Category: Tween Reads

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

YA LGBTQ+ romance: Navigating with You

Posted on 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.

Posted in Fiction, Historical Fiction, Intermediate, picture books, Realistic Fiction

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

Posted on 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.

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

Three generations of women tell their stories in Age 16

Posted on 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.

Posted in Animal Fiction, Graphic Novels, Tween Reads

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

Posted on 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.
Posted in Fiction, Graphic Novels, Humor, Intermediate

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

Posted on 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!

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

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

Posted on 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.

 

Posted in Middle Grade, Non-Fiction, Non-fiction, Tween Reads

AANHPI Month Reads: Exclusion and the Chinese American Story

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Exclusion and the Chinese American Story (Race to the Truth), by Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn, (March 2024, Crown Books for Young Readers), $8.99, ISBN: 9780593567630

Ages 10-14

The Race to the Truth series is a middle grade/middle school series that takes an unvarnished look at marginalized communities in American history. Exclusion and the Chinese American Story traces the history of Chinese people in America. Tied closely to the history of African Americans in America, Blackburn begins with the Chinese arrival on U.S. shores during the Gold Rush, hoping to pursue their part of the American Dream. They quickly found themselves “othered” by the white men that legislated their very existence while paying them poverty wages to do the work that white men could no longer force Black Americans to do. Blackburn discusses racial hierarchies and how the Chinese moved along that hierarchy as American politicians needed them; Angel Island, where immigrants on the West Coast languished while waiting to be admitted to America; the practice of “paper sons and daughters” in attempts to circumvent racial legislation; and where we stand today in terms of racial diversity. She includes photos of primary sources and spotlights individuals like Ho Ah Kow, a laborer who successfully sued a San Francisco sheriff over racially motivated local ordinances, and Anna May Wong, the first Chinese film star in Hollywood. Easily readable, each chapter offers thought- and discussion-provoking questions to consider. Back matter includes resources and an extensive bibliography. Informative, well-written, and a frank look at how far we still have to go in terms of racial equity.

Posted in Fantasy, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

A Magical Girl Retires – Great YA Crossover

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

A Magical Girl Retires, by Park Seolyeon/Translated by Anton Hur, (Apr 2024, HarperVia), $21.99, ISBN: 9780063373266

Ages 13+

Okay, hear me out: yes, the protagonist in this story, translated from the original Korean, is 29 years old, but this is such a fun story that teens who love manga, particularly the magical girl genre, will love this as much as your older readers. We start with a 29-year-old woman who’s at the end of her rope. She lost her job during the pandemic and she’s deeply in credit card debt. Standing at Seoul’s Mapo Bridge, she’s ready to call it quits, until a woman dressed in white stops her. The woman is Ah Roa, and she’s a magical girl – in this world, magical girls (think Sailor Moon, if you’re not familiar with the term) and Ah Roa is is on a mission to locate the greatest magical girl of all – and she’s pretty sure our protagonist is that girl. After a visit to the Magical Girl Union’s job fair, our protagonist gets a magical talisman and makes some new acquaintances, but being a magical girl is hard work! They have to take classes, train, and worry about climate change and sustainability. And when a powerful foe makes their presence known, her abilities are going to be tested. There are black-and-white illustrations at the beginning of each chapter, and the story is just fun. Park Seolyeon works with the classic magical girl tropes and puts a light spin on them, giving readers a feel-good adventure. At less than 200 pages, this is a perfect weekend read. Channel your inner magical girl and add this one to your collections; talk it up with your new adults and your tired, 40-hour-a-week desk jockeys who miss when a good afternoon meant putting on their magical girl talismans and running around outside.

For your new adult and adult readers, pair A Magical Girl Retires with Sarah Kuhn’s Heroine Complex series.

 

Posted in Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Middle School, Teen, Tween Reads

The ’90s are back: King Arthur & The Knights of Justice

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

King Arthur & The Knights of Justice, by Joe Corallo/Illustrated by Gina Cardinali, (Apr. 2024, Mad Cave Studios), $14.99, ISBN: 9781960578600

Ages 12-16

King Arthur & The Knights of Justice was a ’90s cartoon that lasted for two seasons. Merlin, trapped by the evil enchantress Morgana, managed to recruit a new knights of the round table from a different time: a football team, the New York Knights. The series is back in graphic novel format, with a progressive new storyline and who knows? With enough readership, the storyline may finally be resolved (the original animated series ended abruptly and is therefore incomplete).

This first volume contains the origin story, where Morgana traps the original Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table in glass and traps Merlin in a tree. His spirit is freed to seek new knights across timelines, where he discovers the Knights football team in the present day, and spirits them to Merlin’s timeline, where he explains their mission. The players are surprisingly okay with this new turn of events, because they’re pure of heart and want to help free King Arthur… except for Gallop, one of the players who has a real attitude problem, which will become a bigger issue down the line. GLAAD and Eisner nominee Corallo shines in this new storyline, featuring openly gay characters that are supported by their teammates. Cardinali’s illustrations will attract fantasy fans and gave me a real ’90s cartoon feel as I read the book. With X-Men 97 back to rave reviews on Disney Plus, could we be seeing a ’90s cartoon renaissance?  This one is a good pick for upper middle grade and high school collections.

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

Graphic Novels catchup!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I fell a bit behind from reviews between life and the fact that I have trouble turning anything down (it’s really hard to Read All the Books! no matter how much one wants to), but I am giving it a college try. So here’s a catchup of some graphic novels that are already out, but that you may not have been able to check out yet.

 

The Blue Stars: Mission One: The Vice Principal Problem, by Kekla Magoon & Cynthia Leitich Smith/Illustrated by Molly Murakami, (March 2024, Candlewick Press), $22.99

Ages 8-12

A new middle grade series from middle grade powerhouses? Yes, please! Magoon and Smith take on social issues with a sensitivity and voice that middle graders will appreciate. Riley Halfmoon and Maya Dawn are cousins who move to Urbanopolis to live with their activist grandma. Riley isses her Muscogee cousins, and Maya misses her parents, but at school, they each join clubs and start getting into the swing of things just as their school culture is threatened. Using their talents, the two decide to join forces and go after the bad guy. Taking aim at money, power, and corruption, Magoon and Smith make their protagonists relatable and likable; they value family and community, and have rich diversity around them. An excellent pick for graphic novel collections, Blue Stars is the first in a new series. Visit The Blue Stars website for author information and tour dates and a free downloadable discussion guide.

The Blue Stars: Mission One has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus.

Winx Club Vol. 1: Welcome to Magix, by Iginio Straffi (Created by) & Rainbow S.p.A., (Jan. 2024, Papercutz), $14.99, ISBN: 9781545811375

Ages 7-12

I have fond memories of Winx Club back in the early 00s; my older sons loved the show when it was on Nickelodeon! It was bright and cheery with a lot of action, and they were here for it, so seeing it some years later brought back some nice memories. That said, this book is an insta-hit with the kids at my library. They love anything magical girl, and this take on the Japanese magical girl subgenre is colorful, upbeat, and a lot of fun. Originally created by Italian animator Straffi, the show had some popularity with American audiences and is looking at a 2025 reboot, so it’s a good time to introduce readers to the series.

Volume 1: Welcome to Magix does not assume readers have any prior knowledge of the Winx universe, so you’re good. It’s the origin story, where Bloom, a fairy warrior, goes to Magix Fairy School , and meets a group of besties with superpowers of their own. They take on monsters and witches, and learn about themselves through their adventures and their developing friendships. The action is fast-paced and readers are going to gobble it up. If you’re looking for anime and manga-adjacent books for younger readers, consider Winx Club for your collections. Talk this up to your W.I.T.C.H. readers!

 

School for Extraterrestrial Girls ,Vol 2: Girls in Flight, by Jeremy Whitley/Illustrated by Jamie Noguchi, (Nov. 2023, Papercutz), $12.99, ISBN: 9781545806968

Ages 8-12

We finally have a sequel! Four years ago, Whitley and Noguchi released the first School for Extraterrestrial Girls and it was so good. I am so happy that a second volume is on shelves, because this is such a good story. When we last left Tara, Misako, Summer, Kat and friends, the school had been destroyed in the big final battle. Taking place immediately on the heels of Volume 1, Girls in Flight has the students moving to a new, hidden school where they will wait out their school’s reconstruction. The location: The School for Extraterrestrial Boys! The girls are staying in summer lake cabins while the boys stay in the castle where classes are held, and we get some romances in the story. We also get creepy Headmaster Stokes, who has a creepy obsession with Tara and her people. Whitley delves into burgeoning crushes, representation and diversity, and, naturally, a nefarious plot or two. The art is fantastic, with color and movement throughout. It’s another great story, and I hope school isn’t out of session for too long before we get a Volume 3. Give this to your fantasy readers; best for middle school, while some elementary kids will love the fantasy aspects.

 

Aya: Claws Come Out, by Marguerite Abouet & Clément Oubrerie, Translated by Edwige Dro, (Feb. 2024, Drawn & Quarterly), $24.95, ISBN: 9781770467019

Ages 14+

This is a YA and New Adult graphic novel series set in the Ivory Coast; a slice-of-life look into the lives of a group of people living in middle-class Africa. Aya is a college student and new intern at Solibra, a beer company. She finds herself at odds with the head of human resources, while her friend, Moussa is desperate for his CEO father’s attention. Her friend Albert has to find a new place to live after being outed, and his ex, Inno, discovers that the life of an undocumented immigrant in France can be difficult. Didier just wants to take Aya out to dinner, but Aya doesn’t seem to have the time, and Bintou discovers soap opera stardom comes with drawbacks. Translated from French and set in the 1980s, Claws Come Out is an interesting look at life in Africa at the time, but without reading previous Aya books, readers may be lost. Pacing and panel placement can feel disjointed. Purchasing all 6 books may be an expense in this budget crunch, but if you are interested in testing the title, try one or two of the first books in the series and see how they do before purchasing others.

The Inventor: The Dangerous Discovery, by Lars Henrik Eriksen, (Jan. 2024, Papercutz), $12.99, ISBN: 9781545811481

Ages 7-12

You know I can’t go long without recommending a STEM/STEAM book. The Inventor is that book. This first volume introduces readers to Cobalt Cogg and his grandfather, Alfred. The two live on the island of Mata-Mata, and Cobalt wants to be an inventor just like Alfred. There’s a problem when Cobalt and his friend Linnea get into an accident with one of Alfred’s inventions, and Cobalt must find a way to recover and move past his grief with the help of his friends and family. Touching on themes of grief and loss, tinkering and Alpha-Energy, Eriksen creates a tale that is interesting and touching. The look and feel is Miyazaki-influenced, so consider booktalking this to any Miyzaki fans you may have.

Volume 2 is due out in September, so your readers won’t have to wait too long if you invest them in the series now!