(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Aaron Bagley. This graphic novel opens with a dramatic flash-forward scene making clear something is going to go very wrong in Jackie’s sixth-grade year. We then go back to the start of the school year: Jackie is hanging out with sensitive boy-next-door friend Milo and dreading the return of sometimes-judgy classmate Adelle, who is “just so, I don’t know. Pink!” As pressure increases from parents and peers to dress more like other girls, Jackie begins expressing her feelings in letters to herself on older sibling Jabari’s typewriter—and soon those give way to faked letters from an imaginary secret admirer. Meanwhile, scenes focusing on Milo highlight the newfound awkwardness of their friendship, as others now expect that it must be romantic. The story captures the out-of-place feelings many middle schoolers experience, along with strong emotions that can lead to impulsiveness; Jackie doesn’t exactly plan ahead in her epistolary deceptions, but her motivation—she thought peers “might finally accept me if someone liked me”—is believable. Characters’ gender expectations become more nuanced as the story progresses; Jabari’s identity arc adds another dimension, and their advice helps Jackie see Adelle in a new light. Dynamically varied panel layouts keep pages turning; the digital illustrations’ palette is largely pastel, with shocks of pink contrasting with Jackie’s beloved gray hoodie. An author’s note touches on Bagley’s own middle-school experiences.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2026

(1) YA Illustrated by Aaron Bagley. Fantasy-loving Lucy and her perfectionist older sister, Gigi, have been fighting ever since their dad's passing. When Gigi, a popular eighth grader, trips Lucy in the lunchroom on her first day of middle school, Lucy can't take it anymore: she publicly challenges Gigi, "the best fencer in school," to a duel. (Gigi: "A...duel?!...Fencers don't have duels--we have bouts.") The two are called to the principal's office for a meeting alongside their grief-stricken, overworked mom. Though a bout is forbidden, the sisters plan one anyway to be held during upcoming fencing team tryouts. As the two prepare to compete, they begin to process and address (with friends, their mother, and each other) some of the ways that their father's death has affected them. A satisfying, hopeful conclusion includes a heartfelt note from the creators explaining the graphic novel's real-life inspirations. Aaron Bagley's coarse line and hand-lettering-based font give the illustrations a natural, raw feel. The beginning of each chapter resembles a page from a fencing guide, connecting to the well-paced plot and scaffolding readers' understanding. Color-coded inset boxes showcasing the siblings' personal thoughts and vulnerabilities add further depth to their characters; tender blue-hued flashback scenes allow the girls' father and his memory to be ever-present. A down-to-earth and emotional family story.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023