Out There

The father of middle schooler Julia, who believes he was abducted by aliens, takes her to a festival celebrating the 75th anniversary of the famous Roswell, N.Mex., incident in this endearing graphic novel by Miller (the Mason Mooney series). Julia is excited about this trip with her dad, even if her best friend Sara doesn’t understand why Julia would turn down her invitation to Hawaii for an alien parade. Julia is fiercely protective of her father’s beliefs, and she resents Sara’s speculation that his abduction was a dream or hallucination. While Julia is invested in her dad’s tales, however, an increasingly present, if private, part of her is embarrassed by them. As the festival unfolds, Julia wrestles with the fear that he hasn’t been entirely truthful about his experiences. Miller’s lively depictions of the celebration, rendered in psychedelic full-color, artfully juxtapose the earthen, barren desert setting. Julia’s clearly loving and complex relationship with her father is portrayed with nuance and warmth, making for a contemplative exploration of one father-daughter bond and the lengths to which the duo will go to support and uplift each other. Ages 8–12. Agent: Alex Slater, Trident Media Group. (June)