Captivating and lyrical.
Shaheen’s dad is missing. Music, which bonded them over the years, now seems to be the cause of their separation.
Twelve-year-old Shahi and her journalist father, an avid record collector, have connected through music for as long as she can remember, although lately he seems to pay attention to it more than he does to her. Until the day Shahi’s dad gets lost in music—literally. Shahi and her cousin, Tannaz, set out to find him by sleuthing after hours inside the local record store, where he and Earl, the store’s owner, were last seen. They discover a massive jukebox, which they come to realize is magical, as it transports them back in time whenever it plays a record. Hopping in and out of time to attend legendary concerts seems to have led to both men’s disappearance. Now Shahi and Naz need to figure out if there is a way to bring them back. The story highlights the eras and contributions of notable Black musicians including Bessie Smith, Nina Simone, James Brown, and Marvin Gaye. Chanani’s illustrations of the family’s San Francisco neighborhood as well as the historical settings are delightfully colorful and vibrant, and her attention to detail is impeccable. She weaves musicality into her exploration of personal relationships, creating a world where music connects us all. Shahi has Italian and Bangladeshi heritage; Naz is Bangladeshi American and bisexual, and Earl is Black.
Captivating and lyrical. (playlist, author's note) (Graphic fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: June 22, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-15636-5
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2021
Briskly paced, expertly crafted, and stocked with surprising twists and nuanced characters.
A young warrior battles inner ghosts and a rival to the throne in this series kickoff.
Switching to a graphic format, Myklusch returns to the elusive island of Imagine Nation, the setting of his Jack Blank novel series, where belief is the ruling principle. Dreaming of measuring up to his dead parents, Skerren takes center stage in a battle for the crown of Varagog, where it’s always 1404. He faces Zorn, the son of a displaced ruler who fled years ago following the cybernetic Rüstov’s invasion attempt. Orlando’s art effectively showcases Imagine Nation’s racially and culturally distinctive residents and settings as the high-action plot shifts scenes beyond Varagog to Faerie and futuristic Hightown—until an evil alliance in the Night Lands that threatens everyone on the island is revealed. In combat scenes, the artist also substitutes sprays of black Night Lander goop for red blood, rendering swordfights somewhat less gory. To the pleasure of returning fans (and comics readers in general), Jack and his fantastically rubbery blue friend Allegra step in to help, and in a Marvel Universe–style twist, a conflicted older retainer nursing a devastating secret later plays a crucial role. Happily, for those readers who aren’t fans of never-ending plotlines, this volume offers enough of a resolution to work as a stand-alone.
Briskly paced, expertly crafted, and stocked with surprising twists and nuanced characters. (Graphic fantasy. 10-13)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781665928182
Page Count: 312
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024
A lively ghost story that hits all the right notes.
A free keyboard and its supernatural inhabitant have a profound effect on a lonely girl’s life.
The weird synth keyboard Margot found on the street with a sign reading “FREE PIANO / NOT HAUNTED” seems like just the thing she needs to make people like her; her ukulele just isn’t doing the trick. Though she’s certain that finding success as a musician is the key to reconnecting with her absent, disengaged father, Margot is nearly deterred by the emergence of the ghost of the piano’s original owner from its keyboard: 1980s one-hit-wonder pop star Vision. Vision’s cool vibes are eventually too much to resist, though, and she becomes a welcome source of support as Margot reckons with her mom’s long working hours, feeling like her dad’s “dumb invisible daughter,” and the success of @sonsofsmash, her best friends’ social media channel about smashing things, which is gaining the followers she’s desperate for. But Vision isn’t the only ghost in the machine, and Margot may be in danger. The art features amusing details, vivid gradients, and bright colors (like Vision’s candy apple red hair and blue eyeshadow), as well as expressively drawn characters. Margot, who has light skin and blond hair, grapples with feelings of abandonment and betrayal when her existence is clearly a lower priority to her father than his own fame in a way that’s accessible and grounding, balancing emotional depth with the creepy mystery.
A lively ghost story that hits all the right notes. (Graphic paranormal. 10-14)Pub Date: July 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781665938136
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
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