Briglio, Jack. ThunderBoom. Illustrated by Claudia Dávila. Kids Can Press, 2023. 978-1-525-30496-5. 128 p. $16.99. Grades 3-6.

Logan, a nonverbal child, wants to attend a holiday parade with his family. In order to attend, he will have to cope with his fear of masked people and other things. After arriving at the parade via train with his family, Logan is separated from his mom and dad. While on his own, he channels the power of ThunderBoom, his imaginative superhero alter ego, to help a lost neighbor girl, Becky, find her mom. Logan is reunited with his family quickly, and he concentrates on his super powers to repel anything that scares him.

THOUGHTS: This short graphic novel offers a unique window into a nonverbal child’s deep imagination. The author includes very little dialogue throughout the story; the emphasis on emotions and images make this an accessible graphic novel for all upper elementary and middle grade students. The author’s note includes information on Angelman’s Syndrome, the causation behind the character Logan’s nonverbal and developmental behaviors within the story. Brilgio also explains in his author’s note that Logan’s character is based on his own son, Lucas, and Lucas’s experiences living with the same genetic disorder.

Graphic Novel