An expressive, heartfelt exploration of the bonds that hold us together.
When their parents’ marriage crumbles in a storm of angry voices, stepsisters Quinn and Kenzie are whisked away by their grandmother to the restorative world of the Outer Banks.
Quinn, with her red curls and freckled skin, and light-skinned, brown-haired Kenzie, who has a port-wine birthmark on her forehead, have been sisters for as long as they can remember. But now their blended family is fracturing. Smith’s expressive artwork captures the gut-wrenching emotional turbulence with visceral precision: Red speech bubbles with jagged edges and slanted text convey parental arguments, while the tween girls huddle under blankets, finding safety in each other. When Gramma, a veterinarian at the Wild Horse Foundation, steps in, the story shifts into a more hopeful register. Gramma guides the sisters toward healing through nature, particularly by observing the horses and spending time on the beach cleaning up garbage. The sisters’ bond strengthens during vividly realized moments like when they crack open geodes to discover the hidden beauty within. Quinn’s budding romance with pale, purple-haired Willow adds another layer of self-discovery to this emotionally rich narrative. Smith’s art conveys complex feelings remarkably well—fear, resilience, hope, and the harrowing ache of watching your family come apart—all while the girls navigate what it means to be family when the impact of having a stepsister relationship is uncertain. The beauty of the windswept island setting and the elegance of the horses also shine.
An expressive, heartfelt exploration of the bonds that hold us together. (Graphic fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
ISBN: 9781546128946
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
An emotional, much-needed historical graphic novel.
Sandy and his family, Japanese Canadians, experience hatred and incarceration during World War II.
Sandy Saito loves baseball, and the Vancouver Asahi ballplayers are his heroes. But when they lose in the 1941 semifinals, Sandy’s dad calls it a bad omen. Sure enough, in December 1941, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor in the U.S. The Canadian government begins to ban Japanese people from certain areas, moving them to “dormitories” and setting a curfew. Sandy wants to spend time with his father, but as a doctor, his dad is busy, often sneaking out past curfew to work. One night Papa is taken to “where he [is] needed most,” and the family is forced into an internment camp. Life at the camp isn’t easy, and even with some of the Asahi players playing ball there, it just isn’t the same. Trying to understand and find joy again, Sandy struggles with his new reality and relationship with his father. Based on the true experiences of Japanese Canadians and the Vancouver Asahi team, this graphic novel is a glimpse of how their lives were affected by WWII. The end is a bit abrupt, but it’s still an inspiring and sweet look at how baseball helped them through hardship. The illustrations are all in a sepia tone, giving it an antique look and conveying the emotions and struggles. None of the illustrations of their experiences are overly graphic, making it a good introduction to this upsetting topic for middle-grade readers.
An emotional, much-needed historical graphic novel. (afterword, further resources) (Graphic historical fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5253-0334-0
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven.
An aspiring scientist and a budding artist become friends and help each other with dream projects.
Unfolding in mid-1980s Sacramento, California, this story stars 12-year-olds Rosalind and Benjamin as first-person narrators in alternating chapters. Ro’s father, a fellow space buff, was killed by a drunk driver; the rocket they were working on together lies unfinished in her closet. As for Benji, not only has his best friend, Amir, moved away, but the comic book holding the clue for locating his dad is also missing. Along with their profound personal losses, the protagonists share a fixation with the universe’s intriguing potential: Ro decides to complete the rocket and hopes to launch mementos of her father into outer space while Benji’s conviction that aliens and UFOs are real compels his imagination and creativity as an artist. An accident in science class triggers a chain of events forcing Benji and Ro, who is new to the school, to interact and unintentionally learn each other’s secrets. They resolve to find Benji’s dad—a famous comic-book artist—and partner to finish Ro’s rocket for the science fair. Together, they overcome technical, scheduling, and geographical challenges. Readers will be drawn in by amusing and fantastical elements in the comic book theme, high emotional stakes that arouse sympathy, and well-drawn character development as the protagonists navigate life lessons around grief, patience, self-advocacy, and standing up for others. Ro is biracial (Chinese/White); Benji is White.
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-300888-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
