Victor is a necromancer, with magic in his blood that lets him cast spells. If anyone finds out, he would be put to death: necromancy is illegal and fanatically persecuted by the religious order that polices the city. And it’s not easy to hide, given that every transaction–from buying a snack to getting married – requires a blood signature, and necromancer blood visibly glows with magic. So Victor keeps to the shadows, solitary except for his cute one-eyed cat, just trying to survive.
Then wealthy young banking heir Enrique makes him an offer: use magic to resurrect his dead bride, and Enrique will use his vast resources to smuggle Victor out of the city to a place where necromancy isn’t illegal, where he can live a normal life. Victor reluctantly agrees, though he isn’t familiar with the spell Enrique instructs him to use. And neither of them expects the result: Enrique’s bride, Mercedes, is resurrected, but her life is bound to Victor’s. If they get too far apart, she’ll die. She has also come back a little… different. For one thing, she has no memories. For another, her beautiful body is now crisscrossed with stitches–and extremely strong. And then there’s the awkward fact that she’s extremely drawn to Victor. Is it just because of the spell, or something more?
Even if Mercedes doesn’t remember him, Enrique isn’t ready to give up on her. And if she can’t be separated from Victor, well, the three of them will just have to stay together. Which might just lead to more romance than any of them was expecting.
Love Me to Death started as a popular Webtoon, inspired by Frankenstein and influenced by Disney films like The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It also reflects the creators’ love for Mexican culture, especially in its lush visuals, which often call to mind Day of the Dead celebrations.
The story revels in cute, often silly romantic tropes. Oops, Mercedes saw Victor shirtless, and he’s hot! Oh no, they tripped and fell on top of each other! People keep mistaking them for a couple! Blushing abounds! There are serious elements to the plot – it’s dangerous to even associate with a necromancer, let alone be one, and also Mercedes is starting to wonder if she might have been murdered. Sometimes the romance, too, is more serious: Victor has major emotional scars, Mercedes is confused and scared by her new situation, and both have trouble believing that someone could want them when most people would consider them monsters. But there’s also lots of humor and sweet moments. There are a few hints in the direction of the three main characters ending up in a polyamorous relationship, but that’s as far as it goes in this volume, though the author’s note at the end confirms that that’s where things are going.
The artwork is colorful and expressive, full of pretty settings and even prettier people. Victor and Enrique are both cute while being very different types, and Mercedes looks like an attractive woman in a very effective “sexy Frankenstein” Halloween costume. (During a costume party, another character basically assumes that’s what she is.) There are a few manga-esque elements, like roses appearing around Enrique when he smiles and characters looking chibi sometimes in funny moments. We see elegant architecture, fun outfits, colorful festival décor, and lots of sparkly magic. This volume also contains a bonus short story about Victor’s past, which is mostly text with just a few illustrations.
Love Me to Death combines an interesting fantasy setting, sympathetic characters, and hefty doses of both angst and humor. Hand it to fans of shojo manga and fantasy romance.
Love Me to Death By Toonimated Little, Brown, 2026 ISBN: 9780316587198
Company Age Rating: 14+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16)
Full of energy and emotion, Reggie is a young penguin who is always getting up to something. In Reggie: Penguin in Charge, the second book in Jen de Oliveira’s beginning reader graphic novel series, young readers will find themselves giggling along with this new set of tales starring the adorable, charming penguin.
Nine different stories make up this graphic novel, including a few interludes drawn by Reggie himself. Some of the things Reggie deals with in the book are a pet talent show that quickly goes off the rails, the coolest new toy that maybe isn’t as exciting as expected, and the sensory nightmare that is slimy slippery flippers. The stories are short but still full of activity and emotions.
The stories are set around things readers are likely familiar with in their own lives, like their attachment to their favorite stuffed animal. When the other kids’ pets are wowing the judges, Reggie’s pet fish Rover just…is a fish, making Reggie feel left out. When he loses his mom in the grocery store, Reggie quickly realizes how much he needs her and isn’t afraid to cry his emotions out. Kids will find these somewhat ordinary adventures of Reggie relatable. They aren’t alone in feeling those same kinds of emotions, he’s feeling them too.
Reggie’s passionate about the things he loves and his interests, even when they don’t work out exactly as he thought they would. They’re also learning experiences and present great jumping off points for conversation with kids. Would they want a responsibility like Reggie has as Butterfly Monitor? How would they feel if they were in that same situation? Some of the stories are drawn by Reggie. If they were telling a story from their life, would it be a comic?
The art is wonderfully colorful and bright, perfect for keeping the attention of its intended audience. The panels are short with action and movement in nearly every one. It’s fun to see the action and sound words included with the art. Some panels are chaotic in such a fun bright way, with lots happening on the page, and can be poured over to take in every single detail, which some readers certainly will.
Reggie: Penguin in Charge is a joyful, sweet graphic novel for beginning readers. It would work great as a read aloud with a smaller group or a read along between a child and their caregiver. These stories will make you laugh and center on emotions enough to give you something to talk about when the book is done. The book is recommended for fans of heartwarming and silly comics, series like Owly and Bunbun and Bonbon. Reggie is a welcome addition to the growing collection of beginning reader graphic novel series. Readers will be eager to meet him yet again in future collections of his adventures.
Reggie: Penguin in Charge By Jen de Oliveira Little, Brown, 2024 ISBN: 9780759557574
I loved the first volume of Oddball Histories from Andy Warner, focusing on pets, with a fun blend of fact, humor, and cheerful art. However, I am blown away by his next volume featuring plants, particularly the foods.
Warner divides this dense subject into ten broad categories; Wood, wheat, corn, rice, peppers, sugar, potatoes, tea, tulips, and cotton. Readers who have even a passing knowledge of history are going to look at that list and think there’s no way this author could fit all that into a children’s book, let alone offer a respectful treatment of indigenous cultures, acknowledgement of historical inequities and trauma, and still make it a funny book the kids will love to read.
But, amazingly, he does! Each chapter is packed with information and Warner focuses front and center on the indigenous, enslaved, immigrant, and marginalized cultures that domesticated, farmed, and cultivated the crops that changed the world. He doesn’t shy away from the brutal facts of colonization, enslavement, famine, and environmental destruction, but treats these sensitive subjects respectfully with a dry sense of humor.
The art is full of fine details, clean lines, and bold colors. There are several narrative threads to follow in the book; mostly wordless panels, with a scattering of word bubbles, illustrate the general narrative and add humorous commentary. The panels also regularly open out into wider images showing maps and scenery to give more context. The general narration is shown in colored boxes, shifting color for each chapter. There are also short sentences in larger font focusing on various points in the narration.
A spread from the chapter on corn is a good example of the many details in Warner’s layout. Two sentences in large type, against a salmon-pink background, describe the city of Tenochtitlan. A large illustration spreading across the top of two pages lays out the city, showing the bridges and canals across the lake. A series of panels on the bottom half illustrates the floating gardens, or chinampas, with indigenous workers, joking about living in a lake or popping out of the panel to yell “Poop power!” The last panel shows a startled farmer in a cornfield who says “Excuse me?” to the arrival of a duo of armor-clad Spanish explorers and a priest who declare “We’re here for your peppers and gold! Oh, we’ll also give you a bunch of diseases and kill you.”
The introduction also offers an opportunity to read each chapter as a separate narrative or to follow the overarching narrative via footnotes and warns readers that the book deals with difficult and serious subjects, but there are also lots of “dumb jokes to make the whole thing go down easy.” Readers will groan at the puns, smirk at the snarky comments of Irish farmers struggling to survive, and learn about investments while shaking their heads at the wild story of the craze for tulips. The book ends with a reflection on the intersections of history, environment, and the food we grow and eat, speculating on the future, and encouraging readers to focus on the way we are all connected.
This book reminded me vividly of Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales which manage to bring tragic, often bloody events to life with humor and heart. Even if readers aren’t inspired to delve deeper into the various subjects that are introduced, they will have gotten an excellent introduction to world history, plenty of food for thought, and a new appreciation of the plants around us.
Oddball Histories: Spices and Spuds By Andy Warner Little Brown, 2024 ISBN: 9780316498272
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Teen (13-16), Tween (10-13)
Ash attends performing arts camp every summer, but this summer will be different. They’ve been chosen as stage manager for the musical Ella, and they are bursting with ideas to make this the best show ever. Plus, camp means reuniting with Ash’s best friend Ivy, who also happens to be the star of the musical. And this summer, maybe Ash can finally admit that they have a huge crush on Ivy.
But nothing is going as Ash hoped. They aren’t in the same cabin as Ivy. And Ivy is spending an awful lot of time with her charming costar. The summer is slipping away, and Ash is starting to panic. This is the last year Ash and Ivy will attend camp, and then they’re both starting different high schools and may never see each other again. What if they miss their chance to tell Ivy how they feel?
Ash is so preoccupied that they start to let things slip. They aren’t keeping up with their stage manager duties, and they barely interact with their cabinmates. If they aren’t careful, they might mess up not just their relationship with Ivy, but their other friendships and even the big musical. Ash’s last summer at camp was supposed to be a triumph. Can they save it from being a disaster?
Ash is a sympathetic tween protagonist: passionate and well-intentioned, but also anxious and prone to getting wrapped up in their feelings. Ivy and the rest of the cast are also passionate and creative–they are at performing arts camp, after all–as well as kind and supportive. Diversity of race, gender identity, orientation, and more are all casually portrayed and consistently respected by the characters.
In addition to the relationship plotline, the book covers a lot of fun theater stuff. Since the big musical will be performed at the end of camp, preparing for it provides a built-in timeline of the summer. Being the stage manager, Ash starts out with a notebook full of ideas and a bunch of crew members to organize. As the summer goes on, we see progress being made: set pieces and costumes are assembled, makeup and lighting are planned, etc. There are also interesting references to the other creative projects going on at camp besides the musical.
The art is a slightly simplified cartoon style, though with easily enough detail to differentiate the characters and set the scenes. The colors are mostly soft and natural, with a lot of earth tones–a good fit for a summer camp, where many scenes take place in cabins or outside. There is also frequent use of colorful screentone backgrounds, which add visual variety without being distracting.
Ash’s thoughts often appear in the form of doodles in their notebook, where they and Ivy are drawn in a different style (Ash’s art style, presumably) from the rest of the book. Here we see things that Ash wants to say but doesn’t, or imagines that other people might say. These notebook doodles are black and white, with the lines of the ruled paper visible behind them, which makes them immediately distinct from the rest of the book.
This is a story of relationships, responsibility, and forgiveness, with lots of fun theater kid and summer camp situations. Ash isn’t perfect, but they mean well and do their best to fix their mistakes, and their friends are willing to meet them halfway. Hand this goodhearted story to fans of other emotional realistic middle-grade fiction, like Victoria Jamieson, Kayla Miller, and, of course, Raina Telgemeier.
Upstaged By Robin Easter Little, Brown, 2024 ISBN: 9780316429429
Publisher Age Rating: 7-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13) Creator Representation: Nonbinary , Character Representation: Nonbinary,
Silent meditation retreats are havens for deep, spiritual enlightenment, and it’s the last place Binh wants to be—especially after fighting off a bully in school for having taunted his Vietnamese heritage. From award-winning author and graphic novelist Minh Lê (Drawn Together, Green Lantern: Legacy) and New York Times bestselling illustrator Chan Chau (Baby-Sitter’s Club) comes Enlighten Me, a coming-of-age story steeped in Buddhist traditions, history, and folklore.
The story begins with Binh and his family headed to the peaceful Three Jewels Mountain Retreat, a silent meditation camp where he surrenders his treasured Game Boy upon arriving. This is the last place he expected to find himself after defending himself from a school bully who directed anti-Asian slurs at his Vietnamese culture. Why was he punished for being the victim? The vice principal figured a weekend family trip here would address his violent behavior. He joins the others kids to practice the art of meditation, but before long, sore legs, a stiff back, and disruptive thoughts invade his mind and distract his focus. Not until Sister Peace, one of the Buddhist monks, begins recounting wondrous tales about the Buddha does Binh embark on a path toward self-enlightenment and deep understanding.
The plot shifts into gear as Binh learns about Prince Siddhartha—a young boy sheltered from the evils of the world—who would one day venture beyond the walls of the royal palace, destined to become the Buddha. Another story drawn from the Jataka tales, stories of the Buddha’s past lives, reveals how as a young prince, he wielded five deadly weapons to combat a ferocious monster lurking deep inside a dark forest. In another tale about devotion to family, Buddha in the form of a golden deer gets caught in a trap, so its siblings come to its aid, refusing to leave its side even when a hunter comes along. Lê and Chau have created a delightfully heartwarming story that blends snatches of humor with moments that capture Binh’s hyperactive fascination with videogames. From serene images of nature to the digital world of Donkey Kong, he envisions himself floating through nebulous space in dynamically arranged panels. Events in the present unfold as Binh imagines taking part in adventures from the traditional tales, each one bearing a nugget of wisdom.
Structured in a semi-episodic style similar to the Arabian Nights, Enlighten Me paves an intriguing path into Buddhist philosophies, yet also weaves in themes of bullying, fitting in, self-control, community building, and finding oneself in the moment. This entertaining and thoughtful semiautobiographical graphic novel highlights a unique perspective on how one middle-schooler learns to navigate the challenges of life to find inner peace through self-disciplined mindfulness, thereby adding a culturally enriching experience to middle grade collections.
Enlighten Me Vol. By Minh Lê Art by Chan Chau Little, Brown, 2023 ISBN: 9780759555488
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11) Creator Representation: Vietnamese American, Character Representation: Vietnamese American,
The graphic novel Wildfire grapples with the experiences of Julianna, a middle schooler, and the traumatizing effects of wildfires when her family loses their home in Western Oregon. The wildfire, in this instance, was caused by human negligence when some of her classmates naïvely shoot firecrackers in the woods just beyond the farmyard. Everything physical Julianna knows and cares about is obliterated by this one foolish act that she witnessed. Her pet goats survive, but she can’t take them with her when she and her family relocate to an apartment in Portland.
Julianna decides to keep her personal involvement with the wildfire a secret from her new classmates. Her new friends in grade eight are politically engaged and all belong to an environmental club which she reluctantly joins. One of the other members of the club is also a recent incoming student and, to Julianna’s horror, she recognizes Carson as one of the boys she warned about lighting the firecrackers back home. He joined the club as a condition of his mandated community service and agrees that Julianna can keep her background secret to herself. However, the trauma, stress, and anger that Julianna reins inside builds and builds until she becomes overwhelmed.
Julianna is a sympathetic and realistic character who undergoes growth and self-knowledge throughout the story arc. While the story revolves around a harrowing instance, it is a character-driven tale that should resonate with young readers. The readers, along with Julianna, learn about climate change and collaborative positive action possibilities such as trash cleanup days, tree planting, and protests. Julianna also learns that listening to other people and trying to understand their motivations and experiences can aid in mediating her own anger and angst. The author embeds relationships, environmental knowledge, post-traumatic stress, mental health, and healing into a thoughtful and realistic narrative with her writing style and illustrations. At times the text is didactic when exploring the climate crisis, but the storyline absorbs these soapbox moments as a shared experience with the characters in the graphic novel.
The thick outlines and basic backgrounds, combined with intense hues of colour, add to the vibrant settings and animated faces and emotions of the characters who are illustrated with varying skin tones.
The book concludes with a note from the author about the incentive for writing this book and information and resources for young people to become involved with climate justice and action. Recommended for middle schools, especially with those who have more than a passing experience with wildfires themselves.
Wildfire By Breena Bard Little, Brown, 2023 ISBN: 9780316277655
Publisher Age Rating: 8-14 NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11)
Character Representation: Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Your face is crooked. You’re going to make everyone you love sick and die. You’re ugly and no one likes you and you’re going to be alone forever. The bees flying around Isaac Itkin’s mind never seem to shut up. What if they’re right? Buzzing, written by Samuel Sattin and illustrated by Rye Hickman, is a look into the life of a twelve year old boy with obsessive compulsive disorder.
Isaac was recently diagnosed with OCD. Focusing is impossible with the same intrusive thoughts never giving him a break. He just wants to get through the school day and maybe draw a little before going home where he doesn’t have to worry about being such an embarrassment. His mom is busy and his sister can’t stand to be around him, so diving into his sketchbook is the perfect way for Isaac to escape all the noise. The particular unrelenting noise of his OCD is depicted in the form of a small squad of bees that encircle him at every chance, always colorful in an otherwise drab world. They’re always waiting to pop up and ruin his day, to convince him of things that are untrue that he can’t escape.
Then Isaac meets Micah at school. Micah notices his drawing of a dragon and asks if he’s interested in joining their Swamps and Sorcery game. Similar to Dungeons and Dragons, the tabletop role playing game is all about fantasy, letting players be whoever (and whatever) they want to be as they work together. It also doesn’t hurt that Micah themself catches Isaac’s eye as he develops his first crush. Within the world of the game and the supportive circle of friends he plays with, Isaac finds life becoming more colorful day by day.
Buzzing is one of the latest graphic novels aimed at younger readers that features a RPG within the story. While parts of the game do come to life on the pages, the story isn’t so much about the game as it is about Isaac’s relationship with his new friends and his family, especially as they begin to understand his mental illness. His sister is learning how to deal with her younger brother’s new diagnosis and how to support him, even if she doesn’t quite understand.
His mom wants to keep him away from anything that could potentially be triggering and to live in the present in the real world, taking advice from doctors they’ve seen. Any reader who’s had to defend their interests to misunderstanding families will relate to Isaac and his mom. She only wants the best for him and has to listen to him to understand what that best really is. Sattin doesn’t write Isaac’s mom as bad or negative, but instead as a parent learning to understand what her son is going through.
Hickman’s art style features very expressive faces and the wordless panels contain just as much emotion as the others. The color palette fluctuates throughout the book. It’s colder and sterile when Isaac is feeling his worst but bright, warm, and colorful when he’s feeling joyful and accepted. The fantasy scenes will catch the eyes of RPG loving readers especially!
Buzzing is recommended to middle grade readers and has some cross appeal to younger teen readers. It’s also recommended to anyone working through their own OCD diagnosis or even to parents reading to better understand their child.
Buzzing By Samuel Sattin Art by Rye Hickman Little, Brown, 2023 ISBN: 9780316628419
Publisher Age Rating: 8-12 NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Teen (13-16), Tween (10-13)
Character Representation: Queer, OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Victor is a necromancer, with magic in his blood that lets him cast spells. If anyone finds out, he would be put to death: necromancy is illegal and fanatically persecuted by the religious order that polices the city. And it’s not easy to hide, given that every transaction–from buying a snack to getting married – requires a blood signature, and necromancer blood visibly glows with magic. So Victor keeps to the shadows, solitary except for his cute one-eyed cat, just trying to survive.
Full of energy and emotion, Reggie is a young penguin who is always getting up to something. In Reggie: Penguin in Charge, the second book in Jen de Oliveira’s beginning reader graphic novel series, young readers will find themselves giggling along with this new set of tales starring the adorable, charming penguin.
However, I am blown away by his next volume featuring plants, particularly the foods.
for the musical Ella, and they are bursting with ideas to make this the best show ever. Plus, camp means reuniting with Ash’s best friend Ivy, who also happens to be the star of the musical. And this summer, maybe Ash can finally admit that they have a huge crush on Ivy.
after fighting off a bully in school for having taunted his Vietnamese heritage. From award-winning author and graphic novelist Minh Lê (Drawn Together, Green Lantern: Legacy) and New York Times bestselling illustrator Chan Chau (Baby-Sitter’s Club) comes Enlighten Me, a coming-of-age story steeped in Buddhist traditions, history, and folklore.
The graphic novel Wildfire grapples with the experiences of Julianna, a middle schooler, and the traumatizing effects of wildfires when her family loses their home in Western Oregon. The wildfire, in this instance, was caused by human negligence when some of her classmates naïvely shoot firecrackers in the woods just beyond the farmyard. Everything physical Julianna knows and cares about is obliterated by this one foolish act that she witnessed. Her pet goats survive, but she can’t take them with her when she and her family relocate to an apartment in Portland.
Your face is crooked. You’re going to make everyone you love sick and die. You’re ugly and no one likes you and you’re going to be alone forever.
