Zachary Sterling
Graphix/Scholastic, 2023
235 pages
Grades 3-7
Graphic Novel
JJ and Althea struggle with fitting in at their Oregon middle school. Their immigrant Filipino parents force them to work at their embarrassing family food truck and just don't "get it". Mom and Dad share stupid stories from the old country, cautionary tales of lazy children gone bad, as well as evil spirits. A weird estranged uncle shows up right around the time the siblings get identical nightmares. Could there be a connection? Family secrets are eventually revealed and JJ and Althea find out that their mother is a superhero, equipped with powers to fight evil demons. Most shocking of all, they were also blessed with similar powers. The family teams up with Mom's distant guardians and they must all ban together to fight evil. The young people discover that their family is not as nerdy and boring as they thought as they engage in a classic battle of good versus evil. Finally, peace is restored and it's back to business as usual. The family is catering an end of school year party for the cool kids. Will JJ and Althea make any social connections or are they doomed to be outsiders forever?
Own voices storyteller and illustrator, Sterling, pens a story of immigrant kids learning to embrace their culture and find their superpowers both literally and figuraly. Readers will learn a bit about Filipino culture--and a lot about empathy. Rick Riordan has allowed for world cultures to be explored and celebrated by young readers, helping this story to find a natural audience. Stories, memories from the past, and nightmares are set in a slightly different format to cue kids that we are leaving present reality. The full color illustrations are cleverly drawn and panels are easy to follow. Beyond the mythology, this is at its core a story about confidence, friendship, and fitting in. Middle school social dilemmas are expertly captured and young readers will find much to relate to. Not exactly a graphic memoir, which continues to be the rage, but more of a superhero/action/fantasy with underlying truths that is sure to appeal to the target audience. An easily digestible read with some quality content.
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