Graphic Novels

Mexikid Dreams

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by Pedro Martín
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Review copy provided by the publisher.
Release date 9/1/26
Others in the series: Mexikid
Content: There is some general sibling rivalry and teasing, plus a raid by La Migra. It will be in the Middle Grade Graphic Novel section.

Martín picks out another story from his childhood, this one of the time that his family were sharecroppers and worked in the strawberry fields in California. He writes about the early mornings, the stained fingers and knees, and the backbreaking work they did. But he also talks about the good times, the music in the fields, the time with his family, and the way they all worked together. He also writes about the financial challenges of being a sharecropper, and the desire of Martín and his siblings to not have to do this for the rest of their lives. It’s about dreaming, working, and finding oneself.

I liked this one a lot. I think it’s important – it’s good to tell the stories of the people who pick our food, so that kids know where strawberries come from, but it’s also got Martín’s trademark humor. It’s a very funny story, as well as a touching one, at its heart.

Another excellent graphic novel.

The Whole Wide World of Mabel Mulligan

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by Victoria Jamieson
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Review copy provided by the publisher
Release date: October 6, 2026
Content: There are challenging moments with communication with parents. It will be in the Middle Grade Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

It’s the summer before fourth grade, and all Mabel wants to do is hang out with her stuffed animals (which are WAY better than real kids) and build a treehouse with her dad. But things don’t go her way: they don’t have the money for her younger sister’s daycare, so she’s underfoot all the time. Her mother is throwing up every morning, which is very concerning – is she dying? There’s no treehouse, and instead, Mabel is getting moved up to the attic four years earlier than she expected. And, worst of all, she overheard her dad saying she was too babyish to play with her stuffies all the time.

With humor and heart, Jamieson tackles these very real issues for an 8/9 year old kid, someone for whom life isn’t as certain or as easy as we think it might be. There are ups and downs, the parents aren’t perfect, and they make mistakes. I liked that Jamieson portrayed the stuffies as “real” – Mabel had full conversations with her favorites. I liked that Mabel had a growth arc over the course of the book – she figured out how to get along with her sister, she even made a friend (one who didn’t play sports all the time), and she made peace with her parents. It was a charming book, perfect for those who are struggling with change, and want to feel like they aren’t alone.

Very sweet.

Mixed Feelings

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by Sara Amini and Shadia Amin
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Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There is a mention of girls having crushes and name-calling. It’s in the Middle-Grade Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

It’s the start of sixth grade, and Sara wants to make it the best year ever. Except that she has no classes with her best friend, she’s suddenly sprouted leg hair, and she just doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere. Part of that is because everything is awkward in sixth grade, but part of it is that she is half Colombian and half Persian, and doesn’t feel like she’s enough for either.

Then she finds the drama club and discovers that acting helps make her feel like she belongs.

The book follows the whole school year: the ups and downs with Sara’s best friend, and her making new friends; the drama of not feeling like you fit in with everyone else. There’s nothing major, really, but it does capture the tiny trials of sixth graders, especially one who is bi-racial. It’s a solid story, and one that I think a lot of kids will relate to.

Last Day Pool Party

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by Emma Steinkellner
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Review copy provided by the publisher
Content: There are some moments of bullying. It’s in the Middle-Grade Graphic Novel section.

It’s the last day of eighth grade, and several different kids ended up at a pool party, hosted by Dustin. There are best friends who are going through a breakup, the popular girl who is being forced to go by her mother and her cousin who does not want to be there, and Rosie who just wants to stop being invisible. Their worlds collide at the party, and things shake out in unexpected ways.

This was quite good. I liked that it all took place over one day, that the friendships felt real – both the BFFs that were falling apart, and Rosie’s attempt to make new friends. The art does service the story well, and I appreciated the diversity in characters. There’s nothing super exceptional about this – but it is a good graphic novel, and one that I can see kids really liking.

Heartstopper Volume 6

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by Alice Osman
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Others in the series: Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4, Volume 5
Content: There is a handful of swearing, including a few f-bombs. There is also some fade-to-black sex. It’s in the Teen Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

The final volume of the Heartstopper series sees Nick finishing up high school, and applying to university, Charlie being head boy, and everyone worrying that the friend group will fall apart as they head their separate ways.

I’ll be honest here: I kept confusing the Netflix show with the graphic novel. I thought Nick had already graduated (that’s the TV show) and that they had these existential discussions already (also the TV show). Which means, I don’t really remember what happened in Volume 5. And that this volume felt redundant. Pretty much everything in here has already happened in my brain (what I get for watching TV?). It’s always good to hang out with Nick and Charlie, though, and I didn’t dislike this volume. I just thought the story was farther along than it actually was.

I needed to get the book to finish out my Heartstopper collection. I would say I’d miss these characters, but to be honest, I’m not sure I will. I am glad that their story has come to a satisfying stopping point, though.

The Lost Daughter of Sparta

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by Felicia Day, illustrations by Rowan MacColl
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: It’s based in the Greek myths, so the general Greek myth stuff – violence, talk of abuse and rape, and parental neglect. It’s in the Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

Philonoe is the fourth sister whose famous older sisters – Helen of Troy, Clytemnestra, Timandra – all betrayed their husbands and families. Philonoe was born with a “curse” – a facial birthmark – and was sent away, but when she was old enough, she was brought back for one purpose: to marry and to bring honor to her family. She decided, though, that she didn’t trust that the curse Aphrodite put on her family wouldn’t work on her, so she went to the goddess, begging for her to release the curse. Of course, gods can’t just do things, so Philonoe was sent on a quest to get Aphrodite three items in exchange. Artemis – who, for reasons of her own, was intrigued by Philonoe – went along to help.

It sounds simple, but in Day’s and MacColl’s hands, this graphic novel comes alive. It’s based on a throwaway line in an early work that mentions that Artemis gives Philonoe immortality and Day began imagining why. And what we get is a hero’s quest, with a girl at the center, a sapphic love story, and a character who learns to stand up for herself and her desires and not live for the approval of others.

It’s fantastic. The art is perfect for the story, and I was thoroughly engrossed by Philonoe’s quest and growth. I haven’t read a graphic novel this compelling in a long time.

Highly recommended, especially if you like Greek mythology.

Encore

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by Miles Toriko Burks
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Release date: June 2, 2026
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There is some swearing and talking about sex. It will be in the Teen Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

It’s senior year, and Clay is determined to have a good year, surrounded by friends. But when his ex-best friend, Aron, suddenly appears in Clay’s theater class and (gasp) they are paired together, Clay isn’t sure where he stands. Especially since Aron is acting like nothing happened between them (and that he didn’t ghost Clay). As Clay and Aron spend more time together, Clay starts neglecting his current friends, and things spiral out of control. Can Clay save his friendships before it’s too late? (And what ARE those feelings he’s been having for Aron?)

The thing I kept thinking while reading this was that it was very much an American Heartstopper. Which is a compliment! I liked the characters, I liked their friendships, and I liked Aron’s journey to realizing his feelings for Clay and who he is as a person. I liked Clay’s journey to get past old hurt and to trust Aron again. I liked that it was effortlessly queer, and I liked the theater setting. It was all just joyful and fun.

I hope that Burke writes more, either with these characters or with new ones, because he is a talented artist, and I’d love to see more!

The Dream Thieves: The Graphic Novel

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by Maggie Stiefvater
Illustrated by Sas Milledge
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: August 4, 2026
Review copy provided by the publisher
Others in the series: The Raven Boys
Content: There is violence, drug use, and some swearing, including f-bombs. It will be in the Teen Graphic Novel section.

This follows the novel pretty closely; there are some scenes that are cut, some that are collapsed, but the highlights are there (I do miss my “furiously red tie” though). I think this one lends itself to graphic novel adaptation really well – there are a couple of serious antagonists and the plot is fairly straightforward. And the art, like before, is gorgeous. (Though I’m not sure Kavinsky looks like what I thought Kavinsky should look like.) I enjoyed this one more than I liked Raven Boys; it just felt more cohesive as a graphic novel (which does leave me a bit concerned for Blue Lilly and Raven King, though).

I really enjoyed it.

Midsummer Sisters

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by Niki Smith
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date June 2, 2026
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There are a couple of instances of parents fighting and children being afraid, and there is mention of crushes. It will be in the Middle Grade Graphic Novel section.

Kenzie and Quinn are stepsisters, but they have grown up together for most of their twelve years. They don’t remember a time when they weren’t sisters. But, their parents – Kenzie’s dad and Quinn’s mom – are arguing all the time now, their fights getting worse, and Quinn’s mom is looking at a divorce and moving away. Neither girl wants this, but they have no say. When the fighting gets really bad, they go out to the Outer Banks to visit Kenzie’s grandmother, where they become invested in the wild horses. They work out their own issues – anxiety about no longer being sisters – while watching the horses and enjoying the island.

I wanted to like this one a lot more than I did. One of my coworkers mentioned that horse books are popular again, and this one definitely falls into that category. I know there will be kids – step-siblings whose parents are going through a divorce – who will find this helpful, but I couldn’t connect. I appreciated the grandmother (she’s the one with the most sense), and I think if I were more of a horse girl, I would have really enjoyed Kenzie and Quinn’s interactions with the horses.

As it was, I recognized that it was good, but I didn’t love it.

To Dance the Moon and Stars

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by Tasia M S and Barbara Perez Marquez
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: July 14, 2026
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There is some violence (including poisoning a king), and some kissing. It will be in the Teen Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

Myra has spent her entire life training to succeed her grandmother as high priestess for her country. She desperately wants to do a good job, but there are problems: dancing is banned and Myra loves to dance. And she’s in love with the crown prince, but the Heir to the kingdom and the High Priestess can never be together.

Oh dear, what will they do?

Okay, that sounds sarcastic, and maybe that’s a little harsh, but that’s kind of how I felt reading this one. I wanted more. I wanted more depth, I wanted more angst, I wanted more drama. And all I got was some dancing (nothing wrong with that) that helps defeat a demon. Ok then.

I think this has the bones of a good idea, and there will be people who like it, but it just felt flat to me.