bildungsromans

After the death of his dog, Rocket, just before his fourteenth birthday, Andy visits Rocket's grave and unexpectedly summons the Rainbow Bridge, a realm where pets discover their afterlife and where any unfinished business must be completed, giving Andy and Rocket one last chance for an adventure together.

Wordless graphic novel follows young Marisol whose Cuban parents send her to live in the United States after Fidel Castro takes power in 1961. After arriving in New York City to live with a kind, elderly couple, her cold, gray surroundings slowly turn vibrant again as she learns the language and celebrates her culture through food and music.

"Lolo Wright always thought she was just a regular fourteen-year-old dealing with regular family drama: her brother, James, is struggling with his studies; her dad's business constantly teeters on the edge of trouble; and her mother... she left long ago. But then Lolo's world explodes when a cop pulls a gun on James in a dangerous case of mistaken identities. Staring down the barrel, with no one else to help, Lolo discovers powers she never knew she had. Using only her mind, she literally throws the cop out of the way. Problem is that secrets like Lolo's don't stay a secret for long. Skin, a dangerous dealer with designs on taking over the neighborhood, hears of Lolo's telekinetic abilities and decides that he needs her in his crew. Skin might not have Lolo's powers, but he's got nothing to lose and is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. And what he wants is Lolo. Lolo's not willing to let Skin use her to hurt the people--and neighborhood--that she loves. But it's going to take a whole different kind of bravery to stand-up for what's right, especially after Lolo's mom returns suddenly and turns Lolo's whole world upside-down. For too long, it's true, Lolo's had her head in the clouds, but this time, it's on her . . . and she's not backing down"--OCLC.

"From the New Yorker staff writer Hua Hsu, a gripping memoir on friendship, grief, the search for self, and the solace that can be found through art. In the eyes of 18-year-old Hua Hsu, the problem with Ken--with his passion for Dave Matthews, Abercrombie & Fitch, and his fraternity--is that he is exactly like everyone else. Ken, whose Japanese American family has been in the United States for generations, is mainstream; for Hua, a first-generation Taiwanese American who has a 'zine and haunts Bay Area record shops, Ken represents all that he defines himself in opposition to. The only thing Hua and Ken have in common is that, however they engage with it, American culture doesn't seem to have a place for either of them. But despite his first impressions, Hua and Ken become best friends, a friendship built of late-night conversations over cigarettes, long drives along the California coast, and the textbook successes and humiliations of everyday college life. And then violently, senselessly, Ken is gone, killed in a carjacking, not even three years after the day they first meet. Determined to hold on to all that was left of his best friend--his memories--Hua turned to writing. Stay True is the book he's been working on ever since. A coming-of-age story that details both the ordinary and extraordinary, Stay True is a bracing memoir about growing up, and about moving through the world in search of meaning and belonging"--Provided by the publisher.

"A young pottery student finds her artistic voice and first love at an art camp, while also coping with feelings of guilt and worry about her best friend, who recently attempted suicide"--Provided by the publisher.

"[Presents a] graphic novel about a girl who would rather do anything other than celebrate her quincea?era!"--Amazon.

Thirteen-year-old Iris craves grand adventure, but knows that in the tiny country town of Bugden that is unlikely to happen to her. She wishes she could be more like her best friend, Sam, who seems content with swimming in the lake and catching bugs--but when Sam and Iris discover a dry riverbed outside of town, and follow it, they discover a hidden city of mystery and lost time.

"Aim?e, a non-binary Anishinaabe middle-schooler, is on a class trip to offer gifts to Paayehnsag, the water spirits known to protect the land. While stories are told about the water spirits and the threat of the land being taken over for development, Aim?e zones out, distracting themselves from the bullying and isolation they've experienced since expressing their non-binary identity. When Aim?e accidentally wanders off, they are transported to an alternate dimension populated by traditional Anishinaabe figures in a story inspired by "Alice in Wonderland." To gain the way back home, Aim?e is called on to help Trickster by hunting down dark water spirits with guidance from Paayehnsag. On their journey, Aim?e faces off with the land-grabbing Queen and her robotic guards and fights the dark water spirits against increasingly stacked odds"--Provided by publisher.

A wealthy teenager named Abena's world is turned upside down when she meets Faiza, a Muslim migrant worker, while working at her auntie's shop in Makola Market. The two soon form an unlikely friendship, and they both learn from each other's experiences.

"High schooler Ryo knows he's transgender, but he doesn't have anyone to confide in about the confusion he feels. He can't tell his best friend, who he's secretly got a crush on, and he can't tell his mom, who's constantly asking why Ryo 'dresses like a boy.' He certainly can't tell Jin, the new transfer student who looks like just another bully... The only time Ryo feels at ease is when he's wearing his favorite clothes. Then, and only then, the world melts away, and he can be his true self. One day, while out shopping, Ryo sees someone he didn't expect: Jin. The kid who looked so tough in class has the same taste in fashion as him! At last, Ryo has someone he can open up to--and the journey ahead might finally give him a way to express himself to the world"--Back cover.