After an intense year and the burn out that followed, Angelica is easing back into having responsibilities by interning at the local community theater. This winter, they're reviving a classic and honoring a community favorite play, The Bear Prince, which includes Peri the Bear. The Bear Prince was one of Angelica's favorite plays as a kid, and Peri was her favorite character, so she can't wait to start her internship and help put together the production. But also, Angelica has been messaging someone through the theater's social media page over the summer, someone claiming to be Peri. She knows her childhood dreams aren't reality, but it's also been nice to have someone to talk to...
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School Library Journal review - part of Fall 2025 Manga Fiction Series, "Hidden Identities and True Love"
Sara's Rating: 8/10 Suitability Level: Grades 7-12 Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1 Publisher: RH Graphics Publication Date: Nov 4, 2025 ISBN: 9780593902950 (Paperback) Tags: Rating: 8/10, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, School Life, LGBTQ+, Romance, Friendship, RH Graphic 
Hime Sakuragaike and Akira Yonezawa have been friends since childhood. Going into high school, Akira decides to live her true self, the self she has only told to Hime up to this time. She has decided to live and dress as a girl. Hime is fiercely protective of her best friend, but her feelings may be more than just friendship and protectiveness. Fighting through the peers who tease and don’t accept Akira are two girls who want to become Akira’s friends: Yukka Ishiyama and Anzu Taneno. Hime questions their intentions, but Akira is relieved to have more girl friends.
Rowan is a ranger-in-training assigned to a rather dull post for a final rotation, overlooking the meadows close to the village where the village’s reportedly lazy shepherd Leone wastes away the days playing the violin instead of tending to the sheep. But an error in judgment injures Rowan’s Pegasus, relegated them to light duty on the ground, and has them questioning their readiness to become a full Ranger. Rowan accompanies Leone on several journeys to sell wool, and the change of pace provides time for reflection and soul-searching.
Being a moth keeper means having the fate of the whole Night village on your shoulders. Knowing this, Anya takes the oath anyway and sets about training to become the next moth keeper. She is responsible with guiding the moths out of their home, made from a covered tree stump, but getting them back in by sunrise. The moths then pollinate the most important tree in the village, which will also induce a multitude of other desert plants to grow and sprout flowers. One night, Anya decides she isn’t satisfied with just knowing what life is like in the Night village. She visits the villages of creatures who thrive in daylight. Her exhaustion the next night leads to the moths flying away from her sight, and it's up to her and the power of other moon creatures to get the moths back before the tree withers from lack of pollination.
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.
Max is a citizen of Kittyopolis trying to gain more followers for his vlog, so decides to interview his friend, super smart scientist Mindy. Max inadvertently leads the robot Robbie, a minion of the evil Agent M, to Mindy’s secret lab, where there is a squabble over a mysterious meatball from space. A piece of the meatball accidentally lands in Max’s mouth, and he gains super powers! He has super strength, can fly, and can shoot electricity from his tail. Mindy and the newly dubbed Cat Crusader must continue to thwart Agent M from getting his hand on the meatball, and never let it into the hands of the Big Boss!
Thirteen-year-old Tiến reads fairy tales to his mother, Helen, to help her practice her English as she works as a seamstress. Woven through the fairy tales are memories Helen has of immigrating with her husband. The fairy tales are variations on the story of Cinderella. The first is about a maiden named Alera who is promised to the Old Man in the Sea to repay her father’s debts. She demands three impossibly beautiful dresses as payment, then escapes his clutches after receiving them. She wakes up on a distant shore and finds a new family in the kitchens of a palace. The kind prince has a ball for his birthday, and Alera wears one of her beautiful dresses. Of course, she catches the eye of the prince.
In between reading stories Tiến attends school and tries to navigate his crush on one of his best friends, Julian. His other best friend, Claire, encourages Tiến to tell Julian and his family that he is gay, but Tiến can’t find the words to express it in Vietnamese in order to tell his parents. Outside pressures make Tiến feel ashamed of his feelings, so will he ever find the courage to tell his mother? 
Effie is dropped on her aunt's doorstep in the middle of the night after her mother passes away, and at first, the two can't stand each other. Selimene believes there has to be some sort of mistake, that an old lady like her can't possibly look after a young child. Selimene's housemate, Carlota, warms to Effie instantly, and tries to make her comfortable. Effie starts school and makes some new friends, and eventually she and Selimene begin to get along. There is something strange about Selimene and Carlota, who claim to be herbalists and acupuncturists. Effie finally gets the full picture about her aunt's strange life when her magical powers begin to awaken, and Selimene and Carlota reveal they are witches! The three must cure a mysterious curse that is affecting one of Effie's idols, singer Tily Shoo, who is nothing like Effie imagined!
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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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