We’ve got some big news this morning: In October 2024, JY, the middle-grade imprint of Yen Press, will publish The Weirn Books: The Ghost and the Stolen Dragon, the second volume of Svetlana Chmakova’s series about a middle school for supernatural students and their familiars. The first volume, Be Wary of the Silent Woods, was published in 2020, and the series draws on some of the concepts Chmakova came up with for her earlier YA series, Nightschool (see my interview with her for more about how she developed the characters and ideas). Chmakova has been busy with her other series, the Berrybro ..read more

K is in Trouble By Gary Clement Little Brown Ink, January 2024 Grades 5-8 In my new school, I have had many discussions about teaching YA literature in an English Language Arts Curriculum vs. Classic Literature. It’s an interesting debate, because while it’s imperative to hook young readers in and foster a love of reading, so many references may get lost on them without knowing the “canon,” the original works of literature. While I have never read much of Kafka’s work, I’m familiar with who Franz Kafka is and some of his more notable works. What does this have to do with a middle-grade graphi ..read more

Winnie-The-Pooh Writer: A.A. Milne Artist: Travis Dandro Drawn and Quarterly; $29.95 Publisher’s rating: Age 7 and up When A.A. Milne’s 1926 nursery classic Winnie-The-Pooh fell into the public domain in 2022, it perhaps became inevitable that there would be a comics adaptation of it at some point. It didn’t have to be as good as cartoonist Travis Dandro’s adaptation of it turns out to be, however, and for that we should be thankful. Dandro, a cartoonist best known for his 2019 graphic memoir King of King Court, gave himself a daunting assignment in adapting Winnie-The-Pooh in the 21st centur ..read more

Team Unihorn and Woolly Volume 1: Attack of the Krill from Harper Alley tops this week’s list of new comics, manga and graphic novels for readers 12 and under, along with the return of a classic 90s show from Maverick, Mad Cave’s YA imprint. Other highlights include the second volume of Batcat from Amulet Books, Sink or Swim. Graphix releases the new graphic novel Shiny Misfits while Keenspot releases a new all ages series Robot + Girl #1. The List: AMULET BOOKS Batcat Volume 2 Sink Or Swim GN, $13.99 ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS Archie Showcase Jumbo Digest #18 Halfway To Halloween, $9.99 BOOM ..read more

Today we have some breaking news: BOOM! Studios has a new volume of Hex Vets coming our way, and this one features giant magical otters! Hex Vets: The River Guardian, by Sam Davies and Lisa Moore, is the third volume of Hex Vets, the series about two young witches who are also magical vets. We broke the news of the first and second books in the series, so we’re keeping the streak up with number three! It will be published under the KaBOOM! kids’ imprint on September 18, 2024, in comic shops and September 24 in bookstores and everywhere else. Here’s the plot summary: A seemingly normal day at ..read more

Monkey King and the World of Myths: The Monster and the Maze Writer/artist: Maple Lam G.P. Putnam’s Sons; $23.99 Publisher’s rating: Gr 3-7 The Monkey King, Sun Wukong, returns to comics in the first volume of a new series by Maple Lam, Monkey King and the World of Myths: The Monster and the Maze. As the title suggests, this is something of a mix-and-match of world mythology, with the familiar story of the Monkey King getting a retelling that positions the character for a story that interacts and interrogates other mythologies. Lam starts with the basic origin of the Monkey King but overlays h ..read more

Double Booking Volume 1 The Tail of the Mummy Cat from Papercutz tops this week’s list of new comics, manga and graphic novels for readers 12 and under, along with a new graphic novel series for early readers from Square Fish. Other highlights include a new volume in the Dragons of Ember City series, The Midnight Roar. First Second Books releases What Happens Next News-Room Nonsense while Rocky Pond Books releases Puzzled A Memoir About Growing Up with OCD. The List: ALADDIN BOOKS Dragons Of Ember City The Midnight Roar GN, $9.99 ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS World Of Archie Jumbo Comics Digest ..read more

It’s time for some Sunday morning comics! Today we have a preview of World of Archie Comics Digest #139. Years ago, when I interviewed the late Archie Editor-in-Chief Victor Gorelick for an article about a collection of Archie covers, he explained the philosophy behind them: “All of our covers tell a story. It’s not just some superhero flying around in some poses; you get a gag on the cover. It’s a little bit extra for your money.” Editor Craig Yoe compared them to New Yorker covers. Anyway, today’s cover is a good example of that. I particularly love the shadow of the pizza slice on Archie’s ..read more

Look on the Bright Side by Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann First Second, $22.99 (hardcover), $14.99 (paperback) Publisher’s rating: Ages 10-14 The characters—and creators—from Go With the Flow, the 2020 graphic novel about the politics around menstrual products in schools, return. The events here are less focused, more character-driven, which makes it all the more enjoyable to catch up with Abby, Brit, Christine, and Sasha. A greater variety of plot lines makes more room for their diverse personalities. Christine is thinking about coming out … and telling Abby about her feelings for her. A ..read more

Next Stop By Debbie Fong Random House Graphics, 2024, $13.99 Grades 5-8 In this melancholy graphic novel, readers will follow Pia on her summer bus tour as she leaves behind her grief-stricken parents and crumbling family life. The trip to Lake Cessarine, a magical place that is meant to make a person’s wishes come true, is Pia’s way of coping with the tragic loss of her brother. The story is told both in the present day and through flashbacks. Fong’s color palette, the vivid colors of the present day and the sepia – washed-out colors – of the flashbacks help readers orient themselves to the ..read more