Roohi and Nate Are Not on the Same Page

In this winsome collaboration from Kelkar (The Cobra’s Song) and Lerner (A Work in Progress), two sixth graders become unlikely allies in an effort to save their school library. Indian American Roohi views white-cued classmate Nate as an underachieving slacker. Nate, meanwhile, thinks Roohi is a snobby know-it-all. Then both join Lunch Brunch, their school’s newly formed reading club, and—following personal reveals on both sides—they begin seeing each other in a new light. Roohi feels alienated by her track friends after an injury that forced her to take a break, and Nate believes his academic struggles are amplified by his parents constantly comparing him to his genius older brother. Other club members soon start opening up as well, and their honesty and vulnerability forges a stronger bond than any of them anticipated. But when budget cuts threaten to oust their beloved librarian and club adviser, the Lunch Brunch resolves to come to the rescue, even as they navigate personal challenges. Rapid-fire chapters alternate between Roohi and Nate’s buoyant POVs. Grayscale comics and spot illustrations accentuate the lighthearted humor of the characters’ evergreen adolescent conflicts while earnest prose and a supportive cast emphasize themes of pressure to meet expectations and managing friendships. Ages 8–12. Agents: (for Kelkar) Kathleen Rushall, Andrea Brown Literary; (for Lerner) Myrsini Stephanides, Arc Literary Management. (Mar.)