition between the two stories is jarring, particularly with the second story chronologically taking place before the first. The setting is never made clear, though references to Malaysia and the Philippines in the glossary imply that this story takes place in Southeast Asia. The book features a diverse cast with varying skin tones, faith backgrounds, and abilities. Extensive back matter featuring video game design processes and an interview with a clothing designer will help draw connections between the story and real makerspace activities for young readers. VERDICT This graphic novel will be popular in libraries with makerspaces as well as with kids who are passionate about STEM and friendship stories.—Annamarie Carlson

School Library Journal