Tag: Romance

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, 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!

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

A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak coming to paperback in August!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak, by Laura Taylor-Namey, (Sept. 2023, Atheneum Books for Young Readers), $19.99, ISBN: 9781665915335

Ages 12+

I am a latecomer to this one – my 2023 was a case study in “my spirit was willing but my reading ability was weak” – but you don’t need to be! Flora is grieving. Her mother has died after a long illness, and her grief is mixed with the guilt of feeling that she wasn’t there when her family needed her most. Overwhelmed by her emotions, and her family, who expects her to take on a greater role in their tea shop, she escapes to Miami, where she stays with soon-to-be sister-in-law Lila and her family. She accidentally ends up in the orbit of influencer Baz Marín, and finds that she’s caught between feelings Baz and one of her best friends, Gordon. Namey writes a moving meditation on grief and all the emotions that swirl – like a hurricane – inside those coping with it. The love triangle injects a little spark into the YA romance. A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak is the companion novel to 2020’s A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, which was a Reese Witherspoon pick. A good purchase for YA romance collections and where the first novel did well.

Posted in Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

New YA Paranormal Adventure: The Last Huntress

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Last Huntress (Mirror Realm Series 1), by Lenore Borja, (Nov. 2022, SparkPress), $17.95, ISBN: 9781684631735

Ages 14+

Alice Daniels is a high school senior who’s just moved to Phoenix from Colorado, meets the local dudebro, and falls in with a pack of demon hunting teens from school. On her 18th birthday, Alice discovers that she is a huntress with the ability to enter the mirror realm: a magical world accessible through mirrors. A YA paranormal adventure and romance, The Last Huntress is the first in a new YA series and includes nods to mythology across different cultures – primarly Greek – and fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, currently experiencing a renaissance of sorts in middle grade and YA fiction. There are plot twists aplenty and fast-paced, witty dialogue that keep pages turning. The ending leaves readers waiting for a sequel. A good purchase where fantasy is popular.

 

Posted in Fantasy, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

New YA fantasy duology: The Darkening

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Darkening, by Sunya Mara, (July 2022, Clarion Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9780358561989

Ages 13+

Set in a fantasy world terrorized by a storm that leaves anyone caught in it cursed, Vesper Vale is the 17-year-old daughter of revolutionaries. Her mother walked into the storm, and her father is on the run from the Wardana, the royal guard, led by the ruler’s heir, the cold-hearted Prince Dalca. Her father is a powerful ikonomancer – a magic user that works with symbols to weave spells – and refuses to teach Vesper; this all changes when the Wardana and Dalca catch up with Vesper’s father and take him prisoner. Determined to save her father, Vesper befriends a mole in the Wardana and weaves an appearance spell that will get her inside Dalca’s inner circle. Once she’s on the inside, she realizes that nothing is as black-and-white as it seems: there is much about her mother’s disappearance that she was never privy to, and she certainly never expected to fall for Dalca – or that he would fall for her, too. Strong worldbuilding sets the tone for this fantasy adventure, which has a good premise but gets in its own way at times. The interaction between characters is delicious, particularly between Vesper and Dalca: such romantic tension! The action is exciting, and the idea of ikonomancy is incredibly interesting; I wanted to learn more. This is the first in a duology, and I’m looking forward to where the story goes, now that we seem to be into the meat of the story. A good investment for your fantasy collections.

Posted in Teen, Uncategorized, Young Adult/New Adult

Reputation is a Regency-era Mean Girls

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Reputation, by Lex Croucher, (Apr. 2022, St. Martin’s Griffin), $16.99, ISBN: 9781250832832

Ages 16+

Georgiana Ellers is a 19-year-old young woman living with her aunt and uncle in Regency-era England. Her parents have rather unceremoniously left her in their care, selling their home and moving to the shore under the guise of her mother needing to look after her health. Resigning herself to the boredom and stress of society parties at the elbow of her ton-conscious aunt, Georgiana is delighted when she meets Frances Campbell – a somewhat scandalous member of society’s in-crowd, who immediately takes Georgiana under her wing. Frances and her crowd are given to wild partying, spending copious amounts of money, and spending an improper amount of time in the company of the opposite sex. Georgiana loses herself in the abandon of it all, but she feels like she’s falling just short of fitting in most of the time. She also falls hard for one of the young men on the fringes of the group, Thomas Hawksley, but he tends to pull back from the wilder group antics.

This book is riding high on the Bridgerton wave, and with good reason: it packs all the glamour of Regency-era Britain, with Shonda Rimes’s diverse additions making for a more exciting, interesting experience. Reputation certainly doesn’t overlook the issues rampant in Britain at the time; a biracial central character certainly experiences her share of side glances and comments. An LGBTQ+ subplot running through the main story, and there are themes of consent, agency, and social class.

Posted in Fantasy, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Kicking off 2022 YA with a bang: The Bone Spindle

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Bone Spindle, by Leslie Vedder, (Jan. 2022, Razorbill), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593325827

Ages 12+

This fantasy YA is heavily inspired by Sleeping Beauty, with a touch of Red Riding Hood, and a lot of adventure. Fi – short for Filore – is a treasure hunter with a curse on her head. Actually, it’s on her hand, but it’s a terrible one. Shane is an exiled female warrior who loves fighting and pretty girls. The two unlikely partners end up working together to free a kingdom when Fi pricks her finger on a bone spindle and discovers Briar Rose, the prince whose kingdom is under a sleeping curse until Love’s first kiss awakens him. Briar’s body is asleep, but his magic allows him to appear to Fi, leading her to his kingdom: if she can make it through the perilous thorns and other dangers that await.

The first in a new YA fantasy duology (or trilogy!), The Bone Spindle is a fantasy adventure that flips traditional fairy tales and gender roles, giving readers strong and smart female protagonists and a gentle hero with a mysterious dark side. Fi is afraid to fall in love after a terrible ex left her in a bad spot, but Briar is so awkward and sweet that she wonders what will happen when she finally gets to his kingdom to deliver his kiss. Shane comes from a warrior kingdom, but she’s chosen exile. She loves the heft of her axe and the smile on a pretty girl, but her partnership with Fi means she’ll put herself at risk for a friend. Fantasy readers, LGBTQ+ readers, romance readers, all will find something to love in The Bone Spindle – enjoy spotting the influences as you read.

Posted in Fantasy, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

H.E. Edgmon’s The Witch King: All Hail the Kings!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Witch King, by H.E. Edgmon, (June 2021, Inkyard Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781335212795

Ages 14+

Wyatt Croft is a witch on the run. Originally from the fae kingdom of Asalin, Wyatt – a transgender 17-year-old boy – escaped a past loaded with trauma and abuse, finding home and family in our world. That all changes when Wyatt’s fated mate, the fae prince Emyr, shows up and demands that Wyatt return with him to fulfill his role as Emyr’s husband and take the throne of Asalin. Wyatt reluctantly returns to Asalin, with his best friend, Briar, in tow, and learns that relations between witches and fae are heading toward revolution – and Wyatt, who’s trying to resolve his own conflicted feelings about Emyr – is right in the middle of it. An anti-fascist, queer fantasy with incredible worldbuilding and characters you’ll love – and love to loathe – The Witch King has it all: romance, high fantasy meets contemporary fiction, and a wicked sense of humor. There’s powerful storytelling throughout The Witch King: being trans isn’t at the heart of the hatred toward Wyatt; transgender and nonbinary characters are major characters in the story, but Wyatt’s being a witch is the issue. The abuse and abandonment of witches takes the place of being LGBTQ+ in our society here, allowing readers to both see a functioning society where diversity is embraced in theory, but in practice, it’s very different. Sound familiar? Revolution, reform, and the idea of burning everything down to rebuild make The Witch King one of the most readable, relevant novels you’ll read this year.

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

Tales from the Backlist: Graphic novels you may have missed

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

You know that TBR that just keeps growing? Well, I’ve got one of those on my computers, too: yes, plural. My work PC, my laptop, my backup laptop… I see exciting looking graphic novels, I download them, and they join the TBR club. When I get a chance to read them, I want to talk about them, because they’re seriously good books, and we all know, it doesn’t matter when the book is published, right? So here, I present some graphic novels you may have missed the first time around: add these to your own TBR.

 

Sarah’s Dream (The Grémillet Sisters, #1), by Giovanni Di Gregorio/Illustrated by Alessandro Barbucci, Translated by L. Benson, Edited by Lisa Morris, (July 2020, Europe Comics), $5.99, ASIN: B08CHH5L3F

Ages 10-14

Three quirky sisters, one big secret: the first volume in The Grémillet Sisters series introduces readers to Sarah, Cassiopeia, and Lucille, three sisters with very different personalities. Lucille, the youngest, is an animal lover who spends most of her with the family cat or caring for strays; Cassiopeia lives with her head in the clouds, with princes and castles, and Sarah, the eldest, has strange dreams of trees and jellyfish. When she asks their mother about her past – a past the girls know almost nothing about – their mother becomes snappish and preoccupied, leading the girls to investigate, and discover a mysterious photo where their mother appears pregnant. But which sister is she pregnant with, and why was the photo hidden away? Originally published in French in 2020, Sarah’s Dream is lushly illustrated, with deep colors and gorgeous lighting throughout. The sisters have defined personalities have a realistic relationship with relatable ups and downs: Sarah, as the eldest, bosses the other two around; they go from being a cohesive “Three Sisters Club” one minute to never wanting to speak to each other again, the next. A good supplemental choice for middle school graphic novel collections. Content warning for pregnancy loss. Currently available as an ebook, it’s a purchase to consider if you have strong electronical graphic novel collections.

 

Jane, by Aline Brosh McKenna/Illustrated by Ramón K. Perez, (Sept. 2017, Archaia), $24.99, ISBN: 9781608869817

Ages 12+

This modern-day update of Charlotte Brontë’s classic Jane Eyre, spins the story into a thriller about a nanny, her young charge, and the mysterious businessman, Rochester. Jane is an orphaned girl when she ends up on her aunt and uncle’s door; she scrimps and saves until she has enough money to leave the home that never had room her  in Massachusetts and heads to New York City, where she has secured a scholarship at an arts school. To earn some cash and keep the scholarship, she takes a job as a nanny to a young girl named Adele. Adele’s father, Rochester, is a seemingly unapproachable, uninterested father until Jane confronts him about Adele’s withdrawn behavior in school. As Rochester begins coming down from his ivory tower and taking on a more active role as Adele’s father, Jane also sees that he’s a man with secrets – secrets he’s not willing to bend on. But the two fall for one another, and Jane worries that Adele’s life – and Jane’s own life – may be on the line. Part thriller, part romance, award-winning screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna’s take on Jane Eyre uses the source material as a jumping-off point for a new reimagining, with great success. You’ll notice bits of the original Jane Eyre peeking out in the earlier part of the story, along with some moments that will make readers familiar with one of McKenna’s movies, The Devil Wears Prada, smile with recognition. The artwork is moody, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the story and never quite letting the reader – or Jane – relax; it moves from murky, as Jane recalls her childhood memories, to stark and shadowy, as the story moves into a modern noir. I’m really happy about this new take on a classic favorite; into my library shopping cart it goes.

Aline Brosh McKenna is the award-winning screenwriter of The Devil Wears Prada, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. This is her graphic novel debut. Illustrator Ramón K. Pérez is the with Eisner Award-winning illustrator of Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand. The book received the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Nominee for Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17) & Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team (for Ramón K. Perez) (2018).

The Not-So Secret Society: Tale of the Gummy, by Matthew Daley & Arlene Yiadom-Daley/Illustrated by Wook Jin Clark, (Aug. 2017, KaBoom!), $9.99, ISBN: 9781608869978

Ages 8-12

Take five science and candy-loving friends, a dose of STEM/STEAM, and a group of uber-over-achievers to go up against for the all-city science fair, and you’ve got the NS3: the Not-So Secret Society. This group of middle schoolers needs a project that will wow the judges at the science fair, and they come up with one when they create a machine that can bring candy to life! Their test run brings an adorable gummy bear to life, but Gummy has a sweet tooth that won’t quit – and neither will the growth spurts that follow! The NS3 has to track down Gummy, who goes on a sugar-eating rampage, before it’s too late, and they still have to make it to the science fair on time! This is an hilarious story of friendship, science, and candy, starring a group of middle schoolers that readers will love: Madison, the bookish one; Aidan, the inventor; Emma, the licorice-obsessed artist; Dylan, the comedian, and Ava, the tiny wrestling fan with a big temper. Readers who loved Eleanor Davis’s Secret Science Alliance will enjoy this comic. I just want to know why three years have passed without a new adventure! Back matter includes a parent reading guide and learning activities, along with Common Core standards info. Unfortunately, the website for the NS3 doesn’t seem to be up at the moment, but in the meantime, try some safer candy experiments in the spirit of the NS3, with no risk of giant gummy bear attacks. This Pinterest board never disappoints – I’ve made the candy slime with my library kids, and I’ve made the Ziploc bag ice cream with my own kiddo. If you want to go old school, show them a few episodes of the early 2000s cartoon, Codename: Kids Next Door.

 

 

Mouse Guard Alphabet Book, by David Peterson & Serena Malyon, (Sept. 2017, Archaia), $16.99, ISBN: 978-1684150106

Ages 3-6

I can’t believe I’ve never written about Mouse Guard. One of the first graphic novels my now 21-year old son enjoyed, Mouse Guard is the award-winning, fantastic tale of a group of mice and the predators they must always be on guard against. It’s Dungeons & Dragons, Tolkien-esque fantasy for children and a perfect stepping stone to the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. Breathtaking high-fantasy, medieval artwork is the hallmark of the series, and this abcedary showcases beautiful illuminated manuscript artwork for each letter of the alphabet, incorporating elements from the Mouse Guard series, and rhyme in pentameter. If you’re like me and want to introduce your Kiddos to fantasy at an early age, concept books like this are gold. Psst.. there’s a coloring book and a roleplaying game available, too.

The Mouse Guard website also has free, downloadable craft ideas and MP3s of songs featured in the Mouse Guard books.

 

Posted in Librarianing, professional development

Adventures in Canva: Romance Flyer

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I know it’s not kidlit-related, but I made a thing and wanted to share! I’m still trying to play around with templates in Canva, so I tried my hand at a contemporary romance flyer that I can display at my little teller window at circulation. Here’s what I came up with:

I didn’t put in titles, QR codes, authors, because I want to keep it unfussy and hope it sparks conversation. If this works, I’ll give it a shot with some YA titles, some MG titles, and display them by our pick-up station, where patrons grab the books they requested. I’m trying to create opportunities for browsing in a space were we can’t browse for the moment, if that makes sense. Let me know what you think, please!