The war is over, but Aang still has a lot of work ahead of him to maintain the delicate peace he fought so hard to win. The Earth Nation is pocked with Fire Nation colonies that must be removed. Everything goes well at first, but when a colony decides to fight back the two nations gear up for another war. 

Removing a long-standing colony is a complicated and messy affair. The Fire Nation colonists have been there long enough to settle down and have children, sometimes even with members of the Earth Nation. The issue of imitating another's culture is touched upon as well. Despite these weighty subjects the comic remains light and humorous. Fans of the show will enjoy reading about Aang's continued adventures. For those who haven't seen the show, Yang gives a brief recap to bring readers up to speed at the beginning. I'd enthusiastically recommend this to anyone looking for a humorous fantasy comic.

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise by Gene Luen Yang, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and Gurihiru

Erica's Picks

Ben's father can talk anyone into anything. He even made a cross-country road trip to their new house sound like fun. Now Ben's dad is trying to convince him that the baby chimpanzee his mom brought home is his brother. He says it's an important part of their research to treat him like a part of their family while they teach him sign language. Babysitting is no fun when your little brother is a mischievous chimp. Eventually though Ben finds himself convinced once again and grows to love his half brother Zan. But when his parents' experiment turns sour and they say that Zan is really just a test subject after all, Ben refuses to be convinced.  For the first time in his life, he decides to fight back. 

I love chimpanzees and watching Ben and Zan's relationship develop was fascinating. Oppel weaves the question of what it means to be a person throughout the book from the consequences of trying to make chimpanzees act like humans to consequences of treating humans like chimpanzees. While animal lovers will appreciate this book in particular, anyone looking for a good realistic fiction story about what it's like to be thirteen will enjoy it.

Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel
Erica's Picks
6th-8th Grade
Tags: Animals, Character Driven, Contemporary Fiction, Family Life, Issues Fiction

Sabriel was dead when she was baptized. But there are benefits to being the Abhorsen's daughter. Her father followed her into the land of the dead and brought her back with him. Soon she was a living, screaming baby in his arms. Sabriel attended a private boarding school near the border, where the magic runs stronger. In addition to the classes all the other young ladies were expected to take she had private lessons from her father about how to deal with the dead who refuse to stay that way. While other children shied away from death, Sabriel kept death close around her like a cloak. Sabriel does not frighten easily, but when her father disappears she knows enough to be very, very afraid. 

I absolutely loved the world-building of the novel. The book is naturally rather dark, but there's a lot of hope to be found in it as well. Sabriel is relatable as she tries to cope with a difficult situation the best that she can. Plus there's a sassy talking cat character! I'd give this to teens looking for a dark fantasy novel. Sabriel is more or less a zombie hunter.

Sabriel by Garth Nix
Erica's Picks
6th-8th
Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Horror

Flora is a pig, but she tries not to act like one. While her siblings are all happy to stay safe in their pen, Flora dreams of adventure. One day she sneaks out and sees the dogs training to pull a sled in the South Pole. They look so noble as they race by, working together to pull their load. From that day on Flora is determined to join them. She runs as fast as she can and builds up her strength. When the farmer goes to pick a pig to send away with them, Flora is quick to volunteer. Everyone thinks that the idea of a sled pig is ridiculous, but Flora knows that soon she will get her chance to prove just how strong and brave she is. 

I fell in love with this book on the first page! It reminds me of Charlotte's Web and A Tale of Despereaux. Flora is wonderfully plucky and ready to face danger. Even more admirable is the way that she is open and friendly to everyone, even if they give her reason not to be. These friends become important as the story continues. This is a story about the value of working together and inspiring others to hang in even when times get though.  The illustrations throughout do a great job at capturing the big personalities in the book.

The Adventures of a South Pole Pig: A novel of snow and courage by Chris Kurtz
Erica's Picks
2nd-4th Grade
Tags: Adventure, Animals, Friendship

Cheerful Copper and his faithful yet jaded dog Fred never know what the day will bring.  Adventure is usually just around the corner.  Like a post-apocalyptic Calvin and Hobbes they explore and play and experience the world together. 

Copper is an absolutely absurd and downright delightful comic collection. The stories have a wide range of themes and tones. Fred is now one of my all-time favorite comic characters with his insecurities, worries, and tendency toward existential crises. The artwork is exquisite and I particularly enjoyed Kibuishi's use of color, matching the palettes to the tone. I'm sure students will enjoy the interview with the author at the end where he describes his process with plenty of pictures to inspire and advise those who want to make their own comics.

Copper by Kazu Kibuishi

Dewey's parents are off on their annual anniversary trip, and he's in charge of the family bike repair shop while they're away. Normally they'd have a baby-sitter, but now his older sister is 18 and Dewey is eager to prove that he can handle the responsibility. If only they had known what they were getting themselves into. Suddenly the oil supplies that had been running low run out entirely and Dewey's parents are stranded, along with the rest of the country. With the cars out of commission, business in the bike shop really picks up. The repair jobs pile up faster by the minute, parts start costing more, bike thieves multiply, and if the crisis isn't resolved soon mob rule threatens to take over.

With the oil running out this book has an apocalyptic tone, but it's the most charming apocalyptic book I've ever read. Bad things happen and everyone is pushed to their limits, but the kids are able to rise above it and focus on the good things that are happening. There are other nice themes woven into the plot such as the family growing some of their own food, biking, and recycling junk into art. 

Crunch by Leslie Connor
Erica's Picks
Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Family Life

The days are shorter than recess and Ariol would like nothing better than to migrate South like a bird. But instead he has to leave his warm, comfy bed to go to school every morning. School's not all bad, there's his best friend Ramono, who always comes up with cool games to play and Petula, the prettiest cow Ariol has ever seen. On the other hand there's also Mr. Ribera, the gym teacher who has no sense of humor and Bizzbilla, who won't leave him alone. If Ariol was Thunder Horse he'd show them all. He'd be the best in gym and always know what to say and no one would be able to tell him what to do. But he's not Thunder Horse—he's just a regular guy like you and me.

This comic is hilarious! It captures small moments of childhood perfectly like when Ariol plays a game of tennis against a wall and provides his own running commentary as if it was a major sports event. The drawings are simple, colorful, charming, and expressive. They satirize childhood with warmth and love. I'd give it to anyone looking for a humorous comic set in a school.

Ariol: Just a Donkey Like You and Me by Emmanuel Guibert & Marc Boutavant
Erica's Picks
2nd-4th Grade
Tags: Animals, Comics, School Stories

Marvin lives under the kitchen sink. Life as a beetle can be dangerous, and his family has to make sure that the humans who live in the apartment don't discover them or they will be exterminated. One night, after the human boy James goes to sleep, Marvin uses James’s ink set to draw a beautiful picture. When James discovers Marvin, instead of squashing him he befriends him.  But when Marvin's parents see the drawing, he can’t tell them who really drew it.  This white lie soon turns into a plot to catch an art thief that puts both Marvin and James in danger.

I love that the story is told from the perspective of a beetle and the plot of the art theft is engrossing. My favorite part of the story, though, was the friendship between James and Marvin. This kind of light-hearted mystery could be enjoyed by anyone, but I especially recommend it to anyone with an interest in art. 

Masterpiece by Elise Broach
Erica's Picks
3rd-5th
Tags: Animals, Character Driven, Contemporary Fiction, Family Life, Friendship, Mystery

Have you ever heard a song that changed your life? There's a world of music Eleanor always wanted to hear. She'd write down the lyrics on her notebook and dream of owning her own music player. But she never heard the songs, until she met Park. Now she can't get enough of him or his music. But Park looks like a protagonist from a story; everything seems to go right for him. While Eleanor looks like she'll never fit in and knows just how hard life can be. It would never work out between them. But she just might be crazy enough to try.

I absolutely adored this novel and stayed up until the wee hours of the morning finishing it. Eleanor and Park are both such endearing characters. I couldn't ask for more delightfully quirky protagonists. The author has a unique style as well and instead of the usual cliche comparisons for eyes she chose to describe Park's as "so green they could turn carbon dioxide into oxygen." I love it! The novel captures the feelings of passionate first love and bottles them up. On top of all that there is substance to the story. I'd give this to anyone looking for a good misfit story or an atypical romance set in a high school. Audiophiles will enjoy the music references throughout. 

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Erica's Picks
7th-8th Grade
Tags: Character Driven, Contemporary Fiction, Family Life, Issues Fiction, People of Color, Romance, School Stories

Everyone knows that a seventh son is lucky, and a seventh son of a seventh son is luckiest of all and destined to become a great magician. Perhaps that's why Eff's father was willing to risk having a thirteenth child to get his lucky double seven. Thirteenth children bring bad luck to everything they touch. So while everyone dotes on her twin brother, her cousins blame Eff for everything. When her uncle shows up with the sheriff one day, her family moves to the frontier to escape her small-minded relatives. Eff's father takes a job as a professor of magic at a college close to the magical divide that keeps all the dangerous creatures, magic and natural at bay. Eff grows up in this dangerous and wild land, far away from those who know how unlucky she is, but can she outrun her destiny?

Who doesn't love exploring the nature of will versus destiny? And what more exciting place to explore that issue than an alternate, magical American frontier? Eff makes a strong lead and the whole world is fascinating.  I'd recommend it to those who enjoy magic and history.

The Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede
Erica's Picks
5th-8th Grade
Tags: Adventure, Character Driven, Family Life, Fantasy, Historical Fiction