Each year, the first full week of May marks Screen-Free Week, and kids and families alike are encouraged to turn off their TVs, power down their tablets and phones, and try out some screen-free activities to prepare for a fun summer! Although there are tons of screen-free activities that get kids outside, such as trying new sports, playing at local playgrounds, and going on nature walks, those activities only work in fair weather. What are screen-free kids to do when clouds and rain ruin their fun? One option would be to try out tabletop games! Classic strategy games such as chess may engage kids interested in tactics, but for kids looking to expand their imagination and creativity, role-playing games might be the perfect escape. To inspire young readers interested in trying out screen-free fun this week, this month’s S-Collection blog offers recommendations of juvenile graphic novels, juvenile fiction, and picture books that feature tabletop games. Whether you want to read about the fun and excitement in the world of competitive chess or fantasy-inspired role-playing games, the S-Collection has what you need to celebrate Screen-Free week this May!

Juvenile Graphic Novels

Durfey-Lavoie, Lee
Illustrated by: Veronica Agarwal
Just Roll With It. 2021. Juvenile Graphic Novel.
Starting middle school brings a lot of change to Maggie Sankhar’s life: New friends, new clubs, and a new mystery to solve in the form of the monster she is certain is roaming campus. Maggie has always loved playing a fantasy role-playing game that uses a 20-sided die, so to help her make the tough decisions she is suddenly faced with, she starts rolling it in real life. As much as she loves the role-playing game, taking the die out of the game sometimes makes things more difficult. Maggie’s struggle with anxiety and OCD, as well as her budding new friendships and hobbies, are explored in this heartwarming and thoughtful graphic novel that might just inspire kids to spin up a fantasy world of their own.
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Holm, Jennifer
Illustrated by: Matthew Holm
Sunny Rolls the Dice. 2019. Juvenile Graphic Novel.
Sunny Rolls the Dice is the third graphic novel in the Sunny Side Up series, a lighthearted yet honest look at growing up in 1970s America. In this installment, Sunny finds herself in between her own passions and those of her friends, who enjoy going to the mall, talking about boys, and updating their wardrobe. Sunny, meanwhile, has recently learned about a brand-new tabletop role-playing game called Dungeons and Dragons. Her new D&D friends are nothing like her old ones, and Sunny suddenly finds herself torn in two different directions. The excitement of early D&D, which may make some young readers try out the game themselves, is captured in this upbeat graphic novel.
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Sattin, Samuel
Buzzing. 2023. Juvenile Graphic Novel.
There’s a “buzzing” in the head of middle-schooler Isaac: intrusive thoughts, which are a symptom of his recently-diagnosed OCD. It makes it hard for Isaac to focus in school, which, in turn, makes his overbearing but well-meaning mother even more worried. A breakthrough comes when Isaac’s fantasy drawings catch the attention of the local role-playing group, and he is invited to play the tabletop game Swamps & Sorcery with them. Isaac instantly connects with the game, as well as his fellow players, but his mother isn’t so sure that the game will improve his mental health. The benefits of storytelling, gaming, and creativity are uplifted in this inclusive graphic novel.
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Juvenile Fiction

Anders, Lou
Frostborn. 2014. Juvenile Fiction.
This first book in a Nordic-inspired trilogy introduces Karn, a young boy more interested in playing the strategy game Thrones and Bones than learning how to farm, and Thianna, a 7-foot-tall adolescent girl considered “short” by her peers … she grew up around giants, after all. Thianna is a half-giant on her father’s side, but her mother has been dead for many long years. After a figure from her mother’s past enters her life, Thianna and her new friend Karn are thrust into a world much like Karn’s favorite fantasy game … with much higher stakes. Watch this unlikely duo find their way, learn about their pasts, and take on monsters in this exciting juvenile series.
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Milford, Kate
Greenglass House. 2014. Juvenile Fiction.
Milo is settling in for a typical Christmas at his adoptive parents’ inn, but his plans for a quiet holiday quickly fly off-track when five mysterious guests arrive for a stay. Each guest is quirky, demanding, and on the hunt for a secret treasure someplace in the cliffside hotel. After Milo is introduced to a role-playing game by his new friend Meddy, the duo dons alter egos based on the game, which gives them the confidence to investigate the strange goings-on. Even better, embodying the character empowers Milo to investigate his Chinese heritage. Twists and turns abound in this juvenile mystery, which features a fun tabletop game called Odd Trails that might just contain the answer to the puzzle.
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Karuna, Riazi
The Gauntlet. 2017. Juvenile Fiction.
It’s Farah’s 12th birthday party, and things just don’t feel the same as they used to. Her old friends Essie and Alex are there to celebrate with her, but ever since Farah moved, it has become harder and harder to connect with the kids she once knew so well. A mysterious gift from her aunt, however, sends the party in an entirely new direction. The gift is a strange mechanical board game called The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand, and Farah doesn’t even have a chance to play it before her younger brother, Ahmad, is transported into its world. Banding together to save Ahmad, Farah, Essie, and Alex must enter the game and participate in three challenges against the evil Lord Amari … and if they don’t win each one, all four of them will be trapped forever. This first book in a three-book series will draw players into the fantastical world of the Gauntlet and the power of friendships, old and new.
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Picture Books

Adewumi, Tani
Illustrated by: Courtney Dawson
Tani’s New Home: A Refugee Finds Hope & Kindness in America. 2019. Picture Book Biography.
Six-year-old Tani’s family faces religious persecution in Nigeria, and even though Tani is a bit nervous to start over his life as a refugee in America, he soon discovers something that brings him hope: Chess. Tani’s new life in a homeless shelter is made brighter as he spends hour after hour, day after day, studying this classic game on the floor of his room. It is quickly apparent that Tani is a chess prodigy, and he eventually takes his skills to the New York State Scholastic Championship. The perseverance of immigrants to America and the power (and fun!) of chess is made obvious in this stunning picture book biography.
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Van Allsburg, Chris
Jumanji. 1981. Picture Book.
This classic picture book follows two bored kids, Judy and Peter, who are trying to think of something to do while their parents are out for the day. A walk in the park causes them to stumble upon a strange board game called Jumanji. Ignoring the mysterious warnings on the box, the two kids start to play and quickly discover that everything that happens in this jungle-themed game will happen in real life. If you can’t get enough of Van Allsburg’s worldbuilding, check out its sequel Zathura, also in the S-Collection (Q. SE. V263za).
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Weatherford, Carole Boston
Illustrated by: Eric Velasquez
The Queen of Chess: How Judit Polgár Changed the Game. 2023. Picture Book Biography.
Widely regarded as the best female chess player of all time, Judit Polgár was born in Budapest in the 1970s. She is the daughter of chess teacher and child psychologist László Polgár, and at her father’s behest, Judit was tutored extensively in chess from an early age and quickly revealed herself to be a star player. At age 12, she became the youngest ever chess grandmaster, beating the previous record by a month of age. Watch Judit’s incredible journey to chess stardom in this fascinating picture book biography.
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