My Aunt is a Monster by Reimena Yee

5 stars What an adventure. It starts with tragedy then blooms into something magnificent. Mystery, adventure, secrets, feuds, and an agency bent on chaos. I want more of this world! Beautiful, imaginative artwork, which I’ve come to expect from Yee by now. She never disappoints. I absolutely loved Walteranne Hakim Whimsy’s character design and Safia…

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Chibi Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis by Julie and Stan Sakai

3 stars A cute rendition of Usagi Yojimbo complete with Miyamoto Usagi in chibi form along with Chibi Tomoe and Chibi Gen. The three friends meet a dogu and help save the dogu village from the evil Salamander King. Nice story of friendship and helping others. Also includes some interactive and educational materials at the…

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Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee

5 stars A delightful ghost story centered around friendship and growing up. This book is absolutely beautiful! I loved every moment of it. It is sweet, relatable, gut-wrenching, and heartwarming all rolled into one gorgeous package. The artwork is fantastic. I really enjoyed the cozy art style and Yee perfectly captures the emotions of her…

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When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

5 stars A heartfelt book recounting Omar Mohamed’s experiences growing up in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. The book goes through Mohamed’s daily life and long-term struggles including taking care of his brother, arguments with friends, trying to get an education in the camp, learning English, coping with food shortages, fighting for resettlement in…

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I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916: The Graphic Novel (I Survived: Graphic #2) by Lauren Tarshis, Adapted by Georgia Ball, Art by Haus Studio

2 stars Okay read. I’ve since gone back and read the original novel and found the original to be a less sensationalized account. The artwork in this is too over-the-top. The incorporation of historical facts into a fictionalized story was interesting. Tarshis gives Chet a whole backstory and his own struggles outside the shark storyline,…

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Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

4 stars Another winner from Brosgol! In this part-memoir graphic novel, Brosgol tackles her time at Russian summer camp, complete with mean tent-mates, horrific outhouses (aka the Hollywood), new friends, run-ins with wild animals, camp competitions, reluctantly getting caught up in drama, and the desire to belong. Brosgol doesn’t shy away from some of the…

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