It’s 1999, Sara is about to start sixth grade, her first day of school since her family’s moved to a new house. She’s excited to join a new club but even more excited to spend lots of time with her best friend Monica since they didn’t get to see each other much this past summer. It’s going to be a great year! That is, until Sara wakes up to discover her legs are suddenly… hairy.
Mixed Feelings by Sara Amini and Shadia Amin is a colorful fun semi-fictional memoir of Amini’s own childhood. The book follows Sara through her sixth grade year as she starts dealing with puberty and the dynamics of middle school life. On top of this newfound hair she’s discovering on her legs (and arms… and eyebrows), Monica has a new best friend from her summer camp and Sara can’t seem to escape the two of them, making her feel like a left out third wheel. There’s some standard touchpoints of a first year in middle school story but Amini’s storytelling works in such a way it never feels redundant or overdone.
In an attempt to try something new and fulfill her goal of joining a club, Sara joins drama club, landing a lead role after her first audition. All that time spent watching television is finally paying off! The drama club and the upcoming play are a solid backbone to the story. The depictions of the intricacies of drama clubs and the pre-show warm up games are a particular highlight; any reader who spent time in a drama club will find them very familiar.
As the mixed race daughter of immigrants, Sara begins facing uncomfortable questions and exclusionary remarks from peers at school and her Farsi classes. She’s not Colombian enough, she’s not Iranian enough, she’s not Catholic, she’s not Muslim, so what is she anyway? There’s multiple scenes of other kids belittling her identity with appropriately angry and frustrated reactions from Sara. She watches her mother being discriminated against for her language and accent firsthand. Her pride in her parents’ backgrounds and their respective cultures grows as the story continues, which could be a source of inspiration for young readers dealing with similar experiences themselves.The text features bits of dialog in both Spanish and Farsi throughout the book and includes a glossary at the end.
While it does have serious moments throughout, Mixed Feelings is overall a very fun graphic novel. The scenes of Sara’s ongoing newly sprouted hair drama and subsequent secret shaving are laugh out loud funny. So are many of the moments with her family, especially with her dad. Amin’s art includes great facial expressions that jump off the page, with lots of colors in the panels. The art sets the mood for the story and works alongside the emotions perfectly. For readers interested in retro pop culture, including those beyond their middle grade years, there’s a lot of great 90s references hidden in the very detailed art too.
The first in a new series, Mixed Feelings is a delightful addition to the ever growing collection of middle grade graphic novels. Amini’s love of her family and reflection on her own childhood shines through the story; Amin’s art complements this perfectly. The story deals with serious topics while making you laugh on the next page. Readers will be excited to follow Sara’s story through to the next book in the series.
Mixed Feelings By Sara Amini Art by Shadia Amin Scholastic GRAPHIX, 2026 ISBN: 9781338797398
Company Age Rating: 8-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13) Creator Representation: Colombian-American, Iranian-American, Character Representation: Colombian-American, Iranian-American,
The rules of the game are simple: don’t get tagged, don’t cross the Uphill/Downhill dividing line, and no adults allowed. If you get tagged, you’re immediately placed in the other side’s jail (until the streetlights come on, until the school year starts). Passed down through generations, everyone in Lakeside knows these rules are integral to keeping this decades long capture the flag game going. Newcomers must complete a puzzle in order to show their responsibility and be sworn into the game. When Fred’s family moves to Lakeside, he spends his summer playing The Endless Game, a summer he and the town will never forget.
The Endless Game, written by J.D. Amato with art by Sophie Morse, is a new middle grade graphic novel focusing on Fred’s first summer in his new town. He’s not happy his family’s moved again but almost immediately meets his fellow Downhill kids. After passing the entry test, Fred is sworn in as a member of the Downhill by the Council of Homeschooled Kids and quickly learns all about Lakeside’s infamous game. There’s DIY castles, root beer speakeasies, and bike races, plus years of lore and history to catch up on. As the summer flies by, Fred learns that the game always takes priority, even if winning never seems fully possible.
At home, Fred’s mom is glad he’s made friends and has finally fit in somewhere. She deals with her own job hunting struggles, something hinted at off page and in larger spreads, but not a main focus of Fred’s energy. His dad’s absence, however, is strongly felt throughout the story. Fred just wants his dad to finally move to Lakeside to be with his family, a move being held up by his work situation. They’re all tired of having to uproot their lives for his dad’s job and just want him to be home with them in this new place they love. Amato weaves the more emotional family touchpoints into more of a background plot, while still being a crucial element of Fred’s summer.
The Endless Game reads like the best kind of kids summer movie from the 80’s or 90’s but written for the kids of today, giving it a very timeless feeling. It takes place in a pre-cell phone time, seemingly the 90’s, without constant references to cultural touchpoints of the time, making it enjoyable and welcoming for readers of all ages. The kids of Lakeside are diverse, one benefit of this modern graphic novel over some existing classic “kids in summer” stories, and many young readers will see someone similar to themselves.
Morse’s art is lively, full of motion and movement, an excellent complement to the action-packed story. The colors are warm summer tones to go along with its seasonal setting. The characters are very expressive. One particular highlight is the spreads at the beginning of each chapter, which often feature quick looks into Fred’s life and family beyond the game.
The Endless Game is a fast-paced graphic novel full of summer fun for middle grade readers. It will appeal to readers looking for slice of life graphic novels and those looking for exciting action in their graphic novels. While it is intended for ages 8 to 12, it has appeal beyond that in both directions, as well as older readers as well. It is an excellent summertime read.
The Endless Game By J.D. Amato Art by Sophie Morse Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2026 ISBN: 9781665927154
Company Age Rating: 8-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13)
A lunchtime party under the bleachers leads to a group of middle schoolers facing a week of detention. Except instead of regular old boring detention, they’re roped into helping out with the school’s new Enviro-Club. In The Greenies by Emma Mills, with art from Sarah Nicole Kennedy, readers meet kids just like them who want to make their world a more environmentally friendly place and have some fun doing it too.
After her parents’ divorce, Violet moved to St. Louis with her mom, where she’s about to start a brand new school halfway through the school year. She’s thankful for having her cousin Kris there to help out but she mostly plans on relying on faking it till she makes it. When she gets invited to the Best Under Bleachers Party of the Century, she figures it’s a great way to meet her classmates. It’s fun, everyone’s having a good time… until they’re caught by a teacher who makes them clean up and assigns a week’s worth of detention to all the kids under the bleachers.
This week of detention turns into forced participation in the Enviro-Club, a group with a very passionate leader but very little interest from other students. The Greenies take on tasks around the school to make it into a greener, more beautiful space. There are some mishaps along the way, including a big one involving the mysterious 4th floor of their school and missing recycling, but there’s lots of joyful and funny moments. One standout is when the group rescues a chipmunk at school, which animal lovers will appreciate. The group also deals with some minor infighting and squabbles, showing readers that even when you’re working together, sometimes personalities and ideas will clash and it’s okay.
As the first book in a new middle grade graphic novel series, much of the action and story in this particular book involves the group as we get to know them, with a special focus on Violet as our main character. She realistically struggles with sharing her true emotions and trying her best to fit in at a new school in a new city. She misses her friends from home and seeing her dad everyday. Mills’ writing does a good job including these emotions in the novel without them overtaking the storyline. Yes, Violet is the main character but there’s more to the story than just her.
Kennedy’s art complements the story perfectly and is pleasantly reminiscent of other popular middle grade graphic novels, a selling point for voracious graphic novel readers. The characters in the book are diverse and expressive, with their facial expressions being a particular highlight for how realistic they are and their part in driving the book forward.
The Greenies is very focused on social responsibility and how small acts can make a difference. This particular aspect of the group makes it a fine choice for a classroom or book club read, where readers can consider what they can do and work together to make changes like the group does. The focus on a neighborhood clean up makes it an excellent springtime choice that may spur middle grader readers into action in the environment around them.
The Greenies By Emma Mills Art by Sarah Nicole Kennedy Macmillan, 2026 ISBN: 9781250815767
Company Age Rating: 8-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13)
Shy Cat and the Stuff-the-Bus Challenge by Dian Day and Amanda White teaches young readers about food insecurity through the story of Mila and her best friend Kit. Mila, a budding cartoonist, splits her time between her moms’ houses. Kit lives with his mom in an apartment. After bonding over being new kids at school, they are inseparable. Mila even gets to school early to join Kit for the school breakfast program since he doesn’t like to go alone. Between school, petting neighborhood cats, and DIY movie making, things are great between the two! Until Kit has a meltdown at school, setting the main story in motion.
The Stuff-the-Bus Challenge asks the students to bring goods to be donated to a local food bank. The challenge is simple – stuff the bus with food! The winning class gets their own pizza party. Students are excited to meet the challenge, when Kit discovers a dented can amongst the donated items. Who would donate something imperfect? Why do his classmates think it’s okay to give their dented cans to people who need food? This tipping point spurs Mila to better understand food insecurity and how close to home it can be.
Throughout the story, Kit’s hunger and how it affects him personally day to day is hinted at: headaches, crankiness, being secretive. Mila recounts a time she thought Kit was being rude upon quickly eating three bananas at her house. Her mom explains that “sometimes rude was just hungry” and it shouldn’t take away from Mila’s time spent with Kit. The story makes it clear that, even though she cares about Kit dearly, Mila struggles with her own emotions and how to be a good friend, even when your friend is being off-putting, because you don’t always know what they’re going through. In learning more about Kit’s situation, she’s forced to deal with and control her own emotions.
Shy Cat and the Stuff-the-Bus Challenge covers a lot within its pages. As Mila speaks with the adults in her life, there’s several pages that are fairly text heavy. These honest conversations are worthwhile. The graphic novel introduces different ways to fight food insecurity, including a great introduction to community gardening. Mila realizes the importance of speaking your mind and standing up for what’s right, something readers may find especially inspiring. The book includes some backmatter on the Hungry Stories project, which both author and artist are members of, for anyone looking to learn more about the topic at hand.
White’s art in Shy Cat and the Stuff-the-Bus Challenge is colorful, realistic, and cozy when it needs to be. Individuals of different races, abilities, and bodies are shown around Kit and Mila’s community. Lots of cats too! Mila’s Shy Cat comics are interspersed throughout the story, they become a way for her to express her emotions, almost like a graphic diary, and these work quite well in doing that.
Shy Cat and the Stuff-the-Bus Challenge would be a great choice for a middle grade book club or classroom read along. The Good Question Bus in the story, where students can ask questions anonymously, can even be adopted for individual classrooms. This graphic novel deals with topics that must be spoken about openly and honestly in a way that its intended audience can relate to.
Shy Cat and the Stuff-the-Bus Challenge By Dian Day Art by Amanda White Not in listSecond Story Press, 2026 ISBN: 9781772604450
Company Age Rating: 9-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13)
Have you ever felt like you needed to talk but the words just wouldn’t come out? How about wanting to be social, outgoing, and funny but finding yourself overwhelmed at the prospect? Aron Nels Steinke’s Speechless is a middle grade graphic novel about Mira, a sixth grader who can’t always find her voice and what she wants to say, no matter how hard she tries at it.
Mira doesn’t talk in school; it started years ago when she was little and it just… hasn’t stopped. But this year, it’s time for middle school and time for her to finally speak at school! Except, by this point, her classmates are used to her not talking, so they fill in for her and thus begins another school year of being speechless. Mira retreats to her sanctuary, her bedroom, where she spends her free time creating stop motion animated films for her channel Danger Cat Studios. Filmmaking is a safe place where she can be herself, as loud as she wants to be.
Throughout the book, and the first year of middle school, Mira attempts finding her confidence and voice. She makes a new friend, develops her first crush, and deals with her former best friend suddenly being inescapable. (Literally, she moves in with Mira’s family!) Her personal struggles lead to school struggles and disappointing grades. Her parents learn she hasn’t been speaking at school and start her in therapy, where she learns more about herself.
Speechless is a welcome addition to any graphic novel bookshelf. With everything going on in Mira’s life throughout the story, Steinke keeps the story light enough that readers will find it enjoyable and still relatable. Her therapy visits and subsequent diagnoses are just another aspect of who Mira is, rather than overtaking her sixth grade story. Learning she has selective mutism and social anxiety leads to Mira better understanding herself. She struggles with the intensity of her emotions and often jumps to the worst possible scenario. Readers facing their similar anxiety will see it’s just one aspect of who they are, along with a lot of other wonderful things about them, and that they’re not alone in how they feel.
Throughout Speechless, Steinke shows Mira’s crafting process in detail, with specifics of how she made her creations out of everyday objects. Her filmmaking process is shown in smaller panels to better appear like a stop motion animation film. With social media being so prominent in readers’ lives and often presented in other books, it’s fun to see the internet being used as a place of creativity and originality in this particular graphic novel.
Steinke’s art is colorful and realistic, there’s lots for readers to pick apart in certain panels. It reflects Mira’s mood and current situations too. When she’s angry, the pages are darker and busier. When she’s feeling trapped in a classroom and not able to speak, there’s more movement from other characters, leading the reader to feel like they’re right there alongside her.
Readers of Steinke’s Mr. Wolf’s Class series should enjoy this standalone graphic novel, as will fans of middle grade stories centered on fitting in, new struggles, and embracing what makes you you. Like other popular middle grade graphic novels, Steinke’s own experiences inform the story he tells. He also includes an afterward with his experiences and recommended resources. Readers who’ve enjoyed similar graphic novels are sure to enjoy this one too.
Speechless By Aron Nels Steinke Scholastic GRAPHIX, 2025 ISBN: 9781338849325
Company Age Rating: 8-1
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13) Creator Representation: , Anxiety Character Representation: Mute, Jewish , Anxiety
Chris O’Brien and Alicia Ochoa can’t stop graduation day. Literally – they’re stuck in a time loop and don’t know how to find their way out of it. You and Me on Repeat by Mary Shyne takes on graduating high school and all the fun that entails with a modern, sci-fi tinged angle.
Chris and Alicia are former childhood friends, now estranged classmates and about to be graduates of the class of 2025. Their paths diverged after Chris became one of the popular athletes. Senior year’s been tough, with his beloved swim coach suddenly passing away. He’s ready to be done this high school nonsense and start college in New York City alongside his girlfriend Andy. They haven’t had their first kiss yet, but the perfect spot for it, the biggest party of their teenage lives, is ahead of them. When nothing’s going as planned, Alicia comes to the rescue, taking Chris to the solution to his problem: a swirling portal inside a superstore that will help him relive the day and make things perfect. Except he gets stuck alongside Alicia who has been reliving their graduation day over and over on her own. Can they find a way out and manage to restart their friendship?
You and Me on Repeat reads like a perfect teenage romcom. There’s the rekindling of old relationships, the anxiety of the future ahead, and of course, the blow out party to end all parties. The writing, especially the occasional annotations that dot the pages, even feel like a voiceover effect while reading. But the characters have depth. Alicia is dealing with the expectations of being a first generation college student. Chris is dealing with grief that’s not always easy to articulate, plus the emotions of your first serious relationship.
The book is modern enough without being too obvious in its references; teenagers will recognize personalities and situations that match their own lives. There are some references to drinking and sexual activity, so it’s better suited for older teens, those closer to Chris and Alicia in age. These are only minimal and really nothing out of the ordinary for a young adult novel of any format.
The coloring is a highlight of the graphic novel’s art. The portal itself is a swirling rainbow, so each individual loop is colored in that specific color pattern. New loop, new color. It also helps with the storytelling as a visual cue that a new loop is beginning yet again. Shyne switches Alicia’s appearance up throughout the book too. She tries on different looks in some loops, another clear visual to show the changing days. It’s fun to see the characters evolve and find new details in the many, many loops we follow them through.
You and Me on Repeat is about an endless loop but it’s not repetitive storywise. The details of the loop grow as the days go on and new discoveries continue to be made. Teen readers who enjoy stories with elevated emotions alongside romance will find themselves both hoping the loop never ends and rooting for Alicia and Chris to find their ways out.
You and Me on Repeat By Mary Shyne Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, 2025 ISBN: 9781250851840
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
Where do I come from? It’s almost a universally asked question, one that can pop up in many ways and at many different points in your life. History Comics: Ellis Island, written by Felipe Galindo Feggo and illustrated by Tait Howard, explores that question, with the I standing in for American citizens. How did this island, and its nearby neighbor the Statue of Liberty, come to be such an important part of American history? How do we see its legacy today and can we create a better future from our past? This graphic novel tells a vital history that can teach compassion and invite reflection in young readers.
History Comics: Ellis Island starts with a short essay filling readers in on basic background information of Ellis Island, including some deeper questions to keep in mind while reading. These straightforwardly written facts are helpful for readers learning about immigration. This story of Ellis Island kicks off in 2012 as Hurricane Sandy ravages New York City. Paul and his mom Amie’s apartment is on a lower level so they visit their third floor neighbors, the Gómez family, to keep safe from the rising waters outside. Paul suggests telling campfire stories to pass the time so Mrs.Gómez suggests Amie share the history of Ellis Island. As a park ranger, she knows everything about it! Her own family even passed through there.
One of the most impressive things about this title is how wide-reaching the history is. Amie’s story telling starts at the very beginning, when the island was cared for by the Lenape, and goes through to its post-Sandy restoration in 2013. But it’s more than just the story of the island and the building itself, it’s the story of immigration in America over those hundreds of years. That story stretches beyond the titular island and moves across the entire country.
This book can serve as a great starting off point to a larger lesson about the topic or as a supplement to one already ongoing. It could be helpful in putting patterns of immigration and anti-immigrant movements into context, especially today when many young people may want to learn the hows and the whys. The rise of nationalism and “Deportmania” in the late 1910s is particularly relevant, along with the history of the laws created in the subsequent years.
Howard’s art is very helpful and appropriate in telling the story. It’s not too graphic or realistic but not too cartoony or silly; it doesn’t demean the story being told. Eagle eyed readers will catch some of the easter eggs and visual jokes Howard placed throughout the panels. There are some more intensely drawn scenes, including gun usage and hanging, along with medical related illustrations, that match the particulars being told at that point. Nothing is done gratuitously. Overall, the art is appropriately matched to what story the graphic novel is telling.
History Comics: Ellis Island is recommended for older middle grade readers.These facts aren’t always easy to read and could lead to intense, emotional discussion in shared spaces. With that in mind, it certainly deserves a spot in history classrooms. Curious history lovers will especially enjoy it and many adults could stand to give it a read. History Comics: Ellis Island gives its readers a thorough, truthful look at an important American landmark and the vast history surrounding it.
History Comics: Ellis Island By Felipe Galindo Feggo Art by Tait Howard Macmillan First Second, 2025 ISBN: 9781250768797
The story of a kid trying to figure out a new life and school after their family moves far away is a classic story in children’s literature and Jonathan Todd’s Timid shows why young readers still need these kinds of stories.
Cecil’s family is moving from Florida to a Massachusetts town near Boston. There’s no palm trees in New England and his sister Leah will be away at college, but at least their new house has space for him to have his own art studio and his family already has a church to go to (with a cute girl who Cecil sees at services every week).
School is its own separate challenge. Cecil struggles with his shyness and finds it hard to come out of his shell. His fellow students start to notice his drawing skills and he slowly finds his place… or so he thinks. He loves sharing his artwork with his classmates but it sure seems like he’s being taken advantage of. When someone takes his work and uses part of it in a not very nice portrayal of the principal, Cecil finds his voice and learns there’s no perfect way to be anything, you just have to be yourself.
Cecil’s identity as a demure, artistic Black boy is the strongest aspect of Timid and one that guides the graphic novel’s story. He doesn’t feel like he fits in with the Black kids at his school. He doesn’t want to be seen as trying to be white by hanging out with just the white kids either. The book doesn’t shy away from the reality of being Black in a majority white school and the microaggressions Cecil deals with. When he starts at the new school, someone asks him if he’s there as part of the program that buses kids in from Boston proper and later in the book, a white student touches his hair while teasing him about it. There’s points where Cecil overanalyzes his every move in an attempt to not fall into unwanted stereotypes and how this being on guard affects him.
Cecil’s story in Timid is based on Todd’s own life and his storytelling is very earnest. While it’s not an actual memoir, you can feel that it’s been very influenced by personal experiences Todd himself faced. Younger readers will appreciate that the story is told in a very straightforward, relatable way. Almost all of the problems Cecil comes up against are solved fairly quickly and easily but without shorting the emotions surrounding them. They happen, there’s a resolution, and life keeps going, even if the problems are still lingering in the background at times.
Todd’s art style is very comic-inspired, with even a tinge of newspaper comics style to it. The bold lines throughout really make the panels jump off the page. It’s refreshing to see a middle grade graphic novel with a different art style than the ones that dominate the shelves. Readers interested in creating their own comics will likely appreciate Todd sharing his own childhood artwork that mirrors the comic that Cecil draws to enter the neighborhood comic shop’s content.
Timid will appeal to a variety of readers: those who enjoy the fish out of water story, those who can’t get enough of graphic novel memoirs, and those looking for stories to inspire their own confidence, as well as the teachers and librarians who recommend them. It would be best enjoyed by younger middle grade readers, especially those looking for stories about inspiring artists, the desire to fit in while still remaining yourself, and conquering their own shyness.
Timid By Jonathan Todd Scholastic GRAPHIX, 2024 ISBN: 9781338305708
Publisher Age Rating: 8-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13) Creator Representation: Black, Character Representation: Black, Protestant ,
Going viral can be a one way ticket to fame … or a gut punch about how the rest of the world sees you. In Maysoon Zayid and Shadia Amin’s Shiny Misfits, Bay Ann discovers that even when she’s showing off how talented she is, many people can’t see past her disability. Can she one up the sudden fame of her former crush turned archnemesis?
A few things about Bay Ann Musa: she won’t eat any food with a face, she has the best friends in the world, she walks her pet cat Lucy (who speaks to her privately in rhymes) in a stroller, and she loves to perform. For this year’s talent show, she’s created a zombified tap dance routine called “Broadway Zom-by” and, as expected, comes in first place. As she soaks in all the praise of the adoring audience, the swoon worthy Alyee Maq gives her a kiss, causing Bay Ann to start to fall, only for Alyee to catch her and save the day.
When the video of Alyee catching Bay Ann goes viral, Alyee is hailed as a hero for saving a “special girl” and making a “sick girl’s dream come true.” Yes, Bay Ann has cerebral palsy, but she’s certainly not dying! She won the talent show! But no one can focus on that and she starts to notice the world sees her only as her disability, not the tap dancing talent show winner that she is. She makes it her goal to prove she’s the best and deserves her own fame, without anyone saving her.
Shiny Misfits is an Own Voices story. Like Bay Ann, Maysoon Zayid is Arab-American, Muslim, and has cerebral palsy. Zayid’s voice is very strong in her writing, with her comedy skills shining through. When things go wrong for Bay Ann, they usually go comically wrong, so there is a lot of humor in this story. Young readers who want their own fifteen minutes of fame will be inspired by Bay Ann’s dedication. Her relationship with her parents, who are divorced and are two very different forces in her life, is a particular highlight of the storytelling.
Readers looking for a story heavily focused on cerebral palsy or disability in general may find themselves disappointed. Being disabled is just another thing about Bay Ann and not a large part of the narrative. Instead, her friendships, her interactions with the adults in her life, and her desire to be famous on her own terms show the type of girl Bay Ann is. She’s not a perfect protagonist but it’s clear that’s now the intention of Shiny Misfits. Readers looking for a fast paced graphic novel should also pass on it; the story takes time to build up. A positive of that is that the book leaves the reader feeling like Bay Ann, impatient as she waits to get her revenge and go viral.
Shadia Amin’s art is joyful and expressive. The emotions on Bay Ann and the other characters’ faces are obvious before you even read the text. Plus, Lucy the rhyming cat is super cute. The graphic novel’s coloring, by Elle Pierre, is vibrant and colorful, bringing this memorable story and cast of characters off the page.
Middle grade readers who like graphic novels with plucky protagonists, like the Sanity and Tallulah books, or ones where friendship helps drive the story, like the Paws series, will enjoy Shiny Misfits. Zayid’s voice is distinctive and fun—the graphic novel world needs more characters like Bay Ann and her friends.
Shiny Misfits By Maysoon Zayid Art by Shadia Amin Scholastic GRAPHIX, 2024 ISBN: 9781338752502
Publisher Age Rating: 8-12 NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13)
Creator Representation: Palestinian-American, Muslim, Cerebral Palsy Character Representation: Cerebral Palsy, Muslim
a new house. She’s excited to join a new club but even more excited to spend lots of time with her best friend Monica since they didn’t get to see each other much this past summer. It’s going to be a great year! That is, until Sara wakes up to discover her legs are suddenly… hairy. 
line, and no adults allowed. If you get tagged, you’re immediately placed in the other side’s jail (until the streetlights come on, until the school year starts). Passed down through generations, everyone in Lakeside knows these rules are integral to keeping this decades long capture the flag game going. Newcomers must complete a puzzle in order to show their responsibility and be sworn into the game. When Fred’s family moves to Lakeside, he spends his summer playing The Endless Game, a summer he and the town will never forget. 
boring detention, they’re roped into helping out with the school’s new Enviro-Club. In The Greenies by Emma Mills, with art from Sarah Nicole Kennedy, readers meet kids just like them who want to make their world a more environmentally friendly place and have some fun doing it too.
story of Mila and her best friend Kit. Mila, a budding cartoonist, splits her time between her moms’ houses. Kit lives with his mom in an apartment. After bonding over being new kids at school, they are inseparable. Mila even gets to school early to join Kit for the school breakfast program since he doesn’t like to go alone. Between school, petting neighborhood cats, and DIY movie making, things are great between the two! Until Kit has a meltdown at school, setting the main story in motion.
but finding yourself overwhelmed at the prospect? Aron Nels Steinke’s Speechless is a middle grade graphic novel about Mira, a sixth grader who can’t always find her voice and what she wants to say, no matter how hard she tries at it.
Chris O’Brien and Alicia Ochoa can’t stop graduation day. Literally – they’re stuck in a time loop and don’t know how to find their way out of it. You and Me on Repeat by Mary Shyne takes on graduating high school and all the fun that entails with a modern, sci-fi tinged angle.
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.
Where do I come from? It’s almost a universally asked question, one that can pop up in many ways and at many different points in your life. History Comics: Ellis Island, written by Felipe Galindo Feggo and illustrated by Tait Howard, explores that question, with the I standing in for American citizens. How did this island, and its nearby neighbor the Statue of Liberty, come to be such an important part of American history? How do we see its legacy today and can we create a better future from our past? This graphic novel tells a vital history that can teach compassion and invite reflection in young readers.
literature and Jonathan Todd’s Timid shows why young readers still need these kinds of stories.
Going viral can be a one way ticket to fame … or a gut punch about how the rest of the world sees you. In Maysoon Zayid and Shadia Amin’s Shiny Misfits, Bay Ann discovers that even when she’s showing off how talented she is, many people can’t see past her disability. Can she one up the sudden fame of her former crush turned archnemesis?
