Everyone’s a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too – by Jomny Sun

This beguiling little book defies easy pigeonholing. Based in Sun’s popular Twitter account, simple line drawings illustrate the adventures of a little alien exploring life on Earth. It’s both more subversive and more touching than you’d think. The Twitter account is hugely popular and fans include Lin-Manuel Miranda, Patton Oswald and Joss Whedon.

There is big profile of Sun this weekend in the New York Times Magazine and he will be interviewed on The PBS NewsHour in coming weeks.

“This is one of those rare treats of a book for me that reminds me how you can be fooled by a book, and in a beautiful way. Remarkably told thru the sparsest of illustrations and text, everyone’s a aliebn when ur a aliebn too has an emotional impact I was not expecting…. a guide to the ups and downs of all human emotion, and it is surprisingly powerful.”
— David Edmonds, customer and fan of Schuler Books & Music, in his blog From My Bookshelf

Everyone’s a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too (9780062569028) by Jomny Sun. $14.99 paper over board.  6/27/17 on sale.

Graphic Middle Grade Fiction: Frazzled – Booki Vivat

Last but by no means least is this charming debut in the spirit of Dork Diaries. The hilarious illustrations and voice of Abbie Wu will appeal to any middle grader who is frazzled over trying to figure it all out. The advance numbers are fantastic as are the reviews. We couldn’t be prouder of this major talent, who also happens to work at Harper!

“Debut author Vivat writes and illustrates a funny, neurotic, and delightful girl with a heart as big as her worries. The extensively illustrated novel packs a punch with fresh, lively pencil-and-ink drawings and lettering that set each mood perfectly.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Vivat’s funny, quick-moving debut skips along even faster thanks to the endearing doodles that appear throughout, punctuating Abbie’s travails with chibi-esque emotional outbursts featuring flailing limbs, speed lines, and exaggerated typography.”
   — Publishers Weekly

“Abbie’s phobias and worries are charmingly depicted in this heavily illustrated hybrid novel….share this title with fans of Jeff Kinney’s ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ series and anyone who will appreciate rooting for a witty underdog.”
   — School Library Journal

“Newcomer Vivat’s novel, with its hyperbolic text and superabundant adrenaline-filled cartoon drawings…has plenty of appeal, but it’s the clever plot that gives the story depth.”
   — The Horn Book

Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom (9780062398796) by Booki Vivat. $12.99 hardcover. 9/27/16 on sale.

New Graphic Novel: Nimona – Noelle Stevenson

Slate awarded Nimona its Cartoonist Studio Prize, calling it “a deadpan epic.” Wired named it one of their 10 favorite comics of the year, it received three starred advanced reviews… and Rainbow Rowell gives it a shout out: “Stevenson has a knack for capturing the humor and heart in a situation in just a few panels.” (Trivia: Rowell asked Stevenson to do the art for the cover of her book, Fangirl.)

So what is Nimona? It’s a complex, comic, badass story of two charming anti-heroes out to prove that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his cronies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are. Young shape shifter Nimona is the wildcard in an epic adventure for the Occupy Wall Street generation. Stevenson has a wry, feminist wit and first made a name for herself in undergraduate school with the viral sensation “Broship of the Rings.”

In Stevenson’s funny, smart, and provocative graphic novel, a gentlemanly clash between rivals is disrupted when an energetic shape shifter raises the stakes with her predilection for violence. …. Stevenson’s tale presents a nuanced view of morality while offering thoughtful comment on friendship and individuality. Sharp visuals, a nifty amalgam of fantasy and science fiction elements, and relationships drawn with complexity, wit, and depth create a world worth returning to again and again.”
– Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Stevenson’s portrayal of the relationship between good and evil is particularly ingenious, as is her attention to detail and adroit world building. If you’re going to read one graphic novel this year, make it this one.”
– Kirkus (starred review)

“Packed with spot-on comedic timing and heartening relationships, this is perfect for readers who prefer their adventures rollickingly clever. Fans of the original webcomic will be delighted by the print only epilogue.”
– Booklist

At its core, Nimona is a story of rescue. Each of the main characters rescue allies, friendships, the Kingdom, and ultimately, themselves. A vibrant solo work.”
– School Library Journal (starred review)

Nimona (9780062278227) by Noelle Stevenson. $12.99 paperback. 5/12/115 on sale.

Short Take: Gaiman Alert! The Graveyard Books Graphic Novel: Volume 1

Heads up, Gaiman and graphic novel fans. Part 1 of a spectacular visual rendering of Gaiman’s Newbery-winning classic is out at the end of the month. PW has an illuminating interview with the illustrator: “It Takes a Graveyard to Raise a Child: PW Talks with P. Craig Russell.”

“As he did with Coraline, Russell makes the recasting of Gaiman’s Newbery-winning novel into graphic form look easy with this vastly entertaining adaptation, first in a two-book set (the second volume is due in late September). Russell conceives the look and layout of the graveyard world [and] six artists, including Kevin Nowlan, Stephen B. Scott, Galen Showman, and Jill Thompson, contribute a chapter apiece. The overall effect is remarkably unified, and the thread of the narrative is always crystal-clear….The artwork sets out to entertain rather than to horrify; even the initial murder scene has a certain tranquility. It’s a treasure worth having even if the novel is already on the shelf.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel: Volume 1 (9780062194817) by Neil Gaiman; illustrated by Craig P. Russell. $19.99  hardcover. 7/29/14 on sale.