Hello Sunshine

Hello Sunshine has been sitting in my to-read pile for much too long. When I finally began reading it, I had a difficult time putting it down. This book is about Alex, a teen boy who has had a mental break and disappeared after a violent episode. Searching for him are Noah, a football player who is secretly his boyfriend, his angry brother Jamie, their dog Cass, their friend and neighbor Sky, and Alex's best friend and Jamie's girlfriend Izzy. Each chapter is told from each of their viewpoints, contributing to the suspenseful series of revelations about their family and what Alex is going through. It is also a gateway into each character's thoughts and feelings. 

Aside from learning about this ersatz Scooby gang, which takes a tremendous amount of character work, we also gain insight into Alex's plight, which involves a frightening combination of the mental health issues and the supernatural. The plot navigates a delicate balance between educating about his mental state as well as delving into a Stygian horror, replete with demons and false faces. Along the way, the characters all reveal something about themselves and their mettle.

The artwork in this book also manages a difficult balance, with affecting emotional moments and interactions as well as depictions of truly horrific creatures and realms. Alex's mental space is not for the meek, and it is a testament to his friends and family that they even attempt to approach it. I feel that this book is a success on pretty much every level, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Author Keezy Young has made the award-winning supernatural romance graphic novel Taproot as well as several impressive mini-comics, including the autobiographical Sunflowers and horror stories like It's Bitter, Baby, and It's Very Sweet. She speaks extensively about her work on Hello Sunshine in this interview.

Nominated for the Best Publication for Teens Eisner Award, this book has received many positive reviews. Cassy Lee called it "an artfully compelling and haunting read." Kirkus Reviews described it as being "beautiful, spooky, and emotional." Andy Oliver wrote, "It’s an astonishing piece of comics, one of the finest examples of graphic fiction of this decade, and a book that is deserving of all the acclaim it has received."

Hello Sunshine was published by Hachette Books, and they offer a video preview and more here. This book is meant for YA readers, and it contains profanity as well as references to self-harm and suicide.

Trumpets of Death

I have not read a graphic novel quite like Trumpets of Death, and it's a very memorable and haunting book. Its protagonist is Antoine, a young boy whose parents are struggling and seemingly heading for divorce. So his father brings him to the country to live with his parents, Antoine's grandmother and grandfather. The grandmother dotes on him, making him his favorite foods and catering to his wants. His grandfather is the total opposite, alternating between ignoring him and treating him with disdain. 

Yikes!

One day while out foraging for mushrooms, unbeknownst to anyone, Antoine is transformed into a majestic, white stag. He escapes and frolics in the woods, staying out there for weeks, avoiding humans altogether, as deer do. Things get tense and intense when his grandfather sets up a deer stand for hunting.

I am not quite sure what young people would make of this story, but it is a wild one, ripe for interpretation and analysis. I found the book gripping because of the narrative, intense character work, and also because of the dreamlike artwork, which uses color to some very interesting effects. There is so much to take in and make sense of here: it's part fable, part examination of family dynamics, part coming-of-age tale. This book has stuck with me.

Trumpets of Death is the debut graphic novel by Simon Bournel-Bosson, a graphic designer from France, where this book was originally published. He speaks about his work on it in this interview. The translation was done by Edward Gauvin.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Kirkus Reviews called it "an unsettling, thought-provoking coming of age." Gene Ambaum wrote, "I’m not sure what most young people will make of the book, but it’s a quick, enjoyable read that’s more literary than most graphic novels marketed to them." Amber Love called it " pure magic."

Trumpets of Death was published in the USA by Graphic Universe, and they offer more info and preview images here. 

I borrowed this book from my local library. Libraries rule! 

Chickenpox

As a person with a lot of siblings, I found a bunch to relate to in this book. Chickenpox is a story set in 1994 about Abby and her family. 

She is a fifth grader, the oldest of five siblings, and like many children she gets annoyed with them for various reasons. They take her toys and comic books. They make her seem uncool to her friends, but in actuality they are having friction for their own reasons. All of this drama comes to a head when Abby ends up stuck at home sick with chickenpox with the whole family for more than a week.

Familiarity builds contempt, as they say, but sick and tired kids make for some different circumstances. Abby starts to see some good things about them while she tries to smooth things over with her classmates over the telephone. I won't spoil how things resolve, but I will say that I found this book to be charming and absorbing. It portrays family relationships and friendships in realistic, nuanced ways. The artwork is simple yet expressive, and I can see why it has been nominated for both Harvey and Eisner Awards.

Although it is not a memoir, Remy Lai based Chickenpox on her experiences growing up. She has authored several graphic novels, including Ghost Book and Pie in the Sky. She speaks about her work and inspirations in this interview.

This book has received many accolades and has been very well reviewed. In a starred entry, Kirkus Reviews called it "honest, atmospheric, and full of heart." Kate Quealy-Gainer wrote, "Touches of manga bring silly humor and high drama to an otherwise conventional cartoon style." Annamarie Carlson called it "heartwarming and fun."

Chickenpox was published by Henry Holt and Company, and they offer a preview and more here.

Boy vs. Shark

You know what is still awesome? Libraries! I recently borrowed and read the e-comic version of Boy vs. Shark through Libby, because the physical copy from my local branch was already checked out. I don't regularly read comics on my laptop, but the interface was intuitive and I enjoyed the reading experience. Logistically, it also made it super easy for me to take a screen capture and provide this short excerpt:

This graphic novel, set in 1975, was totally up my alley, not just for the pop culture references of the times (there is a handy glossary for those references in the end matter, for you whippersnappers) but also for its good senses of characters and humor. The story here is one of transitions, as young Paul is 10-years-old and feeling threatened for a couple reasons. First, he feels like he is losing touch with his best friend David, who he has known forever, because he has started hanging around with some older kids. Second, everyone seems obsessed with the new movie Jaws, a huge summer blockbuster that he is probably too young to watch but he feels compelled to in order to keep up appearances. Also, the older kids seem OK with initiating these younger ones into their club, but it involves some questionable activities like throwing apples at people's windows and shoplifting.

Paul is caught up in many emotions: he wants to act grown-up, to keep his friendships stable, and does not want to disappoint his parents. I should also add that he thinks that his father has the "Irish eye," which is an ability to see what he is doing at all times. He and his dad do not always see eye to eye, and a large part of this book is a look at their realistic, imperfect, and loving relationship.

Of course, things go wrong and there is trouble with the law, store owners, and the next-door neighbor. And people get hurt, both literally and figuratively. I do not want to spoil much, but I was impressed with how Paul deals with things and also how he relates to his friends and family. Bravery can take different forms, and he certainly shows ways to face responsibility and find an alternative to toxic masculinity. This graphic novel tells a coming-of-age tale in excellent fashion.

The deceptively simple artwork and moving story were done by Paul Gilligan, who is known for his comic strip Pooch Cafe. He has been twice nominated by the National Cartoonist Society for best strip, and he also has a couple of other books series, Pluto Rocket and King of the Mole People. He speaks about his work on Boy vs. Shark in this article.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been glowing. In a starred entry Kirkus Reviews called it "an authentic and funny look at masculinity and growing pains that resonates across the decades." Kasey summed up, "Gilligan creates a compelling balance of humor and heart in his exploration of masculine values and growing up." Allison Giggey wrote that it "never feels preachy or overly sentimental" and added, "it’s funny, upbeat, and overall a great read."

Boy vs. Shark was published by Tundra Books, and they have a preview and more available here. 

Steady Rollin': Preacher's Kid, Black Punk, and Pedaling Papa

I got this book a few years back from a Kickstarter campaign for Birdcage Bottom Books. Steady Rollin' is a collection of previously published comics, and the only thing holding them together is that they are all autobiographical, roughly chronological, and feature the author and illustrator, Fred Noland. He is currently, in his own words, "an avid cyclist and proud papa." 

Over the course of this book he delves into lots of subjects and time periods, including looking at his upbringing as a literal son of a preacher man, his foray into the punk music scene, living in and around southern California, working at a car wash, various cycling trips, and a tense escapade where he tracked down someone who had stolen his bike. Along the way, I got a lot of insight into his politics, personality, and parenting. 

Each comic episode is a concentrated look at his life, sometimes funny, sometimes thoughtful, and always engaging. He tends to look at things, warts and all, and I appreciated the many truth bombs he dropped. At first I was disappointed that there was not a unified narrative, but I think this book has something better. Although the stories only really roughly fit together and were purposed for other venues, taken altogether they create a mosaic of man I find not only interesting and entertaining but also someone I'd actually like to meet and hang out with. I am not sure if we would get along necessarily, but I like the cut of his jib. And I really like his comics.

As I wrote earlier, Noland is a working artist, and he has produced work for many prominent magazines and venues. He has made a short graphic biography of Major Taylor, one of the USA's first global superstar athletes, and has been working on a longer one as well. He speaks more about his work and this book in this interview and also in this article.

I was not able to find many reviews of this book online, but Publishers Weekly called it a "companionable grab bag of humorous autobiographical shorts."

Steady Rollin' was originally published by Birdcage Bottom Books, but now you can get copies from Microcosm  Publishing (they offer a preview and more at the link).

Life Drawing

It had been a minute since I read any Love and Rockets, but I recently read Life Drawing to check in with what Jaime Hernandez has been creating these past several years. This book follows the exploits of Jaime's two main focal characters of late, Tonta and Maggie. Most of the book looks at how Tonta is dealing with life after high school, with her bouncing around her aunts' houses, taking drawing lessons at the local community college, maybe finding gainful employment, and fumbling toward possible relationships. Maggie keeps popping up in and around her life in surprising ways, and together they begin to work on Maggie's fear of the ocean. 

None of this plot summary really gets at what makes this book special, which includes the dialogue, interactions between the characters, and gorgeous artwork. In many ways, it reads like a grown-up Archie comic, with multiple short, separate episodes that coalesce into a narrative whole. The characters are vivid and how they interact with each feels real, funny, and moving. The issues they deal with are mundane and relatable, but the artwork is exquisite and expressive. In lieu of a preview, I am just going to post a series of random panels as rendered by Hernandez. 

I think readers new to the Love and Rockets world might need to allow themselves some time to get into this book, as it is a bit scattered on the front end, but fans will be able to visit again with a cast of old friends. I loved seeing the familiar stomping grounds being populated with newer characters, and there are a few surprises, too, including a forest spirit and a couple of weddings. It's another outstanding comic by one of this generation's best artists.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. In their starred review Publishers Weekly gushed, "Hernandez's jaw-droppingly clean line and mastery of the subtly caricatured human form make the most mundane moments vibrate with life." John Paul Bullock wrote that it "is a perfect entry point for anyone who’s recently discovered this groundbreaking series." Tom Shapira pondered the task of tackling this series for the first time and wrote, "The reviews are still good, they’ve always been good, but there’s just so much of it."

Life Drawing was published by Fantagraphics, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. This book features adult situations, profanity, sex, and nudity, so it is recommended for readers mature enough to handle those things.

Fourth Dimensional

I have been meaning to pick up a couple of books from Cosmic Lion Productions, and with some extra money in my pocket from holiday gifts I got what was available from the series Fourth Dimensional, a graphic novel and two giant-size comic books (the first two installments of the three-part Seal Your Heart). The main story focuses on two characters, Ava a 19-year-old woman who should be thinking of applying to college after high school but is yearning for something else, and Mon, a super-powered fugitive from another dimension. 

Mon's presence cast an entirely different light onto Ava's life, and together the duo get swept up in the tide created by other Light Dwellers from the fourth dimension that disrupt human life on Earth. Plus, there are also a couple of beings who are hunting Mon and want to bring him back home.

The artwork and character designs in these books are outstanding, and they are what drew me in from the onset. What I also liked about this work was that it jumped into the narrative with both feet, not taking much time on exposition or world-building that detracted from the plot. Because of that, there were a couple of places where I got a little lost by what was going on because of vague background or unclear pacing (especially in the early pages of the first book, Summer of Fun), but these moments were few. Additionally, Summer of Fun is more episodic and choppy whereas Seal Your Heart is more of an extended, cohesive story. It is fun and refreshing to see the comics work develop and grow over the course of these books, and the second story arc is really picking up steam. I feel like I am getting in on the ground floor of something really special. 

These books' creator is Seraji, a recent graduate of the IDEA School of Design at Capilano University. In addition to this independent series, he has also worked for DC Comics, notably on the Ringo Award-winning series, Nothing Butt Nightwing and Jon Kent: This Internship Is My Kryptonite. He speaks about his work on Fourth Dimensional in this interview.

I was not able to find many reviews of these books, only two of the first one, but they were positive. I agree with Sean Kleefeld who wrote, "I think it's a worth a look if you want a fun, light sci-fi romp." Sewer Mutant opined, "I love the art in this and enjoyed the breath of fresh air this provided."

Fourth Dimensional was published by Cosmic Lion Productions, and they offer previews and more information about the series here. 

 

Huda F Cares?

I try to vary where and how I get graphic novels to read, and I was pleasantly surprised to find another book by Huda Fahmy in a little free library in my neighborhood. It's the follow-up to Huda F Are You?, which I finally read earlier this year, and it may be even more excellent. It continues the fictionalized memoir, following Huda into the summer after her freshman year of high school as she and her family embark on a road trip to Disney World for a family vacation.

I can say without hyperbole, I LOVED THIS BOOK. It is hilarious and human, a great look at family life as well as the dynamics of planning a trip and then traveling with siblings. They bicker during the long car ride. They have to split up in pairs and keep a strict timetable, otherwise they are grounded and have to spend all their time with their parents. Some help keep secrets, while others are complete tattletales. I found so much to relate to, cringe over, and laugh about, both recalling my own childhood travels and more recent happenings as a parent traveling with three children. 

Along the way, Huda learns a bunch about herself and her relationships with her sisters in organic ways. She sometimes tries to hide her Muslim prayer rituals, gets embarrassed by family picnics when her parents are trying to economize, makes a friend, tries to boss around her younger siblings, and has to deal with rude strangers as well as handsy jerks. She suffers many different consequences for her actions, the biggest one being detained by security for sticking up for herself, and the stakes for that offense make for some compelling reading. But really what bears emphasizing is that with all of this introspection, learning, and drama, the whole book is frequently HILARIOUS. I dare anyone to read it and not at least crack a smile or chuckle.

A National Book Award Finalist, this book has been very well reviewed. Islamic School Librarian wrote that "the entire book reads like time spent with friends who can keep you laughing, comfort you when needed, and who are willing to share their very real relatable world with you." Andy Oliver commented that "Fahmy’s great skill as a storyteller is to combine very funny character pieces with those more touching observations about contemporary perceptions of Islam." Kirkus Reviews summed up, "Delightfully heartwarming."

Huda F Cares? was published by Dial Books, and they provide more information about it here. 

Grommets

Grommets is a series I read via the Global Comix app on my phone, and it is an engaging and moving coming-of-age story. It was definitely a blast from the past for me, taking me back to the 1980s, skateboarding, and punk rock. Although I only really dipped my toe into the world of skateboarding, because my sense of balance was lacking, I was a big fan of the music in this book and had not a few friends who resembled characters in Grommets. The two main characters, Rick and Brian, live in Sacramento, California in 1984 and are loners who find common bonds in skating and music. Together, they navigate a great number of things, including being latchkey kids, dealing with disappointed parents, dating, getting hassled by jocks, dodging security guards, having illegal parties, and finding places to hang out.

As a person who lived through this era, I felt that the creators got so much of the feel and tone of the time period correct. It does not just throw out token references for the sake of nostalgia but weaves all the technologies, musicians, and politics of the 1980s into an organic whole. The artwork in particular is very well researched and portrays a very 1980s world, full of denim, run-down buildings, skate ramps, convenient stores, and other locales. It meshes realism with a cartoon style, a sort of hybrid of classic MAD artists Mort Drucker or Jack Davis and Tank Girl co-creater Jamie Hewlett. It works very well at capturing characters' emotional states as well as bringing energy and dynamism to the action sequences, especially with the vibrant coloring. 

The artwork well suits the funny, honest, and often brutal aspects of the plot, which does not sugar coat any of the rough stuff that come with being a social outlier, physical and emotional violence from peers, and fallout from family who might not see things the same way you do. I read the book as a series, and the wait for the final issue was a struggle because of the cliffhanger, I am not going to lie. It was a very gripping and emotional read for me, with very strong character work, and I found myself very concerned for Rick and Brian's well being. 

Grommets was created by writers Brian Posehn and Rick Remender, artist Brett Parson, and colorist Moreno Dinisio. Posehn is a stand-up comedian and actor who also has a bunch of writer credits for the Marvel character Deadpool. Remender is a comic book writer and television producer known for his work at Marvel as well as his original series Fear Agent, Black Science, and Deadly Class. Parson has drawn a number of Tank Girl comics as well as worked for a number of publishers. Dinisio is an artist and colorist for a wide range of comic books. 

I have read a number of online reviews about this series, and they were all celebratory. Javier Reyes called it "a love letter to 80s skater culture and punk rock." Publishers Weekly wrote, "This sweet and raunchy slice of life spikes its 1980s California skate-punk nostalgia with brutal face-plants, hard-won lessons, and bursts of violence."

Grommets was published by Image Comics, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. I recommend this book for readers mature enough to handle the drinking, language, and mature situations that these kids deal with. The first issue/chapter is available to read for free here. 

Holler

Continuing with my haul of comics from HeroesCon, today I am sharing Holler by Jeremy Massie. One of the best parts of going to Charlotte is seeing friends and getting to talk, even if it is while they are manning their booths and selling their wares. I always make a point to check in with pals Henry Eudy and Eraklis Petmezas, who are typically tabled next to each other, and this year they were joined by Massie. I was very eager to get Holler, as I had gotten the first few issues that were published by It's Alive but had not had the chance to finish the series. Lucky for me, Jeremy had this book for sale, and I loved reading it.

It's a pretty specific book, but I am the target audience in a few ways, because of my age and musical tastes. And I should note that it's not quite autobiography, but it is based on some real events and people. It's set in the 1990s in a small, rural town in Appalachian Virginia. Its narrator and main character is Mark, a high school student who does not really excel at academics, but he is a talented enough artist and musician. He plays guitar and joins his friends in a band called Magnesium Mama that plays grunge rock covers and some original songs. This scene puts him at odds with his family in some ways, as well as with the religious figures that factor heavily in his life. 

It also puts him in a clique that is at odds with the local "rednecks" (as he calls them), which leads to conflicts, both verbal and physical. Over the course of the book, Mark deals with a lot of different situations. He gets his first girlfriend, then experiences his first break-up. He experiments with drugs. He plays a lot of gigs and gets involved in a few different battles of the bands. He switches churches, sort of dates the preacher's daughter, and has to navigate the complicated ways his parents and he practice religion. 

The stories here are all told in episodes, and I found them highly compelling and poignant. The artwork is well paced, and is particularly excellent at capturing people's expressions and emotional reactions, which works very well as this book is very character driven. This book touches on a lot of issues that young people contend with as they get older and start trying to carve out spaces in the world, and it does so in a way that is sometimes humorous, occasionally cringe-inducing, and always relatable and human. Holler is one of the best coming-of-age graphic novels I have read, and I highly recommend it.

This book's creator Jeremy Massie has made all sorts of comics in various genres, including the superhero tales Amazing Age, horror stories Blood-Drenched Creature Double Feature, and the more realistic, solo-authored book All My Ghosts. He speaks about his work on Holler in this interview.

I was not able to locate many reviews of this book, which is a shame, because I feel it should be more widely known and read, because it is so good. Publishers Weekly concluded their review, "This bittersweet blast from the past will strike a chord with recovering high school outcasts."

Holler was published by Dark Horse, and they offer more information about it here. Because it features some drug use, sexual situations, profanity, and adolescent shenanigans, I recommend it for readers mature enough to deal with those matters. 

I Was A Teenage Michael Jackson Impersonator, And Other Musical Meanderings

One of the highlights of this year's HeroesCon for me was meeting Keith Knight and buying this book from him. I Was A Teenage Michael Jackson Impersonator, And Other Musical Meanderings is a funny and entertaining autobiographical comic that mainly details the author's brief stint making crazy amounts of money as a celebrity impersonator. For about a year and a half in the mid-1980s, starting when he was 17-years-old, he lip-synched and danced at birthday parties and department stores, joined a cadre of other touring impersonators, dated a Madonna impersonator, and learned a lot about the entertainment business. Also, ironically, by pretending to be someone else, he learned much about himself, the world, and how to get by in it.

Certainly, this book has lots of voyeuristic thrills, and it is fun to watch as Knight gets into (and out of) various scrapes and uncomfortable situations. His artwork is wonderfully cartoonish and expressive, bringing life and vibrancy to the proceedings, and the pacing makes the gags and witty dialogue land in hilarious fashion. As a bonus, interspersed between the chapters are passages from Knight's various comic strips that celebrate various musicians from David Bowie to Run DMC (RIP Jam-Master Jay) to Prince. If you have a fascination for 1980s pop culture and a sense of humor, this is the book for you.

The aforementioned Keith Knight created this book, and he has been celebrated for his past strips The K Chronicles and (th)ink. He is also a rapper and had his life and comics adapted into the comedy series Woke, which ran for two seasons on Hulu. I love this show and am glad it got two seasons, but I wish there were many more. Knight speaks about his MJ years and this book in this interview.

I Was A Teenage Michael Jackson Impersonator was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Humor Publication in 2024. It was published by Keith Knight Press, and there is more info about it here. This book was originally funded by a Kickstarter campaign.

Huda F Are You?

I have been meaning to read this book for a while now, ever since I learned about it during a presentation at the Literacy Research Association this past December. Huda F Are You? is a fictionalized memoir about a young, Egyptian-American girl trying to figure things out. First, and foremost, is the titular question she is trying to answer, as she is struggling with a great many issues: keeping up her grades, being a hijab-wearing Muslim, making friends, and meeting her parents' expectations. The first one is easy for her, and being a top student is a key part of her identity. The second is tougher, as it makes her pretty visible and a target for discrimination from random white people and even teachers. The third is complicated because she feels like she does not really feel she is Muslim enough, because she is not as strong in Arabic as many of the other students in her school in Dearborn, Michigan. So she feels inferior to what she sees as "more perfect" Muslim kids, but she also feels alien to most other kids at her school.

Dealing with these three concerns cause Huda to spin off her axis, and her grades start to slip. So she makes some somewhat bold choices that lead her into more awkward situations. All of these behaviors lead to a confrontation with her mother that frames the narrative.

Not everything in this book resolves neatly, but she does find some peace and connections in her social and academic worlds. What impressed me most about this narrative was how relatable and  funny it is. It features lots of observational humor and also running jokes, like the multiple ways that people mispronounce her name, which I can relate to. This book has a lot of heart, and it shows it through its expressive artwork, intricate characters, and the delicate, deliberate pacing. I very much enjoyed this book, and now I need to read its two sequels.

This book's creator Huda Fahmy has written a number of comics for both adults and younger readers. Huda F Cares? and Huda F Wants to Know? are the two sequels to this book. Yes, I Am Hot in This and That Can Be Arranged are graphic novels that began as webcomics, and they are more geared toward adults. Fahmy speaks about her life and work in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book sing its praises. Kirkus Reviews called it "hilarious, charming, and much needed." Richetta wrote, "This book is perfect for discussing identity on multiple levels." Amani Salahudeen opined, "I loved how Huda weaved in humor, touched on important topics within the Islamic community, and was unapologetically Muslim. This book is a must-read!"

Huda F Are You? was published by Dial Books, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. I recommend it for middle and high school readers.

Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey

"

Two of my favorite things are comics and hockey, and this book combines both! I cannot think of many books that do both, save for Robert Ullman's Old-Timey Hockey Tales mini-comics, which are great by the way. Check, Please! began as a webcomic, and the first two of the four seasons are collected here. The premise is that we are following the life of Eric "Bitty" Bittle, an incoming freshman to the fictional Samwell University that is located in the real-life state of Massachusetts and plays in the real-life ECAC conference. Bitty is a former figure skater turned hockey player who comes from Georgia, loves to bake and vlogs about his life. He is also gay, and wonders when and how he should come out to his teammates. Over the course of the book, he shares about his struggles to adapt to college life, his quirky teammates, his culinary creations, and his adapting to the rules and rigors of college hockey.

For instance, dealing with contact is new to Bitty...

Over the two seasons in this book, we get glimpses into Bitty's freshman and sophomore years. He transitions from being a newbie to moving into the team house. There is some light hazing, intense feedback from the team captain, heavy partying, and typical college shenanigans. A slight spoiler: It is refreshing to see a bunch of macho athletes appreciate Bitty's baking and sexual orientation with not just tolerance but acceptance and joy. This book is fun to read for its sports intrigue, personal drama, charm, clever banter, and humor. I am very much looking forward to reading the next book that runs to Eric's junior and senior years.

Check, Please! was created by Ngozi Ukazu. She began making webcomics but has transitioned into making graphic novels, including Bunt!, which is about a college baseball player, Barda, which is a YA graphic novel from DC Comics featuring Jack Kirby's Fourth World characters, and the forthcoming Flip. Ukazu speaks more about Check, Please! in this interview.

This series has won a Reuben Award, a Harvey Award, and an Ignatz Award, and it's been very well reviewed. The starred entry from Kirkus Reviews concluded, "A fun and deeply satisfying read for teens." Thoroughly Modern Reviewer called it " a well-written, immensely enjoyable rom-com," and added that "it’s also a delightful exploration of male friendship, a really funny coming of age story, and an exciting look into the softer side of hockey culture." Nick Goodsell summed up, "It’s funny, its heartfelt, its deep, and it’s another great coming of age story for anyone to enjoy!"

Check, Please! Book 1 was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. This book features profanity and some adult situations, so it is recommended for readers mature enough to handle those things, probably more mature teens.

Button Pusher

Button Pusher is a phenomenal graphic novel that manages to explore issues of ADHD in multiple ways, all the time still telling an emotionally engaging narrative. It is fictional though memoir-based, and the main character is Tyler, a young boy who is experiencing difficulties in school and gets diagnosed with ADHD. 

Uh, oh.

The reader gets a lot from his point of view about how he experiences the world and also how he does and does not fit in. What is more, we also learn a lot about his father and his own experiences with "hyperactivity" (what it was called in his day), and there is a bunch about how heredity affects things as well as how much this condition affects other family members as well.

The events of the book run a gamut of emotions, from confusion to humor to concern to anger and beyond. Also, what makes this book so strong is its inclusion of several passages that share information about ADHD from clinical and practical viewpoints, sometimes almost as infographics. 

Button Pusher features a comprehensive and human look at this sort of neurodiversity. As a parent who is dealing with at least one children who is diagnosed with ADHD, I appreciated so much about this book. It taught me about what I can expect, what I should do to deal with frustration, and also how to manage all our lives in better ways. If I gave out stars to rate books, this one would get them all.

This book was created by Tyler Page. His prior comics work includes the graphic novels Raised on Ritalin, which is more autobiographical, The Chicagoland Detective Agency series, and the direct sequel to Button Pusher, Extra Large, which was published very recently.

This book won the 2023 Excellence in Graphic Literature Award, and all of the reviews I have read of it have been positive. Kirkus Reviews summed up, "An engaging memoir of one boy’s experience of growing up with ADHD with a risky message around medication cessation." Jason Kelley wrote, "This book will destigmatize and foster understanding for both those navigating life with ADHD and their families."

Button Pusher was published by First Second, and they provide a preview and more information here.

I Was Their American Dream

I am the child of two immigrants, a German and a Greek, which makes me a Gerk ("jerk") is my hilarious joke. I have my own sense of figuring out my identity in relation to my relatives and also my native land, the USA, and I was very glad to read a very different tale of a person melding nationalities,  I Was Their American Dream. This book is a memoir by Malaka Gharib, whose parents are Filipino and Egyptian, making for a unique blend of cultures and religions. 

Much of this book centers on Malaka relating her formative experiences, remembering, celebrating, and regretting her cultural roots while also detailing how she made sense and peace with two religious traditions, Islam and Christianity. Also, it is about how she incorporated different aspects of those cultures into her life while also trying her best to be an American. It is a bumpy journey, and I really loved how she shares her various insights along the way. 

The artwork is mostly comics, though there are some passages that are more like an illustrated book. The drawings are cartoonish and convey broad emotions and actions very well. Still, there are some more quiet moments that still pack a sentimental punch. This book made me giggle, grow wistful, cringe, and relate. It is the best sort of memoir, one that is a window into a different world that affects how the reader sees life. I really loved this book.

This book was created by Malaka Gharib, who is a journalist and artist who works for NPR. She has also published another graphic memoir, It Won't Always Be Like This, about her summers abroad in Egypt. She speaks about the background and making of this book in this interview.

I Was Their American Dream won the 2020 Arab American Book Award, and has been well praised. In their starred entry, Kirkus Reviews summed it up as "a heartwarming tribute to immigrant families and their descendants trying to live the American dream." In another starred entry, from School Library Journal, Elise Martinez wrote, "This engaging memoir is an uplifting ode to Gharib’s bicultural background, her immigrant parents, and her road to self-acceptance."

I Was Their American Dream was published by Clarkson Potter, and they offer a preview and more information about it here.

Sunburn

The main character of Sunburn is Rachel, a 16-year-old British teen whose summer plans involve working at a butcher shop where she'll be elbow-deep in pig guts as well as the typical week-long family trip to a rainy cabin. Those plans get exploded when a mysterious invitation appears from the Warners, family friends who own an island house in Greece. They invite her to a summer of fun and sun, and she happily accepts.

Once there, she lives a comfortable life, with wonderful food, free new clothes, and scenic views. She also gets daily visits to the beach, afternoon naps, and dinner parties at different people's houses. The cherry on top of this sundae is that she also gets to spend time with Benjamin, a slightly older British boy, and the two flirt and get involved. 

Of course, nothing this awesome comes for free, and over the course of the book Rachel uncovers the details about why she is there. I very much enjoyed this book, as it made me nostalgic for my own vacations in Greece when I was younger, but it is also a compelling combination of a mystery and character study. Aside from the interesting plot, the artwork is also gorgeous, with a limited color pallette and plenty of landscape imagery that sets the atmosphere.

Sunburn was a collaboration between writer Andi Watson and artist Simon Gane. Watson is a cartoonist, writer, and illustrator who has created a number of books and graphic novels and who has been nominated for four Eisner Awards, two Harvey Awards, and an official selection of the Angoulême International Festival. Gane has drawn a number of comics series and books, including They're Not Like Us and Ghost Tree. Watson talks about making this book as well as some of his other projects in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Darryll Robson wrote, "You will not find immediacy here, but the narrative is better for its slow, dreamy walk through the lives of its characters." Kirkus Reviews called it "a contemplative study of a girl battered and disillusioned by her first glimpses of adult complexities." Ramon Piña opined, "The art in the book is nothing short of spectacular."

Sunburn was published by Image Comics, and they offer more info about it here. 

Frizzy

Sometimes seemingly simple things are super complicated. Take hair, for instance. I don't think much about hair. I have long, straight hair now, and all I know about it was that long ago when I tried to get it feathered and wavy, it never responded. So, I just went with a short, pretty standard haircut for most of my life. That is certainly a position of privilege and convenience I have learned. Claribel, the star of Frizzy, does not enjoy such privilege. This young, Dominican girl has long, curly hair. It has flair and presence, and she learns from her mom that what she needs to do with it is tame that hair through regular visits to the salon. It constantly needs to be straightened and treated so that it is more manageable and she can fit in.

Bound up in all this thinking are all sorts of cultural assumptions of what people should look like, especially if they want to gain cultural capital and respect. Also, racial and ethnic identities come into play here, as some peoples' hair are seen as acceptable while others need work. Claribel and her mother clash over hair, and how it contributes to her being a "good girl," "presentable," and a maturing person. Claribel's Tia Ruby adds a different voice to this conversation, and over the course of the book all of the characters get the chance to interact, learn, emote, and engage in a debate over what people should look like and how it contributes to how they feel and what they can do in life. 

What I love about this book is how it engages in all sorts of complex issues without being didactic or prescriptive. The characters all feel real and relatable to me, and none of them present "straw man" arguments. They have their stances and feel justified in them, and they each have their strong points. Also, none of them is perfect, so the debate about what it takes to grow up as a realized person is palpable. Unless you are made of stone, this book will provoke your thoughts and move you.

This book is a collaboration between writer Claribel A. Ortega and artist Rose Bousamra, and Frizzy was the debut graphic novel from both. Ortega is a best-selling YA novelist whose books Ghost Squad and Witchlings have been very popular. Bousamra is currently working on her follow-up graphic novel, the self-authored Gutless. You can see both creators discuss this book in length in this video interview.

This book has won the 2023 Pura Belpré Award for Children's Text as well as the 2023 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids, and it has received many extremely positive reviews. In their starred entry, Kirkus Reviews summed it up, "An exquisite excavation of hair politics, family dynamics, and self-love." In another starred review, Publishers Weekly wrote, "Ortega expertly examines themes of colorism, generational trauma, and toxic beauty standards via authentic, heartstring-tugging dialogue and Marlene’s pitch-perfect narration." Esther Keller concluded, "This is a wonderful addition to the middle-grade repertoire of coming-of-age graphic novels. It will give young girls a great sense of self and help them be happy with the features they were born with."

Frizzy was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more here.

Shortcomings

I am very late to the party in reading this book, and I am so glad that one of the students in my graphic novel course selected it to read with the class. Shortcomings is a modern class graphic novel, originally published as three issues in the late 1990s/early 2000s comics series Optic Nerve. It follows the trials and tribulations of a trio of Asian-American 30-something young adults as they navigate romance, friendships, and the demands of adult life to varying degrees of success. 

Ben Tanaka is the main protagonist, a Japanese-American movie theater manager who is acerbic, hyper-critical, and somewhat obsessed with white women. At the start of the book he is living with his girlfriend Miko Hayashi, who organized an Asian-American film festival, which Ben finds "shitty." Alice Kim is from Korea, and she and Ben went to college together, and they share a love for hating on things. She is also single and ready to mingle with a good number of people. When Miko decides to take a four-month-long internship in New York City, she and Ben go "on a break," which leads to a series of misadventures. Ever stirring the pot, Alice learns something about what Miko is up to in NYC and sends for Ben to come see. 

All this roiling drama is a huge draw for this graphic novel, and it also features strong characterizations that make you feel repelled by and also empathetic towards the protagonists. It is an engrossing and vexing reading experience, a book that lingers long after it is read. The artwork is crisp, expressive, yet also very open to interpretation. I love how it is paced, with lots of personal interactions punctuated by memorable and provocative images. I loved this book, and I will seek out more from its author, whose works I have been remiss about picking up.

This book's creator Adrian Tomine, the 2021 Eisner Award winner for his memoir The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist. He has been publishing comics for more than 20 years now, most notably his series Optic Nerve as well as the graphic novels Summer Blonde, Killing and Dying, and Scenes From an Impending Marriage. He speaks about his early career and work on Shortcomings in this interview from 2007.

This book is very well reviewed. In a starred review for Publishers Weekly Junot Díaz called it both a "lacerating falling-out-of-love story" and "an irresistible gem of a graphic novel." PopMatters wrote, "In place of a conclusive affirmation, Shortcomings weaves an intricate portrait of the various responses to age and identity that set in during the early years of post-twenties life." Jim Woldof called it "a meticulously observed comic-book novella."

Shortcomings was published by Drawn & Quarterly, and they offer an excerpt and more info here.

This book has been optioned to be adapted into a motion picture. I am very interested in seeing how it turns out.