Graphic Novels

Mexikid

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by Pedro Martín
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Review copy pilfered from the ARC shelves at work.
Content: There is some bullying and teasing by siblings, and talk of death. It’s in the Middle-Grade Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

Pedro is one of nine children, the son of immigrant parents – he and his younger siblings were born in the US; his parents and older siblings immigrated from Mexico – which makes him, a “Mexikid”. Not really Mexican enough, but also not really American enough. And then, one Christmas break, Pedro’s family drives back to their hometown to fetch his abuelito and bring him back to live with them. It’s a life-changing trip, not only because of the adventures Pedro has but because of the things he learns about his family.

I thought this was a lot of fun! I loved how Martin portrayed his boisterous, big family; you could tell that family is super important to him. Sure, the siblings fought and teased, but there was genuine affection there. And I liked how he brought in his family history while relating the events of the trip they took. It was entertaining, funny, and thoroughly enjoyable to read about this particular time in history. I liked the art – and the ways Martin used the art to tell his story.

Highly recommended.

Gender Queer

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by Maia Kobabe
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Content: There are frank discussions of bodies, of sexuality, and of sex. It’s in the Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

It was Banned Books Week last week, and I figured why not see what all the buzz is about, and read the most banned book in America.

It’s Kobabe’s memoir of the evolution of eir gender. (Eir prefers the Spivak pronouns; I’m not entirely sure how to use them, so forgive me for any mistakes.) Kobabe recounts the dissonance eir felt between what society saw and what eir felt on the inside, and the process of making those two match up. It’s only one person’s story, which means it’s not representative of the journey of all non-binary people, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fascinating or worthwhile to read Kobabe’s story.

I get why people would be made uncomfortable by Kobabe’s book: eir are very open about not wanting to fit into the gender norms that society has decreed, and open about wanting a body that is different from the one eir was born with. But that said, just because it makes a reader uncomfortable, doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s good to be challenged, to read the stories of people who have vastly different experiences than you, whether that be a different race, religion, or gender expression. I enjoyed learning about Kobabe’s journey to eir current gender expression, and I hope eir writes more. I will definitely read it!

Hooky Volumes 2 and 3

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by Mariam Boastre Tur
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there! (Volume 2, Volume 3)
Others in the series: Hooky, Volume 1
Content: There is some violence, most of it fantasy, and some awful parenting. There’s also some romance and kissing. it’s in the middle-grade Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

Twins Dani and Dorian Wytte are still out to stop the witches from usurping the non-witch king (and Monica’s dad); rescue their friend Monica’s fiance, Will; and make their parents (and maybe their older brother, Damian) see sense: witches and non-witches can live together in harmony. Of course, things don’t go well – they wake up Will (sorry: spoiler), but Dani is kidnapped by the witches and forced to be their queen, though she’s Different, and doesn’t remember any of her old friends. There’s a time skip between volumes 2 and 3, in which Dorian is asleep for three years, and everything goes south, until they find him, wake him up, and can put things to rights again. There are some romances, some fights – a pretty good dragon one at the end of book 2, and a lot of trying to figure out what to do next.

It’s a fun series, and I’m glad I waited to read Volume 2 until Volume 3 came out. (I didn’t remember anything from volume 1, but I managed.) I liked that Bonstre Tur created some interesting characters and world. I really liked the way she color-coded the speech bubbles; it made it easier to follow who was speaking. And I liked the way the story ended on a hopeful note.

A fun series!

Things in the Basement

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by Ben Hatke
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Content: There are some mildly scary things, and it has a dark color palate. It’s in the Middle-Grade Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

Milo’s family has just moved to a new house, and his mom has sent him to the basement to find one of his younger sibling’s lost socks. But once down there, Milo discovers that there’s a LOT more to the basement, as he goes on an epic adventure to find the sock.

Sure, that sounds simple. But with Hatke’s imagination and art, this adventure takes on a life of its own. There are some things that are scary at first, but Milo learns the importance of friendship and helping each other.

Like everything Hatke does, it’s charmingly drawn (I love the character that speaks entirely in emojis!), and is a heartfelt, sweet story. I picked it up on a whim and I’m so glad I did. It’s a great story and a fantastic graphic novel.

Sunshine

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by Jarrett J. Korsoczka
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Content: There are sick kids and talk of death. It’s in the Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

In the companion to Hey Kiddo, Krosoczka depicts his experiences with Camp Sunshine, a place for sick kids – many of them terminally ill – and their families to go to get away from hospitals and being sick. Krosoczka volunteered for a week when he was 16, and he didn’t know what to expect when he first got there but ended up meeting incredible people and having his life changed for the better.

It was a touching and sweet graphic novel. I loved how Krosoczka depicted not only the other kids volunteering but also the kids and their families. He hits the highlights of the week he volunteered, and followed some of the relationships he kept afterward. It’s a good reminder that getting outside yourself and volunteering to help others is important. And it’s a good book.

Buzzing

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by Samuel Sattin, illustrated by Rye Hickman
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Review copy pilfered from the ARC shelves at work.
Content: There is mention of cartoon violence. It’s in the Middle-Grade Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

Isaac has just been diagnosed with OCD, which is manifest in the graphic novel as hovering, ever-present bees. His mother is pretty protective of him, and the way he’s coping with his new diagnosis, so when he asks to join a group of friends to play a Swamps & Sorcery game. Everything is fine until he fails a history test (and thereby the class) and his mother bans him from seeing his friends or playing the game. There is some growth – his older sister feels left out because Isaac gets a lot of attention due to his OCD and she learns to accept it. Additionally, his mother learns to be more trusting of Isaac. And he learns how to better manage the buzzing in his life.

I liked this one well enough. I think the best part of the book was the depiction of the OCD as the bees. I liked how they were always around, and Isaac had to learn to live with – and ignore – them. I liked the story and the interspersing of the Swamps & Sorcery game. The art was nice; there was some diversity – Isaac is Latinx, maybe? – and one of the characters was gender fluid. It’s not going to be my favorite this year, but it was a solid book.

School Trip

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by Jerry Craft
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Others in the series: New Kid, Class Act
Content: There are some shenanigans and awkward moments. It’s in the Middle-Grade Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

Jordan and his friends have a long-awaited school trip to Pairs. They’re all excited for different reasons; Jordan especially since he wants to see all the art with his art teacher. However, to the actions of several tech-savvy kids, the teachers assigned to the various trips get all mixed up, and the teachers going to the Paris trip know nothing. That’s a chance for Maury to shine: his mother went to school in Paris, and they visit often. He is able to show the other kids all the cool spots. As they go through the city of lights, the kids learn to navigate friendships and talk about their feelings and how they are treated. Sometimes everyone being in a new place can make it easier to talk about things you aren’t able to back home.

I really like this series. I like Craft’s art style and the way he has many different characters that all have some depth to them. I like that he’s not afraid to talk about racism or just the way kids can mistreat each other without realizing it. I do like that the kids are mostly complex characters. It’s a fun book, but also a thoughtful one. My only complaint is that Jordan’s parents decided what high school he would attend (he got into an art-specific high school) without letting him have his say. But that’s a minor thing in such a well-done graphic novel.

Highly recommended.

A First Time for Everything

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by Dan Santat
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Content: There is some smoking by European teenagers, as well as beer drinking (the legal age is different in Germany!). There is also some kissing. It’s in the Middle Grade graphic novel section of the bookstore.

In the summer of 1989, right after 8th grade, Santat had the opportunity to go with classmates to Europe and spend three weeks there. They spent a couple of days in Paris, and then in Austria, Germany, and finally to London. This is the story of his experiences. There’s more to it than that: it’s about Santat finding his voice again after being bullied in Middle School. it’s how he figures out how to be in a relationship and make friends. But mostly, it’s about having great experiences and making great memories.

The art, obviously, is fantastic – I love the way Santat captures not only the grandness of European towns but also the silliness of being a 13/14-year-old IN Europe, mostly unsupervised. It’s a charming book, because Santat is a charming guy, and it’s a great travel book; he made me feel like I was there in Europe. It’s a good story, it’s one of growth and learning and having experiences. It’s one that I think kids will really like, but one that I could apreciate as an adult, too.

The Moth Keeper

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by K. O’Neill
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Content: There’s not much to be concerned about. It’s in the Middle Grade Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

Let’s see if I can sum this one up: in this world, there is a group of people (personified animals?) who are all awake at night (they’re called the “night village”). The moon has blessed them with moon moths to help pollinate the moonflowers; it’s magic the people use to survive in the desert. The catch for all this is: one person from the community needs to hold a lantern all night and keep an eye on the moths. The current moth keeper is getting ready to retire, and Anya has chosen to take it over.

The problem is that Anya is afraid of the dark. She lost her mother in the dark and she has always wanted to be with the day people in their village. So, one day, she gives in and visits. That, unfortunately (i think?) leads to her falling asleep on her job and losing the moths. This is especially bad because the moonflowers are about to bloom, and without the moths, they will die and the night village will suffer.

I wanted to like this one. I really did. The art is lovely, and I have liked O’Neill’s other books. But, I just couldn’t get into this one. I didn’t connect with the story, and there were panels where I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. I think there’s a good story in here, I’m just not the one to find it. This is too bad because the art is lovely.

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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by Deya Muniz
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Release date: May 9, 2023
Content: It is, at its heart, a romance. It will be in the Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

Lady Camembert just wants to live her life. She doesn’t want to marry a man, which is required in order for her to inherit her father’s lands and wealth. So she does the unthinkable: she disguises herself as a man and moves away to a distant kingdom to start over as Lord Camembert.

But then she (he? the pronoun preference isn’t clear) meets Princess Brie and is immediately taken. Brie thinks Cam is a man and is taken with him, but Cam knows it’s impossible for them to be attached because of the laws of the country. It’s a push and pull as they slowly fall in love. Until Brie discovers Cam’s secret.

It’s a cute enough graphic novel. I do love the art, and the representation is excellent. Cam is into fashion, and no one blinks an eye at a masc-presenting person being into dresses and furs and clothes. But, in the end, it just didn’t work for me. I thought the ending was rushed, and even though I believed in Brie and Cam’s romance, I thought the fight and the eventual makeup were a bit stereotypical. So, while really pretty, it wasn’t quite there for me.