I was SOOOOOO excited when my library announced they would start doing curbside pickup of holds because I knew I would get to read this book at last, which was on hold for me when the library closed in March! In this volume, two of Coco's classmates at the Atelier face their second test, another with a very shy apprentice with low self-esteem from another school. As always, the story is rich with new spells, new magical creatures, and hints of the dark forces that are trying to bring back forbidden power from the past. Reading these books makes me want to draw; they are so beautiful, from the page layouts to the costume design to the body language- seriously, one of the best manga series I've ever read!

I raced through this 400 page book in two days, which is my favorite way to read a book! It's been a while since I read a YA book that I enjoyed so much. Bri is a high school junior at a Midtown Arts Academy but she lives in Garden Heights with her single mom and her older brother. She dreams of being a rapper like her father, shot and killed when she was four in a gang related conflict. Her mom wants her to focus on SAT and ACT test prep, get into a good school and go to college. Bri's best friends, Sonny, a gay visual arts student, and Malik, a filmmaker, thrive academically but Bri keeps getting sent to the principle's office for every tiny defiance. Finally, Bri's aunt is able to use her connections to secure Bri a chance at a freestyle rap battle in the Ring- of course her opponent is the son of a music producer with one or two vapid viral hip-hop tracks already released. I was literally sweating while I read the section about Bri freestyling, getting sympathetic stage fright. The pacing of this story is so satisfying- a perfect mix of action moments and scenes of reflection or family time. It had the heightened stakes of a YA novel, but grounded by the very real emotions of the characters. Plus there are moment that it made me laugh out loud!

This is a very gentle, sweet story about a fifth grader finding her own way amidst different friend groups. Olive is pretty popular and is friends with almost everyone at school. But she doesn't have one BEST friend, which has never been more apparent as when everyone starts preparing their acts for the talent show. No one asks Olive to be in their group and she feels left out seeing everyone else's closer, deeper connections. Luckily she has a very cool aunt who helps her brainstorm solutions and comes up with an idea that is uniquely, perfectly suited to her own personality!

I bought this novelization of Serenity back in 2005, not long after watching the movie in theaters. I had recently been introduced to Firefly by friends and fell in love with it, possibly because there was so little of it: the fact it had been prematurely cut short meant it was left to my imagination how amazing the conclusion COULD have been. It's one of very few TV shows that I've watched more than once, and I hold onto an extreme nostalgic fondness for the characters and the world.

It was interesting to re-read this book in 2020, with a much fuller knowledge of Whedon's unsavory behavior, and also during a period in which JKR's evolution into a full, loud TERF has caused me to spend a lot of time reflecting on how much or little of an author's problematic beliefs can be seen in their work. Part of what drew me to the Firefly crew was the fact that 4 of the 9 main characters are women, each one interestingly different from the others. As a high schooler, this near gender parity in a sci-fi ensemble show delighted me. Reading the book through much older eyes, I noticed that each of these unique women are completely defined by their relationships with men. This aspect of the story is probably more emphasized in the novelization because of the added internal narration. The dialogue in this book is exactly the same as the film, but the author gives thoughts to these women that I didn't always agree with or love. Still, it was fun to revisit this story, and I think there is still value in reading a flawed book, especially if it inspires some good thoughts or conversations.

Another beautiful installment of one of my favorite manga series. Coco's classmates taking the second test of witch craft have been attached by a member of the Brimmed Hats, the witches who want to bring forbidden magic back to the world. Coco and her friends have to use the limited spells they know to save a fellow apprentice from a terrible fate. Gorgeously drawn as always!

Blond preteen Olive travels to Mexico with her adopted Latinx siblings Charlotte and Darwin, to spend the summer at their Grandmother Lupé’s (possibly haunted?) hotel. They discover a series of strange artifacts which allow them to visit alternate worlds, and also a history of missing family members. All of this plot is wrapped up quite quickly, though the ending also leaves the door open for a sequel. I liked a lot of the concepts in this book, but it just didn't quite come together for me.

I had the pleasure of illustrating this novel! So I got to read the book early, and my review will be quite biased :D It takes place mostly over one summer during which high schooler Em Morales loses her faith in the justice system after the frat boy who raped her older sister is found guilty by a jury, but not sentenced to any prison time. Em was a writer on her school paper, and used her small social media platform to raise awareness and advocate for her sister's case. Now she is ready to quit journalism altogether in disgust. At loose ends, she reconnects with Jess, a nonbinary acquaintance also home for the summer but trying to avoid their divorcing parents. Jess is in the drama club, practices sword fighting, and loves medieval history. Jess introduces Em to the story of Marguerite de Bressieux, a 15th-century French noblewoman who according to legend took up a sword to avenge victims of sexual violence. Em starts writing poems about Marguerite de Bressieux, which Jess illustrates. I created 18 black and white pieces (Jess's art) for the book and it was one of my favorite illustration projects to date. I, too, was once a nonbinary Renaissance-Fair-obsessed teenager; I looked through a bunch of my own high school sketchbooks, as well as reference books on illuminated manuscripts, for inspiration while working on this. I can't wait for readers to get to see the book when it comes out in early 2021!

Kriss is a pale, emo, teenage misfit in village of hearty medieval peasants. He suspects that the couple who raised him are not his birth parents; he is haunted by ghosts, or gods, who whisper to him about the northern kingdom of Darkovia where his true destiny lies. Kriss's only friend in town is a kind girl named Anya, who confiders her own sadness over her mother's recent death. Kriss goes into the forest to hunt down the beast who killed her, and defeats it at great personal cost. This isn't a complicated story, but Naifeh is good at developing characters with clear personalities and motivations. I am curious to see where this story goes in volume 2!