The superhero Captain Amazing is getting older, and he could use some help on the job. When he announces hisplan to hold auditions for a sidekick, no one is more excited than his own pets, Roscoe the dog and Fluffy the hamster. Their beloved human is always out saving the city, and they miss him at home. Becoming his new sidekick would mean spending lots of time with him, and Roscoe and Fluffy are both determined to audition. Even Captain Amazing’s brand-new pet, a chameleon named Shifty, is interested in trying out.
Roscoe is a large dog with his own superpowers. Shifty can at least use his chameleon camouflage to sneak around. But Fluffy has never demonstrated any special abilities, and, well, he’s a hamster. Still, he won’t give up. Fluffy and Shifty team up to practice fighting crime… and find an unexpected ally who helps them learn how to be heroes. And they’ll need all the help they can get, because some major supervillainy is afoot.
This is a fun romp with cool powers, crime-fighting action, humor, and heart. Captain Amazing’s pets have very different personalities: Roscoe is bossy and impatient, Fluffy is determined and clever, and Shifty is nervous and excitable. There is also Manny, the jaded superhero cat who becomes Fluffy and Shifty’s mentor. What they all have in common is courage and caring about each other, even if they don’t always know how to express it. As the pets learn how to be heroes, they also learn how to be a family.
The art uses color, texture, lighting, and perspective to create a rich world that feels three-dimensional, like moving through a video game. The human characters are detailed and on the realistic end of the cartoon spectrum, while the animal characters are more caricatured. They are also partially anthropomorphic: their front paws are hands with opposable thumbs, Fluffy and Shifty walk on their hind legs, and all the animals have very human facial expressions. The artist makes good use of superhero-comic visual tropes like action lines, midair poses, and dramatic rooftop silhouettes. There is a wide and dynamic range of panel layouts, especially during action scenes, which adds visual interest and increases the sense of movement and drama.
This volume was originally published in 2011. This 2024 edition includes sixteen new pages at the end, which hint at an intriguing connection between Captain Amazing, Manny, and certain other characters. (No spoilers!) The art style in these pages is different: both appear to be created digitally, but the original art has a smoother, more painted-looking style, while the new art has sharp, fine black outlines and more visible digital “brushstrokes,” making it feel more like a drawing than the immersive, three-dimensional looking original art.
Like most superhero stories, this one involves some peril and violence. No one dies, but there are some close calls and injuries. The main supervillain, in the big final showdown scene, is quite menacing.
This book will already be familiar to some readers from its 2011 version, but the new edition presents an opportunity to hand it to a new crop of young readers who like superhero and action stories with heart. Fans of the original will also be happy to learn that this new edition is Book One in a series, with three sequels in the works.
Sidekicks Book One, Vol. 1 By Dan Santat Scholastic GRAPHIX, 2024 ISBN: 9781338879155
The genre of middle grade graphic memoirs made popular by Raina Telgemeier seems to have finally started diversifying not only in subject matter but also in art style and voice. This debut graphic novel by cartoonist Kathy MacLeod not only explores her own unique experiences as a biracial tween, but also universal experiences of finding your place, navigating family relationships, and learning to build friendships.
For most of the year, Kathy lives with her Thai mother, older sister, and American father in Bangkok and attends the International School. She never feels like she belongs though, especially outside her English-speaking school, and she is increasingly bored and lonely at home where her mother works long hours and her sister is caught up in her own teen angst. What she really looks forward to, and constantly imagines in her diary, is spending her fourth summer in Maine where she feels like she really belongs. But when the time finally comes, she is anxious and worried, feeling for the first time like an outsider. She focuses all her dreams on her first summer camp, imagining that she will finally find friends who will see her for herself, but finds disappointment there, too. However, with the kind advice of her camp counselor, she manages to be kinder to herself. Her perspective continues to change when, just as the family is about to return to Thailand, she sneaks a peek at her older sister’s diary and realizes that she’s not the only person who feels out of place. This time, she counts down the hours as they return to Bangkok, accepting that she will always have homes in different places, with different things she misses about each one.
An afterword talks about how the story is the combined memories of many years, and includes photographs of the author’s family.
This is a very quiet, understated story, well-matched to MacLeod’s simple, plain art. The story is framed by her diary, with imagined excerpts shown in different places and the chapters divided by notebook paper. The story is illustrated in neutral colors—grays, beige, and white space, with clothing and outdoor features picked out in blues and greens. Readers can see how Kathy feels like she sticks out as the only biracial, Asian girl in her interactions in Maine, standing by as an observer. But more thoughtful readers will also pick up on the similarities between Kathy and the other girls, especially at camp, sparking thoughts about what it really means to include others. The thread of loneliness and solitude that runs through the story is emphasized by the static feel of the art; with only occasional movement and visible emotion, many of the panels look like posed photographs. Kathy’s gradual realization of how her family is different than others, not just in race and culture (which is frequently pointed out with various degrees of ignorance and unkindness by others) but in the way her parents relate to each other and to their children is shown through sequences of family interactions as she compares them to the relatives she meets in Maine or to her classmates in Bangkok.
There are frequent sequences of Kathy sitting quietly writing and drawing in her diary, reflecting on how much she doesn’t know about her parents and their relationship, trying to fit together the puzzles of her own identity, black and white memories and photographs drawn across the page like pieces of a puzzle. MacLeod doesn’t neglect the unique aspects of each country, with cute drawings of food, activities, and the landscape of each of her homes coming together as tween Kathy comes to accept her the different parts of herself and the places she calls home.
This is a very quiet story and readers expecting a lot of emotion or exciting moments will be disappointed. There are hints about her parents’ past experiences, including brief meetings with adult children from their previous marriages, but part of the way Kathy grows and changes is accepting that there is a lot about her parents and their decisions she doesn’t know—and maybe never will. Although quiet, this is a powerful story about belonging, accepting, and celebrating where you are, and that each family and their experiences are unique. Hand this to readers who will appreciate the reflective tone or use it as a book club title to generate thoughtful discussion.
Continental Drifter By Kathy MacLeod Macmillan First Second, 2024 ISBN: 9781250813732
Publisher Age Rating: 8-12 years
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13) Creator Representation: Thai-American, Character Representation: Thai-American,
Kacie can find everything (and everyone) she needs on Mercer Street, the center of her familiar town. But when things change over her summer vacation, she’s determined to get to the bottom of it. Booki Vivat’s Meet Me on Mercer Street is a story about how suddenly a space can change and how a community can come together to embrace both the old and the new.
A budding artist, Kacie notices everything around her, even the things that people don’t say out loud. It feels like she knows everyone in her neighborhood and they know her, thanks to her parents’ dry cleaning business on the busy corridor of Mercer Street. It’s also where she met her best friend Nisha whose parents own Khanna’s Grocery and Deli, right down the block. They usually spend every summer together, but this year, Kacie’s parents sent her to spend the summer with her cousins. She can’t wait to catch up, but when she gets home, there’s no trace of Nisha. She’s not answering her messages and Khanna’s is gone!
Undeterred by the lack of information, Kacie makes it her mission to find out where Nisha went and what’s going on in the neighborhood. There’s a new store, $Mart, taking over for the grocery, where the employees don’t seem to want to actually talk to anyone. There’s a new kid and his mom living in Nisha’s old apartment. Who are these people? Kacie relies on the familiarity of her neighbors to find comfort, but the change is slowly creeping up on her own parents’ business and Kacie doesn’t know what to do.
This graphic novel touches on a lot of concepts, including economic status, gentrification, community displacement, and civic engagement. Vivat excellently frames Kacie’s story as a mystery to be solved in a setting with a number of endearing characters and a neighborhood full of personality. The book would work very well as a class read or a choice for a middle grade book club; there are a lot of discussion points throughout the story and many chances for readers to think about how they’d deal with the changes Kacie faces.
The format of the book is closer to a heavily illustrated novel than a traditional graphic novel, making it a reasonable choice for readers looking to try either type of format. Vivat’s illustrations are colorful and vibrant. The characters each have a distinct look and personality that’s brought to life alongside the text. Readers with a close eye will enjoy the Easter egg homages to famous mysteries in the background of some of the pages.
Meet Me on Mercer Street is highly recommended for middle grade readers, both existing graphic novel fans and those looking to get into them. Readers who enjoy Terri Libenson’s hybrid text/illustration books like Positively Izzy will gravitate towards the similar style of storytelling found in Vivat’s latest book.
Meet Me on Mercer Street By Booki Vivat Scholastic, 2024 ISBN: 9781338788686
Publisher Age Rating: 8-12 NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13)
Memories and truth often lay buried in our distant past, waiting to be aroused and awakened. For award-winning children’s author and illustrator Dan Santat (The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend;Drawn Together) that time has come, and he conjures forth his magical creativity to reimagine a 13-year-old version of himself in the graphic memoir A First Time for Everything. What unfolds is an endearing character-building story that chronicles the adventures of a middle schooler on an overseas trip one summer before entering the throes of high school.
The story starts off in Camarillo, a small town located on the outskirts of Los Angeles where Santat grew up. He was a shy kid, preferring to be invisible, and when asked to recite an impromptu poem during an assembly in the school gym one day, gets jeered at by his classmates. During the summer of 1989, through the encouragement of his parents, he embarks on a three-week class trip to study abroad in Europe. Many “firsts” abound for him: Trying out a Fanta orange soda drink, dancing at a night club, having a beer, asking a girl out, and experiencing his first (albeit botched) kiss. A chance encounter later leads him to fall into love with a blonde named Amy Glucksbringer from Illinois. Together, they sneak in to watch a Wimbledon tennis tournament. At one point he even gets lost in the streets of Salzburg during the middle of the night and is chased by a gang of punks.
Santat narrates his travels and escapades with honesty, wonder, and charming humor, transporting his younger self across France, Germany, and England. Panels packed with lively action peppered with humorous moments—some wordless and filled with sound effects—drive the narrative scenes between characters. Flashbacks shaded in light somber blues capture moments in time that impact his present circumstances. Sightseeing excursions unfold through quarter to full-page panels featuring sketches of world landmarks such as the Arc de Triomphe, Palace of Versailles, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, showcasing his burgeoning talent as an artist. The back matter features a collage of photographs and mementos marking key points in his travels along with insightful tidbits on the process of constructing a memoir from memory.
A First Time for Everything packs much love and heart into the zany and often awkward exploits of an adolescent encountering milestones of self-discovery. A coming-of-age story replete with themes on risk-taking, identity seeking, and reconciliation, this graphic memoir will make an enchantingly delightful addition to middle grade collections, demonstrating that it’s never too late to live life to the fullest.
A First Time for Everything By Dan Santat Macmillan First Second, 2023 ISBN: 9781250851048
Publisher Age Rating: 10-14 NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11) Creator Representation: Thai-American Character Representation: Thai-American
Finding your identity is easier said than done. You can try a variety of clothes, hobbies, sports, etc. and still be unclear on who you are and where you fit in. In the end you may find your place but you may also realize that it doesn’t matter where you stand, as long as you stay you. Newbery Honoree Christina Soontornvat relates her troubles with identity in her new book The Tryout. Partnering with illustrator Joanna Cacao, Soontornvat narrates her journey to become a middle school cheerleader and finding where she fits within her group of peers.
Christina and Megan have been best friends since grammar school. The duo had spent countless hours swapping secrets, playing with dolls, and chatting on the phone. But as they enter the seventh grade, Christina fears that their friendship will never be the same. Not only that, Christina has been feeling out of place. She needs to find something that will guarantee her a place within her middle school population, so why not the cheerleading squad? They are popular, adored, and amazing at performing different tricks and keeping the audience pumped. So when tryouts begin for new students, Christina and Megan jump at the chance. But will joining the squad change their middle school status and still keep their friendship intact?
The creative partnership of Christina Soontornvat and Joanna Cacao is a success in this coming of age story. Soontornvat does not hold anything back in her narration. There are scenes of stereotyping and racist comments witnessed by Christina and Megan. Moments of distress and anxiety are shown, with characters’ letting their emotions come out through actions or words. But after these scenes of distress, instead of letting hateful words keep her down, Christina is able to fight back in her own way. Readers will appreciate her devotion to her faith and identity, as well. Joanna Cacao includes scenes of pray within Christina’s Thai temple and her Presbyterian church, with Soontornvat’s explanation on Thai culture and comparisons between the teachings of Jesus and the Buddha. Cacao’s illustrations also include a diverse community being able to thrive within a mostly Caucasian town. Cheerleading stunts and tricks are shown from panel to panel, allowing the action to flow without interruptions.
Public and school libraries (especially those who have students in grades 4-8) need to have The Tryout on their shelves. It’s a great choice for any young reader who enjoys being on the pep squad or is on the path of trying to find their place in middle school. Place it right next to other coming of age comics, such as Raina Telgemeier’s Smile, Kayla Miller’s Click and Kathryn Ormsbee’s Growing Pangs.
The Tryout By Christina Soontornvat Art by Joanna Cacao Scholastic GRAPHIX, 2022 ISBN: 9781338741261
Publisher Age Rating: 8-12:
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13) Creator Representation: Thai-American, , Character Representation: Thai-American, Buddhist ,
From the creative imagination of Pornsak Pichetshote (Infidel) and Alexandre Tefenkgi (Outpost Zero) comes a gritty crime thriller set in San Francisco’s Chinatown during the socio-political climate of the Chinese Exclusion Act. The year is 1936, the maid of an ailing millionaire has gone missing, and his son has hired a Chinese American detective from Honolulu to unravel this conundrum in the first volume of The Good Asian.
In classic pulp fiction style, Pichetshote delves into a spiraling mystery that unreels like a noir film starring Edison Hark, a Chinese American detective who tackles the case in a cool and collected manner. He is initially hired by Frankie Carroway, son of the millionaire Mason Carroway (and Edison’s adopted father), to track down the whereabouts of twenty-five-year-old Ivy Chen. In a slick, calculating persona like the Benedict Cumberbatch version of Sherlock Holmes, Edison dives into this mystery with a keen eye, collecting details meticulously and leaving no clues unturned. In each scenario, he absorbs information with laser-sharp focus, whether it be the frayed sleeves of a colleague, unlatched locks on a door, or a bloodied hatchet at the scene of a crime. The trail leads him through a vibrant cast of characters and locales. The story begins in the barracks of the Angel Island Immigration Station, shifts to the mansion of the wealthy comatose Mason Carroway, segues into the soiree of an extravagant Chinatown night club featuring flamboyantly adorned dancers, and through the dark back alleys of Chinatown where lurks a reputed hatchet man. One clue leads to the next as he assembles clues that snowball into a daunting mystery that may even connect with his mother’s death.
Complementing Pichetshote’s plotting are monochromatic and dull colors that amplify the noir tone in this seedy atmosphere where malevolent forces strive to elude the self-effacing sleuth. Deftly illustrated scenes packed with action, drama, and nuanced character expressions unfold cinematically like the Kuleshov effect, challenging readers to connect images and actions occurring in between panels. Most intriguing is the characterization of Edison Hark, who navigates the labyrinthine streets of a criminally infested, racially discriminating society while wrestling with his own identity as a Chinese American.
While scores of pulp fiction mysteries abound, few have positioned Asian Americans in positive leading roles. Thus, The Good Asian will enrich adult genre collections, transcending standard tropes by addressing themes of immigration, identity, and racial prejudice. The back matter includes historical notes on the Angel Island Immigration Station that detained Chinese immigrants arriving in America and an annotated chronology of anti-immigrant legislation to contextualize the socio-political milieu of this era. This first volume delivers a fascinating twist on a noir mystery in the vein of Raymond Chandler and Cornell Woolrich, presenting an alternate view of the American experience and subverting the Charlie Chan stereotype of Asian Americans as model minorities, spotlighting them instead as agents of change to achieve social justice.
The Good Asian, vol. 1 By Pornsak Pichetshote Art by Alexandre Tefenkgi Image, 2021 ISBN: 9781534320949 Publisher Age Rating: M
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Creator Representation: Thai-American Character Representation: Chinese-American
Think back to the 2008 election and the suppositions that flew about when a certain segment of the public found out Barack Obama’s middle name is Hussein and his father and paternal grandmother are Muslim. According to an interview with author Pornsak Pichetshote and artist Aaron Campbell, the seeds for Infidel were planted in 2008 when Obama stepped into the presidency and Islamophobia gained traction in the United States. Upon its publication ten years later, the story’s relevance has only multiplied, with the current administration’s multiple attempted bans against citizens from majority-Muslim countries entering the U.S.
Infidel is a horror comic that explores xenophobia and racism with a twist of the supernatural. Named one of NPR’s Top 100 horror stories, Infidel succeeds in the genre because many parts of its premise are just a little too real for comfort. The main character, Aisha Hasan, is a Pakastani-American Muslim living with her white agnostic boyfriend Tom and his daughter and mother. The family lives in an apartment building that recently experienced a bombing at the hands of a supposed terrorist. When Aisha begins having terrible nightmares and seeing spectres, she believes she’s just imagining things. But what she’s seeing proves altogether too real. As the plot unfolds, we find that parallel to our world is one filled with pure emotion, and the divide between our worlds can be torn by an event that creates an intense flare of emotion. After an immigrant is blamed for a bomb detonating in the apartment building, the veil is torn and the poltergeists of hatred and fear are unleashed.
The plot increases in complexity with each issue, and the trope of a haunted house is pushed to its limits. Characters project their own experiences of racism, sexism, and phobias onto the people who are different from them, failing to see when they’re doing what others have done to them. These fears and assumptions ask the reader not just to confront their own fear of people different than themselves, but also to ask where this fear stems from. Even if you’re unable to find an answer, the fact that you’re asking the questions allows for a dialogue when too often silence reigns.
In a digital age of horror flicks that vie to scare your pants off more quickly than the one before, it can be difficult to convey terror in a two-dimensional comic. However, Aaron Campbell creates suspense and horror with each panel. The deformed spirits leap from the walls and closets, gnashing their teeth and grabbing your ankles from under the bed. They scream filth at you, spewing slander that’s etched on the paper like carvings on a dead tree. Blood spatters, sprays, and seeps onto adjoining panels, reminding you that there is no real divide, no safety. In short, Campbell’s art renders Pichetshote’s story a living, rasping thing, even without cinematic tense music or the sound of wet flesh tearing.
By now, you’ve perhaps deduced that this comic is best saved for adult audiences. Older teens would probably do just fine with it. In fact, if memory serves me right, age 13 was when the pressure to watch terrifying horror movies first set in. However, the nuances of racism and xenophobia would perhaps be better appreciated by an older audience. Those who don’t fancy blood, demons, swearing, or general terror should avoid this book. Those seeking to create a more robust horror comic selection should purchase this right away. While a good horror story creates expectations, a great horror story like Infidel subverts them, leaving you with plenty to think about, long into the night.
Infidel By Pornsak Pichetshote Art by Aaron Campbell ISBN: 9781534308367 Image, 2018 Publisher Age Rating: M
Browse for more like this title NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Adult (18+) Character Traits: Black, Pakistani American, Creator Highlights: BIPOC Creator
plan to hold auditions for a sidekick, no one is more excited than his own pets, Roscoe the dog and Fluffy the hamster. Their beloved human is always out saving the city, and they miss him at home. Becoming his new sidekick would mean spending lots of time with him, and Roscoe and Fluffy are both determined to audition. Even Captain Amazing’s brand-new pet, a chameleon named Shifty, is interested in trying out.
The genre of middle grade graphic memoirs made popular by Raina Telgemeier seems to have finally started diversifying not only in subject matter but also in art style and voice. This debut graphic novel by cartoonist Kathy MacLeod not only explores her own unique experiences as a biracial tween, but also universal experiences of finding your place, navigating family relationships, and learning to build friendships.
Kacie can find everything (and everyone) she needs on Mercer Street, the center of her familiar town. But when things change over her summer vacation, she’s determined to get to the bottom of it. Booki Vivat’s Meet Me on Mercer Street is a story about how suddenly a space can change and how a community can come together to embrace both the old and the new.
Memories and truth often lay buried in our distant past, waiting to be aroused and awakened. For award-winning children’s author and illustrator Dan Santat (The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend; Drawn Together) that time has come, and he conjures forth his magical creativity to reimagine a 13-year-old version of himself in the graphic memoir A First Time for Everything. What unfolds is an endearing character-building story that chronicles the adventures of a middle schooler on an overseas trip one summer before entering the throes of high school.
Finding your identity is easier said than done. You can try a variety of clothes, hobbies, sports, etc. and still be unclear on who you are and where you fit in. In the end you may find your place but you may also realize that it doesn’t matter where you stand, as long as you stay you. Newbery Honoree Christina Soontornvat relates her troubles with identity in her new book The Tryout. Partnering with illustrator Joanna Cacao, Soontornvat narrates her journey to become a middle school cheerleader and finding where she fits within her group of peers.
ocio-political climate of the Chinese Exclusion Act. The year is 1936, the maid of an ailing millionaire has gone missing, and his son has hired a Chinese American detective from Honolulu to unravel this conundrum in the first volume of The Good Asian.
Think back to the 2008 election and the suppositions that flew about when a certain segment of the public found out Barack Obama’s middle name is Hussein and his father and paternal grandmother are Muslim. According to an interview with author Pornsak Pichetshote and artist Aaron Campbell, the seeds for
