Archives de catégorie : Children’s Books

ON STARLIT SHORES de Bex Glendining

In this YA urban fantasy graphic novel, Alex must return to the town where she was born to unravel the magical mysteries her late grandmother left behind.

ON STARLIT SHORES
by Bex Glendining
Abrams Fanfare, September 2025

Alex Wilson hasn’t been back to Indigo Harbor, the seaside village where she grew up, in years. In fact, she can barely remember anything about it. But when her grandmother dies unexpectedly, Alex will have to return to her childhood home to say goodbye.

Accompanied by her best friend, Grim, Alex travels back to her hometown and begins cleaning out her grandmother’s house, but the longer they stay, the stranger things get. Indigo Harbor isn’t your average town—there are falling stars, witches running tea shops, and a name that comes up again and again: Elizabeth. Who was this woman, and how did she know Alex’s grandmother?

As she explores the town and sorts through her grandmother’s belongings, Alex reconnects with her past and tries with increasing desperation to uncover the greatest secret of all, the identity of the mysterious Elizabeth. Tackling grief, acceptance, and how to honor a loved one’s life, Bex Glendining has crafted a beautiful and moving graphic novel perfect for readers who loved The Dark Matter of Mona Starr, Girl From the Sea, and the Magic Fish.

Bex Glendining is an award-winning, biracial, queer, UK-based illustrator, comic artist, and colorist. Their clients include Netflix, Huffpost, DC Comics, Marvel, Penguin Random House, the New York Times, and NPR. When not working, they can usually be found building miniature rooms, playing video games with friends or fussing Cookie, their very spoilt tortoiseshell cat.

WILDCATS de Crystal Velasquez & Eva Cabrera

Mina is just an average middle schooler. But when she starts attending a new boarding school that her parents also attended, she and three other girls learn that they have generational powers that turn them into wild cats. Navigating this new reality, the girls will have to use their powers to figure out the mysterious temple that sits under the school’s museum, and defeat the evil forces who want to unleash chaos on the school…and the world.

WILDCATS (Volume 1): A Graphic Novel
by Crystal Velasquez
illustrated by Eva Cabrera
Andrews McMeel, June 2025

As Mina struggles to navigate the cliques of her new school she is taken under the wing of Miss Benitez, a mysterious but kind history teacher. She tells Mina and three other girls—Lin, Ana, and Shani—that their families gifted the priceless objects housed in the school’s museum. Ms. Benitez thinks it’s important that the girls understand their ancestry.

It turns out that Ms. Benitez is the curator of the museum, and it sits on top of a mysterious temple, the ancient meeting place of a dangerous group called the Brotherhood of Chaos. When one of the priceless objects is shattered, the girls find out exactly why their heritage is so important: it gives them the power to turn into wild cats. Now, in the form of a jaguar, a tiger, a puma, and a lion, they must work together to fight the chaos spirits that were unleashed when the object was shattered…and uncover the terrifying plans of those who want to resurrect the Brotherhood of Chaos.

WILD CATS is full of adventure, heart, and friendship. This full-color graphic novel is ripe for fans of mythology, superheroes, and, of course, cats!

Crystal Velasquez is a prolific writer who has written numerous graphic novels as well as middle grade books for children, including Hunters of Chaos, the inspiration for Wildcats. She lives in Flushing, New York.

Eva Cabrera is an illustrator and the co-founder of Mexican studio BoudikaComics. She was born in Veracruz, Mexico. You can find her on all her social networks as @evacabrera.

PACHECO AND THE WITCH OF THE MOUNTAIN de Juan E. Zambrano

Welcome to the island of Asunción, home to the most powerful witches—and Pacheco, their biggest fan. In this beautifully illustrated graphic novel, debut creator Juan E. Zambrano will take readers on an epic adventure that’s all about magic, identity, and staying true to yourself.

PACHECO AND THE WITCH OF THE MOUNTAIN: A Graphic Novel
by Juan E. Zambrano
Andrews McMeel, June 2025

Pacheco’s biggest dream is to practice magic! There’s just one problem: commoners, and especially boys, aren’t allowed to learn witchcraft. 

However, once his family’s fishing business begins to suffer, Pacheco is determined; he’s certain that learning magic is the best way to help his family and community. He meets Doris, a grumpy, old witch, and he decides to become her apprentice.

As Pacheco enters the world of magic, he finds himself caught up in the rules and schemes of a whole new society and surrounded by magical creatures in need of protection. Pacheco will have to dig deep to muster the courage—and magic—to defend his future.

Debut creator Juan E. Zambrano presents a breathtaking graphic novel that delves into the importance of staying true to oneself while courageously addressing challenging themes such as gender roles and environmental protection. Perfect for fans of Joe Latham’s Haru, Emma Steinkellner’s The Okay Witch, Claribel Ortega’s Witchlings, and Hayao Miyazaki’s films like Kiki’s Delivery Service and Spirited Away.

Juan E. Zambrano is an illustrator and cartoonist from Venezuela. He loves fun, heartfelt stories, and his work is usually focused on nature, magic, and staying true to yourself. In his free time, he likes watching birds and going out for a hike. Pacheco and the Witch of the Mountain is his debut graphic novel.

HEIDI de Mariah Marsden & Ofride

Discover the heartwarming magic of Johanna Spyri’s beloved tale in this gorgeous graphic novel adaptation. From the author of the critically acclaimed Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel comes another thoughtfully retold children’s classic.

HEIDI: A Graphic Novel
by Mariah Marsden
illustrated by Ofride
Andrews McMeel, March 2025

When young Heidi is sent to live with her grandfather in a small shepherd’s hut in the Swiss Alps, everyone expects him to turn her away. He has a bad reputation: mean, growly, and harsh as the cold mountain winds. But Heidi is quick to take on any challenge, whether it’s keeping an eye on the rebellious goats, learning to read, or melting Grandfather’s icy heart.

Heidi’s adventures take her up and down her beloved mountain, from picnics in the high alpine meadows all the way to the distant streets of Frankfurt and a city life she could never have imagined. But when homesickness strikes, Heidi must weigh old friendships with new ones and find her place in an expanding world.

Given new life as a graphic novel in artist Ofride’s warm, folk art–inspired style, Heidi celebrates the joy of storytelling, the wonders of nature, and the healing power of kindness.

Mariah Marsden spent her childhood hunting for faeries amidst the old hills of the Missouri Ozarks. Co-author of Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel and The Secret Garden: A Graphic Novel, she writes about the dreams and difficulties of girlhood, the folklore of her home, and the complexities of rural life. She’s still on the lookout for faeries.

Ofride is the alias of Italian illustrator and comic artist Elena Bia. Born in a small town near the Alps, Elena draws inspiration from nature and folktales.

STRANGE BLOOMS de Darren Simpson & Keith Robinson

A fully illustrated, darkly gripping tale of a town suddenly invaded by mysterious and deadly plants – Thornhill meets The Owl Service.

STRANGE BLOOMS
by Darren Simpson
illustrated by Keith Robinson
Pushkin Press, September 2026

Fran is an ordinary teenage girl, living in an ordinary seaside town. But one day, something horrifyingly out of the ordinary begins to take root…

They start slowly, almost imperceptibly. But soon the strange, uncanny flowers have infiltrated the whole town. And every young person who smells the intoxicating blooms falls victim to a life-sapping illness. All except one: seemingly ordinary Fran.

Told in a dual timeline, Strange Blooms takes the reader on an exciting journey to discover the truth behind these deadly flowers, and uncover a mystery that rocked the town 40 years earlier.

Darren Simpson writes vivid, unruly fiction for older children and teens. His debut novel, Scavengers, was a Guardian Best Book of the Year and his latest book, Furthermoor, was a Waterstone Book of the Year. He has been nominated twice for the prestigious Carnegie Medal.

Keith Robinson has created jackets for, among other projects, the Waterstones Book of the Year I Am Rebel.