Tween Reads – Page 4

Tales from the TBR: Sunny Parker is Here to Stay by Margaret Finnegan

Posted on August 12, 2024August 12, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Sunny Parker is Here to Stay, by Margaret Finnegan, (Apr. 2024, Atheneum Books for Young Readers), $17.99, ISBN: 9781665930086

Ages 8-12

Sunny Parker is a kid with a sunny disposition: she goes on “Neighbor Favor” walks with her neighbor, Mrs. Garcia; she helps out her other neighbors at the Del Mar Garden Apartments, and she helps her widowed dad – the manager of the apartments – by doing smaller tasks like emptying out the lint traps in the laundry room, taking out the trash, and sweeping in front of the building. She never likes to let on when she’s feeling down, but when the wealthier neighbors protest the city’s proposal to build affordable housing in the area, Sunny realizes that prejudice and bigotry exist behind smiles. Further exacerbated by her father’s insistence that she not makes waves, Sunny begins noticing more and more unfair things that too many people are quiet about: that her friend Izzy has to work a food service job while her friends go abroad for the summer; that someone in their apartment complex is being abused; that her best friend feels the pressure to excel because of her skin color. As the city’s public hearing draws closer, Sunny finds it harder to keep silent and has to decide whether or not making waves adds to the injustice she sees. Finnegan excels at creating characters with a strong sense of right and wrong: in We Can Be Heroes, characters Hank and Maisie take it upon themselves to rescue a dog they’re worried about; in Susie B. Won’t Back Down, the titular character runs for a seat on the student council and learns that history’s heroes have some very human failings. Here, Finnegan deftly brings societal issues to middle graders in a way they will recognize and understand: domestic violence; institutional racism, income disparity; NIMBYism, and income disparity are all presented in ways that seek to educate and inform, while empowering readers to take action. Speaking through Sunny, Finnegan asks her readers, “HOw can YOU help?” She uses humor and sensitivity to address each topic, and provides Sunny as a reader insert; a guide through which kids can develop their own social action muscles. With Civic Awareness Month coming in September, Sunny Parker is Here to Stay is a solid display choice and an excellent book club choice. There is a free curriculum guide for download from the author’s webpage.

Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Teen, Tween Reads, Young Adult/New Adult

Tales from the TBR: More Winx Club!

Posted on August 5, 2024August 2, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Winx Club Vol. 2: Friends, Monsters, and Witches!, by Iginio Straffi & Rainbow S.p.A., (June 2024, Papercutz), $14.99, ISBN: 9781545800805

Ages 7-12

The second collected volume of Winx Club reprints three classic stories from Winx Club’s 2004 run: In “A Friend for Bloom”, Bloom tells Musa, Tecna, and Flora how she came to Alfea, and how Stella helped her realize that she is a fairy. “Prisoner of the Dark” sees Bloom caught by the Trix, who trap her inside a tree. “The Swamp Monster” sees the Trix return to make more mischief when the Specialists notice animal carcasses in the swamp – just as the Winx are near the swamp on assignment. Middle graders and middle schoolers who enjoy Disney’s W.I.T.C.H. series will enjoy this collected volume, as will your anime and manga Magical Girl fans.

I’ve discovered that having the Winx Club Wiki on hand has been helpful for some of my graphic novel readers: it’s a good resource for anyone interested in learning more about the series, with in-depth profiles on the characters and resources on the various series, episode breakdowns, movies, and more.

Fate: The Winx Saga Vol.1 : Dark Destiny, by Olivia Cuartero-Briggs/Illustrated by Christianne Gillenardo-Goudreau, (August 2024, Mad Cave Studios), $14.99, ISBN: 9781960578938

Ages 12+

Folks, this is a Winx Club for middle school and beginning high schoolers! Fate is an original graphic novel and a continuation of the Netflix series (2021-2022). Set in the magical school of Alfea, this group of fairies is coping with the loss of their friend, Bloom, after she left to find her mother in the Realm of Darkness. The group is attacked with new powers and find themselves up against an enemy they’ve never experienced before. Is Bloom going to come back and save the day? The illustration has a more YA graphic novel feel – less bright, characters are more realistic with a soft cartoon feel; think Molly Knox Ostertag, Faith Erin Hicks, or M. Duffy. Fate brings Winx Club to a slightly older audience, whether it’s tweens and teens that have moved on from the earlier Winx series, are fans of the Netflix series, or are just ready for a magical series geared toward them. It’s a good investment for you graphic novel series, if you have fantasy readers.

Fiction, Horror, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Remy Lai goes horror with Read at Your Own Risk

Posted on August 5, 2024August 2, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Read at Your Own Risk, by Remy Lai, (Aug. 2024, Henry Holt & Co.), $13.99, ISBN: 9781250323354

Ages 8-12

Lai goes full-on horror with her latest book, and I am delighted. I have been a fan of Lai’s since I read Pie in the Sky and love her talent for tender family stories. With Read at Your Own Risk, the author uses an illustrated diary format, similar to Pie in the Sky but with more illustration. The book reads as the diary of a girl named Hannah, who played a game with her friends but is now cursed, and is filled with the creepiest, crawliest storytelling that will delight middle graders. Lai’s characters remind me of Junji Ito’s human characters, sporting wide black eyes and creepy smiles; during Hannah’s interactions with the spirit – played out in the diary itself – we get loose teeth, drops of blood, and sinister wordplay. Illustrations are black and white, with splashes of red for gore – I mean, good – measure. Your Goosebumps readers are going to squeal with terrified joy at this one. A must-purchase.

Read at Your Own Risk has a starred review from Kirkus.

Fiction, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Tween Reads

Tales from the TBR: Realia by Ulric Alvin Watts

Posted on July 25, 2024July 23, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Realia, by Ulric Alvin Watts, (Oct. 2020, Smashwords), $2.99 (e-book), ISBN: 9781005273897

Ages 8-12

Graeme Pendlebury is the smartest kid in his fifth grade class, which means he’s got to be the smartest kid in his K-5 school, right? He sees himself going to MIT after high school, because that’s where “high-tech, cuttingedge, things that obviously very smart people must have worked on”, and he’s very interested in robots, solar-powered race cars, new personal computing technology, and the Internet. Set in the late ’90s, Watts’s young hero is a child prodigy who’s ripe for a sci-fi adventure, and he finds one during a trip to the Computer Museum at MIT, where he receives a valuable gift and meets a mysterious new teacher at school whose classes are strange at best. Once Graeme’s blissful fog brought on by his good fortune clears, he realizes that there is a something very strange going on, and it’s up to him to save the human race. Kirkus sums it up best by calling Realia “Isaac Asimov meets a sci-fi version of Goosebumps”. There are aliens, conspiracies, and space and time travel, all set in a time before social media and starring a fifth grade boy who’s ahead of his class and possibly, his time. It’s a relatively short and quick read that sci-fi fans will enjoy. Currently, it’s available as an ebook; if you have Libby/Sora/e-book readers, consider a purchase.

Graphic Novels, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

YA LGBTQ+ romance: Navigating with You

Posted on July 2, 2024June 28, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Navigating with You, by Jeremy Whitley/Illustrated by Cassio Ribeiro, (Aug 2024, Mad Cave Studios), $14.99, ISBN: 9781952303609

Ages 12+

Neesha Sparks is a queer, black, disabled community activist who loves costume design and manga. She’s moved from Queens, NY to North Carolina, and is not having a great first day of school. Gabby Graciana is a surfer girl from Florida, also new to North Carolina. She’s a friendly extrovert who is determined to make Neesha her first new friend at school. The two girls bond over their love of Navigator Nozomi, a same manga series, and set off on a challenge to locate copies of the book all over North Carolina. The girls discover deeper feelings for one another as they spend more time together, but each comes to the relationship with challenges to work through: PTSD, divorce, ableism, and toxic relationships are all addressed in Whitley’s masterful story of love, acceptance, and friendship. Whitley intersperses panels from the fictional Navigator Nozomi series to show parallels between the story and the girls’ lives, particularly focusing on the lead female character learning to stand on her own and separate from a toxic male influence. Whitley – the creator of female-led graphic novels like Princeless, The School for Extra-Terrestrial Girls, and Marvel’s The Unstoppable Wasp – has a gift for writing smart, relatable female characters; his dialogue flows easily between the characters and he has the ability to capture defining moments with skill and empathy. Neesha and Gabby each learn to trust one another as friends first, moving into something more, gradually letting each other in. Ribeiro’s illustrations beautifully capture each teen’s personality and the Nozomi panels will delight manga fans. It’s a moving romance that teens and young adults will love.

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Intermediate, picture books, Realistic Fiction

Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School – historical fiction based in reality

Posted on June 30, 2024June 29, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School, by Traci Huahn/Illustrated by Michelle Jing Chang, (May 2024, Crown Books for Young Readers), $19.99, ISBN: 9780593644027

Ages 4-8

Mamie Tape was an 8-year old Chinese girl who fought, alongside her family, to attend school during a time when America was openly hostile to Chinese immigrants – while they labored to build the country. Mamie played alongside the white children in her San Francisco town, but was not allowed to attend the all-white school. Defining her struggle with on the Chinese proverb, “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”, Traci Huahn and Michelle Jing Chang bring Mamie and her family to life on the page. Huahn tells Mamie’s story and does not shy away from the virulent racism of the time, noting that the school principal told her, “Your kind is not welcome here”; that a preacher in favor of educating Chinese children had his home vandalized; that newspapers of the day resorted to using words like “heathen”, “barbarian”, “trouble”, and “disaster” to refer to children. Chang’s illustrations show the Chinese community in protest, the disappointed faces of the Tape family, and the determination of young Mamie Tape, who made the decision to continue pushing forward to attend school. Back matter includes an epilogue to the Chinese Primary School, which opened in 1885 and where Mamie and her brother Frank attended; an author’s note on the Tape family, complete with photos, and a selected bibliography. Endpapers continue the story by showing Mamie staring out the window of her home, and eventually running, with her brother, dressed for school. A very good study of American attitudes toward the Chinese community and a good addition to historical picture book collections.

Graphic Novels, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Three generations of women tell their stories in Age 16

Posted on June 24, 2024June 22, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Age 16, by Rosena Fung, (July 2024, Annick Press), $24.99, ISBN: 9781773218335

Ages 12+

Fung’s story reminds readers that 16 isn’t always sweet. Set in three areas of the world in three different decades, Age 16 tells the stories of a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter at age 16: In 1954, Mei Laan dreams of getting out of Guangdong, China. An arranged marriage may be her ticket to Hong Kong, and a better life. In 1972, 16-year-old Lydia wants desperately to dance and enjoy her life. Her critical mother never looks on the bright side of anything, and it’s hard not to be brought down by her harsh criticisms, particularly about her weight. Maybe if she heads to Toronto, things will be better? In 2000, 16-year-old Roz lives in Toronto, struggles with her weight and self-image. When her mother lets her know that her grandmother is coming to visit, Roz is taken aback – her mom and grandmother aren’t that close. When Mei Laan arrives, dour and full of criticism, everyone feels off-center. Through flashbacks, readers understand each woman’s struggles; through conversations and interactions, the characters ultimately peel away the layers of emotion and trauma. Age 16 brings home how some issues facing women never seem to change, while new challenges constantly emerge: physical beauty and value is a major theme running through the book, with Mei Laan constantly commenting Lydia’s, and later, Roz’s weight; Mei Laan’s own value to her family is through her marriageability. Both Mei Laan and Lydia are single mothers; Mei Laan uses this as another point of judgement against Lydia. Roz stresses about her body image, where Lydia embraces a more free, accepting attitude; most likely as protection and pushback against her mother. Rosena Fung skillfully blends three individuals across three generations to tell a powerful story about women and generational trauma. She tells each character’s story in a different color, allowing for a smooth change in narrative that won’t disrupt the reader. Mei Laan’s story is told with a green-blue wash; Lydia’s, in an orange wash, and Roz, in a purple wash. The illustration work is bold and filled with pop cultural details that will enhance reading. Back matter includes historical notes and resources for further reading. Age 16 is indispensible reading and belongs on every library’s bookshelf.

Age 16 has a starred review from Publishers Weekly and is an Indie Next choice. It is also one of Ms. Magazine’s Most Anticipated Feminist Books of 2024.

Animal Fiction, Graphic Novels, Tween Reads

Jump in the Time Machine, Biker Mice from Mars is back!

Posted on June 22, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

I usually post more about graphic novels and collected trade paperbacks, but I could not resist when I saw the latest email from Oni Press – Biker Mice from Mars – which readers of a certain age (and those with kids of a certain age) may remember from the early ’90s animated show and video game – is back! Brought back as part of the Nacelle Verse, Biker Mice joins other vintage TV series in a shared universe. Other titles include Robo Force, The Great Garloo, Sectaurs, and Power Lords. My eldest was a Biker Mice fan when he was little; he even had the game for his Nintendo DS. What a trip in the time machine, right?

From the press release: “Best friends Throttle, Modo, and Vinnie were just three anthropomorphic, motorcycle-riding mice who called Mars home . . . and were always bad to the bone. But when the ruthless Plutarkian races stage a mass invasion to strip their planet of its precious resources, their antiauthoritarian streak is going to turn into a full-blown insurgency. Only the Biker Mice from Mars can prevent the mass destruction of Earth’s nearest neighbor . . . and the freedom of our entire solar system may just hang in the balance.

Leading into the upcoming animated series by executive producers Brian Volk-Weiss, Cisco Henson, Matt Kravitsky, Michael Goodman, Gavin Hignight and Matt Lawton from Nacelle Company, Maximum Effort’s Ryan Reynolds, George Dewey, Kevin Hill and Ashley Fox, as well as Fubo’s David Gandler and Pamela Duckworth, the summer’s most anticipated return pushes the action into the red as a never-before-told chapter of Biker Mice history stands revealed!

Featuring covers from adrenaline-racing artists Dustin Weaver (Avengers, Paklis.) Juan Gedeon (DC: The Jurassic League), Roger Cruz (X-Men: Age of Apocalypse), Ramon Villalobos (Nighthawk, America) and Francis Portela (Green Lantern), the first shot in the Biker Mice’s “Mars War” starts here on July 17th, only in BIKER MICE FROM MARS #1!”

Learn more about Oni Press’s Nacelle Verse comics here.

Biker Mice from Mars #1 releases on July 17th. I’m telling you, keep an eye out for a collected trade somewhere down the line; if you have Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans, introduce them to this. Check out some of the covers and interiors here.

Fiction, Graphic Novels, Humor, Intermediate

This Book Will Self-Destruct! Can you help save the day?

Posted on June 21, 2024June 20, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

This Book Will Self-Destruct (Agent Harrier), by Ben Sanders, (May 2024, Kane Miller), $14.99, ISBN: 9781684648979

Ages 6-10

A new graphic novel series starring a dog – or is he a wolf? – secret agent, This Book Will Self-Destruct is loaded with puns and breaks the fourth wall, making sure that readers can share in the fun. Agent Woof – ahem, Wolf – Harrier gets a call from his spy boss, Top Dog, with a critical message: the book is going to self-destruct unless Harrier can stop it! With the Narrator by his side, Harrier sets out to unravel the threads and find the bomb before the book goes boom. There’s something really odd about the Narrator, though, so Harrier will need help from readers to unscramble some clues. Readers will laugh out loud at the back-and-forth between characters, and the stark red and black illustration work makes everything pop against the stark white pages. Harrier is a fun character and his mission is easy enough to follow for newly confident readers moving on from picture books and easy readers. Endpapers show an inside view of Harrier’s briefcase, filled with all sorts of punny spy goodness like a “gadget watch: for everything except telling the time”, “Truthing Gum: one stick for sticky situations”, and a glass eye: “just because”. This is the first in a new graphic novel series, so get in on this from the beginning. The book includes a fun poster; if you’re buying this for your circulation, hang it up and promote the series!

Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Another kids’ classic goes graphic: Amber Brown is Not a Crayon

Posted on June 14, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Amber Brown is Not a Crayon: The Graphic Novel, by Paula Danziger/Illustrated by Victoria Ying, (May 2024, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers), $9.99, ISBN: 9780593615706

Ages 7-10

Full disclosure: I don’t think I’ve ever read any of the Amber Brown novels, which is insane, considering I’m a kids’ librarian. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the graphic novel adaptation of Amber Brown is Not a Crayon, illustrated by Victoria Ying, who also wrote and illustrated last year’s YA graphic novel Hungry Ghost. Ying captures Amber Brown’s playful, quirky spirit and the close friendship she has with Justin, who is moving to Alabama, where his father has relocated for a better job. Ying uses bright, happy colors for Amber’s storytelling, with moody, purplish and green washes to denote painful memories: Amber’s parents arguing; her father leaving; Justin’s family packing up their home. Frustrated at trying to communicate her feelings, she and Justin have a falling out over a shared ball of gum, but reconcile right before the move; Justin confesses to having a hard time talking about his feelings, too. The art is appealing and the story stays relatable: themes of friendship, separating, and talking about our feelings will resonate with kids. Kids who love The Baby-Sitter Club and The Baby-Sitter’s Little Sisters will gobble these up.

Amber Brown is Not a Crayon: The Graphic Novel has a starred review from Kirkus.