Ten years ago, Max Brallier ended the world for the first time with the illustrated middle grade reader The Last Kids on Earth, a funny romp through a zombie and monster infected post-Apocalyptic suburbia. The interceding decade brought about nine books, three seasons of a Netflix animated series, and now a graphic novel.
This new graphic novel, still written by Brallier with art by Brian Churilla, follows the original book very faithfully, introducing readers to our everykid protagonist 13-year-old Jack Sullivan who sees himself as “…totally not a hero. Totally not a tough guy. Totally not fighting giant monsters” as he fights a giant monster. Jack is joined by fellow survivors and former classmates Quint, June, and Dirk as the four try to figure out how to navigate this new, adult-free world and the perils that await them at every turn. Cleverness and curiosity are both key to survival and the kids’ differences add to their collective strength. Despite the extreme circumstances, the characters are intensely real. They are incredibly well drawn, realistic kids who may be caught up in the wild adventure of the zombie world around them, but they are also scared or lonely or overwhelmed. They are kids who felt forgotten or alone. These are characters the target readers see themselves in and want to grow with.
It’s tricky to review a graphic adaptation of an illustrated chapter book, especially one that stays this true to its source material. Churilla’s art mirrors the style and aesthetic of the original illustrations by Douglas Holgate, with only minor changes in sharpness and the depth that comes with full color art. The characters still look like their original concepts as do the monsters and the only real difference in the story is the formatting. The graphic is a nice, quick read and, like the original, will appeal to Captain Underpants and Diary of a Wimpy Kid readers.
The graphic version of The Last Kids on Earth is not doing anything new: it’s the same story with almost the same illustrations. There’s even a 4th wall breaking joke about it on the back cover, with Quint mentioning a sense of deja vu. But it’s also not trying to be new and it doesn’t need to be. It’s still fun and it’s still exciting and it still strikes a cord with its readers. I’ve had to hide my copy while working on this review because my kids kept trying to steal it from me. All three of them, with ages from 7 to 14, read the original and all three have been fighting me for their turn with this. They don’t care that it’s not new. They care that it’s there.
Sometimes graphic adaptations are a chance to update narratives and change perspective with changing sensibilities or to expand a universe or otherwise give readers something unexpected. And sometimes they’re a chance to see the thing you loved in a slightly different way. This adaptation doesn’t reinvent the wheel because the wheel still works. This new version not only has the potential to give longtime fans something new to enjoy, but to introduce new readers to the series.
The Last Kids on Earth The Graphic Novel Vol. 1 By Max Brallier Art by Brian Churilla Penguin Random House Viking Books for Young Readers, 2024 ISBN: 9780593622162
Company Age Rating: 13-18
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16), Tween (10-13)
Look! It’s another entertaining edition of Science Comics, making science easier to understand!
This time around, Charlie the seahorse takes a deep-sea ride with Ryder, one of his over 700 kids! Charlie’s wife has bought him a “Freaky Fish of Filmland” cruise adventure, and the witty comments and weird deep-sea creatures don’t stop. Have you ever heard of the Bloodbelly Comb Jelly? Or the Viperfish? How about the Phronima Amphipod? Charlie and Ryder meet all these unusual deep-sea creatures and learn how they survive way down in the dark—at least until the tour guide’s boat conks out and they must ask for help!
The pages are sharp and brightly colored, and like all Science Comics pack a LOT of information into 132 pages. Ryder must conquer his fear of the ocean so he can grow up to be a strong seahorse. The panels are well paced and arranged. Science Comics are really popular in my library, and they’re priced low at $13.99 for paperback. My homeschooling moms love them too.
The work is appropriate for kids 5-12 years of age. Kids who like weird creatures and unusual alien types will probably like this book.
Science Comics: Deep Sea Creatures Adapting to the Abyss By Mike Lawrence Macmillan First Second, 2025 ISBN: 9781250841285
Zack and Joe Kazuma went down drastically different paths after the death of their father. Zack followed in their father’s footsteps, becoming a Police Sergeant in the Mirai City Police Department. Joe dropped out of school and spent his days playing video games until his mother made him get a job as a delivery boy.
Life has not gone the way either of the Kazuma brothers hoped. Zack is frustrated by the indifference and corruption of his superiors regarding the gangsters running wild in their city. Joe is similarly outraged, after he is fired from his job after being repeatedly cheated by customers who wouldn’t pay for their food or simply being mugged for what money he collected. The only release the two brothers have is a shared love of boxing, though Joe is out of practice and hasn’t hit the gym in a while.
Things change after a gangster hunts Zack down while the brothers are on a camping trip together, seeking revenge for Zack’s trying to arrest him. The two brothers fight back, with Joe finding a strange reservoir of strength when he wears his father’s old boxing gloves. This inspires Joe to head back to the gym, as Zack renews his efforts to clean up his department and take on the mob.
Space Punch is notable as the first manga by French comic creator ZD. However, had I not been informed of that fact, I would never have guessed this was a freshman effort. The story represents a unique blend of genres, with the early chapters presenting dual crime and slide-of-life dramas that are united only by the connection of the two brothers. Things shift into second gear midway through the book, however, as Joe starts displaying super-strength through feats like ripping the door off a car and throwing it like a discus. By the end of the final chapter, the story takes a supernatural turn, as it becomes clear that Joe’s newfound powers are tied to his father’s old boxing gear. Each of these story elements is introduced naturally and they all mesh splendidly.
The same can be said of ZD’s artwork. There is intricate line-work throughout, particularly in the action sequences featuring Zack. The sequences focusing on Joe look more comedic by comparison, but the visual differences between the brother’s stories flow into one another as they cross paths. Things shift at the end subtly, as Zack’s true crime tale begins to look more light-hearted compared to the body horror Joe experiences as he tries to remove his father’s boxing gear. This continual shift keeps things interesting, and I look forward to the next volume of this series.
Kana rates this volume as appropriate for readers 13 and up. I consider that a fair assessment. There is no sexual content or nudity in this volume and no real romance apart from some one-sided flirtation between Joe and Kim, a childhood friend who works at the boxing gym. The violence and action is considerable, however, with some intense car chases and bullets flying. There is nothing more intense than what would be seen in a PG-13 movie, however, making this a worthy read for any fan of Shonen manga.
Space Punch, Volume 1 By ZD Morrison Kana (Abrams ComicArts), 2025 ISBN: 9781419777943
Company Age Rating: 13+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: French, Character Representation: Japanese,
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)
Miyuu Seno had dreams of becoming an artist. Those dreams were shattered when her application to art school was rejected. With no other plan for her life after high school, she submitted to her mother’s plan for a safe and secure life.
Five years later, Miyuu is completely miserable. She’s working the safe office job her mother always dreamed of, wearing the clothes and makeup her mother picks out, and trying to attract the handsome young accountant her mother pegged as prime husband material. Ironically, that plan goes south when Miyuu gets him alone and he says that he likes her… because she is “a pale, pitiful imitation.”
Incensed and outraged, Miyuu leaves her mother’s house with nothing but the clothes on her back and a blank canvas—the last one she had from her teenage years. Now, homeless but hopeful, Miyuu hopes to make her dreams come true at last, becoming a real artist, getting accepted to art school, and finding a boyfriend who appreciates her true self.
The Essence of Being a Muse is a perfect opening to what promises to be a wonderful slice-of-life series. Aya Fumino does a fantastic job of establishing the setting. More importantly, she firmly sets Miyuu up as a protagonist we want to root for and see succeed.
Miyuu is immediately sympathetic, trying her best to succeed at being a dutiful daughter and competent office worker. When she seemingly fails at that, she questions everything in her life and concludes that she’d rather fail being happy and authentic than endure another day aspiring to mediocrity. Granting that this is standard RomCom fodder, Fumino largely avoids the usual tropes… at least until the last chapter.
It is here that the narrative shifts to Kairi Nabeshima, the accountant whose harsh words inspired Miyuu to abandon her life. We see the earlier scenes play out from his perspective and learn of his own shattered dreams of becoming a male model. Far from being sympathetic, however, he views Miyuu as being like him—a wannabe who never will be, which makes him like her.
In a lesser series, this would set up an immediate romantic subplot. Instead, Kairi’s half-hearted efforts to ask Miyuu out after she starts to find success in her new life are rightly shot down. This is a welcome change from the romance manga where the heroine can’t move on from her old flame and starts to see something decent in him.
The artwork is of similarly high quality to the scripting. For the most part, Aya Fumino’s art fits the standard Shojo aesthetic. There are novel touches, however, such as the perspective and pencils becoming jittery whenever Miyuu is upset. This is most apparent during the fight with her mother but comes up for a few panels later when she is trying to sketch something for the first time in years and starts crying. It is almost as if Miyuu is drawing the comic herself but cannot steady her hand or see clearly through her tears.
This volume is rated T for Teen, meaning audiences 13 and up only. I believe that to be a fair rating. There is no violence or bloodshed, beyond some vivid shouting matches and Miyuu cutting her feet after leaving her home barefoot. There is no nudity, though Miyuu does go home with Kairi and he opens her blouse before she tells him she seriously just wanted to talk before their all too honest conversation. All in all, there is nothing inappropriate for a teenage audience, who will benefit from the book’s themes of following your dreams, being true to yourself, and not entering into a relationship just to be with someone.
The Essence of Being a Muse, Vol. 1 By Aya Fumino Yen Press, 2023 ISBN: 9781975360979
Company Age Rating: T Related media:
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Japanese, Character Representation: Japanese,
In Volume One, we are introduced to Meesh, a demon who loves fairy things. Unfortunately, this is unacceptable in demon society, which is kept separate from fairy society, and leads to Meesh being bullied by her classmates and teachers. When Meesh discovers that the lava her people tend has been corrupted and turns all her neighbors and her grandmother into stone statues, she musters the courage to find help.
She wants to ask Princess Nouna to use her magic ruby to save the demons, but after Meesh finds a way into Plumeria City, she discovers that fairies don’t like demons and is banished by the fairy queen, accidentally taking Princess Nouna with her. As they try to find their way back, they meet up with Chai (a werewolf) and Xavier (Meesh’s bully from school). The four of them discover that they’re not so different and that when they work together, they can do awesome things.
In the Volume Two, Meesh, and her friends, must save Chai’s family from the mysterious villain that poisoned the lava in volume one. When Chai’s temporary home is destroyed just like her family’s first home, Chai is separated from her family and accepts the aid of Meesh, Nouna, and Xavier. While trying to find the perpetrators, Nouna and Meesh discover the existence of fairy demons, which had disappeared long ago. Xavier and Chai examine what it means to be part of a team, not everyone gets to be the leader. A team’s support people are just as important. A lesson that the adults are learning in parallel.
What started out as a fun fantasy adventure for middle grade readers, developed into a much deeper exploration of belonging and teamwork. This duology presents a complete story, and I highly recommend that every library with a collection for middle grade readers add this series immediately (school, public, or personal). It does not feature LGBTQ+ characters, which are being heavily challenged right now, but does address racial disparities and misperceptions in a way that is easily accessible to the target audience. Parents will have plenty to discuss when doing a read-along, which I also highly recommend.
The illustrations worked great to support the storytelling. Light and dark were used to convey the differences between the fairies and the demons in volume one. In volume two, earthy colors were used for the city where all types of creatures lived together. Pale or pastel colors were used during emotional conversations to not distract from the speech bubbles. Black speech bubbles with white text were used when someone talked about historical events portrayed in the illustrations. Bright colors were used during high action scenes to help draw the reader’s eyes through the motions. I particularly liked that no single color was relegated to a particular race of creatures or gender. For a new voice in graphic novels, this author hit a home run.
Meesh the Bad Demon By Michelle Lam Knopf, 2023 ISBN: 9780593372869
“… The story won’t tell itself, you have to tell it, because if you don’t … someone else will tell it and make it theirs.” This line, waiting patiently in the back half of David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson’s Big Jim and the White Boy, is at the root of this recontextualizing of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This new middle grade graphic keeps the least understandable, but most endearing parts of Twain’s Finn (mainly Jim and Huck’s relationship and seemingly unexplainable devotion they have to each other) and gives them depth and meaning by putting Jim in control of his own story. He is not blindly and ignorantly following a child down the Mississippi after an attempted murder as he does in the original tale; he is Huck’s de facto caregiver and a loving, positive adult presence as the two flee Huck’s abusive father. That is where the similarities to Twain largely end. While still set against the same cruel, racist world of Twain’s story, the refocusing of the story through Jim’s lens makes it harder to dismiss that cruelty as “of its time.” Walker’s characters are not out for adventure, but searching for Jim’s family who have been sold while the titled characters were hired on for work. Along the way, their paths cross with real historical figures like John Brown and Thomas Livingstone. Walker and Anderson take Twain’s story and look at all the other narratives that were ignored to focus on a young white boy’s adventure and, in doing so, makes the all characters—including Huck—so much more real and interesting.
As the primary narrator, Jim knows how to navigate a world where an enslaved black man needs to fight for every ounce of space he occupies. While in his youth, Jim knows how to play the part expected from him by the racists and enslavers surrounding him on a daily basis, Walker also shows him as an older man who knows the power of his voice and story. As that graphic moves through time and narrators, illustrator Anderson and colorist Isabell Struble use subtle changes in style and art to drive the importance of perspective in storytelling. There is a gentleness to their art that further contrasts the harshness of the story in a truly beautiful way.
This new middle grade and up graphic does not shy away from the brutal world of the Antebellum South or even of the original Twain work. The n-slur is depicted frequently with thick, black lines running through each instance, simultaneously blurring the word and highlighting it. Walker explains its incorporation in an author’s note as endemic to the harsh historical reality of the book, but even with that it is jarring to see and further drives the sense of danger in those moments of the plot.
With debates still raging over the inclusion of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on school reading lists, Big Jim and the White Boy offers a beautiful new perspective, placing the excitement and adventure of the original into a world that feels more true and authentic, a world that is cruel and beautiful but ultimately driven by love.
Big Jim and the White Boy: An American Classic Reimagined By David F. Walker Art by Marcus Kwame Anderson, Isabell Struble Ten Speed Graphics, 2024 ISBN: 9780593836118
Publisher Age Rating: ages 13-17 NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Older Teen (16-18)
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)
Best friends Gabby, Mindy, and Priya are very different, but they have the same problem: all three girls love animals, and none of them are allowed to have pets. Determined to get quality cuddle time with some critters, they try out several schemes before creating a dog-walking business, which they name PAWS (an acronym—sort of—for Pretty Awesome WalkerS).
Several clients sign up immediately, and suddenly the girls have all the dogs they can handle—maybe even more than they can handle. Conflict bubbles up: Priya plays lots of sports, so the other two keep having to walk extra dogs when she has practices or games. Mindy can really use the dog-walking money, so she’s keen to take on more dogs even when the trio is already struggling. Gabby is the youngest, and sometimes feels that the other two don’t listen to her.
When the girls finally solve these issues, more trouble pops up: Mindy’s mom starts dating, which makes Mindy feel insecure and afraid of change just as the other two girls want to ask a new friend to join PAWS. Then Priya’s family moves across town, and her parents want her to switch schools. How will the girls of PAWS keep their business—and their friendship—going strong?
This fun series will inevitably draw comparisons to the Baby-Sitters Club, another series in which tween girls form a business together and deal with professional and personal issues. Both feature characters who are very different in personality and background but are close friends: Gabby comes from a secure, well-to-do family and is a little sheltered; Mindy is a stylish, chronically-online latchkey kid with a single mom; Priya is an athlete and the child of immigrants. Hazel, who joins PAWS in the second book, is new in town and uses a wheelchair. Each book focuses on the character whose name is in the title, with occasional sections following one of the others. Like the girls of the Baby-Sitters Club, these kids work through the practical details of how pre-teens might realistically organize and run a business.
PAWS is set in Vancouver, Canada, and feels very much of the present day. The girls use some current slang, especially when they squeal over animals, calling them “pupper,” “floof boi,” “lad,” “fren,” and “king,” and exclaiming “I would boop that nose so hard!” Phones and social media also feature frequently. All of this feels natural, and while the language may eventually seem a little quirky to future readers, the storylines and themes of friendship, accepting change, and taking care of yourself are timeless.
The art is a colorful, lightly cartoonified version of reality. The characters are expressive, sometimes becoming comically exaggerated to show extreme emotions. They are distinct and easy to tell apart, and each has an individual style, including plenty of different outfits. The animals have a lot of personality, too. While the focus is on the characters, the backgrounds are detailed enough to keep the settings—mostly parks, school, and the kids’ homes—clear and present. There are also a couple of illustrated recipes: Mindy narrates how to make gamja bokkeum, a Korean dish, and her mom’s boyfriend Mike explains how to make a kind of breakfast casserole.
There is no violence, no swearing (unless you count an embarrassed character mumbling “Oh God”), and no romantic content other than Mindy’s mom innocently hanging out with her new boyfriend. The stakes are emotional and logistical, not physical danger, except for one instance when Priya falls and hurts her leg.
These funny, relatable characters learn problem-solving and other life lessons through engaging stories. Definitely hand this series to fans of the Baby-Sitters Club, as well as to readers of other middle-grade realistic fiction, like the work of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale.
PAWS By Nathan Fairbairn Art by Michele Assarasakorn Penguin Random House Razorbill, 2022 ISBN: 9780593351864
Volume
ISBN
2
9780593351932
3
9780593351963
Publisher Age Rating: 8-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13) Creator Representation: Canadian, Thai, , Character Representation: Black, Indian, Korean, Wheelchair User, Hindu ,
Ten years ago, Max Brallier ended the world for the first time with the illustrated middle grade reader The Last Kids on Earth, a funny romp through a zombie and monster infected post-Apocalyptic suburbia. The interceding decade brought about nine books, three seasons of a Netflix animated series, and now a graphic novel.
becoming a Police Sergeant in the Mirai City Police Department. Joe dropped out of school and spent his days playing video games until his mother made him get a job as a delivery boy.
However, I am blown away by his next volume featuring plants, particularly the foods.
other plan for her life after high school, she submitted to her mother’s plan for a safe and secure life.
demon society, which is kept separate from fairy society, and leads to Meesh being bullied by her classmates and teachers. When Meesh discovers that the lava her people tend has been corrupted and turns all her neighbors and her grandmother into stone statues, she musters the courage to find help.
“… The story won’t tell itself, you have to tell it, because if you don’t … someone else will tell it and make it theirs.” This line, waiting patiently in the back half of David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson’s Big Jim and the White Boy, is at the root of this recontextualizing of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This new middle grade graphic keeps the least understandable, but most endearing parts of Twain’s Finn (mainly Jim and Huck’s relationship and seemingly unexplainable devotion they have to each other) and gives them depth and meaning by putting Jim in control of his own story. He is not blindly and ignorantly following a child down the Mississippi after an attempted murder as he does in the original tale; he is Huck’s de facto caregiver and a loving, positive adult presence as the two flee Huck’s abusive father. That is where the similarities to Twain largely end. While still set against the same cruel, racist world of Twain’s story, the refocusing of the story through Jim’s lens makes it harder to dismiss that cruelty as “of its time.” Walker’s characters are not out for adventure, but searching for Jim’s family who have been sold while the titled characters were hired on for work. Along the way, their paths cross with real historical figures like John Brown and Thomas Livingstone. Walker and Anderson take Twain’s story and look at all the other narratives that were ignored to focus on a young white boy’s adventure and, in doing so, makes the all characters—including Huck—so much more real and interesting.
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.
of them are allowed to have pets. Determined to get quality cuddle time with some critters, they try out several schemes before creating a dog-walking business, which they name PAWS (an acronym—sort of—for Pretty Awesome WalkerS).
