Serendipity

When a confident tween’s luck goes sour, she must find a way to change her fortune for the better in this bouncy graphic novel debut by Benda (A Family of Readers). Middle schooler Serendipity, who has never met an extracurricular she didn’t like, relies on her abnormally good luck to keep her many plates spinning. While attending a carnival—to which she fortuitously won tickets—a rickety fortune-telling machine informs Serendipity that “bad luck will infect your soul.” The youth thinks nothing of it—until she wakes up with her first bad hair day ever and fumbles commitments for which she is underprepared, including the school play, class election, and basketball game. Desperate to inject luck back into her life, she connects with Evelina the Gr8, a mysterious girl who solves problems with magic spells in exchange for coveted trading cards. But as Serendipity attempts to navigate life without the advantage of kismet, she realizes that asking for help and learning to appreciate her loved ones’ quiet support might be all the luck she needs. Bold, rounded lines render winking details (in Serendipity’s journal: “super-awesome crowdsourced ways to fix bad luck”), adding visual humor to the low-stakes conflict. It’s a lighthearted tale that both celebrates young overachievers and suggests that everyone could use a break. Characters are depicted with varying skin tones. Ages 8–12. (Jan.)