This batch of all ages and YA fiction includes a story about struggling with gun violence, a collection of cat-centric short stories, the further adventures of Laser Moose, a magical elephant named Marshmallow, and a dark YA comedy about senior citizens dying at amusement parks.
GOLDEN HOUR HC GN
(W) Niki Smith (A) Niki Smith
From the author of The Deep & Dark Blue comes a tender graphic novel, perfect for our time, that gently explores themes of self-discovery, friendship, healing from tragedy, and hope for a better tomorrow.
Struggling with anxiety after witnessing a harrowing instance of gun violence, Manuel Soto copes through photography, using his cell-phone camera to find anchors that keep him grounded. His days are a lonely, latchkey monotony until he's teamed with his classmates, Sebastian and Caysha, for a group project.
Sebastian lives on a grass-fed cattle farm outside of town, and Manuel finds solace in the open fields and in the antics of the newborn calf Sebastian is hand-raising. As Manuel aides his new friends in their preparations for the local county fair, he learns to open up, confronts his deepest fears, and even finds first love.
AUG211881
Why this caught my eye:
I really loved Smith's Deep & Dark Blue and I've been looking forward to seeing more from them, and this sounds like a great character centric piece that will tackle issues around PTSD.
CATS PURRFECT STRANGERS TP
(W) Frederic Brremaud (A/CA) Paola Antista
A collection of light-hearted short comic stories following the lives of three young women and their cats. Best friends Manon, Erika, and Camille see adventure every day, but when all three become cat owners, everything changes-for better or for worse! Grow up with these quirky cats and share in all the excitement and fun that comes with raising a cat.
From author Frédéric Brrémaud (Love, Little Tails) and artist Paola Antista (Disney Frozen, Sorceline).
• Collects three of the original six french albums.
JUN210361
Why this caught my eye:
I've gotten all of Brremaud's Love series so I'm down with checking out all of his stuff, plus Antista's art looks great.
LASER MOOSE & RABBIT AS DEER FLIES GN
(W) Doug Savage (A/CA) Doug Savage
Fur is flying in the forest! When Frank the Deer soars off a cliff and an eagle starts talking, Laser Moose and his loyal sidekick Rabbit Boy must discover why these animals have swapped bodies. Their investigation leads to the bizarre brain experiments of Gus the Wolf, the sinister return of their spikey nemesis Cyborgupine, and the truly unthinkable: a final confrontation between our two heroes. Get ready for mystery, danger, laughs, and lots of eye-popping, laser-shooting action from Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy in their most mind-blowing adventure to date!
AUG211466
Why this caught my eye:
I mean, if you haven't checked out the previous installments of Laser Moose then what have you been doing with your life?
MARSHMELLOW & JORDAN HC GN
(W) Alina Chau (A/CA) Alina Chau
A middle-grade graphic novel about a disabled, sports-loving Jordan, and the magical elephant named Marshmallow who she befriends.
Jordan's days as star player for her school's basketball team ended when an accident left her paralyzed from the waist down. Now, she's still the team captain, but her competition days seem to be behind her...until an encounter with a mysterious elephant, who she names Marshmallow, helps Jordan discover a brand new sport.
Will water polo be the way for Jordan to continue her athletic dreams--or will it just come between Jordan and her best friends on the basketball team? And with the big tournament right around the corner, what secret is Marshmallow hiding?
AUG211785
Why this caught my eye:
We need more books that offer disability representation, plus Chau's artwork look fantastic.
LIFETIME PASSES HC GN
(W) Terry Blas (A) Claudia Aguirre
In this darkly comedic YA graphic novel, teens bring senior citizens to a theme park to take advantage of strictly protected secret: If someone in your group dies at the park, the rest of their party gets free lifetime passes! Features classic YA themes of identity and peer pressure, figuring out right and wrong, combined with universal themes of self-acceptance and personal growth. Blas is a prolific comics writer and creator of unique worlds. Teaming up with Aguirre, this duo creates vibrant characters at play in a dynamic landscape. Lifetime Passes looks at the pressures of being an immigrant in the United States and how Jackie's parent's deportation has shaped her life. AUG211364
Why this caught my eye:
That's a pretty great setup to carry all of your YA themes of identity and I could always do with an infusion of dark humor in personal growth stories.
That's it for this batch, we'll hit some action/adventure next time!