European comic books: general, classic, all ages

In the magical realm of Shiro, life for the young Mushling Cale, is anything but easy. He’s stuck with rowdy housemates, falling behind at school, and barely scraping by as a part-time busboy. His only joys are his beloved pet Truffles and a strange blue button he wears for protection. Cale just wants to be left alone with Truffles, but when alien invaders steal the magical Stone that protects his world, Cale is unwittingly thrust into a perilous quest to find it. Armed only with a mysterious scroll, separated from Truffles and stripped of his talisman button, he and two loyal friends are pulled into an unknown, dark and dangerous world. Lost and vulnerable, Cale must now outwit shadowy creatures, survive impossible challenges, unlock ancient secrets, and find the courage to become the hero Shiro needs… before it’s too late!

It’s 1923 in Warsaw. Seven-year-old Izaak’s parents have died, and his older sisters can’t care for him. So, Izaak goes to live in a Jewish orphanage run by Janusz Korczak, a prominent doctor and writer. Izaak is unhappy about leaving home, and he misses his sisters. But now he has enough to eat. He goes to school for the first time. And Dr. Korczak’s unconventional ideas about children’s rights slowly open his eyes to his own worth and his life’s future possibilities. Through Amanda West Lewis’s spare but resonant text and Abigail Rajunov’s limited colour palette, this unforgettable graphic novel brings to life an important piece of pre-war Polish Jewish history. It also pays tribute to the inspiring Janusz Korczak, a renowned writer and thinker whose advocacy for children’s rights was influential around the world. Korczak is a benevolent and even playful presence in the story, who reads his books to the children and allows them to set

The new title in the Asterix series, which has sold more than 400 million copies worldwide.

Music class will never be the same again! When the lead singer of the band loses her voice one week before the big show, the students of The London Academy of Ideas and Ingenuity must quickly find a replacement. Thankfully, Sebastian has the vocal pipes to rock the house. But there’s one problem: he doesn’t know anything about music! Will the kids be able to teach Sebastian about music and come together as a band before the big concert? With the diverse class of some of the smartest students on the planet, the kids surf on sound waves, skydive through time to learn the origins of music, shrink down to see how instruments are manufactured, and so much more! Readers who love music, history, science, and arts will jam out to this adventure.