Graphic Novels

Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen 

Publisher: Random House 

Publication Date: October 7, 2025

Reviewed from library copy

ISBN: 9780593125472

Angelica is burned out after trying to do too much. So when she gets an internship at the Log House Theater in town, she decides to focus all her attention on that. Oh, and perhaps also on texting with an account that seems to be related to the theater’s famous Per the Bear. As Angelica gets closer to Per, she is losing connections with her mother and her best friend. Meanwhile, Gable has returned to town and is living with his grandmother after his grandfather died. All of them are involved in the theater too. Gable had been best friends with Angelica before moving away, and now he happens to be the person behind Per the Bear in the costume and on the account. 

What could have been just a frothy fun romance based on the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon becomes something much deeper in the hands of Nguyen. He deftly incorporates queerness into the tale as well as offering a story of loss, grief and community that resonates throughout the book. Beautifully designed and filled with lovely moments of connection and humor, this is a graphic novel worth sharing with your own Per.

Fun, deep and delightful. Appropriate for ages 12+.

The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur: A Graphic Novel Based on a True Story by Allan Wolf – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur: A Graphic Novel Based on a True Story by Allan Wolf, illustrated by Jose Pimienta

Publisher: Candlewick

Publication Date: Oct 7, 2025

Reviewed from library copy

ISBN: 9781536217438

This graphic work of nonfiction for middle schoolers is superb. It tells the story of Lake Peigneur in Louisiana from the lake’s point of view. The lake tells of the misfortune that happened there when an oil rig accidentally punctured the local salt mine’s tunnels. The result was incredibly dangerous for everyone in the area since the water from the lake drained into the salt mine, forming a water vortex that could swallow barges. Boats on the surface had to fight to get to shore and then contend with the lowering water levels. The shore eroded and trees were sucked down until suddenly a geyser erupted as air escaped the mine shafts. As the disaster unfolded, people stayed calm and followed their training, resulting in no one losing their life. 

A remarkable tale that creates a book that is fast moving and incredibly gripping. Few people know of the disaster outside of Louisiana since no one lost their life. It’s a look at nature’s response to a man-made issue and the power of water itself. Brilliantly told, the book sticks with the various people in danger, from the miners to the tug boat to the gardeners on shore. The use of the lake as the narrator is clever since there were so many human perspectives. 

A thrilling look at nature and disaster. Appropriate for ages 8-12.

On Starlit Shores by Bex Glendining – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

On Starlit Shores by Bex Glendining 

Publisher: Abrams Fanfare

Publication Date: September 30, 2025

Reviewed from library copy

ISBN: 9781419765049

Alex hasn’t been back to Indigo Harbour where her grandmother lived in years. Now her grandmother has died and Alex offers to help pack up her house. Her best friend Grim comes with her and the two explore Indigo Harbour, meeting the people who were close to Alex’s grandmother. When Alex discovers that her grandmother had a beloved girlfriend that she never knew about, she sets out to meet her. But Indigo Harbour has a certain magic about it. It’s a magic that makes people who leave forget it, that protects those who live there and that offers sanctuary to resident witches. Alex must remember her own memories and build new ones to discover who her grandmother was. 

This YA graphic novel uses magical realism to grapple with loss. It takes a magical place, offering solace to those who may not have visited relatives as much as they would have liked in retrospect and giving space for grief. The beautiful town is a mix of warm acceptance for the queer characters as well as being a space for magical beings. The use of metaphor throughout is thoughtfully done, supporting the Alex through her journey. 

A beautiful graphic novel about loss and love. Appropriate for ages 13+.

Flip by Ngozi Ukazu – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

Flip by Ngozi Ukazu 

Publisher: First Second

Publication Date: September 23, 2025

Reviewed from library copy

ISBN: 9781250179517

Chi-Chi is a Black scholarship student in a mostly-white affluent private boarding school. She finds herself once again crushing on a rich white boy, this time it’s Flip Henderson. When her promposal video is shown accidentally to the entire class, Flip rejects her in front of everyone. In her anger, Chi-Chi makes a wish that becomes a curse. Afterwards, she and Flip switch bodies, and worse it seems to be getting exponentially longer each time they do it. As she and Flip learn about one another’s lives, they both have to face aspects of wealth, privilege, race and bias that they weren’t expecting. 

This graphic novel for teens is a delightful mix of the fun and magic of body swapping mixed with serious commentary and questions about social issues. Add in the zest of a k-pop obsession, the questions of who to trust with the truth, and trying to break the curse together, and you have a truly marvelous story that takes readers deep into both characters and their lives. The emphasis on self-worth despite outside pressures is key in the success of the graphic novel and will resonate with young readers.

Honest and timely, take the time to flip this one over. Appropriate for ages 13+.

Raised by Ghosts by Briana Loewinsohn – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

Raised by Ghosts by Briana Loewinsohn 

Publisher: Fantagraphics

Publication Date: February 4, 2025 

Reviewed from library copy

ISBN: 9798875000508

Set in the early 1990s, this graphic memoir tells the story of the author’s middle school and high school years. Raised by divorced parents who could not be more different from one another and yet are both absent from her life, Briana spends much of her time alone. She eats dinner alone, draws and writes in her closet, and listens to her mother complain about her on the phone to other people. Her days are filled with time with her friends, listening to music on her mix tapes, struggles at school. The book doesn’t offer a bright ending, but rather offers space and a way forward through art and writing that Briana found.

The art in this graphic novel is not the brightly colored, poppy graphics one might expect in a YA graphic work. Rather, it is powerfully dark, stormy on the page, filled with isolation and frustration. The images echo the subject matter beautifully, creating a unique reading experience. The setting of the 1990s, speaks to the differences time brings. There are no cell phones, no ways to check in when waiting to be picked up, and adults will find themselves and their own childhoods shared here.

Deep, thoughtful and powerfully quiet. Appropriate for ages 13+.

Free Piano (Not Haunted) by Whitney Gardner – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

Free Piano (Not Haunted) by Whitney Gardner 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication: July 1, 2025

Reviewed from copy provided by publisher

ISBN: 9781665938129

In 1980, Vision was a teen pop star, singing in front of large crowds. Today, Margot is trying to catch the attention of people online with her music, but her ukulele isn’t cutting it. Margot finds a synthesizer on the side of the road with a sign saying that it’s not haunted. She hauls it home, hoping for her father to teach her to play. But her father deserts Margot and heads to California to become a star once he gets enough online fans. Left behind, Margot starts to learn to play keyboard and that’s when Vision, whose spirit is trapped in the synthesizer, appears. The two girls start to play music together, but is something darker involved with the keyboard and what is the price of chasing external fame?

A marvelous graphic novel for middle-grade readers, this book successfully combines modern online attention culture with throwbacks to the 1980s. The haunted, or not, synthesizer forms a bridge both in music and connection between the two girls, one a ghost and one alive. The message of finding your own happiness rather than seeking external validation is offered in a variety of ways through the story, via Margot’s father, her friends and Vision herself. The art is bright and popping and veers dynamically into horror lighting at times. 

A great graphic novel with a message for our times. Appropriate for ages 8-12.

Night Chef by Mika Song – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

Night Chef by Mika Song

Publisher: Random House Graphic

Publication Date: October 28, 2025

Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley

ISBN: 9780593303153

A raccoon has grown up living in the wall of a human restaurant where she emerges at night and cooks. She must make do with ingredients she finds on the window sill and in people’s lockers. When she tries to make ramen, she needs an egg. But just as she finally gets it in her hands, it hatches. She sets off to find the nest that the tiny baby crow came from. On the journey, they find Mole’s Hole, a restaurant for all sorts of animals that serves a variety of things made from worms. They make new friends, including a posse of other raccoons and a major enemy in an owl. Night Chef must find a way to save her little crow friend and that means figuring out where her own life is taking her. 

This is Song’s first foray out of beginning readers and picture books and it’s a marvelous one. Her art is welcoming to young readers who will find colorful and friendly new characters on the pages. There is plenty of richly written action to carry the story forward and a quest worthy of our little heroine. The writing is deft and clever, funny at times but also full of heart. 

A delicious new recipe for an elementary-aged graphic novel. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Jazzy the Witch in Broom Doom by Jessixa Bagley – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

Jazzy the Witch in Broom Doom by Jessixa Bagley (9781665922326)

Jazzy comes from a long line of witches who make the brooms that all of them ride. But Jazzy is different. She’s not excited about learning magic spells or about learning to ride a broom. It’s not until Jazzy sees her first bicycle that she finds her passion. Soon she is zipping around secretly on a bicycle that she made with the help of her best friend and Fiona, her pet bat. As Jazzy gets more and more focused on cycling, her friendship starts to fall apart along with her school work. When a broom riding performance is announced, Jazzy must find a way not to embarrass her entire family since she can’t ride a broom yet.

Bagley has created a marvelous witchy world in this graphic novel for elementary-aged readers. The diverse characters, include Jazzy’s family of Black queer women. With the focus on witch traditions vs. human bicycles, readers get to explore what being different from your family and community feels like and how telling the truth is a way to move forward and find acceptance. The art is funny, action-filled and fully depicts the community of witches.

A non-scary witch book that’s worth a ride. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from library copy.

Night Light by Michael Emberley – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

Night Light by Michael Emberley

Publisher: Holiday House

Publication Date: April 15, 2025

Reviewed from library copy.

ISBN: 9780823458165

In this graphic novel for beginning readers, two of the author’s recurring characters get caught in a blackout. It’s too dark to read bedtime stories, but one of them gets an idea. Grabbing a long ladder, they climb up into the sky with a big bag and gather up all of the stars. Released from the bag into the bedroom, it is suddenly too bright to read without wearing sunglasses. But someone else misses the stars in the sky. Perhaps giving them back is the right thing to do after all? 

Written with a wry sense of humor and a delight in making a normal circumstance magical, this comic for new readers is a grand bedtime read. Done entirely in speech bubbles, the book is nicely paced. The illustrations are joyous and full of action, sharing the loving dynamic between the two characters. 

A great pick for new readers looking for a graphic novel. Appropriate for ages 4-7.