This collection of graphic essays presents Nate Powell as he tackles with the election of 2016, difficult conversations he has with his young daughter on the power of protest and symbols (especially those used by white supremacists), and the effect of the Global Pandemic on his family and his mental state. In early chapters, Powell recounts telling his children about then-candidate Trump (although not specifically named until the end of the book). As white supremacy becomes a more visible component of American society, Powell reflects on writing March with John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, and trying to reconcile those protest movements with the marches by Neo Nazis through his city and state. In the last chapter, Powell has a call-to-arms where he challenges others not to passively agree with others who are protesting, but to do some of it for yourself as well.
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14-year-old Yamori suffers from insomnia and decides to wander the streets of his city at night. He runs into a mysterious girl, Nazuna, who he allows to lead him back to her ”home” in an abandoned building. Nazuna tries to lull Yamori to sleep, but then she bites him! Nazuna is actually a vampire, and she finds Yamori’s blood to be particularly delicious. Yamori decides that being a vampire could be the solution to many of his mortal problems, but that means Nazuna and Yamori will have to fall in love with each other! Yamori tags along and follows Nazuna each night, desperately trying to fall in love with her and have her reciprocate. To complicate things, a girl from Yamori's past claims she wants to be Yamori's friend again, and he didn't realize they were friends to begin with.
Mei and her father work in the kitchen for a logging camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains in the late 1800s, where they expertly make delicious meals for the loggers after a long day of hard work. Mei makes wonderful pies that everyone craves, and at night, she entertains the camp's children by telling fanciful stories. One such stories is the legend of Po Pan Yin, an elderly Chinese woman logger who watches over the camp and works in the forest with her giant blue ox. The children accuse Mei of stealing the American legend of Paul Bunyan, but Mei makes Auntie Po into her own myth and a guardian spirit for the camp and herself. With the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act limiting the opportunities and safety for Chinese immigrants, Mei and her father must navigate an increasingly hostile community where violence against Chinese workers is not uncommon. On top of all of this, Mei must work out her feelings for her best friend Bee, which are becoming increasingly romantic, as well as plan for her future away from the logging camp.
Illustrated by Posuka Demizu
While still on their trek to a new safe location provided by Mr. Minerva, a few of the kids have to break into a mass production farm to steal medicine for Chris, who isn't doing so well. For some of them, this is the first time they've seen the inhumane treatment of children at a mass production farm. Not everything goes according to plan, and Emma’s life is seriously threatened. After the raid on the farm and the administration of medicine, the group finally makes it back to the base of their mysterious supporter, but it’s not the William Minerva they expected they'd meet - it’s someone from the past at Grace Field House.  Illustrated by Steph Mided
Booklist review Sara's Rating: 7/10 Suitability Level: Grades 8-11 Publisher: Oni Press Publication Date: March 16, 2021 ISBN: 9781620108499 (Paperback) Tags: Rating: 7/10, Suitability: Elementary School, Suitability: Middle School, Graphic Fiction, Family, LGBTQ+, Humor, Oni Press 
The Sailor Scouts have a new enemy who has put a spell over the entire Jûban district of Tokyo, and is setting loose little concentrated spheres of evil - lemures - to turn all the beautiful dreams into nightmares. This new enemy is headed by Queen Nehellenia, the queen of the New Moon, of the dark side of the moon. She has found a way in through all the protections on Earth, and is attacking it from the inside. The Dead Moon Circus is her front to besiege the people of Jûban, and her efforts are affecting Mamoru-san. To complicate things even more, the scouts find they can’t transform in the face of this new enemy, but instead have to gain a new power up.
This is another adventure of the lovable squirrels, Norma and Belly from Donut Feed the Squirrels. In it, the squirrels are enjoying some apple pie when Gramps falls into an Apple Truck and gets carted off. He thinks he's going to a picturesque farm where he'll be able to live out his life in peace, unlike the hustle and bustle of the city life. Turns out, the farm is really a factory for making apple pies, and Gramps is in danger! Norma and Belly mount a rescue mission to save Gramps from becoming someone's dessert.
Illustrated by Tim Foley
Dan Rather's original prose book, What Unites Us, is a collection of essays, musings and observations with lots of autobiographical details, about American history and political climate. This graphic novel adapts many of the essays from the prose version. The historical events are not told in any sort of chronological order. Instead, Rather uses his perspective on key historical moments to illustrate bigger ideologies; things like "courage", or "patriotism." Rather attempts to explain what is special about America, what brings us together as a nation, but also what has worked to separate us, especially partisan bickering and political turmoil. 
Illustrated by Posuka Demizu
Emma and her family have to abandon their shelter after the assault from the Ratri clan. The kids find a temporary shelter in the woods from back before they found the shelter, but that becomes compromised when they realize that they are being watched by mechanical owls. One of the kids reveal that, just before they left, a message came through from some possibly allies and they were given a place to travel to, once again, in hopes of finding some human-sympathizers and allies. It isn't an easy feat to move the large group of children through a demon-infested forest, but Emma, Ray, and the rest are able to start their trek and protect everyone from rabid, hungry demons. 
Illustrated by Jen Wang
Anda gets invited by a guild runner to join up playing a MMORPG (Massive-multiplayer-online-roll-playing-game), Coarsegold Online, as a female avatar in an all female guild. She makes a friend in game and they take on missions that pay real money. Their missions are to exterminate gold farmers who sell in-game gold to players for real money. It’s a lucrative system that is a real part of most MMORPGs. Anda makes a friend with one of the gold farmers and finds out he’s a teen named Ah Duo (Raymond in English) from China. Raymond is the same age as her, but he's farming gold online as an actual paying job in China. He has health issues, and Anda convinces him that he needs to stand up for himself with his boss, but things don’t turn out well for Raymond. Anda discovers a darker side of world economics played out in her game, and struggles with how to really help her new friend. |
About MeI've been reading manga and comicbooks for years. Now, I write reviews and other helpful things for School Librarians, teachers, parents, and students. Search this site
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