Modern life means modern solutions, even to supernatural problems. So of course the government would have a classification system, special schools, and licenses for people with mysterious powers—any manifestation of a miracle is enough to be called a “Himiko,” but only those with full certification may use the title of “god.” And high schooler Nagi is in serious need of a god! The death of her grandmother has left her family shrine devoid of the necessary divinity, and her hopelessly shut-in Himiko brother isn’t looking promising. But if Nagi isn’t careful, her search for a god might end with her finding more than she bargained for…
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Rating: 4 out of 5.
This was a really fun start to a new series. In it we follow Nagi who considers herself pretty normal, while being surrounded by the not so normal. After an incident on her way to school; however, she gets an invitation to God School. For someone who believes she has no special powers or talents this is quite a shock. The first volume explores the key characters at the school that she encounters as they try to figure out just why she is there and what her powers may be. The different personalities clash at times, but it’s fun to see how they come together and how Nagi works to fit in and also survive. It will be fun to see where this series goes.
This graphic novel follows a girl who learns more about friendship and family as she journeys across the fantastical land of Lirrin to tend to its majestic animals.
Lu dreams of being a great adventurer, just like her ah-ma, who is a world-renowned geozoologist. Ah-ma has traveled far and wide, researching unique animals like dreamy cloud-jellies, enormous sunfish, and playful mossgoats. There’s nothing Lu loves more than reading Ah-ma’s letters about her quests, even if she and her mom struggle to understand the Cylian language Ah-ma writes in.
But when Ah-ma’s letters suddenly stop, Lu becomes worried. So when a nearby town needs a geozoologist, Lu decides to go on the journey to find Ah-ma. She charts a course with the help of Ren, an old friend turned new travel buddy.
As they follow in Ah-ma’s footsteps, Lu begins to discover the complex relationships between geofauna—and between people. What stories has Ah-ma never told her? And what’s Ren hiding from her?
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Rating: 4 out of 5.
This was such a fun adventure of a graphic novel, but it also had so much depth to it. We follow Lu and Ren as they go on an adventure to not only follow in Lu’s grandmother’s legacy, but also to attempt to locate her as it has been some time since Lu heard from her. They both come from very different families with different dynamics and expectations, which leads to some misunderstandings between the two along the way. It’s also a story about finding your own path rather than trying to mold yourself after someone else and touches on grief as well. I felt there was a really good balance of the beautiful art style, delightful creatures and heavy topics that were explored.
For fans of UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR by T.J. Klune, the sweet comfort of THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES is combined with the endearing grump of A MAN CALLED OVE, in this cozy fantasy about an immortal ghost hunter who must forgive himself for his tragic past in order to embrace his found family.
In this mesmerizing, wonderfully moving queer cozy fantasy, an immortal ghost hunter must confront his tragic past in order to embrace his found family.
Find an angry spirit. Send it on its way before it causes trouble. Leave before anyone learns his name.
After over two hundred years, Peter Shaughnessy is ready to die and end this cycle. But thanks to a youthful encounter with one o’ them folk in his native Ireland, he can’t. Instead, he’s cursed to wander eternally far from home, with the ability to see ghosts and talk to plants.
Immortality means Peter has lost everyone he’s ever loved. And so he centers his life on the dead—until his wandering brings him to Harrington, Ohio. As he searches for a vengeful spirit, Peter’s drawn into the townsfolk’s lives, homes and troubles. For the first time in over a century, he wants something other than death.
But the people of Harrington will die someday. And he won’t.
As Harrington buckles under the weight of the supernatural, the ghost hunt pits Peter’s well-being against that of his new friends and the man he’s falling for. If he stays, he risks heartbreak. If he leaves, he risks their lives.
I didn’t know what to expect going into this book, but the synopsis intrigued me so I definitely wanted to pick it up. The characters had so much depth and it’s obvious the author really took their time crafting them. On the surface level this may sound like a story simply about a man who is essentially immortal who helps find ghosts and move them on, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a wonderfully woven story about grief, loss and learning to find your place in the world. I found myself taking my time with this story rather than speeding through it so I could truly absorb the story and the characters. It was really atmospheric and cozy and I look forward to reading more from the author.
E.M. Anderson (she/they) is a queer, neurodivergent writer and the author of The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher. Her work has appeared in SJ Whitby’s Awakenings: A Cute Mutants Anthology, Wyldblood Press’s From the Depths: A Fantasy Anthology, and Dark Horses: The Magazine of Weird Fiction. They have two master’s degrees and a feral passion for trees, birds, pole fitness, and Uncle Iroh. You can find them on Instagram, BlueSky, and Tumblr at @elizmanderson.
Where would you like to travel? The aquarium, the amusement park, the great outdoors, the hot springs, or all the way across Japan? Make a plan and pack your little bag!
The cute kitties of Mofusand have conquered Japan and now, they’re taking a trip! Incredible illustrator JUNO brings the lives and travels of these cats to life in F’alling In Love with a Traveling Cat: Mofusand’s 1st Illustration Book!’ A cute collections of narrative illustrations and text that will be beloved by readers and cat-fanciers of all ages!
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Rating: 4 out of 5.
This book was so adorable and a great palette cleanser for me. While there is some text, it is mostly a picture book of all the Mofusand cats in different travel locations and doing different activities, everything ranging from going to an amusement park, to getting relaxing spa treatment. The art style is whimsical and fun, and there were little tidbits here and there that were entertaining, sprinkled among the images. It was a super quick read, but also super fun.
Press Start on an immersive journey revealing the pixels, polygons, and people that revolutionized entertainment forever. Join journalist Jean Zeid, artist Émilie Rouge, and their console pal Roby to learn how digital dreams built an industry now worth hundreds of billions of dollars. This engaging and comprehensive graphic novel is a knowledge power-up for hardcore gamers and curious noobs of all ages!
Time travel to pivotal moments in video game history with a wistful millennial Jean Zeid, extremely online zoomer, Émilie Rouge, and their robot sidekick Roby in a lively, action-packed conversation all generations of gamers will enjoy. Émilie’s massive portal cannon takes the team from era-to-era, lab-to-lab, revealing the real people, inventions, and breakthroughs in gaming. Go right with them as they clear levels in 8-bit sidescrollers, combat games, simulators, multi-player RPGs, and more — but watch your step! Includes a full index and acknowledgements.
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Rating: 4 out of 5.
As an avid gamer I was excited to pick up this one. Anything that is a deep dive, especially into the history and evolution of video games or different technologies is probably something I will find interesting. I really enjoyed the format of the graphic novel, not just taking us chronologically through the history of video games, but also touching on a wide range of different aspects of video games and how they progressed. I think for anyone there are going to be games they wished had been mentioned, but there’s no way to name everything and I felt the author did a good job of not only naming huge titles, but also highlighting a lot of other titles as well, all the way from the beginning of the industry to today. Plus, I loved that even through I’ve been gaming all my life pretty much there was a lot I didn’t know and tons of little factoids that ranged from nuggets of knowledge to humorous tidbits.
From the New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist, a biography in verse and prose of science fiction visionary Octavia Butler, author of Parable of the Sower and Kindred .
Acclaimed novelist Ibi Zoboi illuminates the young life of the visionary storyteller Octavia E. Butler in poems and prose. Born into the Space Race, the Red Scare, and the dawning Civil Rights Movement, Butler experienced an American childhood that shaped her into the groundbreaking science-fiction storyteller whose novels continue to challenge and delight readers fifteen years after her death.
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Rating: 5 out of 5.
I didn’t know much about Octavia E. Butler’s life before picking up this book, but found the format and premise of it intriguing. It’s a mix of poetry, some media and small chapter snippets about her life and the events that shaped it or impacted her writing. Each poem has a companion chapter that explains more about her life and the current events at the time. There were also some photographs and other media included. Though this was written for/marketed to younger readers, I felt it was a great read for anyone wanting to know more about Octavia E Butler and definitely made me more interested in checking out more of her work.
Perfect for fans of everything from Lockwood & Co to The Haunting of Hill House, this gothic graphic novel follows a young medium with the gift—or curse, as some might say—to communicate with the dead. This ghost story “powerfully, tenderly, and empathetically examines death, grief, and the afterlife” raved Kirkus in a starred review!
Dorian Leith can see ghosts. Not only that, he listens to their problems and tries to help them move on to the afterlife. It’s a gift that’s made him an outcast to everyone in town. That is except for his dearly departed grandmother, who he’s partnered with to turn this paranormal ability into an honest living, and the local bookshop owner, who seems to be the only non-deceased person willing to give him a chance. But it’s all worth it to Dorian, who feels like he’s been given a bigger purpose. A chance to save those who cannot save themselves.
Then one day, the key to Death’s Door is stolen, trapping all the ghosts in the land of the living. Since he’s only one who can see them, the spirits rely on Dorian to retrieve the key before it is too late. If they can’t move on, they’ll soon be consumed by a ghostly rot that has begun to plague them.
As it continues to fester and spread, and the ghosts become desperate for relief, Dorian must do whatever it takes to find a way to bring peace to the restless dead—even if that peace comes at the cost of his own….
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Rating: 4 out of 5.
When I initially picked this one up I was not expecting it to go as deep as it did. There’s a lot of talk about grief, how different people might think of those that have been lost, despair and loss. The ghosts aren’t the only ones who have lessons to learn, but Dorian does as well as he navigates helping the ghosts, especially after discovering that they can’t move on in the afterlife. The story was full of a lot of heart, a little humor and some underhanded plots. The art style was charming and suited the characters and setting perfectly, I especially liked how the ghosts were portrayed.
Debut author/illustrator Audrey Meeker playfully explores complicated friendships, gender norms, and navigating other people’s expectations in this charming middle grade graphic novel.
Marcus McCalister wants to fit in. So much so that he’s still playing on a soccer team with his childhood friend Ted, despite not liking soccer—or Ted—all that much.
Izzy Briggs wants to stand out. Being labeled the “weird kid” for her bold fashion choices is the price an aspiring designer must pay for a life of greatness—but being confident isn’t always easy.
So when Izzy and Marcus are paired together to perform a swing dance routine for a gym project, it’s no surprise that everything goes up in flames, including their grade in the class. Until their gym teacher proposes a if the pair performs the swing routine in the upcoming talent show, they’ll receive extra credit and a passing grade. They accept. . . but Izzy has her own proposal for this time, she gets to be the lead.
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Rating: 5 out of 5.
Oof, eighth grade – I think a lot of people can identify with how formative and hard of a year it can be. This perfectly captured a number of the struggles that kids can face in middle/junior high school. From figuring out who they are and what they want to do despite pressures from family and friends, figuring out the things that truly inspire them and honestly finding out who your real friends are. Throughout the story Marcus and Izzy go through a lot of back and forth, mainly because of influence by outside forces such as the class bully – but watching them find their friendship, courage to speak up and navigating their new school year was a fun read. They did clash a lot, but they also were both dealing with a lot of pressure from family and expectations and finally found a path to understanding. Overall a lovely read that I think a lot of kids would see themselves in.
From the award-winning author of The Probability of Everything, which has been called “one of the best books I have read this year (maybe ever)” (Colby Sharp, Nerdy Book Club) and “Powerful” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review),comes a heartfelt exploration of family and change as twelve-year-old Skye reunites with her older brother, Finn, after he spent four years on the run with their father.
Skye Nickson’s world changed forever when her dad went on the run with her brother, Finn. It’s been four years without Finn’s jokes, four years without her father’s old soul music, and four years of Skye filling in as Rent-a-Finn on his MIA birthdays for their mom. Finn’s birthday is always difficult, but at least Skye has her best friends, Reece and Jax, to lean on, even if Reece has started acting too cool for them.
But this year is different because after Finn’s birthday, they get a call that he’s finally been found. Tall, quiet, and secretive, this Finn is nothing like the brother she grew up with. He keeps taking late-night phone calls and losing his new expensive gifts, and he doesn’t seem to remember any of their inside jokes or secrets.
As Skye tries to make sense of it all through the lens of her old Polaroid camera, she starts to wonder: Could this Finn be someone else entirely? And if everyone else has changed, does it mean that Skye has to change too?
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Rating: 4 out of 5.
Though this was a quick read, it was not a story to take lightly. There are a lot of very real and deep subjects tied into this story as Skye and Finn navigate getting to know each other again and all the struggles each of them face respectively. I could see a lot of kids that might be going through similar aspects of situations really identifying with this story and it’s important to have stories like this that a child can see themselves in. Perhaps they wouldn’t identify with being kidnapped by a parent, but they could definitely identify with the struggle of have separated families, or deal with parents that struggle with mental health.
Set at a camp over the course of six summers, this novel dives into the falling-out of two girls from different backgrounds who thought they’d be friends forever. Claire Swinarski, regional indie bestseller of the ALA Notable What Happened to Rachel Riley?, tackles privilege, perspective, and the power of friendship in this page-turning puzzle that readers will devour.
Eowyn Becker has waited all year to attend her sixth summer at Lamplighter Lake Summer Camp. Here, she’s not in the shadow of her Broadway-star older brother; she’s a stellar performer in her own right. Here, the pain of her mom’s death can’t reach her, and she gets to reunite with her best friend, Jules Marrigan—the only person in the world who understands her.
But when she gets to camp, everything seems wrong. The best-friend reunion Eowyn had been dreaming of doesn’t go as planned. Jules will barely even look at Eowyn, let alone talk to her, and Eowyn has no idea why.
Well, maybe she does…
There are two sides to every story, and if you want to understand this one, you’ll need to hear both. Told in a series of alternating chapters that dip back to past summers, the girls’ story will soon reveal how Eowyn and Jules went from being best friends to fierce foils. Can they mend ways before the curtains close on what was supposed to be the best summer of their lives?
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Rating: 4 out of 5.
I haven’t read any of Claire Swinarski’s books before, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well crafted this story was. There was a definite emphasis on characters with a lot of depth and identity. This one is definitely on the younger side of YA since a lot of the characters are 13, so there are definitely age specific things and behaviors that are pretty present – which for the target age group is fantastic. It’s not all light topics though, there’s definitely some conflicts and tougher subjects such as losing a parent and grief, and how other people can be affected by the same events. Overall this story was really cute, with those slices of heavier topics, it was really well balanced and a fun read.
The Wandering Wordsmith 