Embedded Files
Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures
by Jason Pamment
10
10
I was drawn to Pamment's illustration style to the point that I accidentally grabbed the same book from two different sections of the library I borrowed it from in a "judge a book by its cover" spree (I did manage to catch it before borrowing both). I also found his other book, Treasure in the Lake on the following library trip. I think illustration is his strong suit; I don't remember the storyline as much as the whimsical characters and settings, but I definitely thought Ember was cute and the style unique enough to make the list.
Dear Rosie
by Meghan Boeman and Rachael Briner
9
9
This story is a standout for its content about the loss of a peer at a young age, which could be (but wasn't) executed poorly. I found the story to be gentle and sweet, and the element that stood out to me was an afterward where the creators mention their personal experience with grief and loss as children.
8
8
Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks
Hicks is always a standout, and although a teen romance is relatively out of scope of what I usually read, she still makes the "best of" list for me. A wholesome story about characters being true to themselves and still making a connection to one another despite having differences in interests and social groups. Working in a school, I'm so warmed to see students partaking in hobbies that interest them without fear that their gender identity or sexuality will be called into question, and these protagonists are a perfect exemplar for students who may still be nervous to take that leap.
7
7
But You Have Friends by Emilia McKenzie
This adult-audience memoir describes a close childhood friend's struggles with depression which ended in suicide. It's a touching tribute to Charlotte's life, but also a shaking contrast of two friends who have so much in common but can't both manage to make their own ways.
6
6
¡Ay, Mija! by Christine Suggs
While not billed as a memoir, Christine Suggs draws on their childhood for inspiration for this graphic novel. The story was a heartwarming look at multicultural identity and forging familial bonds across a language barrier.
5
5
Ink Girls by Marieke Nijkamp ill. Silvia Bi
Nijkamp has made quite a leap from previous novels like This is Where it Ends, a YA drama about a school shooting, to Ink Girls, an alternate-historical fiction comic about young women working for a print shop in an oppressive society. The renaissance-inspired setting is really a stand out along with the vibrant characters and illustrations.
4
4
Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang
Like Suggs, Tang draws on her own childhood for the plot of her novel which is not quite nonfiction enough to be considered a memoir. The eponymous 'parachute kids' were from families whose parents felt they could not emigrate, but wanted a future for their children in a western country. A really interesting story for Scholastic to platform; I hope readers of Telgemeier and Megan Wagner Lloyd take interest in a slightly grittier more historical work like this.
3
3
Impossible People by Julia Wertz
Wertz has been a favorite of mine since Tenements, Towers and Trash, and Impossible People is a book that I've recommended to several people regardless of background or reading preference. This is the funniest serious book I've possibly ever read; one of those rare "you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to share excerpts from Instagram with your closest friends and family" books.
2
2
This Country by Navied Mahdavian
Like Kate Beaton's Ducks tackles hard truths about the treatment of women in male-dominated spaces, This Country tackles similar themes about people of color in predominantly white parts of the United States. Also like Beaton, it's done with compassion, nuance, and humor. This book was a recommendation from the NPR book atelier, which makes me question why I bother compiling lists of my own favorites if I'm just getting them from lists of other more reputable outlets' favorites, but I guess memorializing having read them and agreed may be reason enough. I would love to read more by this author and will certainly be on the lookout for his next work.
1
1
Mexikid by Pedro Martín
This has become my favorite "kids' book" to recommend to all ages; it's a rollicking family memoir that will make you laugh out loud and emblazon the story about the deer into your memory forever. Like Suggs, Pedro Martín had an upbringing in which he did not feel fully Mexican or fully American, though unlike Suggs he was born into a Mexican family in which his older siblings had spent most of their childhood in Mexico. Looking at excerpts to accompany this review, I'm reminded of how beautifully out-of-the-box the pages and spreads are. I wish I were reviewing this closer to when I actually read it, but it's definitely a favorite and will be one I revisit sometime in the next couple of years.
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