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The Case of the Pilfered Pearls

Margi Preus, illus. by Junyi Wu (Amulet)

Preus and Wu’s jubilant series opener stars a pygmy shrew sleuth who seeks to uncover the identity of the thief who stole a human’s string of pearls, clear her client’s name, and circumvent potential rodent murder. The adorable cast’s unique traits, including echolocation and cheek pouches, prove vital throughout the investigation, which is peppered with shaded graphite illustrations that recall Syd Hoff’s work.

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Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters

Yevgenia Nayberg (Holiday House/Porter)

In this piercing graphic novel memoir, Nayberg campaigns to attend art school while navigating the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Frenetic, scribbled pencil strokes—evident amid muted watercolor and collage artwork produced on visibly creased paper—and subtle hints about the sociopolitical pressures of living in the U.S.S.R. suggest that unrest lies beneath the idyllic slice-of-life depictions of one young artist’s pursuit of uninhibited creative expression.

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Hometown

Shaun Tan (Levine Querido)

Earth-toned illustrations render organic, viscerally alive architecture and beings that toe the line between monstrous and fantastic in Tan’s visually stunning graphic novel about a lone youth who must choose between staying among their beloved otherworldly community and leaving to seek out others similar to themself. Humorous moments and spare narration result in an ethereal work about home and identity.

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La Bandera: Poems of Resistance and Pride

Anika Aldamuy Denise, illus. by Ericka Lugo (HarperCollins)

Across 14 dynamic poems, Denise unspools “a complex narrative that is missing from [the] mainstream,” matter-of-factly recounting Puerto Rico’s ongoing struggle for autonomy, as well as the language suppression, unfair governmental representation, and unwarranted violence endured by the island and its people. Accompanied by Lugo’s lush, brightly colored artwork, lyrical verse fluidly portrays moments of joy and oppression in this resplendent collection.

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Licorice

Kara LaReau, illus. by Kelly Murphy (Scholastic Press)

Drawing inspiration from Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, LaReau and Murphy spin a heartening tale of a newly adopted cat who finds herself living in the shadow of her predecessor. Shaded pencil artwork amplifies feelings of unease, longing, and tension throughout this grounded, wistfully narrated story whose hopeful resolution ensures an enchanting experience for animal lovers and mystery aficionados alike.

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Listen to the Girls

Chrystal D. Giles (Random House)

Giles’s potent, socially attuned novel follows a middle schooler reckoning with the knowledge that her favorite teacher has a history of sexual harassment complaints. Compassionate language approaches a difficult subject with care, as the protagonist grapples with instances of manipulation by trusted adults and recognizes the importance of speaking up for survivors. It’s a thoughtful, prescient exploration of the power of collective voices.

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Lost in Peach Blossom Paradise

Xiong Liang, trans. from the Chinese by Chloe Garcia Roberts (Elsewhere)

Elements of Lewis Carroll and Hayao Miyazaki reverberate throughout Liang’s whimsical illustrated series starter about a forbidden trek, a secret village, and a young wanderer on the adventure of a lifetime. Propulsive fantasy presents Chinese culture and mythology in a gorgeous package that features ink-wash drawings emphasizing vivid, imagery-rich prose, a vast forest setting, and impish, memorable characters.

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The Moon Without Stars

Chanel Miller (Philomel)

Zine-making provides a seventh grader, who views “language as a balm for emotional wounds,” an avenue through which she helps classmates alleviate personal issues—and that offers her a chance at popularity. Miller’s subtle, lightly suspenseful prose relays an original story about the perils of sacrificing one’s values for the sake of fitting in, culminating in a complex and emotionally resonant novel that celebrates empathy.

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The Queen’s Granddaughter

Diane Zahler (Roaring Brook)

A precocious 12th-century princess navigates life-or-death situations that force her to contend with ethical and physical peril, reexamine her values, and choose the type of leader she wants to become in this perceptive adventure. Via smoothly flowing prose and empathetic characters, Zahler provides ample opportunity for readers to consider how differing perspectives come together and how the past informs the future.

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Raise the Bar

Fernanda Frick H. (Dial)

Frick H.’s exceptional graphic novel debut chronicles the triumphs and setbacks of a young amateur weight lifter on her journey toward competing professionally. Bold-lined, vibrantly saturated, emotive cartooning captures the precise motions and kinetic atmosphere of the protagonist’s sport, while appealing, distinctly wrought characters energize the story’s organic emotion, humor, and action. It’s a gold medal–worthy performance.

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The Second Life of Snap

Erin Entrada Kelly (Greenwillow)

Succinct, sensorial prose conjures a futuristic tale about down-and-out tweens living under a dictatorial regime who find unexpected comfort from their robot chaperone. Race-against-the-clock plotting sees the youths desperately seeking a solution to the robot’s failing battery, while touching on timely themes of climate change and technological classism. The protagonists’ ingenuity and capacity for optimism are the cherry on top of Kelly’s affirming adventure.

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Sisters Alone

Shifa Saltagi Safadi (Putnam)

Sisters must put aside their differences to weather a deadly snowstorm in Safadi’s stirring verse novel. When a fallen tree branch makes their isolated house inhospitable, the siblings embark on a quest for safety that’s impeded by feelings of numbing grief and simmering anger brought about by their mother’s recent death. Equal parts thrilling survival story and tender homage to sisterhood, it’s a standout.

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This Is a Door

Daniel Nayeri (Stonefruit)

Loyal, kindhearted characters gracefully navigate complicated emotions in Nayeri’s rousing mythic fantasy about an orphaned tween searching beyond his mountaintop city for his purpose. Luminous language illustrates the protagonists’ trek, while stylized text design arranges specific words, lines, and passages to evoke pertinent objects, emotions, or actions. Fizzes of gentle humor keep the tone light throughout this remarkably innovative tale.

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Where the Wild Horses Are

Amy Alznauer (Holiday House/Porter)

Having long yearned to own a horse, a self-described cowboy takes advantage of a wild horse training program. Alznauer’s distinctive first-person narration captures both the intensity of the child’s aspirations and the vulnerabilities hidden beneath her stubborn demeanor. The result is a deeply felt and emotionally satisfying story about a girl, a horse, and the solace they find in each other.

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You Are Now Old Enough to Hear This

Aaron Starmer, illus. by Jaime Zollars (Penguin Workshop)

A tween’s curiosity about his family and his place within it propels him on an unsettling journey in this bizarre yet alluring story that considers a child’s relationship with his grandfather. Starmer’s clever prose conjures a cohesive, genuinely touching narrative that features gruesome elements including a pickled pinkie toe, while Zollars’s moody gray Steven Kellogg–esque illustrations amplify the book’s unrepentantly weird vibe.

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