Jenny Arch

Aug 31, 2024 | slj.com | Kate Fox |Jenny Arch |Nessa Diab |Mary Lyn

K-Gr 3–A diverse group of family members and friends gather on a West Coast beach to celebrate the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, with a bonfire and good company.

May 1, 2024 | slj.com | Nicole Melleby |Jenny Arch |Yoon Ha |Dos Santos

Gr 3-7–No one asked Winnie, 12, but she’s spending the summer with her grandma while her parents work; her mom is pregnant again after several miscarriages and bouts of depression, and no one is talking about it. Winnie’s parents have told her not to tell her grandma that she’s gay, which she’s known since she was four. Being sent away and forced into the closet makes upsets Winnie, but she acquiesces because she wants her mom to be happy.

Dec 20, 2023 | schoollibraryjournal.com | Brigid Alverson |Jasmine Amiri |Jenny Arch |Shelley Diaz

In the series “Elle(s)” by Kid Toussaint and Aveline Stokart, the main character has dissociative identity disorder. Her hair color and facial expressions change depending on which personality is dominant. Color also conveys powerful emotion in My Own World, about an anxious boy who finds refuge in fantasy. Creator Mike Holmes uses harsh yellow-greens to depict the real world, and a softer, black-and-red palette for the imaginary realm into which his younger self escapes.

Nov 29, 2023 | slj.com | Jasmine Amiri |Jenny Arch |Shelley Diaz |Andrea Lipinski

From a spirited shark to a cheerful squirrel, the characters in these four graphic novels will inspire holiday cheer in readers. Lowery, Mike. Santa Shark: A Great White Christmas. illus. by Mike Lowery. 32p. Orchard. Oct. 2023. Tr $14.99. ISBN 9781338803952. K-Gr 3–It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and Edgar the shark cannot wait! As he prepares for a “verrrry special guest,” Edgar’s best friend, Lotta the crab, speculates who it could be.

Nov 19, 2023 | slj.com | Brigid Alverson |Jasmine Amiri |Jenny Arch |Shelley Diaz

Manga is more popular than ever before, as this year’s SLJ survey revealed, and the explosion in popularity has brought a wave of new titles, some in familiar genres and others that are truly unique. Here are 10 of the best new manga published in 2023. Kawamura, Taku. My Clueless First Friend, Vol. 1. Square Enix. ISBN 9781646092048. Gr 5 Up–Nishimura’s classmates bully her, calling her the “Grim Reaper” because she has a dark and gothy look.