Feeling Boo by Alex Boniello and April Lavalle

Illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller 3 stars A sweet story about friendship, sadness, and listening to others. Ollie has the boos and his best friend, Ellie, will do whatever it takes to chase those sad feelings away. But sometimes we have to slow down and just sit with our sadness in the company of good…

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Yokai Cats Vol. 3 by Pandania

Translated by Minna Lin 4 stars More adventures in the world of yokai cats. A nice mix of new and old friends. It was fun to meet new characters like the ceiling hanging Tenjo-sagari, the sandy Sunakake Baba, and the echoing Yamabiko. Always love to see what Shiro the Nopperabo, Tama the Rokurokubi, and Mita…

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Zombie Stories to Scare Your Socks Off! Edited by Benjamin Bird

Written by Benjamin Harper, Laurie S. Sutton, Michael Dahl, and Megan Atwood 2 stars An okay collection of zombie-themed stories. Includes a nice range within the theme, from a sinister video game to a frightening day in science class to waking up with odd cravings. “The Zombie Hand” by Laurie S. Sutton was my favorite….

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Unico: Awakening (Unico #1) by Samuel Sattin

Illustrated by Gurihiru 3 stars A modern-day Unico brings joy and kindness to all he meets while the jealous Venus is determined to destroy him. As I have not read the original manga, my only experience with Unico before this was watching The Fantastic Adventures of Unico. However, this appears to be a mostly faithful…

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Cat on the Hero’s Lap Vol. 2 by Kousuke Iijima

Illustrated by Shiori Translated by Alan Cheng and Rowena Chen 4 stars Another hilarious volume of adventures with Red, Grace, Aina, and, of course, Mr. Cat. The party continues their quest to defeat the Demon King, leveling up, encountering new foes, and meeting some new cats. Includes many relatable cat ownership situations such as going…

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Where the Dark Stands Still by A. B. Poranek

3 stars A Gothic fantasy with cozy Polish charm. This is an interesting read in its duality with the blending of Slavic folklore and Polish culture. On one side is baking, found family, and homemaking, and the other is magic, bargains, spirits, and demons. I didn’t particularly care for either of the main characters or…

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Fake Chinese Sounds by Jing Jing Tsong

4 stars After a summer spent studying for Chinese school, playing soccer, and bonding with her grandmother visiting from Taiwan, Měi Yīng is excited to start fifth grade. But then she becomes the target of new kid Sid’s racist jokes. Should she ignore him like everyone suggests or stand up to his ignorance? Great themes…

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My Sister, The Cat Vol. 2 by Senko

Translated by Liya Sultanova 5 stars Another adorable collection featuring Neneko and Nekota. Heartwarming slice-of-life comics with plenty of cute sibling antics. From cooking together to helping with a fear of the dark, this book is so sweet. I love Neneko and Nekota so much. As with the first volume, the artwork is so cute….

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