Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: Front Desk by Kelly Yang

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Front Desk by Kelly Yang

Front Desk (Front Desk #1)
Kelly Yang
Arthur A. Levine Books
Published May 29, 2018

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About Front Desk

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 … Continue reading →

Review: Ramin Abbas has MAJOR Questions by Ahmad Saber

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Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions by Ahmad Saber

Ramin Abbas has MAJOR Questions
Ahmad Saber
Atheneum Books
Published March 3, 2026

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About Ramin Abbas has MAJOR Questions

An intensely brave, beautifully honest, and wryly funny story about a gay Muslim teen who has to choose between being true to himself or his faith—and his realization that maybe they aren’t as separate as he thought.

Ramin Abbas has spent his whole life obeying his parents, his Imam, and, of course, Allah—no questions asked. But when he starts crushing on the ridiculously handsome captain of the soccer team, so many things he’d always been so … Continue reading →

Review: The Greenies by Emma Mills

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The Greenies by Emma Mills

The Greenies (The Greenies #1)
Emma Mills
Henry Holt & Co. Books for Young Readers
Published March 3, 2026

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About The Greenies

The Baby-Sitters Club meets The Breakfast Club in this fun and fresh graphic novel about a girl who reluctantly joins the Environmental Club at her new school–and finds friendship and community where she least expects it.

After her parents’ divorce, seventh grader Violet is forced to start all over.

Now the new kid, at a new school, in a new town, she must navigate unfamiliar territory. Luckily, Violet falls in with a new group of (maybe?) friends. But when … Continue reading →

Review: Table Titans Club: Sneak Attack by Scott Kurtz

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Table Titans Club: Sneak Attack by Scott Kurtz

Table Titans Club: Sneak Attack
Scott Kurtz
Holiday House
Published March 10, 2026

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About Table Titans Club: Sneak Attack

Ready your armor, sword, and sleeping bag—the Table Titans are headed to summer camp! Come along for the adventure in this graphic novel series about a middle school Dungeons & Dragons club from Eisner and Harvey award-winning cartoonist Scott Kurtz.

Table Titans Club members Val, Kate, Alan, Andrew, and Darius are psyched to spend the summer at Camp Owl Care. At this live-action roleplay paradise, the gang will work together to overcome challenges, unravel riddles, and safely swash-buckle their foes. Nothing the Table Titans can’t handle together!

. . … Continue reading →

Review: Serendipity by Gabbie Benda

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Serendipity by Gabbie Benda

Serendipity
Gabbie Benda
Holiday House
Published February 10, 2026

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About Serendipity

Serendipity is the luckiest kid in the world. But what happens when the luckiest kid in the world becomes extraordinarily unlucky, in this debut graphic novel.

Serendipity is your classic overachiever. She’s class president, lead in the school play, and star of the basketball team. She’s also incredibly lucky, like, wins everything all the time lucky, even random radio raffles.

Which is how she finds herself with free tickets to the town carnival where an accident curses her with bad luck FOREVER.

And just like that Serendipity’s luck really does seem to run out. Missed shots, fumbled lines, and a slip in the … Continue reading →

Review: Lion Dancers by Cai Tse

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Lion Dancers by Cai Tse

Lion Dancers
Cai Tse
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published August 13, 2024

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About Lion Dancers

Former best friends become bitter rivals when one returns to lion dancing after a long absence in this vibrant and heartfelt middle grade graphic novel perfect for fans of Haikyu!! and Fence.

Young Wei dreamed of being a legendary lion dancer just like his dad. With his best friend Hung performing as the tail and Wei controlling the head, he knew they could become the next generation of lion dance champions. But after his dad’s sudden passing, Wei abruptly quits … Continue reading →