This One Summer is the second collaboration between cousins Jillian and Mariko Tamaki. Printed entirely in blue, this atmospheric graphic novel captures that moment when you want to leave adolescence behind, but still can’t quite navigate the adult world.

Rose and her family visit Awago Beach every year. It’s Rose’s getaway; a familiar home away from home. She and her friend Windy have been meeting there each summer and are excited to spend their days swimming, barbecuing, and renting the occasional horror movie. But this year things aren’t quite the same. Rose’s parents are always fighting, and the unspoken drama hangs heavy in the air. Rose finds herself drawn more towards the older teenagers and less towards slightly younger Windy.

A schoolgirl crush and eavesdropping intrigue move the plot along, but the real story shifts between the girls’ friendship and Rose’s relationship with her withdrawn mother. The conversations are authentic, and the emotions hit home. While some may feel the pace a bit slow, Mariko’s words, combined with Jillian’s gorgeous artwork, are more about feeling than narrative. This One Summer will leave you wistful for summers gone by yet still hopeful for the next.

I recently read A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, illustrated by Jim Kay. I was sent the book from a college friend who now works at Candlewick Press. Usually we request specific books from one another but she sent this very special title to me on a whim. I loved so much about this enlightened, sad tale: the elements of classic horror stories, the bravery of a terrified Conor, the dark and intense humor, the pairing of haunting illustrations with masterful text, even the silences. Ness writes about loss and sorrow so beautifully and honestly that the reader feels both consumed and cradled by the story and the relationships within it. I squeezed the book sporadically as I read it – I wanted to hold Conor and twist the arm of the monster… I wanted to hug the author for conquering a picture book for adults that doesn’t spare any compassion. I’m a wide-eyed child over this book.

Battling Boy is the latest graphic novel from comic veteran Paul Pope, and it is an explosive start to a series that places fun above all else. On the eve of his thirteenth birthday, Battling Boy is sent from the cosmic heavens by his warrior father to a world beset by an army of monsters. It’s a kind of superhero coming-of-age ceremony. The only problem is Battling Boy isn’t ready for the responsibilities or trials of being a hero. It’s a premise that allows Pope to explore the hero myth — both in modern superhero stories as well as classical tales — as well as the more relatable struggles of a boy trying to live up to the expectations of his parents and society. But equally important, it is a means to deliver action-packed fun as a super-powered, thirteen-year-old demigod takes on a host of mythical monsters.

Pope’s art is classically inspired, peppered with heavy line work and balloon-word sound effects. Battle scenes are epic in scale and pace, yet the illustrations shine in the more quiet character-driven moments with subtle, deft facial work. Just about the only shortcoming that can be leveled at this book is that it must end before the entire story can be told. Fortunately, Battling Boy’s adventures are far from over, and this initial entry should be more than enough to convince readers to invest in the journey.

When Marcus Yallow and his three best friends are caught cutting school on the day of a terrorist attack, they are all arrested as suspects. After a few days of brutal interrogations, Marcus is released with a threat that the Department of Homeland Security will be watching him. Upset that one of his friends still hasn’t been released and feeling betrayed by his own country, Marcus makes it his personal mission to take down the DHS. How does he plan to do it? Well, that’s simple—Marcus is tech savvy. He can outsmart his school’s security system and build a laptop from scratch. Using his tech smarts, Marcus gives other gamers and online users the tools they need to beat the DHS’s surveillance. But what starts out as a personal vendetta soon explodes into a full out revolution, where the citizens of San Francisco are openly questioning and fighting back against the DHS. And they’ve chosen Marcus—willingly or not—to be their leader.

I have never been good when it comes to using technology; all the coding and terminology has always escaped me. Yet, as I was reading Little Brother, I found the technology-driven plot to be fascinating and easy to follow. Cory Doctorow has Marcus’ character explain the different technology in everyday language so that any reader can understand; and he does it in a way that doesn’t slow down the pacing of the story. I also really liked Marcus’ character, specifically his sense of justice and passion. Despite his tech smarts, Marcus isn’t really geeky; he’s a normal teenage boy with family and friends. Yet, when his country and personal liberties are put in jeopardy, he doesn’t sit by idly and let himself be steamrolled. Lastly, I loved the overall message of the book.  Little Brother is a call to arms—a reminder that in a tech-run age, we still have basic liberties that should never be violated. And Marcus’ story demonstrates how technology, when wielded correctly, can be used to protect those liberties. I highly recommend Little Brother by Cory Doctorow because it is one of those rare books that empower as well as entertains readers.