These graphic novels and memoirs for middle graders and middle schoolers depict, in words and pictures, a variety of school challenges, experiences, and successes.

Class Act
by Jerry Craft; illus. by the author
Intermediate, Middle School    HarperAlley/Quill Tree/HarperCollins    256 pp.    g
10/20    978-0-06-288551-7    $22.99
Paper ed.  978-0-06-288550-0    $12.99
e-book ed.  978-0-06-288552-4    $10.99

Puberty is on the horizon for thirteen-year-old Jordan Banks, who returns in this hilarious and heartfelt companion to New Kid (rev. 1/19), the Coretta Scott King and Newbery Award–winning graphic novel. Jordan is now a year older, and a tiny bit more secure in his second year at Riverdale Academy Day (RAD) School. He still has the familiar comfort of loving parents (whose preference is for Jordan to spend his upcoming high school career at RAD rather than transfer to an art school, as he desires); and pals Liam and Drew (when the two are not embroiled in their own tensions over social class). Jordan and his friends navigate microaggressions, well-meaning but sometimes inept teachers, colorism, absentee caregivers, and other complex issues. Along the way, the trio demonstrates vulnerability, ranges of emotions, and willingness to always crack a joke — after all, they are teenage boys. Jordan’s friend Drew’s coming-of-age as a Black boy in a predominantly white environment is very thoughtfully explored, particularly the tension of navigating how to be an academic achiever in a context that is reluctant to acknowledge him as such. In one especially telling moment during a school visit by Black and Latinx students from underfunded “sister school” Cardi De Academy that goes terribly wrong, Drew is asked if “they let you be smart here? Or do they try to melt your wings?” Craft adeptly balances poignant questions like these with laugh-out-loud moments in the lively illustrations, making Class Act a substantial snapshot of the interior life of boys, especially Black boys who are too often not afforded such attention, love, and care. KIM PARKER

Just Roll with It
by Lee Durfey-Lavoie; illus. by Veronica Agarwal
Intermediate, Middle School    RH Graphic/Random    336 pp.    g
12/21    978-0-593-12541-0    $20.99
Library ed.  978-1-9848-9700-8   $23.99
Paper ed.  978-1-9848-9699-5    $12.99
e-book ed.  978-1-9848-9701-5    $8.99

In this graphic novel, sixth grader Maggie starts middle school with familiar worries: making friends, confronting bullies, navigating classes. She carries a many-sided die to roll whenever she’s confused, worried, or otherwise at a crossroads, each number corresponding in her mind to an action she should or should not take. Maggie is a gamer and a sci-fi/­fantasy and superhero fan, and she decides to join the school’s RPG (that’s role-playing game, for newbs) afterschool club. She grows comfortable with new like-minded friends — but she’s still reliant on her die. At home, surrounded by her loving, supportive South Asian family, she’s compelled to flick the lights, color-code her books, etc. What’s more, there’s a fierce white dragon in her head that second-guesses her thoughts and psyches her out: “That was all your fault…You can’t do anything right, can you?” Maggie’s compulsions and anxieties are important to the story, but this isn’t a book solely about them. Throughout the tale, illustrated in easy-to-read panel art with bubbly character shapes and subdued hues, we meet engaging secondary characters and even tag along as Maggie and friends help solve a (somewhat unlikely) wildlife mystery. An appended note touches on the book creators’ own experiences with mental illness. ELISSA GERSHOWITZ

7 Good Reasons Not to Grow Up
by Jimmy Gownley; illus. by the author
Middle School    Graphix/Scholastic    272 pp.    g
11/20    978-0-545-85931-8    $24.99
Paper ed.  978-0-545-85932-5    $12.99
e-book ed.  978-0-545-85937-0    $7.99

Kirby Finn is a hero to the students at Greycliff Academy. In addition to the “Seven Good Reasons” videos he sends out, which delineate why it’s best not to grow up, he leads his After-School Resistance team of students in cleverly dispatching bullies and other jerks, saving a friend’s local business, and waging an underground war on Principal Cudgel, puppet of school board president Darth Finkenboner. Best friends Raja Ahmed and Kelly Rose are there for Kirby, even after discovering that the friend they thought they knew has been harboring secrets about his identity. Gownley’s (the Amelia Rules! series; The Dumbest Idea Ever, rev. 3/14) pen-and-ink drawings, hand lettering, and full-color panels combine for a dazzling array of busy, action-filled pages with blizzards of speech bubbles, and an occasional quiet pause in the form of a cityscape, nighttime sky, or neighborhood scene. The writing works well with the illustrations to create a sensitive portrait of friends, each with a well-developed backstory, who realize that they “weren’t just a bunch of random kids,” but rather a constellation of young people who were big and powerful together. Back matter includes an author’s note and a look behind the scenes at the book’s creation. DEAN SCHNEIDER

Friends Forever
by Shannon Hale; illus. by LeUyen Pham; color by Hilary Sycamore and LeUyen Pham
Intermediate, Middle School    First Second    299 pp.    g
8/21    978-1-250-31755-1    $21.99
Paper ed.  978-1-250-31756-8    $12.99

In Hale’s third graphic memoir (Real Friends, rev. 5/17; Best Friends, rev. 11/19), thirteen-year-old Shannon is now in eighth grade in 1987 Salt Lake City. She has made new best friends who share common interests (drama, glee, creative writing) and yet she doesn’t always “feel good” due to her undiagnosed anxiety and mild OCD. She makes a list in her journal — “I would feel fulfilled if I could be: 1. beautiful 2. famous 3. successful 4. liked by boys 5. a good person” — and those items then serve as chapter subjects, featured on the openers as magazine cover titles. But this self-imposed pressure to be “perfect” overwhelms her, leading to fallouts with friends, failed classes, and fights with her parents. Despite the title, this third book is less about Shannon’s friendships and more about how she perceives herself — a relatable exploration for many young teens. Hale frankly but sensitively depicts her disappointments, embarrassments, and achievements. Pham’s digitally colored ink illustrations skillfully reflect the character’s roller-coaster emotions, switching color palettes between reality (bright), fanciful daydreams (pastel), flashbacks (monochrome), and depressed introspection (subdued). Varied panel sizes further emphasize Shannon’s feelings, particularly in a heart-wrenching series of large grayscale panels when she is at her lowest (“I hate myself”). While the hopeful ending feels a bit rushed, Shannon’s choice to love herself and the realization that she’s enough just the way she is help her — and readers — move forward. CYNTHIA K. RITTER

Twins
by Varian Johnson; illus. by Shannon Wright
Intermediate, Middle School    Graphix/Scholastic    256 pp.    g
10/20    978-1-338-23617-0    $24.99
Paper ed.  978-1-338-23613-2    $12.99
e-book ed.  978-1-338-23619-4    $7.99

It’s the first day of sixth grade for the identical Carter twins, and while Maureen is more than content to face the year with her sister the way they always have — together — Francine is ready for a change. Differing class schedules provide Francine with hopes for autonomy, and Maureen with anxiety. Separated from her sister and core friend group, Maureen has no desire to build the self-confidence everyone claims she needs until she is threatened with a less-than-stellar grade in her Youth Cadet Corps class. For extra credit, Maureen runs for president of the student council, with only one obstacle/opposing candidate in her way — Francine. Known as the “talker” as opposed to the “thinker,” Francine has her own reasons for running for office, and — to the chagrin of a well-rounded cast of family and friends — a contentious political season threatens the peace in the Carter household. The story is told largely in Maureen’s voice (her narration appears in rectangular boxes), and judicious use of speech bubbles, white space, and varying perspectives moves this graphic novel along without being obtrusive. Johnson and Wright have expertly teamed up to create a relatable story for all middle schoolers, with distinct reminders — from hair bonnets to an incident of discrimination in a shopping mall — that a majority of the characters are Black. Fans of Raina Telgemeier and Jerry Craft will appreciate the Carter twins’ attempts to maneuver their way through middle school and the political process while learning to act with civility and, above all, as sisters. EBONI NJOKU

Measuring Up
by Lily LaMotte; illus. by Ann Xu; color by Sunmi
Intermediate, Middle School    HarperAlley/HarperCollins    208 pp.    g
10/20    978-0-06-297387-0    $22.99
Paper ed.  978-0-06-297386-3    $12.99

In this encouraging — and nourishing — graphic novel, twelve-year-old Cici’s family moves to Seattle from Taiwan, taking her away from her beloved A-má, who has always nurtured Cici’s interest in cooking. After starting at a new school and feeling lonely — despite some well-meaning but culturally clueless new friends — Cici enters a cooking competition for the prize money: she wants to buy A-má a plane ticket to Seattle for her seventieth birthday. Her competition partner dismisses Cici’s Taiwanese culinary expertise in favor of her own knowledge of Italian cuisine, but she comes to appreciate Cici’s kitchen prowess, and they bond outside of the competition. The narration occasionally sounds stilted (“That drummer sure can jam”) but becomes more natural as our protagonist grows more self-assured. Chapter-heading decorations slowly bloom into fully formed cherry blossoms, gently symbolizing Cici’s development and newfound confidence and also hinting at an imminent reunion with her A-má. Simple line art and minimal backgrounds are enlivened through expert coloring by Xu and Sunmi. The warmest images appear when Cici creates her dishes for the competition and deeply connects with friends and family. NIKI MARION