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

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Goes Graphic

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before the Graphic Novel: The Graphic Novel, by Jenny Han, Adapted by Barbara Perez Marquez, Illustrated by Akimaro & Li Lu, (May 2026, Simon & Schuster Teen), $15.99, ISBN: 9781665983105

Ages 12-18

The YA and Netflix smash has made its way to the graphic novel format and I know this will fly off the shelves the second it arrives in my library. For those of us not versed in the Jenny Han-verse, To All the Boys… is the story of 16-year-old Lara Jean, who writes love letters to all the boys she’s loved: all five. She pours her heart into these letters, but never sends them; she keeps them in a box in her room. Makes sense, right? She’s writing the letters as a way to work through complicated emotions, and no one needs to know. Until someone sends those letters to those five boys, and now Lara Jean has a lot of work ahead of her. This was my introduction to the Jenny Han Universe and I really enjoyed it. There’s comedy, family angst, and relationship drama all in equal measure here, with side characters like Lara’s best friend, Chris, her older sister, Margot, and Margot’s boyfriend, Josh, for whom Lara also has feelings for. It’s a light story with some laughs and some angst, perfect for teens who want a rom-com with a side of longing. The manga-inspired art is very slice of life and will appeal to readers. It’s a good first purchase for YA collections, especially since your own copies of the original novel are likely getting worn out.

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Jasper Rabbit goes Twilight Zone with Creepy Tales

Troubling Tonsils! (Jasper Rabbit’s Creepy Tales), by Aaron Reynolds/Illustrated by Peter Brown, (Sept. 2025, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers), $13.99, ISBN: 9781665961080

Ages 6-9

Kids (okay, and adults) who loved the earlier adventures of Jasper Rabbit, hero of Creepy Carrots!, Creepy Crayon!, and my personal favorite, Creepy Pair of Underwear!, get ready: Jasper is back with a new chapter book series, Creepy Tales. The first up is Troubling Tonsils!, the strange story of Charlie Marmot, an average, everyday marmot who lives in a house, wears clothes, and goes to school. Charlie’s looking forward to Halloween when he develops a sore throat; Mom brings him to the doctor, and the verdict is in: it’s tonsilitis, and the tonsils have to come out. Delighted at the prospect of having his red, inflamed tonsils kept in a pickle jar to show off at school, Charlie is all in. On the day of the surgery, though, the strangest thing happens: there are no tonsils to be found! Where did those fleshy lumps go? Things get creepier once Charlie goes home and heads to bed… Reynolds and Brown’s stories grow beautifully with their audience, graduating to chapter books with all the creepy humor readers loved in the picture books. Brown’s illustration, rendered in shades of grey with a punch of occasional red for impact, is a joy to look at. Jasper Rabbit, clad in a Rod Serling-like suit and wearing a grim expression, bringing readers into an intermediate reader-level Twilight Zone story. Reynolds injects his trademark humor into the narrative; for instance, Jasper encourages readers that “enjoy peeing their pants for a variety of reasons” to continue on with the story; Charlie’s mother believes his sore throat is due to his adenoids, which “is secret knowledge… imparted only to mothers and those in the medical community”. A brilliant introduction to what promises to be a popular new creepy chapter book series for readers. Don’t miss.

Troubling Tonsils! has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness. It was also an Indie Next pick.