Translated by Leighann Harvey 5 stars Absolute perfection. This is such a wonderful, wholesome series. This volume focuses on friendships growing apart, stereotypical assumptions and society’s conditions on acceptance, body image, and gender norms. I love how much Tomoko has developed and learned through her interactions with Hiroki as well as her coworkers. We also…
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Translated by Leighann Harvey 5 stars Another fantastic collection of comics. There are so many interesting interactions at play in this volume from secret crushes to coworkers, parents and siblings to friends. We see more dynamics between Hiroki and his father in this volume, which were well done. I loved how the family countered Akiyoshi’s…
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5 stars Another fantastic collection. This series is so sweet. I love how supportive Hiroki’s mom is and how she is willing to learn from him and respect his privacy. In the second volume, we learn a little bit more about Yuri, witness a reunion with a childhood friend, and see Hiroki’s friendship with Daigo…
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Translated by Leo McDonagh 4 stars Initially I wasn’t sure about this based on the title, but it was pleasantly sweet. Hiroki’s mother is pretty sure her son is gay. His various slipups seem to confirm her suspicions. Through it all, she is caring, accepting, and patient with him, always letting him know that she…
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5 stars Hard-hitting and wonderfully told. Aiden has always felt different. He doesn’t fit in at school. His family life is chaotic. It’s the year before he starts high school and he’s at his favorite place, summer camp. But things aren’t going as well as he’d like. Despite his friendships and interesting camp courses, he…
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by Sarah Prager Illustrated by Caitlin O’Dwyer 5 stars A fantastic overview of LGBTQIA+ history that includes events and people from various places in the world. The book provides an introduction to LGBTQIA+ topics, contributions, and famous individuals, as well as a breakdown of events from ancient times, 1600s-1940s, 1950s-1960, 1970s-2020s, and a brief look…
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Featuring Dorian Alexander, Archie Bongiovanni, Sage Coffey, Shelby Criswell, Dylan Edwards, Julia Bernhard, JB Brager, Rosa Colon Guerra, Max Dlabick, Trinidad Escobar, Mady G, Alex Graudins, Binglin Hu, Shing Yin Khor, Kazimir Lee, Melanie Gillman, Levi Hastings, Robyn Jordan, Maia Kobabe, Matt Lubchansky, Mariah-Rose Marie, Jason Michaels, Sfe R. Monster, Breena Nunez, Elisabet Run, Ria…
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by Abigail Balfe 5 stars I absolutely loved this book. Part memoir, part life skills guide, part entertainment, part art book, and part educational resource. This book has a nice mix of everything. At its base, A Different Kind of Normal tells about Balfe’s life growing up feeling different from others. However, it goes much…
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5 stars A fantastic memoir dealing with issues of gender, identity, acceptance, and perception. The story follows Kobabe as ey learn about and explore eir self-identity. This includes coming out to family and dealing with their reactions; navigating crushes, sexual relationships, and doctor visits; discovering eir pronouns; and finding eirself in music and books. Through…
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3 stars A powerful coming-of-age story. This novel-in-verse takes a young poet, a forbidden love interest, a strict, religious mother, an apathetic father, a secretive brother, a supportive best friend, and an encouraging teacher, mixes them together, and presents a story of hardship, hope, and healing. This book tackles so many issues such as mother/daughter…
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