Sweetie

In this collected volume, brown-skinned Maggie, called Sweetie by her parents, seems like a normal everyday fangirl with a love for all things cartoon, comics, and action movies. But Maggie has been learning every stunt and fighting style she can, making her into a deeply effective superhero. This comes in handy when a villain group known as the Numbers attacks her local mall, where she’s buying comics. She aims to keep her hobbies a secret, but this proves difficult after she rescues a classmate kidnapped during the debacle. And on top of that, the Numbers are not so forgiving about having a “little girl” single-handedly stymie their gang. The plot is well-paced and the characters are sufficiently likable, but the real appeal is the rose and lavender visuals, which mix the vibrancy of superhero comics with a modern style. Subtle nods to classic superheroes and pop culture will appeal to fellow comics fanatics, and readers will root for this seemingly disarming superhero whose power is her deep dedication to her fandom. Ages 9–12. [em](June) [/em]