Table Titans Club (Table Titans Club #1)

Kurtz delivers a passionate ode to tabletop RPGs in this lively debut, adapted from a webcomic. Attending a new school after her mother changes jobs, 11-year-old Valeria “Val” Winters, rendered with pale skin, escapes into her favorite fantasy world, hoping it will give her the strength to brave her strange new school’s halls and even stranger classmates. Her daydreaming nets her an invite to the Table Titans Club’s next Dungeons and Dragons campaign—and puts her at odds with popular Kate, who finds Val’s propensity to relate everything back to D&D annoying. In short order, Val’s real life becomes as jumbled as a dungeon master’s puzzle, with no dice in sight to help her navigate how complicated she seems to make things just by being herself. Leaning into Val’s penchant for daydreaming, Kurtz depicts her imaginings as high-fantasy sequences, overlapping her everyday occurrences with her internal fantasy world and presenting a delightful juxtaposition that enhances Val’s strengthening friendships, especially as others are brought in on her fun. The creator’s palpable enthusiasm makes this an excellent read for young gamers or anyone hoping to share their love for D&D with the kids in their lives. Ages 8–12. (Mar.)