Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
Reclaiming the river. In David F. Walker’s 5-star graphic novel Big Jim and the White Boy, the lens of an American classic is shifted to center Jim’s humanity, family, and courage. Spanning from the antebellum South to a modern-day lecture hall, this “radical retelling” replaces caricatures with a gritty, multi-generational epic.
School is a blast literally. Math whiz Ben Ripley is recruited for a top-secret CIA academy. The catch? He’s actually bait for a double agent. Packed with gadgets, “misadventures,” and plenty of humor, this series opener proves that being a hero takes more than muscle it takes a mind for math and the courage to survive your own awkwardness.
Sometimes you have to die to learn how to live. Overly-cautious Finn becomes a ghost after a tragic accident. Alongside his new friend Isabella, Finn solves the mystery of his death while discovering that living in fear is the biggest risk of all.
A tragedy told in reverse. We know the ending from page one: a rainy night, an argument, and a life lost. What follows is a devastatingly honest look at the “what ifs” of first love. Explore the invisible threads that bind childhood friends and the heavy price of silence in this unforgettable contemporary romance.
Beauty is only skin deep, but the Beast’s curse goes much further. We discover the “why” behind the monster. Guided (and manipulated) by the eerie Odd Sisters, the Prince’s journey from vanity to bitterness is a dark reimagining of a classic.