A second life as a graphic novel - Front Desk by Kelly Yang

Front Desk: The Graphic Novel by Kelly Yang (Author), Fumio Obata (Illustrator)

From the publisher, Scholastic, Graphix Imprint, Published Oct 20, 2026

The graphic novel adaptation of Kelly Yang's New York Times bestselling book Front Desk! This beautifully illustrated modern classic highlighting Mia Tang's ever-relevant immigrant story is a must-have for every bookshelf and classroom.

Mia Tang has a lot of secrets.

Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests.

Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed.

Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language?

It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?

Originally published in 2019 as a traditional novel, Front Desk won so many awards. I’m probably one of the few who didn’t read it the first time around. I did read Top Story, which is book five of six in this series.

This graphic novel was fast paced with no chapter breaks. Felt like a runaway train. It was exhausting because I didn’t want to stop reading. 😊

The story is about so many important things: racism, immigrants, family, friendship, injustice, and bullying. 

The main character, Mia, is a creative problem solver, who doesn’t give up and works hard to help everyone. And she never gives up on herself, either. Her entrepreneurial spirit leads many of the characters to become better versions of themselves.

I think, whether you read the novel or graphic novel, you’ll definitely want to read the whole series. You will love how real the characters are, the heart, and their relationships. An essential read for all. 

Sept MG and third book in trilogy: Ghost Light (The Last Resort #3)

Ghost Light (The Last Resort #3) by Sara Farizan

From the publisher, Scholastic, Published Sept 1, 2026.

The line between the ghost world and our world gets even thinner in this haunting new installment of this multidimensional series where ghosts talk from the pages.

Rosteen is dead. He knows he's dead. And yet... he's still around. He died as a kid in the 1980s, but here he is in the 2020s, brought back to The Last Resort by Lila, Tobias, and Caleb -- who desperately need his help.

The problem? An evil ghost wants to make a comeback and cause a few more disasters that will inevitably cost people their lives. The only way for Rosteen, Lila, Tobias, and Caleb to stop her is to travel to the sites of some of her more infamous disasters in the past and find objects from those times that will somehow defeat her. And to do that, they’ll need to bring back another ghost -- the one that killed Lila and Caleb's grandfather.

Rosteen has nothing left to lose... except his new friends, who could lose everything and become ghosts themselves if they make one wrong move.

If you look at all three covers from this trilogy, you can see them getting spookier. And that goes for the stories as well!

So I realized that I missed writing a review on the second book. I read it and liked it, but I think that was around a very busy/difficult time, and I hadn’t posted for a few months. My apologies to The Claiming (The Last Resort #2) by Jasmine Warga.

This third book, but the third author, brings it all together and brings it home. But not before so many adventures into the otherworld, meeting new ghosts, figuring out how to defeat the evil ghost, the Fire Maiden.

Written from the ghost’s point of view brought a longing and sadness as well as some wisdom. Rosteen was from the 1980’s, so he really was quite old even though he was still a boy. We get to hear his side, his death, and his life. I love the depth and different levels we experience.

A very important aspect is the friendship with the four kids. They really do carry each other and help however they can.

The climax is good, but I think I expected something more. It’s definitely appropriate for middle grade. The characters go through so many perils that it’s probably okay to not be over the top. And the ending did get me. I don’t often cry reading books, but this one did.

Fabulous MG Graphic Novel - Mixed Feelings

Mixed Feelings: A Graphic Novel by Sara Amini (Author), Shadia Amin (Illustrator)

From the publisher, Scholastic, Published April 7, 2026.

Things are getting hairy!

What could go wrong on the first day of sixth grade?

A: You wake up with leg hair out of nowhere.

B: You have zero classes with your BFF and watch her run off with her new (annoying) friend.

C: You struggle to decide which school club to join because being mixed race makes you feel like you don't belong anywhere.

D: All of the above. SERIOUSLY?!

At first, Sara's got mixed feelings about middle school. But she finds comfort in TV -- whether she's watching it, performing her favorite scenes, or imagining her life is a show itself. So when she joins drama club, Sara discovers a community where she can be anything she wants -- including herself. Has Sara finally found a place to fit in? Or will she instead find herself buried under her growing leg hair and off-stage friendship drama?

In Sara Amini's semi-autobiographical story, navigating life as a mixed-race girl has never been more hilarious or heartfelt, with family, friendship, and fuzz all at the forefront of this laugh-out-loud and painfully relatable middle-school memoir.

I loved seeing the friendships in this story, old and new. Loved that getting hairy was tackled, lack of communication among friends and family, being mixed race, annoying younger siblings, finding your place with the theatre kids, and how to resolve some of the difficult situations we find ourselves in. (Whether our fault or not!) And finding your way amidst all the craziness in life.

So well done and loved how the illustrations captured so many feelings. How big they really feel inside.

It looks like there's a second graphic novel coming out in Oct called Mixed Signals. I look forward to reading that one too! 

MG Book Blurb - THE HURRICANE GIRLS

THE HURRICANE GIRLS at first seems like a straightforward story, but there is so much more to it. It’s complex, layered, and very satisfying.

From the publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books, August 2023

A coming-of-age middle grade novel about three best friends born in the wake of Hurricane Katrina who must confront storms of their own 12 years later, from a National Book Award winning author.

Born in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Greer, Joya Mia, and Kiki are seventh graders and the best of friends. After an accident leaves Greer's little sister paralyzed, Greer is forever changed by the experience and blames herself. Kiki and Joya Mia will do anything to help Greer let go of this emotional burden, and a plan is hatched to compete in a triathlon. Each girl will participate: Kiki will swim, Joya Mia will cycle, and Greer, if they can persuade her, will run—something she once loved to do.

Set on the Westbank of New Orleans, this contemporary coming-of-age novel is a journey of growth, healing, and difficult transitions as the girls navigate their many life challenges: family trauma, body insecurity, and the conflict between ambition and responsibility. It's a powerful and enlightening exploration of how to surmount personal tragedy through friendship and forgiveness.

Each chapter is told by one of the three girls, so you get to experience all the issues the girls are dealing with: guilt, self-blame, body and self-insecurity, first romance, first job and responsibility. And those are just the main plots. The subplots add dimension and opens the reader to different experiences. Of course, set in New Orleans is a fantastic character, too.

I think the biggest themes are friendship and communication. There’s a lot of heart.

You Need to Read This Book

When I read this book, I thought, if you read only one book this year, read this one. It’s one of the best books of the year. So many incredible elements and depth.

Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King

From the publisher, Scholastic: available September 2022

Award-winning author Amy Sarig King takes on censorship and intolerance in a novel she was born to write.

When Mac first opens his classroom copy of Jane Yolen's The Devil’s Arithmetic and finds some words blacked out, he thinks it must be a mistake. But then when he and his friends discover what the missing words are, he's outraged.

Someone in his school is trying to prevent kids from reading the full story.

But who?

Even though his unreliable dad tells him to not get so emotional about a book (or anything else), Mac has been raised by his mom and grandad to call out things that are wrong. He and his friends head to the principal's office to protest the censorship... but her response doesn't take them seriously.

So many adults want Mac to keep his words to himself.

Mac's about to see the power of letting them out.

In Attack of the Black Rectangles, acclaimed author Amy Sarig King shows all the ways truth can be hard... but still worth fighting for.

 

It’s not just about censorship. Friendship, first crush, a father who isn’t who you’d like him to be, doing what’s right, finding courage, protesting, and truth. How very important truth is. And who wouldn't want Jane Yolen their book?!

Now, Amy Sarig King does not need my help selling books. She’s a force on her own with each book being unique and uniquely hers. But this is still one of the best books of the year. And that’s the truth.

Here’s another review of this book from Lynn Becker's blog. She always has awesome reviews.

LynnBecker Books Blog: August's Book of the Month--Attack of the Black Rectangles

 

Middle Grade Madness! Three Reviews

I'm so happy to be reading such great books. It's fun to post about them. I always appreciate a good recommendation. Yes, not all books are for everyone. That's the beauty of books, something for everyone. Same with films, art, music. It's awesome. 

The Callers by Kiah Thomas

From the publisher Chronicle Books: available April 5, 2022:

In the world of Elipsom, the ability to Call, or summon objects, is a coveted, crucial skill, revered among its people as both a powerful tool and an essential way to sustain life. But despite an elite family history, a phenom for an older sister, a best friend who is set to join the Council of Callers, and his mother's steely insistence that he learn to Call, Quin doesn't have the gift—an embarrassment made worse when his mother gets his sister to cheat for him on his Calling exam. But everything changes in a moment of frustration when Quin, instead of summoning an object, makes something disappear. And what's more, he quickly discovers that the objects Callers bring into their world aren't conjured at all but are whisked away from another world and a people who for years have had their lives slowly stolen from them. Now Quin must team up with Allie, a girl who's determined to stop this unfair practice, and decide whether he should remain loyal to his family or betray them—and save the world.

In a story that explores some of the most crucial topics of our time—our relationship to consumerism, the exploitation of natural resources, colonialism, and the consequences of wanting more than we need—magic is sought, and truth is found.

This was a fascinating read. How calling one thing takes it from another person/place. And the depletion of the earth/wares/crops. It’s a very satisfying circle how the story is intertwined. A great new perspective on resources and standing up for yourself when you feel you have no choice. The truth is what’s important. 

Freestyle: A Graphic Novel by Gale Galligan

This book was a fun read. Not knowing anything about Celtic mythology, it’s a pretty cool introduction to it.

From the publisher, Scholastic: Graphix: available October 18, 2022

Cory's dance crew is getting ready for a major competition. It's the last one before they graduate eighth grade and go their separate ways to high schools all over New York City, so they have to make it count! The group starts to have problems as their crew captain gets increasingly intense about nailing the routine, and things go from bad to worse when Cory's parents ground him for not taking his grades seriously. He gets stuck with a new tutor, Sunna, who he dismisses as a boring nerd… until he catches her secretly practicing cool yo-yo tricks. Cory wants to learn the art of yo-yo, and as his friendship with Sunna grows, he ends up missing practice and bailing on his crew -- and they are not happy about it. With mounting pressure coming from all sides, how is Cory supposed to balance the expectations of his parents, school, dance, and his new friend?

This has a very diverse and complex cast of characters. They all have a lot going on: friendship, dance competition, family expectations, school, yo-yo competition, not judging a book by its cover, standing up for yourself and what you really want. That might sound overwhelming but it’s not. It all fits perfectly in this graphic novel. The relatability factor is high – I could relate to all of them even if I haven’t been in that situation. The feelings were exactly right.

The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat & Joanna Cacao

From the publisher Scholastic Graphix: available September 6, 2022:

Trying out for middle school cheerleader means: performing in the giant school gym, with the whole school watching, and risking total humiliation. If Christina can make it through this, she can make it through anything. ​​​​​​​ As one of the only Asian American kids in her small Texas town, Christina just wants to fit in. Luckily, her best friend, Megan, who is Iranian American, can totally relate. The two girls have always been inseparable and relish creating elaborate fantasy worlds together.

But middle school is a reality-check, and suddenly popularity is way more important than playing pretend. ​​​​​​​ When cheerleading tryouts are announced, Christina and Megan literally jump at the chance to join the squad. But does fitting in actually equal belonging? Will they survive the terrifying tryouts? And most importantly, will their friendship withstand the pressures of heated competition and rivalry? ​​​​​​​

Hilarious and heartfelt, The Tryout is Christina Soontornvat's personal story, sure to make you laugh, cry, and cheer!

This story is about friendship, racism, family generations, working hard and wanting something so badly, and what do you do if you don’t get it. How you deal with that – grieving it, figuring out what’s next. And just maybe, it turns out better than the original plan. It’s something we all go through, whether in a big or small way. That pain and hurt and coming to terms with what happens in life.