Tag Archive | self-image

N is NEFARIOUS NIGHTS OF WILLOWWEEP MANOR! by Shaenon K. Garrity & Christopher Baldwin (YA Graphic Novel book review) #A2Z

Apr16
Magnifying glass in hand, a determined young Black woman in gothic dress approaches the body lying in foreground. She's followed by a startled young man juggling a stack of books, a frantically flying chicken, and a big dog with its tongue flapping. Behind them a grim mansion rises into the dark sky, emblazoned with book title - The Nefarious Nights of Willowweep Manor, by Shaenon K. Garrity & Christopher Baldwin.

Thunder! Lightning!
Romance!
Murder?

As protector of a tiny gasket universe, Haley expects her school break away at Willowweep Manor to be broodingly romantic with Montague, as always.

But the Black teen arrives as refugees from another gasket universe in peril pop through a portal – not characters from a gothic romance at all!

New rooms suddenly appear in the Manor, the new dog is goofy, Miss Meadowsweet keeps talking about odd things that happened in her village, and the Colonel is stabbed – they’re from the murder mystery genre!!

No police in the Manor so the Willowweepers must learn the rules of murder mysteries and investigate, not quite trusting any of the newcomers.

Someone goes missing, while others barely escape “accidents” with their lives!

Who is the killer – the capable young lady? The village spinster? The eccentric young man? The butler? Surely not the dog?

Can our plucky heroine reinvent herself in time to save Willowweep Manor once again?

You can enjoy Nefarious Nights without having read The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor (I recommend! https://booksyalove.com/?p=12249), but knowing the origin story makes this madcap adventure even more fun.

Find both Willowweep Manor volumes at your local library https://search.worldcat.org/libraries or independent bookstore https://www.indiebound.org/indie-store-finder.

What book genre would you like to live in?
**kmm

Book info: The Nefarious Nights of Willowweep Manor / Shaenon K. Garrity; illustrated by Christopher Baldwin. Margaret McElderry Books, 2025. [author site https://www.shaenon.com/] [artist site www.BaldwinPage.com ][publisher site https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Nefarious-Nights-of-Willowweep-Manor/Shaenon-K-Garrity/Willowweep-Manor/9781665930161] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

M is MAKER GIRL AND PROFESSOR SMARTS must save the city’s ice cream! by Jasmine Florentine (kids graphic novel) #A2Z

Apr15
A tween girl wearing goggles, superhero cape & satchel with logo raises a gadget skyward, next to a tween boy in ballcap and shades consulting a book, with science & math motifs in background, on book cover of Maker Girl and Professor Smarts, book 1, by Jasmine Florentine.

Summertime,
ice cream time!
Ewww… now it’s slime?!

Chuy and Yaya have been besties since preschool – he wants to know everything, and she can build anything.

Too bad the 12 year olds didn’t get superpowers when the recent comet struck Earth, like some people did…

When new supervillain Mr. Anti-Freeze starts turning everyone’s ice cream into slime, it’s time for them to act anyway!

Super-cape for Yaya, super-cool shades for Chuy – now Maker Girl and Professor Smarts!

Can their brainy/inventive powers outwit Mr. Anti-Freeze’s icky superpower?
Can they stop him from unleashing his slime bomb on the city?
Why does he hate ice cream so much?

This first graphic novel in new series includes instructions on making a grappling hook and yummy sorbet, a preview of book 2 (mayhem with younger siblings), and a resource list so you can make and learn stuff, too.

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
**kmm

Book info: Maker Girl and Professor Smarts (Book 1) / Jasmine Florentine. MIT Kids Press, 2025. [author/illustrator site https://www.jasmineflorentine.com/books] [publisher site https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/786774/maker-girl-and-professor-smarts-by-jasmine-florentine-illustrated-by-jasmine-florentine/] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

L is LOVE AT SECOND SIGHT & supernatural danger! by F.T. Lukens (YA fiction) #A2Z

Apr14
In front of school lockers, a pale teen boy with growing-out dyed blond hair whispers to a taller dark-haired teen boy with claw-like fingernails, on book cover of Love at Second Sight, by F. T. Lukens

A vision in moonlight,
a muddy field,
a murder about to happen!

Human teen among paranormal classmates, Cam is glad that he and best friend Al (witch) will be back together at the new high school, nervous about seeing his crush Mateo (werewolf), still sad that big brother Aiden purposely vanished a few months ago.

Caught in a sprite vs. werewolf melee, the sophomore crashes headfirst into lockers and is pulled from the pile-up by a girl whose touch throws him into a vision – of a wounded girl being attacked with a knife!

Not telling his anti-paranormal parents about his glimpse of the future, Cam asks Al to quietly find out more and agrees with them to carefully test his clairvoyant abilities.

There’s no escaping his new truth: he can indeed see the future, and he goes to school with a murderer!

A viral video of Cam’s next vision being proven true catches his parents’ attention; he hears them whispering about what went wrong with his big brother…

Now all the paranormal factions in town are eager to ally with Cam, the first seer in a century – so many feuds between them…

Ooh, invited to a cookout at Mateo’s! < swoon >

Will he have to always wear gloves to prevent unwanted visions?
How does Cam decide which faction to join?
Can he and his new friends stop that girl’s murder?

Fantasy-mystery-paranormal-romance releases in paperback today! (April 14, 2026)

By the author of magical, adventurous, affirming tales In Deeper Waters (my recommendation https://booksyalove.com/?p=12378), So This is Ever After (https://booksyalove.com/?p=12989), Spell Bound (https://booksyalove.com/?p=13689), and Otherworldly (https://booksyalove.com/?p=14421).

Which paranormal neighbor would you like to have?
**kmm

Book info: Love at Second Sight / F. T. Lukens. Margaret McElderry Books, hardcover 2025, paperback 2026. [author site https://www.ft-lukens.com/] [publisher site https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Love-at-Second-Sight/F-T-Lukens/9781665950947] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

K is for Korobá: THE CASE OF THE MISSING KOLO in her fishing village, by Àlàbá Ònájìn (kids graphic novel) #A2Z

Apr13
Three kids and a puppy race down the wooden dock-walkways of a Nigerian fishing village, following a trail of wet footprints, on the book cover of Korobá: the Case of the Missing Kolo, kids' graphic novel by Àlàbá Ònájìn.

A visitor,
a theft,
a mystery to solve!

Korobá enjoys exploring the waterways and walkways of her Nigerian fishing village with best friends Saldat and Joba – and her dog Popi, of course!

During school holidays, the ten-year-old helps her mother at the fish market (but can’t stand eating fish). Someday her little brother and baby sister will, too.

The harvest festival is soon, and the kids of Makoko will break open their wooden Kolo banks and use their saved coins to buy clothes for the Festival…and treats! Joba will unveil his newest invention then, so don’t even try to sneak a peek now.

Saldat has been too busy noting how much money she’s put in her Kolo to decorate it with paint and beads like her friends do. Her snobbish cousin visiting from city thinks everything here is terrible – such a bad attitude!

Oh, no! Saldat’s Kolo has been stolen! The three friends must think like detectives from their favorite books to find it – fast!

Was it the carpenter working at Saldat’s house?
Could it be snooty cousin Risi?
Can they find the Kolo before Breaking Day?

Run the wooden walkways of Makoko village with Korobá and her friends as they try to solve the mystery, first in a new graphic novel series!

What’s your favorite festival tradition?
**kmm

Book info: Korobá: the Case of the Missing Kolo / Àlàbá Ònájìn. Holiday House, 2026. [author/illustrator site https://www.alabaonajin.com/about] [publisher site https://holidayhouse.com/book/the-case-of-the-missing-kolo/] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

H is THE HOUSE OF FOUND OBJECTS mystery and Matisse in Paris! by Jo Beckett King (MG fiction) #A2Z

Apr9
In front of a Parisian antique shop, a chic French teen girl with black short hair and a red-haired American girl wearing flowered pants and sneakers look at a map on the book cover of middle-grade mystery The House of Found Objects, by Jo Beckett-King.

The beauties of Paris!
A long, long family feud!
Oh, no! Thief on the loose!

Dad and his brother never stopped arguing, so this is the first time that 12-year-old Bea has ever visited her aunt and grandmother in France – a few weeks for the New Jersey tween in the City of Light away from her parents.

The family antique store has been downsized greatly now, packed with merchandise and memories; Mamie is especially proud of a sketch by famous artist Matisse – that suddenly goes missing!

When envelope addressed to “la jeune fille” arrives on her doorstep, Bea enlists the reluctant help of her chic 13-year-old cousin Celine to puzzle it out and get to the location of the next clue.

Five clues to solve in four days to get the Matisse sketch back and save Mamie’s store from being sold!

The girls race to puzzle out scrambled words, codes, and tricky riddles, Bea using her math logic skills and Celine with her cultural savvy, as they crisscross Paris to reach the next clue.

Who made all the clues for this treasure hunt?
Why would they steal from an old lady?
How can Bea ever tell her proud parents that she didn’t make the Mathlete Team at home?

Riddles and puzzles galore in this first book of the Bea Bellerose Mystery series. Look for The Lost Jewels of Room 713 in July 2026!

What’s your favorite kind of secret code?
**kmm

Book info: The House of Found Objects (Bea Bellerose Mystery #1) / Jo Beckett-King. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. [author site https://www.jobeckettking.com/] [publisher site https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-House-of-Found-Objects/Jo-Beckett-King/A-Bea-Bellerose-Mystery/9781665967174] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

F is for FREE PIANO (NOT HAUNTED), by Whitney Gardner (YA Graphic Novel) #A2Z

Apr7
Book cover shows a teen girl carrying a ukulele case walking from a stormy dark seashore toward a glowing red synthesizer keyboard which has handwritten sign attached "Free Piano (not haunted)" = title of graphic novel by Whitney Gardner

Summertime!
Songwriting time!
Nope, just not clicking…

Throwing weird stuff off a high platform has earned her pals “SonsOfSmash” a good following online, but lonely teen Margot’s original tunes on ukulele? Hardly any.

So she claims the old electronic keyboard left on the curb with sign “Free piano (not haunted)” – to learn to play, not to smash.

But her musician dad leaves for LA instead of teaching her, the guys are busy filming more smashes, and mom is working even more hours in their small coastal town…sigh.

What weird sounds this synthesizer makes! And it totally IS haunted, by 1980s bubble-gum pop star Vision!

Vision says making music is important because of how it makes you feel; Margot claims that only the number of fans and followers counts – who’s right?

Whoa! If Vision isn’t sitting at the unplugged keyboard, who’s playing it now!?

Flashbacks to Vision’s meteoric rise to stardom help her talk to aspiring songwriter Margot about staying true to your own soul’s melodies in this graphic novel, available in hardcover or paperback from your local library https://search.worldcat.org/libraries or independent bookstore https://www.indiebound.org/indie-store-finder.

Would a resident ghost help or hinder your creativity?
**kmm

Book info: Free Piano (Not Haunted) / Whitney Gardner. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. [author/illustrator site https://www.heywhitney.com/] [publisher site https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Free-Piano-(Not-Haunted)/Whitney-Gardner/9781665938129] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

D is detective daring to venture into ODDITY WOODS, by Kay Davault (YA Graphic Novel) #A2Z

Apr4
Teen girl holding a glowing magnifying glass points to her right, followed by a teen boy in glasses grasping an electronic device, with a ghostly dog floating behind them as they run away from a spooky building and red-eyed creature - book cover of Oddity Woods, graphic novel by Kay Davault.

Dad suddenly missing,
town police won’t help…
teen detective has her first case!

“Deep in the woods, a ghost train appears, then steals your soul if you ride it.” (pg. 38) – made-up story to keep kids away from the deep forest or how The Conductor kidnapped her dad?

Three weeks since receiving a strange transmission sent Dad from their remote cabin to the woods, and Marietta knows it’s time to go find him, armed with his magical magnifying glass.

Rebuffed by local police, the 13 year old heads into the woods alone, encountering a ghost dog, a terrified (alive) young man, and a derelict train station – where the ghost train stops!

Can they ride the ghost train and stay alive?
Which beings at the Labyrinth Inn are the real monsters?
Will the creatures of Oddity Woods let Marietta and Wyatt live?

Trying to locate Marietta’s dad and find their way back to the real world, Marietta and Wyatt must solve puzzles, outrun evil, and decide who they can trust in this vibrant graphic novel, first in a planned trilogy.

What’s your favorite paranormal beastie?
**kmm

Book info: Oddity Woods / Kay Davault. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2025. [author/illustrator site https://www.kaydavault.com/about-contact] [publisher site https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Oddity-Woods/Kay-Davault/Oddity-Woods/9781665915830] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

C is COSTUMES FOR TIME TRAVELERS – to save them from being erased? by A. R. Capetta (YA fiction) #A2Z

Apr3
book cover of Costumes For Time Travelers, by A. R. Capetta, published by Candlewick Press, shows two people in vibrant medieval costumes nearly kissing in front of a bright window, their faces blurred by swooping veils of curtains.

Just hike from one time to another,
with your time boots…

Time travelers eagerly seek out the costume shop in Pocket to get the right clothing for their next locale and era, where Calisto will stay put, thank you very much.

When Grandmother departs for her childhood hometown, she leaves Calisto in charge of the shop, telling them not to take on any new travelers.

But surely not Fawkes, who appears from the moons festival sky, who himself has met Calisto countless times, although they’re meeting him for the first time…

Off he goes to Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, clad in proper attire, thanks to Calisto, leaving an extra pair of time boots for them (as if they would ever want to hike through time…ha!).

Oh no! Time Wardens crash in, intent on stopping time travel and erasing Fawkes, who can hop from era to era without walking through the timelands!

Next, Korsika arrives in Pocket to meet up with Fawkes, learns where/when he is, then steals the time boots’ secret formula!

Reluctantly donning time boots to chase after the thief, Calisto races to find Fawkes at the Globe, and the pair barely escapes the Time Wardens.

Away to Fawkes’ old friend in ancient Crete, who tells them where Korsika may be headed, then off to intercept him at the dawn of a new millennium before he breaks the timelands!

Paperback releases in late May 2026 with a new cover, but I prefer this original cover art.

Which era of time would you hike to with your time boots?
**kmm

Book info: Costumes For Time Travelers / A.R. Capetta. Candlewick Press, 2025. [author site https://onceandfuturestories.com/#441af115-aefa-4541-8b8b-f847c3851ea7] [publisher site https://www.candlewick.com/9781536233711/costumes-for-time-travelers/] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

B is A BITE OF PEPPER, young vampire finding herself, by Balazs Lorinczi (YA Graphic Novel) #A2Z

Apr2
On roof's edge near a streetlamp, a seated dark-haired girl wearing a bat-winged backpack looks back at a standing blonde girl who watches a leashed vampire puppy chase butterflies in the sky, on book cover of graphic novel A Bite of Pepper, by Balazs Lorinczi.

Skateboarding,
loving on her pup,
does she have to lock in her future already?

As a born-vampire, teen Pepper isn’t immortal – yet. Once she takes a bride (any gender) and they turn together, their age and appearance will be set… forever.

Despite her mom’s pressure to choose, she’s not ready yet, not grown into her true self. Just-younger half-brother Jeb may defy tradition and turn immortal first – the upcoming human-vampire Gala is when many announce their brides and turn each other.

Meeting college art student Ana is refreshing – she really appreciates Pepper’s skateboarding talent and adores immortal puppy Shroom. Pepper’s mom hires her to work in the family bookshop, so the pair happily get to spend more time together.

Ana’s art class illustration project of Pepper’s amazing skateboard tricks is turned into an edgy skateboard brand by Jeb, who looks to the rich vampires’ Human Relations Council for start-up funding.

Will the Council help if neither Jeb nor Pepper are full vampires yet?
Does Ana really like Pepper for herself or just as a skateboard model?
Do they all have to become real adults right now!?

In a human and vampire world where B+ juice keeps vampires healthy without human blood, Pepper has to decide how much of her self she’ll let others control.

Lorinczi portrays his characters in pink, black, and lavender rather than the usual black and red.

Other “non-traditional” vampire books you’d recommend?
**kmm

Book info: A Bite of Pepper / Balazs Lorinczi. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2025. [author/illustrator site https://balazslorinczi.carrd.co/] [publisher site https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/A-Bite-of-Pepper/Balazs-Lorinczi/9781665970464] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

Amid the pandemic’s first autumn, THERE IS A DOOR IN THIS DARKNESS, if she can find it! by Kristin Cashore (YA fiction)

Jun24
Book cover of There Is a Door in This Darkness, by Kristin Cashore. A maze with several entrances encloses and surrounds the words of the title on a background of streaky cloudy sky.

Seven people, one apartment,
one pandemic, college deferred –
who is she anymore?

Wilhelmina’s best friends and their families are in a Covid-pod together without her, and the Boston teen misses them enormously. She can always sense where people are in a building, and text messages just aren’t the same.

Her gap year has turned into running all the errands and trying to keep her younger siblings at bay while Mom and Dad work from home; her Aunts (actually great-aunts) are now here too, missing late Aunt Frankie as much as Wilhelmina does.

Tomorrow “your doughnut will be stale!” a fortune-teller tells her from 6 feet away. “Trust Wil-helm-ina” sparkles the message she sees parachuting from the snowy sky while walking in the cemetery for solitude; well-masked classmate James saw a white owl drop it!

The next day, she chooses just-fried doughnut from James’ Italian-Chinese-American family’s bakery – somehow, it is stale…

She sees James in the cemetery again, and he’s glowing at the edges. The Temperance tarot card that Frankie gave her long ago changes to “Trust Ray” in sparkles. Huh?!

What if the aunts’ mail ballots don’t arrive from Pennsylvania in time?
Could she really drive them home as the pinched nerves in her neck and arm flare with pain?
Why is James now in her recurring Aunt Frankie dream?

Chapters for each day of her pivotal week in November 2020 alternate with those filled with wonderful memories of childhood and teen summers spent with the Aunts at their lovely rural Pennsylvania home.

These strands of past and present story weave together satisfyingly and realistically and a bit magically as Wilhelmina navigates the current crisis to find herself at last.

This contemporary work of magical realism by the author of the Graceling fantasy epics is now available in paperback and definitely deserves your reading attention.

Where were you during November 2020, before the vaccines were available?
**kmm

Book info: There Is A Door In This Darkness / Kristin Cashore. Dutton Books /Penguin, hardcover 2024, paperback 2025. [author site https://kristincashore.com/books/there-is-a-door-in-this-darkness/] [publisher site https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/313481/there-is-a-door-in-this-darkness-by-kristin-cashore/] Review copy checked out from my local public library; cover image courtesy of the publisher.