David Sedaris and Ian Falconer join forces—amplifying the appeal of a season also marked by the return of established category stars like Vera Brosgol, Scott Kurtz, and Booki Vivat.
Top 10
Ant City
Jay Hosler. HarperAlley, Mar. 26 ($15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-06-329399-1)
Ant Rubi ventures out of the colony on dangerous escapades, in this fact-filled outing that features “cheerfully gross depictions” of insect life, per PW’s review. Ages 8–12.
Blood City Rollers
V.P. Anderson and Tatiana Hill. Labyrinth Road, Apr. 9 ($13.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-593-48571-2)
Olympic hopeful Mina gets sucked into a vampire roller derby league in this mash-up of tween theme faves—skates and fangs. Ages 8–12.
Curveball
Pablo Cartaya and Miguel Díaz Rivas. Disney Hyperion, May 7 ($14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-368-08926-5)
Pura Belpré Honor winner Cartaya teams up with New York Times–bestselling artist Rivas for a tale about sports, family, and friendship featuring a baseball devotee named Elena. Ages 8–12.
Meet Me on Mercer Street
Booki Vivat. Scholastic, Apr. 2 ($12.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-338-78868-6)
Bestseller Vivat (Frazzled) returns with the story of a curious young artist who documents how her neighborhood is changing. Ages 8–12.
Next Stop
Debbie Fong. Random House Graphic, Mar. 19 ($21.99, ISBN 978-0-593-42520-6)
A tween embarks on a wild trip that “serves as a meditation on grief, a catalyst for healing, and a reminder of the importance of friendship, family, and connection,” per PW’s review. Ages 9–12.
The Night Librarian
Christopher Lincoln. Dial, July 30 ($23.99, ISBN 978-0-593-61765-6)
Twins Page and Turner unite with a mysterious “night librarian” to save the New York Public Library from villains and monsters who’ve leapt to life from the pages of classic books. Ages 8–12.
Plain Jane and the Mermaid
Vera Brosgol. First Second, May 7 ($22.99, ISBN 978-1-250-31486-4; $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-250-31485-7)
Eisner and Caldecott winner Brosgol spins a fractured fairy tale in which an ordinary girl proposes to a prince—who then gets kidnapped by a mermaid. Ages 10–14.
Pretty Ugly
David Sedaris and Ian Falconer. Toon, Feb. 27 ($18.99, ISBN 978-1-6626-6527-1)
Sedaris (Me Talk Pretty) and Falconer (the Olivia series) bring their star power to this “elegant standalone that showcases the creators’ urbane morality,” according to PW’s review. Ages 5–7.
Table Titans Club
Scott Kurtz. Holiday House, Mar. 5 ($22.99, ISBN 978-0-8234-5316-0)
Eisner Award winner Kurtz rolls out a standalone D&D-themed middle school drama about a troubled new girl who finds her place around the game table. Ages 8–12.
Timid
Jonathan Todd. Graphix, Apr. 2 ($12.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-338-30570-8)
A young artist moves from Florida to Boston and tries to figure out whether he should just fit in with the other Black kids or risk standing out for drawing comics. Ages 8–12.
Camp Comics
From bunk beds and bugle wake-up calls to the fast friendships that help kids find their truest self far away from home, these comics evoke the classic experiences of summer sleepaway camp.
All Together Now! (Band Camp #1)
Brian “Smitty” Smith. Little Bee, May 7 ($8.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-4998-1515-3)
A quartet of undersung instruments—an accordion, a triangle, a ukulele, and a kazoo—all get assigned to a band camp’s “junk bunk” in this anthropomorphic early reader. Ages 6–9.
Camp Launchpad (Absolute Zeros #1)
Greg Smith, Michael Tanner, and Gabrielle Gomez. LB Ink, Mar. 5 ($12.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-316-04858-3)
The scion of an astronaut bands together with other ambitious kids at the underfunded Camp Launchpad in Florida, where they compete to demonstrate their space travel prowess and best the posh camp down the road, whose director bet millions of dollars that they’ll fail to launch. Ages 8–12.
Camp Prodigy
Caroline Palmer. Atheneum, June 11 ($14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-6659-3037-6)
A pair of nonbinary middle school violinists find fellowship and inspiration—to excel in their music and express their identity—at a monthlong orchestra camp. Ages 8–12.
Gamerville
Johnnie Christmas. HarperAlley, July 16 ($15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-06-305681-7)
Max Lightning’s all charged up (the energy drinks help) for a pro video game competition—but his parents have different plans. To his shock, they send Max to Camp Refresh, where electronic devices are banned and exercise and fresh air become his new IRL enemies. Ages 8–12.
Summer Vamp
Violet Chan Karim. Random House Graphic, May 14 ($21.99, ISBN 978-0-593-42523-7)
A human kid who likes to cook belatedly discovers why her culinary camp peers are so pale—because her dad’s girlfriend accidentally signed her up for a camp for vampires. Now, instead of preparing meals, she has to avoid becoming one. Ages 8–12.
Upstaged
Robin Easter. LB Ink, May 28 ($12.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-316-42952-8)
All through middle school, non-binary theater geek Ashton and their bestie—and intense crush—Ivy have gone to summer drama camp together. In their last summer before high school, can Ash finally work up the courage to tell Ivy how they really feel? Ages 8–12.
Wires Crossed
Beth Fantaskey and ONeilljones. Clarion, Apr. 30 ($15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-358-39621-5)
What happens at camp, stays at camp... except when 12-year-old Mia, who’s already reeling because her best friend is suddenly chasing the popular crowd, finds out that her science camp buddy Tariq is transferring to her school, throwing an unexpected ingredient into their tween chemistry. Ages 8–12.
Early Reader Spotlight
From the earliest ages, kids gravitate toward comics’ dynamic yet accessible layouts and often goofy humor. Here are some choice spring picks from a blossoming category.
Attack of the Krill (Team Unihorn and Woolly #1)
Alexis Frederick-Frost. HarperAlley, Apr. 16 ($7.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-06-300206-7)
A crew of horned critters on Burlap Beach get superpowers after a lunar event—and unite to defeat a tiny crustacean turned huge and villainous. Ages 6–10.
The Case of the Golden Bone (Detective Sweet Pea #1)
Sara Varon. First Second, June 11 ($22.99, ISBN 978-1-250-23637-1; $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-250-34840-1)
Parkville’s a chill place for pups, until the town’s treasured golden chew bone goes missing, and Sweet Pea steps up to take on the investigator’s collar, in a new series from Eisner-nominated Varon. Ages 6–10.
Cloud Puppy
Kelly Leigh Miller. Atheneum, May 28 ($12.99, ISBN 978-1-6659-3212-7)
Vying for the cutest of all kawaii, this new series stars a combo fluffy cloud/snuggly puppy character, who loves comics and rainbows, falls out with her best friend, and looks for a way to make it all better in the end. Ages 6–9.
Club Microbe
Elise Gravel. Drawn & Quarterly, May 21 ($17.95, ISBN 978-1-77046-702-6)
Gravel (The Bug Club) is back with another whimsical science comics explainer for kids, this time zooming in on micro-organisms—from those that cause sickness to those that help create snowflakes. Ages 5 and up.
The First Day of May
Henrique Coser Moreira. Levine Querido, Mar. 5 ($15.99, ISBN 978-1-64614-382-5)
This wordless comics-style picture book portrays a young girl’s delight in the first day of spring as she encounters a butterfly and gets back on the swings. Ages 3–7.
Habits and Habitats (Jackson’s Wilder Adventures #1)
Sarah Davidson. Papercutz, July 16 ($7.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5458-1300-3).
Jackson and his Tasmanian tiger sidekick head out in their trusty jeep to wild places across the globe, from the Faroe islands to the El Yunque rainforest and African savannas. Ages 6–10.
Howdy, Partner! (Sky & Ty #1)
Steve Breen. Pixel+Ink, Apr. 2 ($14.99, ISBN 978-1-64595-214-5)
Pulitzer winner Breen turns his editorial cartooning chops to children’s fare with a new series featuring a cowgirl and dinosaur delivery service. Ages 6–9.
Hugo’s Haunted Handbook
Dave Whamond. OwlKids, Mar. 12 ($18.95, ISBN 978-1-77147-587-7)
Hugo’s guidebook promises to help kids get rid of their ghosts—the only problem is, his own spirit hasn’t quit yet. Ages 6–9.
Lost & Found: Based on a True Story
Mei Yu. Union Square Kids, Apr. 2 ($12.99, ISBN 978-1-4549-5264-0)
Yu’s debut graphic memoir depicts in manga-influenced art how she started at a new school in Canada after emigrating from China. Ages 7–10.
The Luna Sisters and Their Amazing Lunafish
Dan Yaccarino. Holiday House, June 25 ($14.99, ISBN 978-0-8234-5636-9)
Sisters on the moon—one who lives in shadows, the other on the bright side—get a new pet. But can they share Moona the fish? Ages 4–8.
Night Stories: Folktales from Latin America
Liniers. Toon, June 4 ($16.99, ISBN 978-1-6626-6529-5)
Publishing simultaneously in English and Spanish, this collection of classic tales from Latin American countries, retold as comics by Eisner winner Liniers, features Iara, a mermaid, and La Lechuza, a great owl with a woman’s visage. Ages 7–10.
Rachel Friedman Breaks the Rules
Sarah Kapit and Genevieve Kote. Holt, (June 18, $17.99, ISBN 978-1-250-88093-2; $7.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-250-88092-5)
Jewish baking enthusiast Rachel (try her peanut butter challah) bucks the rules of her synagogue but promises her dad she’ll reform her ways for a chance to meet one of her heroes. Ages 5–9.
Surprise! (The Adventures of Penguin and Panda #1)
Brenda Maier and Fanni Mézes. Marble, Apr. 30 ($9.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-958325-05-6)
A can-do panda and a laze-about penguin are inexplicably best buds in this odd-couple escapade series launch. Ages 6–9.
This Book Will Self-Destruct (Agent Harrier #1)
Ben Sanders. Kane Miller, May 1 ($14.99, ISBN 978-1-68464-897-9)
Get ready for savvy, gadget-loving spy dog Agent Harrier, who must defuse a bomb before this very book blows up! Ages 6–10.
The Unlucky Kid
Bob Holt. Kids Can, May 7 ($14.99, ISBN 978-1-5253-0659-4)
Whether Quinn’s being chased by seagulls or pulled along by a kite string tied to his tooth, nothing ever seems to go right—so how does this unlucky kid stay so happy-go-lucky? Ages 6–9.
Viewfinder
Christine D.U. Chung and Salwa Majoka. Tundra, Feb. 13 ($18.99, ISBN 978-0-7352-6875-3)
A visitor from space finds Earth empty of human life but, through a viewfinder, can see back in time to what’s been lost in this wordless graphic novel. Ages 6–9.
Zips and Eeloo Make Hummus (Zips and Eeloo #1)
Leila Boukarim and Alex Lopez. Andrews McMeel, Feb. 6 ($11.99, ISBN 978-1-5248-8435-2)
Alien siblings land on Earth and attempt human tasks with mixed results (but a just-right recipe included) in this “warm and madcap meditation on teamwork, patience, and new experiences,” per PW’s review. Ages 6–9.
Middle Grade Comics & Graphic Novels Longlist
Ablaze
Shepherdess Warriors by Jonathan Garnier and Amélie Fléchais, trans. by Ivanka Hahnenberger (Apr. 9, $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-68497-169-5). Styled after Celtic legends, this Angoulême award-winning fantasy features a young heroine who sets out into the wilderness to protect her village, which was abandoned by its men. Ages 8–12.
Abrams
Spying on Spies: How Elizebeth Smith Friedman Broke the Nazis’ Secret Codes by Marissa Moss (Mar. 12, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-4197-6731-9) details how cryptanalyst Friedman (1892–1980) went from linguistic analysis of Shakespeare plays to intercepting transmissions from gangsters and Nazi spies as one of America’s first female codebreakers. Ages 10–14.
Andrews McMeel
Spring (Haru #1) by Joe Latham (Mar. 12, $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5248-8473-4). A bird and a bear, bullied friends who find comfort in each other, set forth from their home in the Valley to a place called the Beacon, spurred on by a suspicious talisman. Ages 8–12.
Time Buddies by Matthew Cody et al. (June 25, $12.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5248-8820-6). Hoot, an owlet from the future, crashes into the timeline of shy kid Bentley, and together they whiz through the ages, with stops at ancient Egypt, the Renaissance, and America’s early cowboy days. Ages 8–12.
Bloomsbury
Sick! The Twists and Turns Behind Animal Germs by Heather L. Montgomery and Lindsey Leigh (Feb. 20, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-5476-0985-7) surveys all the ways that germ pathogens attack the immune systems of animals—including humans—and how scientists study the phenomena of infections and epidemics. Ages 8–12.
Candlewick
Mission One: The Vice Principal Problem (The Blue Stars #1) by Kekla Magoon, Cynthia Leitich Smith, and Molly Murakami (Mar. 5, $22.99, ISBN 978-1-5362-0499-5). An odd-couple pair of cousins—a gymnast and a mathlete—join forces and the
student council to fight a corrupt villain infiltrating their school in this series launch. Ages 8–12.
My Antarctica: True Adventures in the Land of Mummified Seals, Space Robots, and So Much More by G. Neri and Corban Wilkin (Mar. 5, $18.99, ISBN 978-1-5362-2332-3) brings readers on an icy adventure to Antarctica, where Neri navigates the region’s cold, windy wonders and encounters its wildlife, including sea angels, seals, and penguins. Ages 7–10.
Chronicle
Poetry Comics by Grant Snider (Mar. 26, $18.99, ISBN 978-1-7972-1965-3). Poems inspired by the four seasons, including an elegy for a late bus and an ode to the clouds of spring, are accompanied by comics art in a collection that seeks to inspire young readers to write their own poetry. Ages 8–12.
Clarion
The Circuit Graphic Novel by Francisco Jiménez and Celia Jacobs (Mar. 26, $15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-358-34822-1) is a graphic adaptation of Jiménez’s intimate memoir about his family leaving Mexico to become field workers in California, where he strived to get an education between hard labor and constant household upheaval. Ages 8–12.
The Old Willis Place Graphic Novel by Mary Downing Hahn et al. (July 16, $15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-358-65015-7). A run-down Victorian mansion traps two kids, who must sort out its arbitrary rules and dodge spectral figures, in this comics version of Hahn’s ghost story. Ages 8–12.
Crackboom!
Inspector Joe Is on the Case! (Pick and Pocket #1) by Majda Koren and Damijan Stepancic, trans. by David Limon (Mar. 26, $12.95, ISBN 978-2-89802-469-6). A pair of sneaky pigs who purloin everything from doughnuts to a get-away truck are chased by Inspector Joe in these humorous short comics tales. Ages 8–12.
DC Comics
Barkham Asylum by Yehudi Mercado (May 7, $12.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-77950-500-2). When Gotham’s top villains all go to jail, their pets get sent to the pound—where Jester, the Joker’s dog, finds his antics aren’t so funny to the other tough critters he’s incarcerated with. Ages 8–12. 40,000-copy announced first printing.
Dial
Lucky Scramble by Peter Raymundo (Apr. 23, $20.99, ISBN 978-0-593-53190-7). Competitive Rubik’s Cuber Tyler gets a sponsorship to fly to the Speed Cubing national championships in Las Vegas, where he squares off against the boastful reigning champ and other puzzlers. Ages 8–12.
Difference Engine
Amazing Ash & Superhero Ah Ma by Melanie Lee and Arif Rafhan (July 16, $12.50 trade paper, ISBN 978-981-14-5044-0). Tween Ash finds her mom annoying and worries about her grandma’s growing signs of dementia. Things take a turn, however, when Ash finds out she’s inherited Ah Ma’s secret superhero powers. Ages 8–12.
Drawn & Quarterly
Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne and Travis Dandro (Apr. 9, $29.95, ISBN 978-1-77046-696-8). PEN Graphic Novel Award winner Dandro delves into the Hundred Acre Wood in an adaptation that takes its cue from the style of Peter Shephard, original illustrator of Milne’s classic tales of Christopher Robin’s magical toy friends Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, and all the rest. Ages 7 and up.
Feiwel and Friends
Get the Party Started (Dndoggos #1) by Scout Underhill (Feb. 27, $22.99, ISBN 978-1-250-83435-5; $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-250-83434-8). Four pooches gather to throw the six-sided dice, with dungeon master Magnus spinning a quest of a magical collar gone missing and Pickles, Tonka, and Zoey rolling along after adventure. Ages 9–12.
First Second
Continental Drifter by Kathy MacLeod (Apr. 2, $22.99, ISBN 978-1-250-81373-2; $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-250-81374-9). Kathy lives in Bangkok with her Thai mother and American father. Every summer, the family vacations in coastal Maine, where she loves the novelty of local fare and idyllic scenery but also comes to wonder where in the world she really belongs. Ages 8–12.
Odin (Asgardians #1) by George O’Connor (Mar. 26, $21.99, ISBN 978-1-250-76076-0; $12.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-250-76077-7) takes on the mythology of the ancient Norse gods in a new series that finds the creator of the Olympians series traversing the burning rainbow bridge to Asgard, of the Nine Worlds, where warrior god Odin reigns over the Valkyries. Ages 9–14.
Scram: Society of Creatures Real and Magical by Rory Lucey (July 16, $22.99, ISBN 978-1-250-85194-9); $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-250-85195-6). A group of friends hoping to happen upon a troll start a club to uncover cryptids in their suburban town, and get more than they bargained for. Ages 8–12.
Unicorn Boy by Dave Roman (Mar. 12, $22.99, ISBN 978-1-250-83027-2; $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-250-83026-5). A seemingly ordinary boy (who likes it just that way) forms a bulge on his skull—which soon reveals itself to be a unicorn horn that sings. Then a cat and his own breakfast start to chat him up, too. Ages 8–12.
Fitzroy
Just Like Click by Sandy Grubb (Apr. 16, $12.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64603-439-0). Nick lives an otherwise quiet life on his family’s ranch, dreaming up and drawing cartoons about a superhero called Click. When robberies endanger the property and threaten to bring a family secret to light, he dons the identity of Click to try and save the day. Ages 9–12.
Flying eye
Cactus Kid and the Battle for Star Rock Mountain by Emmanuel Guerrero (Mar. 5, $15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-913123-21-5). A young cactus wizard runs away from his powerful patriarch to seek a star rock fragment to fine-tune his magic skills in the desert, where he encounters a motorbike gang and a bounty hunting lizard. Ages 8–12.
Rune: The Tale of a Thousand Faces by Carlos Sánchez (June 4, $15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-83874-121-1). When the kingdom of Puddin’ is threatened, a Deaf orphan whose magical strengths get charged up by sign language sets out to save its resident witches, ogres, and other mystical creatures. Ages 8–12.
Graphix
Fairest of All: The Graphic Novel (Whatever After #1) by Sarah Mlynowski and Anu Chouhan (Apr. 2, $12.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-338-84509-9) adapts the Snow White redo from the bestselling series that features siblings who fall into—and change the outcome of—fairy tales. When the siblings stop Snow White from biting the poison apple, how will she ever meet her prince? Ages 8–12.
Shiny Misfits by Maysoon Zayid and Shadia Amin (Apr. 16, $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-338-75250-2). Disability activist Zayid takes on the vagaries of social media fame in a graphic novel that finds tap-dancing protagonist Bay Ann Musa winning the school talent show, only to have her disability go viral. Ages 9–12.
Groundwood
Wildful by Kengo Kurimoto (Feb. 6, $22.99, ISBN 978-1-77306-862-6). Poppy escapes the gloom of her depression through leisurely forest walks with her dog, finding how the small beauties and mysteries of nature bring light into her—and she hopes her mother’s—life. Ages 9–12.
HarperAlley
A for Effort by Jarad Greene (Mar. 5, $15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-06-303287-3) is Greene’s second semi-auto-biographical comic, which finds protagonist Jay enrolling in a theater program as a high school freshman. His parents are excited to get Shakespeare on his college admissions package, but Jay struggles to best the Bard. Ages 8–12.
Lunar Boy by Jes and Cin Wibowo (May 14, $15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-06-305759-3). A trans boy raised on the moon travels to Earth, where he feels out of place and longs to return home—until he discovers that his journey and his friendships may have changed him after all. Ages 8–12.
Holiday House
Bunnybirds by Natalie Linn (May 28, $22.99, ISBN 978-0-8234-4926-2). A tribe of prophetic, flying bunnies who believe that calm and content mindsets are the key to staying afloat find their ranks thinning, and their princess seeks answers by traveling over the rim of the known world to the Court of Dragons. Ages 8–12.
Holt
Survival of the Fittest by Rebecca Donnelly and Misa Saburi (Apr. 23, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-250-80531-7). On a science-themed game show judged by a tank of sharks, animals compete in an engineering challenge to invent a new product made of natural elements. Ages 7–11.
Iron Circus
The Silver City (Student Ambassador #2) by Ryan Estrada (May 14, $15 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-63899-132-8). What if international ambassadors were kids? This entry in Estrada’s series finds eight-year-old Joseph on a mission to Mexico, where he learns more about his ancestry while cracking the case of a haunted silver mine. Ages 8-12.
Kokila
Fake Chinese Sounds by Jing Jing Tsong (Apr. 30, $23.99, ISBN 978-0-525-55342-7; $13.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-525-55343-4). Taiwanese American middle schooler Mei loves summers spent cooking guo with her visiting grandma Nai Nai, though she’s bored by the mandatory Mandarin lessons. When school restarts, however, a racist bully targets her—and ignoring him only makes it worse. Ages 9–12.
LB Ink
Art Club by Rashad Doucet (Feb. 6, $12.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-7595-5639-3). A boy bucks his grandfather’s and vice principal’s prejudices about the value of art by launching an extracurricular art club at his underfunded school—if he can find the cash flow to keep it running. Ages 8–11.
Little, Brown/Patterson
Ali Cross: The Graphic Novel by James Patterson, Adam Rau, and Phillip Tajalle (July 29, $12.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-316-32687-2) adapts the series featuring the son of FBI agent Alex Cross, as Ali chases criminals and cases just like his dad, who is unjustly being put on trial. Ages 10–14.
Oni
The Happy Shop by Brittany Long Olsen (Feb. 13, $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-63715-279-9). New kid Darcy is homesick, but her mood changes when she happens upon a shop that sells feel-good vapors (such as the glow of grabbing a sweater on sale), befriends the owners, and helps them expand their offerings. Ages 8–12.
Papercutz
The Tail of the Mummy Cat (Double Booking #1) by Chas! Pangburn, Kim Shearer, and Nic Touris (April 16, $12.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5458-1147-4). The launch of a new series in which each entry tells the same adventure from two different perspectives, this graphic novel finds siblings Otto and Nan on a trip through Egypt. How it goes depends very much on which of them is telling their story. Ages 7–12.
Penguin Workshop
What Made California the Golden State? Life During the Gold Rush: A Who HQ Graphic Novel by Shing Yin Khor and Kass Gray (Apr. 2, $13.99, ISBN 978-0-593-38585-2) presents the heady days and high risks of the California gold rush through the histories of two miners hoping to strike it rich in the Sierra Nevada. Ages 8–12.
Putnam
Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon: The Graphic Novel by Paula Danziger and Victoria Ying (May 21, $19.99, ISBN 978-0-593-61569-0) adapts tales featuring Danziger’s punny character, Amber Brown, whose bestie Justin is moving out of town after the pair’s spent years sheltering each other from the woes of shared custody and class meanies. Ages 7–10.
The Monster and the Maze (Monkey King and the World of Myths #1) by Maple Lam (Apr. 2, $23.99, ISBN 978-0-593-52463-3). Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, ventures into the realm of Greek mythology in an attempt to save everyone in the world, be they gods or human, from turning into monsters. Ages 8–12.
Random House Graphic
Kira and the (Maybe) Space Princess (Magic Girls #1) by Megan Brennan (Mar. 5, $21.99, ISBN 978-0-593-17754-9). In an homage to manga, fashion-forward and fun-loving superheroines—one of them a cat unicorn—battle villains with frills and glitter. Ages 8–12.
Roaring Brook
The Adventures of Thunder and Sage (Wagnificent #1) by Bethanie Deeney Murguia (July 23, $21.99, ISBN 978-1-250-83530-7; $13.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-250-90873-5). Thunder knows she’s a good dog—happy to nap, snap up treats, and play ball with her human. When her inner wolfishness emerges in wild impulses, however, she struggles to reconcile her dual nature. Ages 6–10.
Rocky Pond
Puzzled: A Memoir of Growing Up with OCD by Pan Cooke (Apr. 16, $23.99, ISBN 978-0-593-61561-4). Intrusive fears start invading Cooke’s mind at age 10—that he’ll swear in church or slip a racy photo into his homework packet—and only ritual actions seem to calm him down in this comics memoir depiction of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Ages 10–14.
S&S/Dlouhy
The Expets by Mark Tatulli (Apr. 30, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-6659-1487-1). A lazy, smelly canine gets recruited into a super-pet team, but he doesn’t want anything to do with the do-gooders—until robbers and an intruder robot force him to tag along to defend his home turf. Ages 7–12.
Skybound
Super Dinosaur Compendium by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard (July 9, $34.99, ISBN 978-1-5343-2722-1) collects the full saga of inner earth, evildoer Max Maximus, and a 10-year-old hero and his T-rex video-gamer best bud, who race to save the dinosaurs from destruction. Ages 8-12.
Thames & Hudson
The Case of the Curious Canary (Miss Cat #1) by Joëlle Jolivet and Jean-Luc Fromental, trans. by Jill Pythian (Apr. 2, $12.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-500-66026-3). After a young woman who calls herself Miss Cat sets up a detective agency in a milk bar, she strikes out in search of a missing songbird, hoping the canary can help her crack a cold case. Ages 7–10.
Top Shelf
Deja Ross Speaks to Freaks by Lisa Naffziger (July 2, $19.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-60309-540-2). Monster-loving middle schooler Deja makes stops along her family road trip to creature-hunt, and manages to befriend the Texas Chupacabra, vowing to bring the voices of mystical beasts to the airwaves. Ages 8–12.
Viking
Jupiter Nettle and the Seven Schools of Magic by Sangu Mandanna and Pablo Ballesteros (June 11, $22.99, ISBN 978-0-593-46447-2). After ambitious yet bumbling spell-caster Jupiter fails her entrance exams to magic school, she gets one more chance, but finds the School of Earth Magic and her fittingly named teacher, Professor Grim, to be a drag. Ages 8–12.
A Wave Blue World
Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans, edited by Sammy Lisel and Hazel Newlevant (May 28, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-949518-26-9), profiles trans activists, teachers, and scientists in comics about growing up, coming out to family and friends, transitioning genders, and more. Ages 8–12.
Workman
The Divmulti Ray Dilemma: A Math Graphic Novel: Learn Multiplication and Division! (The Solvers #1) by Jon Chad (Feb. 20, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-5235-2671-0). Kid superheroes solve the problem of the villain Null Void in this launch of a graphic novel series designed to teach the foundations of math. Ages 8–12.
