To fashion tasty and nutritious meals for the patrons of their family’s bakery, siblings Thatcher and Bandit Blackbird regularly pilfer fresh ingredients from the despotic mayor’s mega-factory, the source of all processed, prepackaged food available in the island city of Mesa’s Boon. On their most recent food run, Bandit accidentally liberates Zawa, a mythologized humanoid guardian of the island’s mountain who was imprisoned within the factory, and whom Thatcher recruits to a resistance group intent on taking down the mayor. Unbeknownst to them, Zawa is beholden to her fellow Zawa, the many protectors of the land birthed from the island’s mountain itself, who vow vengeance against Mesa’s Boon for its continued oppression of the Zawa and the environment. Dialynas (the Wynd series) matches conspicuous critique of capitalistic overconsumption with distinctive character design and detailed, expressive worldbuilding, all of which is conveyed via compelling composition and coloring. Sitting somewhere between Moana and Princess Mononoke, this environmentalist tale offers hope of a more sustainable and harmonious relationship between the predominantly white humans, the Zawa, and the land that shelters them all. Ages 14–up. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 07/26/2024 | Details & Permalink

Sharp (The Wolf Suit) utilizes vibrantly colored folk art against dark backgrounds to introduce fair-skinned sisters Beatrice and Magnolia. While Beatrice, who wears a bright red dress, enjoyed “observing the local wildlife,” bespectacled Magnolia liked “pulling the legs off of spiders.” Despite being “so poor that they ate rats for breakfast,” Beatrice endeavors to buy wool to knit a sweater for Magnolia. When the fabric store owner fails to see the value of Beatrice’s currency—a stone, a twig, and a cicada shell—Beatrice returns them to the woods, where she meets the fearsome spider witch Bog Myrtle. Initially intending to turn Beatrice into a fly, Bog Myrtle is instead charmed by her appreciation of the forest; she spins material that Beatrice then knits into a sweater, which is seemingly impervious to wear and tear. Seeing the garment’s value, Magnolia sets Beatrice and the household spiders to knit night and day. Though this droll graphic novel fairy tale becomes a nightmare for one sibling, it’s a lighthearted and surreal take on evergreen themes surrounding the benefits of kindness that’s more Brothers Grimm than classic Disney. Ages 6–11. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 07/26/2024 | Details & Permalink

Set 20 years after the events of the Ember in the Ashes series, this propulsive, action-packed duology launch by Tahir (All My Rage) finds the world once again in danger from both human and supernatural forces. Desperate to save her people from the cruel false prophet laying claim to the throne, orphaned Kegari-born Aiz escapes prison to search for the all-powerful cleric who once led her people before disappearing. Elsewhere, Sirsha, a down-on-her-luck Jaduna tracker banished by her tribe for an unspeakable crime, is contracted to use her ability to communicate with natural elements to hunt a killer targeting children. In her pursuit, she encounters Quil, the reluctant crown prince of the Martial Empire, as he evades attacking Kegari forces and attempts to reclaim the empire’s land. Tahir expertly balances a large cast of rotating narrators that incorporates new characters and fan favorites from the previous books. The stakes are higher than ever in this enrapturing spin-off series, which builds on established lore and adds layers of complexity, culminating in an expansive and brutal adventure ideal for longtime followers and newcomers alike. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, CAA. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 07/26/2024 | Details & Permalink

Upon finding her mother murdered and her farmhouse set ablaze, 18-year-old Seraphine Marchant seeks asylum in the city of Fantome with the Order of Cloaks, one of the two feuding guilds that rule the city using Shade, a dangerous and contraband magical powder. As Seraphine settles into her new life, she plots to avenge her mother by deposing Gaspard Dufort, the power-hungry leader of the Daggers and her mother’s assumed murderer. This quest is complicated by 19-year-old Ransom Hale, the attractive heir apparent of the Daggers who has been tasked with killing Seraphine. Sparks fly throughout as Seraphine and Ransom clash in a cat-and-mouse chase across the city and as threads connect a spate of Shade-powered monster attacks, buried family secrets, and an unprecedented magic that could change Fantome forever. Using alternating third-person perspectives, Doyle (Pirates of Darksea) kicks off a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance set in an intricate world full of magic and mystery that checks all the boxes for romantasy lovers looking for the next series to sink their teeth into. Seraphine has tan skin and Ransom has olive skin. Ages 14–up. Agent: Claire Wilson, Rogers, Coleridge & White. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 07/26/2024 | Details & Permalink

Sixteen-year-old Taiwanese Canadian pianist Ruby Chen has always been able to see figures in the shadows, but they’ve left her alone—until now. Ruby has been busy trying to set a good example for her two younger siblings, 14-year-old Tina and eight-year-old Denny, while also trying to please her strict parents, who are concerned about her future plans and maintaining a stellar reputation within their tight-knit community. When Tina’s personality rapidly changes and one of the shadows physically hurts Ruby, the normally nonconfrontational teen finds herself working alongside classmate Shen, also Taiwanese Canadian. Together, they learn more about the spirits and the seemingly benevolent Temple of Fortunate Tidings that Tina has become embroiled with. Ruby and Shen’s partnership, a catalyzing relationship, feels underdeveloped compared to Ruby and Tina’s riveting familial bond. Still, Lin (Song of the Six Realms) blends vividly imagined scenes of body horror with Taiwanese folklore to craft a compelling story about sisterhood. Equally satisfying is Ruby’s character arc, throughout which she contends with the cost of ignoring her own desires to conform to her parents’ expectations. An author’s note and glossary conclude. Ages 12–up. Agent: Rachel Brooks, BookEnds Literary. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 07/26/2024 | Details & Permalink

Though the world is seemingly out of balance and bizarre, catastrophic weather conditions have become increasingly frequent, high school graduate Stevie Henry, who is Cherokee, continues to build a life for herself and her family, whom she loves, particularly her six-year-old brother Levi, who is deathly allergic to tree nuts. To earn money for college, Stevie works at the Modern Art Museum gift shop in 2052 Texas, where she meets handsome new intern Adam. The two bond over their values regarding art, Native culture, and family, but he often disappears and won’t name his Indigenous affiliation. Mysteries accumulate as the climate worsens, and soon Adam reveals a disturbing truth: he’s from 2201, and he has arrived to save significant art pieces from the upcoming apocalypse. Inspired by Afrofuturism, per an endnote, Cherokee author Rogers (Man Made Monsters) employs smart and empathetic prose to present a realistically rendered science fiction tale that is at once adrenaline-pumping and emotionally moving. In this gripping adventure, Rogers considers the future of Indigenous heritage via an indomitable protagonist who, alongside a plethora of memorably realized characters, navigates tough issues relating to death, familial turmoil, exploitation, and climate collapse. Ages 12–up. Agent: Emily Sylvan Kim, Prospect Agency. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 07/26/2024 | Details & Permalink

Amnesiac 13-year-old Sylvia Doe has considered Highground Home for Children in the North Carolina mountains her safe haven ever since she was found by Highground staff at age four. As a devout naturalist, she feels uneasy anywhere else; she’s run away from every foster home she’s been placed in, returning faithfully to Highground. Upon fleeing from another foster family during a hurricane, she discovers a flooded river that has morphed into a once-in-a-lifetime “100-year flood.” Things that have no place in the present such as long-extinct animals appear along the river’s current, as well as 13-year-old Jorna Grant, who has been carried far from home. When Sylvia rescues him, the pair soon realize that the solution to ending the flood may lie in getting Jorna home—but in the process, Sylvia could lose Highground. Beatty (Willa of Dark Hollow) pays tribute to the beauty and dangers of the natural world in this thoughtful tale. Sensorial descriptions focusing on Sylvia’s love for her surroundings and passion for observing the environment mix with pulse-pounding action to craft a quietly magical adventure about finding where one belongs. Sylvia has brown skin; Jorna is Black. Ages 8–12. Agent: Gail Hochman, Brandt & Hochman Literary. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 07/26/2024 | Details & Permalink

Following the deaths of her mother and sister, an initially nameless fox relies on the kindness of Nan, the owner of a motel in Grand Marais, Minn., to survive—until Nan disappears. When Nan’s granddaughter Bee arrives to search for her, the fox, wary of the stranger, nevertheless feels a bond with Bee, who names her Shadow. An enigmatic boatsman speculates that their bond is due to the magic that originates from Whistlenorth, Nan’s enchanted hometown on Lake Superior. He also reveals that Whistlenorth is in danger: after Night Islanders deplete their own home of its magic, they plan to steal Whistlenorth’s. As the chosen one, Shadow must save Whistlenorth and its citizens and restore the nature that is the source of its magic before it’s too late. Over the course of her adventure, Shadow contends with grief over her family’s deaths and fear over Nan’s disappearance, all while slowly learning to trust again. Sorosiak (Always, Clementine) illustrates the threats that jeopardize the environment and the power of nature to heal all ills in this touching tale narrated by sharp and witty Shadow. Human characters read as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Claire Wilson, Rogers, Coleridge & White. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 07/26/2024 | Details & Permalink

Spirits have repeatedly chased eighth grader Jasmine Garza and her mami from their rental homes, so they’ve moved multiple times since Papi died. While trying to fit in at her new school, she meets queer and genderqueer Bea Veracruz and Jorge Barrera, who is gay. Bea, whose parents are professional supernatural investigators, is immediately intrigued by Jasmine’s claim that she’s haunted and invites her to join the Gay Supernatural Alliance (“We renamed it,” Jorge explains). As members of the GSA, Bea and Jorge investigate paranormal events in their school—and they’re certain they can help Jasmine not only figure out what is haunting her but, more importantly, get it to stop. Jasmine soon finds herself at a crossroads and must decide if she’s ready to forge her own path. Empathy plays a key role in this captivating and emotionally nuanced paranormal adventure by Oshiro (You Only Live Once, David Bravo) that explores themes of family secrets and heritage. Spine-tingling descriptions of the trio’s experiences with things beyond the veil such as pulsating and oozing shadows add tension to meditations on life and death as seen through a Latinx narrator’s eyes. Ages 8–12. Agent: DongWon Song, Howard Morhaim Literary. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 07/26/2024 | Details & Permalink

Atinuke (L Is for Love) draws from her experiences having moved from a “mansion” in Lagos to Wales, where she lived with her son in a “roundhouse built of straw and clay in the woods,” to showcase a life lived “simply on the land” in four gentle tales, which read like a cozy hug. Young Beti lives with her family in their “little round house,” which her parents built deep in the forest. She relishes the beauty of her surroundings; the creator brings to life the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of Beti’s world via lush and luminous storytelling. Starting with her birthday—during which Beti is given a goat named Naughty, who lives up to its name when it ruins her celebratory cake—the connected stories introduce the girl’s vibrantly depicted community and detail Beti’s penchant to turn ordinary outings like filling a jar for the family’s daily water supply into epic adventures. Illustrations rendered in muted pastels by Hughes (The Crafted World of Wharton Esherick) mirror the cheerful warmth of the stories; characters have varying skin tones. Ages 7–9. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 07/26/2024 | Details & Permalink