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Young Readers

You Want A Shard? Here!

May 23rd, 2025
by rodney.
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More discoveries from this year’s Festival of Books at USC: A new fantasy novel by Daniel Fliederbaum, Smash the World’s Shell. “When a mysterious ring suddenly appears on reclusive teenager Ellen’s bookshelf, she is granted the power to travel miles away from everything she’s ever known. There she meets Shard, a friendly dragon who offers to help Ellen grow her stunted-since-birth magic. Although it seems too good to be true, Ellen accepts, sure she can conquer her self-hatred by becoming an accomplished magician. Little does she know, her magical voyages have raised the suspicions of those who would destroy her… Young and lonely, Shard is determined to find his first friend in Ellen. But befriending a creature as detested as a human could spell banishment from his tribe — or worse. As the bond between them grows, they will have to face their deepest fears. If they can’t, their friendship is doomed … along with any chance they have of saving both their kinds from annihilation.” It’s available now in paperback. Find out more at Water Dragon Publishing.

image c. 2025 Water Dragon Publishing

Big Story, Little Bunnies

May 17th, 2025
by rodney.
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Looking for something else, we stumbled upon this: The Green Ember series of fantasy novels (with a light Christian theme), written by S.D. Smith. “Heather and Picket are extraordinary rabbits with ordinary lives until calamitous events overtake them, spilling them into a cauldron of misadventures. They discover that their own story is bound up in the tumult threatening to overwhelm the wider world. Kings fall and kingdoms totter. Tyrants ascend and terrors threaten. Betrayal beckons, and loyalty is a broken road with peril around every bend. Where will Heather and Picket land? How will they make their stand?” Several books have followed in the series, but here is where you get started.

image c. 2025 Story Warren Books

You Opened Up a Can o’ Woof-Arse

May 9th, 2025
by rodney.
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And then, we went to the L.A. Times Festival of Books — where we saw things like the preview of Ten Ton Titan Terrier, a new comic from writer David Pepose (Spencer & Locke) and artist Ornella Greco (Total Suplex of the Heart). “When an asteroid unleashes a horde of alien monsters known as Bio-Titans, Earth must turn to a suit of extraterrestrial battle armor to save the day — but there’s just one catch. Because the only creature on the planet capable of turning it on… is an 11-inch-tall terrier named Holly. With the Bio-Titan threat escalating by the second, Holly and her scientist owner Sam will find their unique bond tested, as he trains his mischievous mutt to become not just man’s best friend, but humanity’s only hope.” Look for it this October, from Papercutz.

image c. 2025 Papercutz

They Definitely Roll the Bones

Apr 7th, 2025
by rodney.
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And speaking of dogs who have a different take on things, let’s join some gamer-dogs as DnDoggos — Get The Party Started. “Magnus is tail-waggingly excited to share his favorite role-playing game with his friends! They’ve picked their characters and favorite dice, and are ready to set off on the adventure Magnus has created for them. Pickles, a rough-and-tumble fighter; Tonka, a playful and fun-loving bard; and Zoey, a wise and caring cleric, are given a quest to fetch a magical dog collar from a nearby swamp. But when they triumphantly return, they soon find that the collar isn’t the only thing that has gone missing from Tail’s Bend. All the squeaky toys in town have disappeared and Squish, the mayor’s young son, has set off on his own to find them. It’s up to the Doggos to rescue Squish, track down the missing toys, and save the day!” This graphic novel by Scout Underhill is illustrated by Liana Sposto, and it’s available now all over.

image c. 2025 Feiwel & Friends

She-Wolf and Friends

Feb 1st, 2025
by rodney.
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It’s nowhere near Halloween, but let us introduce you to the star of the Olivia Wolf series of graphic novels, written and illustrated by Jose Fragoso. The first book is called Olivia Wolf and the Moldy Sandwich. “It seems like just another ordinary day in Monstrocity, where monsters and humans live peacefully side by side. But when a teacher goes missing at school, it’s up to Olivia, a brave werewolf girl, together with her friends Bela the vampire, Fred the fly, Sam the invisible man, and Elliot the human, to save the day! Where could Professor Swamp be? And could Fred the fly’s missing moldy cheese sandwich have anything to do with his disappearance?” Look for it over at NubeOcho.

image c. 2025 NubeOcho

Call The Baker?

Jan 25th, 2025
by rodney.
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Here’s an origin story for a group known as The Fluffle: Three bad bunny crime lords. “This story starts, as stories often do, with a tragedy. Three bunnies are left without their mother when she goes off to Brazil to learn jiujitsu. The bunnies, Flop, Biggie, and Boingie, learn some hard truths about life pretty quick: Squirrels will take over your cozy nest as soon as you leave and refuse to give it back, dogs are to be avoided at all costs, and raccoons will believe anything you tell them. With quick thinking, ingenuity, and maybe a little bit of raccoon manipulation, these three buns will take on all comers to be the rulers of the park. Will they win? Well, this is an origin story . . .” Buns Gone Bad is the first book in the Fluffle Bunnies series of graphic novels for young readers, written by Anna Humphrey and illustrated by Irma Kniivila. Look for it in hardcover from Penguin Random House. (Oh, and the sequel is called Big City Buns.)

Image c. 2025 Penguin Random House

Barking with Bravery

Jan 17th, 2025
by rodney.
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Michael Sweater is a name that’s turned up more than once around here, both as a writer and and artist. Now he’s giving us a special one-shot fantasy adventure comic for young readers called Puppy Knight: Den of Deception, written by him and illustrated by Josue Cruz. “There’s no knight braver than Sparky Muttson! (Except maybe his enthusiastic and very cute apprentice, Pugsly.) They’re ready for their first adventure together, and luckily, a kind old farmer is conveniently ready to show them the way to a cathedral full of treasure. While this quest might not turn out exactly how they expected, Sparky and Pugsly have the chops to make it through—no bones about it!” Look for it now from Silver Sprocket. (We’ll see you folks after Further Confusion!)

image c. 2025 Silver Sprocket

Pack Your Trunk for Adventure

Jan 13th, 2025
by rodney.
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Here’s the publisher’s notes on the new comic series Squish and Squash: “Squish and Squash are two young cadets trying to make it into the Intergalactic Search and Rescue Squad. In order to become rescuers, they must pass the difficult ‘Save the Gimblemans’ simulation test. It’s not going to be easy, especially with tough Captain Twomey breathing down their necks. Breaking the rules and saving the crew from a burning galactic cruise ship lands our two cadets in trouble. The duo are given one last chance to pass the test or be thrown out of the academy for good. Our adventurous heroes must find new and imaginative ways to earn their patch and become bona-fide rescuers!” For some reason though, they neglected to mention that Squish and Squash are an elephant and a pussycat! Issues of Squish and Squash (by Niall O’Rourke and Mike Hartigan) are available now from Keenspot Entertainment.

image c. 2025 Keenspot Entertainment

Life in the Trash Lane

Dec 21st, 2024
by rodney.
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So sorry, but we just had to steal that phrase from the publisher — couldn’t top it! “Meet the Bins family, a trio of raccoons in the risky business of dumpster diving for all their needs. With Dusty’s brains, ReRe’s muscle, and Scraps’s gadgets (please don’t tell him he’s almost definitely an opossum), the Binses are determined to leave no garbage bin unturned in their pursuit of the tastiest, most delicious trash they can find. When the family discovers a new upscale grocery store that’s throwing away their perfectly good food at the end of each day, the Binses hatch a heist so daring it’ll have them rolling in garbage all winter long. But a critter-despising CEO, Jeff Beans, and the high-tech defense system he’s installed means liberating that trash is going to take all the skills the Racc Pack have … and maybe some help from a cat burglar with a mysterious past.” Published by Simon & Schuster, The Racc Pack graphic novel is by Stephanie Cooke (My Little Pony: Camp Bighoof), with art by Whitney Gardner.

image c. 2024 Simon & Schuster

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