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Illustrated by Jes and Cin Wibowo
Tony is constantly the new kid at school, having made many transfers, but this latest school is proving to be even more challenging with a more than fair share of bullies pointing out every eccentricity Tony has and posting much of it to social media. It becomes too much for Tony to handle - the bullies suck all of the joy and light from his days until he's ready to give up completely. His parents begin having him go to therapy, and he switches schools yet again to one where most students are more accepting and there are fewer bullies. Tony finds a home with the Literature Club and even finds his voice again as a champion for others with their own bullies and in their self-expression.
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![]() Booklist starred review Sara's Rating: 10/10 Suitability Level: Grades 5-10 Publisher: UDON Entertainment Publication Date: September 3, 2024 ISBN: 9781772943085 (Paperback) Tags: Rating: 10/10, Suitability: Elementary School, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, Nonfiction, Art, Animals, UDON Entertainment ![]()
Vol 1: Awakening, adapted by Samuel Sattin, illustrated by Gurihiru
A brave and inquisitive young unicorn named Unico who befriends anyone he comes across draws the ire of the jealous goddess Venus because of his influence on humanity. She banishes him but Zephyr takes pity and hides Unico throughout time, wiping his memory to hide him from the vengeful goddess. In one such trip through time, Unico finds himself in the care of the Neighborhood Watch Cat Chloe who hopes to find herself a witch, but secretly wishes she could be human to fully fend for herself. The two end up helping an older woman in a small village while trying to steer clear of Byron, a local hunter who has been picking off animals for his trophy room. ![]()
Mr. Villain, also sometimes called The General, is a leader in the Evil League, and normally, his job is to eradicate humans on Earth in order to conquer the planet for his people. But, Mr. Villain is very wise and particular about his mission. Earth isn’t going to be conquered quickly, so balancing his work life and his days off is extremely important. On one mission, he investigates several animals at the zoo and grows particularly fond of the fluffy, cuddly looking pandas. He then becomes a frequent visitor to the zoo and begins investigating other fuzzy creatures. While on his excursions, he comes into contact with the Rangers, the human protectors of Planet Earth, but as he’s maintaining his work-life balance, he calls a truce with all of them and refuses to do battle on his days off.
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Simon receives a message that his father might be in trouble, so he and Nicola travel back home to discover his father, who is a penguin-like demon, has been playing with wing-like inventions and trying to fly. Simon helps his father with another type of invention and ensures he can safely test it, while Nicola learns about Simon's childhood. Later, Simon finds a rare mummified demon arm that he really wants to buy and gift to a friend who studies rare mummies. He sets up shop and tries to sell his wares to make enough money, but Nicola spies another customer buy it. She spends her whole day chasing down the customer and trying to learn more about him to get the arm back for Simon, but ends up being known around town as the little girl obsessed with mummies! When Nicola finds a rare item that could lead her to clues about her mom, she tries to track down the shop who sold it her to discover more about her mom's time in the demon's world.
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Fukumaru continues to explore his new domain and gets himself into a little bit of trouble, like when he finds himself on top of a high shelf of a family altar and can’t get down. He wages war on “the black thing” (Kanda's piano) but brings a shelf of Kanda’s CDs down on himself instead. While slightly mad about his broken possessions, Kanda is surprised to find himself more concerned for Fukumaru’s safety than his belongings. We also learn about Kanda’s upbringing and how strict his mother was with him, and why his relationship with Fukumaru is so special. Kanda continues to heal and grieve with the help of Fukumaru’s restorative kitty-cuddles as he fondly remembers his wife’s affinity for cats, especially now that Fukumaru is helping him understand her feelings.
![]() Vol 1: If I only had a Heart, co-created and illustrated by Drew Zucker, colored by Vittorio Astone, lettered by AndWorld Design In 2024, Dark Horse began a publication of Canto, the story by David M. Booher and Drew Zucker. This story was originally published with IDW, so to find the synopses, check out my original reviews of the paperbacks below: vol 1, vol 2, vol 3, vol 2.5-3.5 This review is of the new hardcovers specifically and how I believe this format will best serve library patrons. Note: 2.5-3.5 will be re-release as Vol 3, while Vol 3 will be re-release as Vol 4 under Dark Horse. ![]()
On the remote island of Mesa's Boon, Bandit and Thatcher run an underground kitchen providing fresh meals to locals using recipes their dad taught them. But, if only they had more ingredients, which are usually hoarded by a greedy company that squanders resources on the island. In an ill-conceived attempt to sneak in and stockpile fresh foods, the siblings find much more -- Zawa, a creature of myth, but also of cookies? She's been trapped below the surface, feeding on garbage and industrial waste, but she also could be the Spirit of the Mountain, and she also loves Bandit's cookies he fashioned to look like the Spirit. After an escape and some helpings of fresh food, Zawa's temperament completely changes, though her appetite is still ravenous! There's much more going on behind the company's door than shackling spirits and hoarding resources, including what Bandit and Thatcher's mom has been up to at work, and it all shakes the very foundation of the town, forcing the citizens to question the relationship they have with the natural world around them.
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Illustrated by Amelie Fleu
10 years ago in Molly’s village, many of the men went off to fight in a mysterious war, leaving the village largely unguarded. The women decided to band together and create an order of warriors of the strongest and bravest women left to take up the duty of keeping everyone safe. As Molly turns 10, she can now become an apprentice and start training to become a Shepherdess Warrior. She starts going on missions across the wilderness. Her friend, Liam, desperately wants to join the order, but he’s not initially allowed because he’s a boy. Along with their trusty steeds, the Shepherdess Warriors patrol and learn skills like archery, sword-fighting, and more. On one mission, the apprentices and their master encounter a fearsome creature of black magic that they cannot overcome. The warriors must travel to the island of the witches to ask for their help in combatting the beast. ![]()
Master Rei and Mira collect rainwater in a spare room, and through magic, they are able to swim in the bucket and delve into the water’s memories. Mira is able to see the town without any of the people, and she expresses a desire to come to the real town one day. This makes Master Rei hopeful. Later, Capri visits again and, disguised as Mr. Cappy, goes on an adventure with Mira inside the house. The two bond over a love of an author, and Capri discovers later that the author will be hosted for a book signing in town. With the help of Master Rei and Mr. Cappy, Mira attempts to come closer to the village and contain her anxieties so that she can attend the signing. At the end, Master Rei is informed of a new young girl in the area who needs his attention and is struggling with a similar affliction to Mira.
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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 siteRatings, Audience, and Subject Tags
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