Graphic Novel Format
ARCANA: THE LOST HEIRS by Sam Prentice-Jones
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I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from the publisher in order to write this review.
The publisher’s summary
Debut author/illustrator Sam Prentice-Jones explores fighting against your destiny and reconciling the actions of your ancestors in Arcana: The Lost Heirs, a tarot-inspired fantasy graphic novel for young adults.
James, Daphne, Koko, and Sonny have all grown up surrounded by magic in the Arcana, an organization of witches that protects the magical world, run by the mysterious and secretive Majors. Eli Jones, however, hadn’t even known other witches existed . . . until he stumbled into James. As James introduces him to the world of the Arcana, Eli finds the family he never had and a blossoming romance with James.
The five new friends soon realize that sinister things are afoot, and everything may not be what it seems at the Arcana. When the group delves deeper into the mystery surrounding the deaths of their parents and the Majors’ rise to power, they discover that they’re at the center of a curse—one they’ve just unwittingly set into motion. As the friends search for answers, they’ll have to confront the cursed legacy that links them in hopes of freeing their futures.
My recommendation
Sam Prentice-Jones perfectly captures everyday queer life with warmth and hope that genuinely reminded me of Heartstopper–except in Arcana, that queer community is wrapped in an eerie fantasy bureaucracy. As the romance and found-family relationships unfold gently, so too does the suspenseful plot until a series of dramatic twists rocket the characters toward their cliff-hanger ending. A second book will follow to conclude the duology. A unique and exciting addition to any YA graphic novel collection.
KIRBY’S LESSONS FOR FALLING (IN LOVE) by Laura Gao
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I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from the publisher in order to write this review.
The publisher’s summary
From Laura Gao, the acclaimed creator of Messy Roots, comes an authentic slow-burn romance and coming-of-age story perfect for fans of Heartstopper, lovers of astrology and tarot, and anyone looking for answers on the right way to fall (in love).
Once dubbed the Queen of Balance as her school’s top rock climber, Kirby Tan suffers an injury that sidelines her for the rest of the season. Now she’s forced to join the newspaper club for some desperately needed extra credit. Worse, she’s recruited by crystal-wearing, tarot-reading Bex Santos for her astrology-based love advice column. As Kirby reluctantly agrees to orchestrate “matches made in heaven” with Bex, she begins to wonder if their own stars could be aligned. But loving who she wants isn’t so easy when her family and church community are on the line. Can Kirby pull off her greatest balancing act yet?
My recommendation
Nothing drives a YA novel quite like the intense, unshakable desires of the characters. With impressive straightforward clarity, Gao captures the life-or-death, heart-on-the-sleeve emotions that high schoolers experience–from the drive to win at sports, the aspiration of attending a particular school, the struggle to redefine relationships with family, and of course romance. Gao’s expressive use of line in their illustrations brings to life the intensity and physicality of the characters as well as the deep emotions that drive the story, making this title a compelling, unputdownable YA graphic novel from start to finish.
LITTLE FISH by Ramsey Beyer
Ramsey knows that she wants to go to art school and that she does not want to stay in the Midwest. She loves her small town, her family, and her friends, but something is calling her to Baltimore–and not just the punk scene. As she begins her college education in an unfamiliar environment, Ramsey navigates the challenges most college freshmen experience such as homesickness, adjusting to new freedoms, more difficult coursework, and new relationships. This graphic memoir will appeal to high school realistic fiction and memoir fans, especially seniors about to experience their own freshman year.
EL DEAFO by CeCe Bell
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After an illness severely damages her hearing, four year old CeCe must wear hearing aids and learn to read lips. As she goes through elementary school, she sometimes struggles to fit in with her classmates, some of whom treat her differently because of her disability. She constantly wonders what people are thinking about her and feels left out in situations where she can’t understand what others are saying or listening to. But she also knows that her hearing aids let her do some things that the other kids can’t, and someday her classmates will need El Deafo to save the day.
This graphic novel is sure to resonate with all middle grade readers, who will relate to CeCe’s struggles to find true friendship and fit in with her peers. Reader’s with disabilities may find CeCe’s story particularly easy to relate to, while typically-abled readers will get a glimpse into the frustrations of being treated differently and set apart (for example, when CeCe’s friend refers to her as her “deaf friend” rather than just her friend). This novel will both introduce readers to what it is really like to be deaf and remove some misconceptions and other barriers that may have made hearing children hesitant to befriend a deaf classmate. Engaging, educational, and a great story–I highly recommend it!
If you liked El Deafo, you might like Smile by Raina Telgemeier.
HEREVILLE: HOW MIRKA GOT HER SWORD by Barry Deutsch
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Mirka dreams of battling dragons. She loves to read stories of knights and monsters, even though such Gentile books are forbidden in Hereville. When a chance encounter with a talking pig earns her a favor from a witch, Mirka seizes the opportunity to embark on a quest for her very own sword. But her task becomes more challenging when she realizes the troubles her siblings now face from being in the family of a crazy pig girl.
This story combines humor, fairytales, family problems, and Jewish culture into an enjoyable graphic novel. Readers will learn dozens of Yiddish words as they plunge into Mirka’s unique fantastical yet realistic world. I would recommend this book to middle grade readers who enjoy graphic novels, spunky heroines, and both fantasy and realistic fiction.
SISTERS by Raina Telgemeier
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Sometimes Raina wonders why she ever wanted a little sister. She thought it would be fun to have someone to play with, but instead she wound up crowded into a bedroom with two other siblings, arguing about everything, and trying to hide her stuff so that Amara doesn’t steal it. The snake incident was just about the last straw. But when Raina, Amara, Will and their Mom crowd into the family van for a two week long camping road trip, the nightmare is complete. Is there any way they will make it through the vacation without tearing each other apart?
A companion to her previous memoir, Smile, Telgemeier’s newest book captures the frustrations, rivalries, and deep loving bond of sisterhood. While Sisters is not quite as suspenseful and compelling as Smile, Telgemeier weaves flashbacks to the past into the story of the roadtrip to build a more complete picture of the family dynamic, as well as to create an engaging story arc. The story will resonate with middle grade readers who have siblings and will also appeal to readers who enjoy realistic fiction and graphic novels.
BOXERS and SAINTS by Gene Luen Yang
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In two companion novels, Yang tells the story of the 1900 Boxer Rebellion in China from the perspective of a member of the Society of the Righteous and Harmonious Fists and the perspective of a Chinese Christian. These National Book Award recognized graphic novels are violent, though-provoking, challenging, and perhaps even inspiring. Yang exposes both virtue and corruption in characters on both sides of this historical tragedy, while violence undermines, propels, but ultimately balks before spirituality. I would recommend these novels (which must be read together, in the order listed) to anyone who enjoys truly thought-provoking historical/war fiction—and who doesn’t mind a fair bit of violence.
Boxers
Bao grew up loving the opera stories of the ancient Chinese gods. When he sees his a foreign Catholic priest smash a statue of one of his gods, he is infuriated. His father goes on a journey to seek justice for the actions of the foreigner and the Chinese Christians (“secondary devils”) who were with him, but the foreign army beats him nearly to death. In response, Bao joins a secret society which vows to honor the ancient Chinese traditions, protect their families, and eradicate the devils (foreign and Chinese) from their land. Through a cleansing ritual, Bao and his brethren become possessed by the ancient gods when the fight. They are all but invincible. But as they through travel China, slaughtering foreigners and secondary devils, Bao finds that his values are frequently called into question as he struggles to balance justice and mercy. And when a woman wishes to join their order, he must decide whether he accepts the ancient belief that too much involvement with women can taint a man’s soul.
Saints
Four Girl has grown up without a name, the only one of her mother’s children to survive infancy and believed by her grandfather to be cursed. Deciding she will live up to her nickname as a “devil,” Four Girl makes horrible faces whenever anyone looks at her. Her mother takes her to an acupuncturist to be healed of her “devil face.” The kind man “heals” her by making her laugh. But Four Girl is intrigued by the crucifix on the man’s wall. She begins asking him questions about Christianity. After having several visions of the Christian warrior woman Joan of Arc, Four Girl decides to convert to Christianity and takes the Christian name Vibiana. But when her family learns of her conversion, they have her beaten. She runs away and seeks refuge at a Christian stronghold. In her new life, Vibiana feels called to pursue justice and protect her Christian community from the violence that threatens it. Thinking it an obvious course of action given her calling, she starts training to be a warrior maiden like Joan. But Vibiana’s calling may not be as simple as she thinks.
BABYMOUSE: QUEEN OF THE WORLD by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm
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Babymouse wishes she were extraordinary. She wishes she had gorgeous, straight whiskers–like Felicia. She wishes she had a cooler style of clothes–like Felicia. And although it is nice to have her one really good friend Wilson, she wishes that she had tons of adoring friends and admirers–like Felicia. Unfortunately, all of her daydreaming doesn’t make her wishes come true. It just makes her late for class. But when Babymouse has the chance to attend Felicia’s birthday party, everything in her life could be about to change.
The Babymouse graphic novels are popular among tween girls for good reason; they accurately depict what it’s like to be outside of the cool clique. Babymouse has believable insecurities and hopes that preteen girls are sure to relate to.
If you like the Babymouse series, you might like Dork Diaries, Dumped by Popular Demand, Smile, and Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf.
LUNCH LADY AND THE CYBORG SUBSTITUTE by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
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The Breakfast Bunch have always wondered what their Lunch Lady’s life was like outside of school. But they never suspected that she was secretly a crime-fighting vigilante who uses her incredible strength and a slew of interesting gadgets to keep the school safe from all evil. So when a suspicious substitute teacher shows up, the Lunch Lady is immediately on his tail, with the unsuspecting Breakfast Bunch trailing along behind them.
This popular graphic novel series is both action-packed and hilariously funny. Captain Underpants lovers will be delighted to discover this new comical school-themed superhero series. It will appeal most to upper-elementary age readers.
If you like the Lunch Lady series, you might like N.E.R.D.S. by Michael Buckley.
SMILE by Raina Telgemeier
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Raina was already dreading getting braces–particularly since correcting her overbite would require her to wear headgear! Even if she only had to wear it at night, it was still a social nightmare. But when she tripped and accidentally knocked out her two front teeth, the nightmare got even worse. Raina had to endure a series of painful operations and start middle school with a set of fake teeth that she was sure everyone would notice. In the format of a graphic novel, Raina tells the story of her experience growing up with braces, as well as dealing with friendship troubles, trying not let her crushes know she likes them (but secretly hoping they’ll find out!), making decisions about her dreams and goals for the future, and trying to keep her self-esteem high despite the metal in her mouth.
This graphic-memoir is a great book for girls who are going into middle school and/or getting braces. It touches on all of the friendship and self-esteem issues that are typical for tween and teen girls and normalizes a lot of the challenges of growing up. Plus, Raina’s story is engaging and fun to read. It will likely appeal to girls who like realistic fiction books like Dork Diaries, Babymouse, Dumped by Popular Demand, or Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf.
If you liked Smile, you might also like El Deafo by CeCe Bell.
Susan the Librarian 