Witchland, written by Tim Mulligan and illustrated by Pyrink, is a tale of new beginnings, suspense, and horror. The comic follows a family of three: Van and Jared, who are partners in marriage, and their adopted daughter Ali. When Jared gets a new job in Richland, Washington, the family decides to relocate to support the opportunities that come with Jared’s new position. They finally have a house of their own, have higher income, and can make a fresh start from past vices. However, Richland is not quite as it seems.
The Horrible Bag of Terrible Things by Rob Renzetti is a dark fantasy tale that follows Zenith and his older sister, Apogee, and their encounter with a mysterious bag. When a creature suddenly emerges from the bag and drags Apogee along with it back to its depths, it’s up to Zenith to brave the shadows and take back his sister from the clutches of the creature. Entering the grim world of GrahBhag, Zenith’s journey puts him face-to-face with gargoyles who much on earwax, a cloth-man who just wants to make friends, talking ravens that guard knowledge, and the terrible Great Wurm.
Maya Shine’s Actionable Life Skills for Young Adults is a comprehensive advice and self-help book for teenagers and young adults. Shine relays pertinent information for self-reflection, self-care, and the importance of high school and secondary academics. Several chapters cover the flexibility of options to earn money, how to present oneself during interviews, the necessity of budgeting, and the breakdown of taxes and loans. The ins and outs of buying a car and renting an apartment are carefully discussed.
Maple is a member of Blue Ring, a community in what was once Canada after an unexplained global event that left those in Blue Ring among the many survivors. Those in the Blue Ring survived by coupling themselves with those called the Headmasters. Parasitic aliens fused onto the bodies of humans and controlled their thoughts and actions. Each Headmaster fused with different humans before finding another body. This becomes problematic when Maple begins to share memories and consciousness with the former host body, a woman named Zara, whom Maple had a previous connection with.
After spending a summer in California, Lizzie is excited to get back to her life back home. She misses her room, her friends, and most importantly the magical house next door! Lizzie lives next to the Portal House, a magical house that has portals allowing people to travel all over the world. No one else in Lizzie's town except Lizzie and her friend Johnny know about the magic the house holds, but the past year an evil warlock named Oliver tried to steal the House's power. When Lizzie first gets back, she is excited.
Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar follows the stories of tween and teenage girls in the lineage of a Spanish-Jewish family. Tracking the history of the Jewish culture within the Spanish-speaking community throughout the generations, the story sets the protagonists as Benvenida in 1492 Spain, Reina in 1923 Turkey, Alegra in 1961 Cuba, and Paloma in 2003 America.
In The Ascenditure, Klarke Ascher is attempting a feat never accomplished by women in her kingdom before: to become an Ascenditure, a member of the elite climbing group of Ectair. She has been beaten out for the job once before, even though she is clearly the better climber, but was denied the position because she is a female. Females in Ectair are expected to be wives and mothers, married off in arranged marriages starting at the age of seventeen. Klarke is seventeen and she is lucky enough to be lodged in an all woman tenement.
A Name for Dog is a story about the people and animals of a village, living in the same space but separately, as has always been. Animals are not pets, nor are they predator or prey of humans. Animals are predator and prey to each other, but hunting is not to be done in the village. The animals have no names; they are just simply called what they are, by people and other animals. Tinnet, Nalana and Grat are three children who become friends, and they all secretly wonder what it would be like to have animals as friends.
The Adventures of the Flash Gang, Episode Two: Treasonous Tycoon by Sandra Waugh and M.M. Downing is set in the 1930s in Pittsburgh. The main characters are Lewis Carter and Pearl Alice Clavell, known as "Streeters." The residents of Pittsburgh believe Lewis and Pearl were killed in a fire. The truth is that Lewis and Pearl live in a empty warehouse with other members of the Flash Gang. Lewis has a number one enemy John T. Pickering, who paid Scruggs to kidnap Lewis and tried to steal the Flash Gangs secret recipe. Scruggs was hired by John T.
Not your typical coming-of-age novel, All I Know begins with Kai Martin as a playful 9-year-old and takes us through the next three decades of her life. Kai shares an inextricable relationship with her brother, Kade, and her childhood crush, Josh Taylor, throughout the book. These relationships drive decisions that affect Kai’s life, even during years she is not physically with either of them. The author does not shy away from some tough topics. Alcohol and drug abuse, child abuse, and suicide are all dealt with as Kai moves from childhood into adulthood.
