Best Of

Evan’s world comes crashing down when his father dies and his estranged grandfather moves in. But after discovering a manuscript filled with journal entries from a Japanese soldier and an American Marine stranded during World War II on an island in the Pacific inhabited by spirits, the teen uncovers secrets about his own family. An utterly absorbing tale that examines war, death, and grief in an entirely new light.

In this sequel to The Riverman (2014), Alistair journeys into Aquavania, a hidden universe of connected worlds created by “daydreamers.” In search of his lost friend, Fiona, he makes his way from one psychedelic landscape to the next, hot on the trail of a creature known as The Whisper, who’s sucking the life force from the daydreamers and overtaking their worlds. Dark and strange, this is a wholly original tale that combines real-life horror, fantasy, and mythology and reverberates with complex themes about creation, responsibility, and imagination.

These 10 titles, curated by audio editor Stephanie Klose, represent excellent storytelling with exceptional narration and production values.

In alternating narratives that flow fluidly between past and present, weaving in elements of magical realism and spine-tingling ghost story, the tales of two teen girls, a convicted killer and a Juilliard-bound ballerina, collide. Haunting prose and brilliantly paced revelations culminate in an unconventional conclusion.

This hip and cool graphic biography, drawn in India ink and black pencil with a hand-lettered text, encapsulates the life of the great American inventor and entrepreneur, his influences and innovations, and his challenges and contradictions. Fully loaded with information, tech descriptions, and quotes, the smart and stylish presentation takes graphic nonfiction to new heights.

His name may not be familiar to many, but José Guadalupe Posada’s calavera prints featuring strutting skeletons in their Day of the Dead finery are legendary. Tonatiuh recounts the life, times, career, and legacy of this 19th-century Mexican artist, mingling his own signature earth-toned art with reproductions of the master’s work. A handsomely designed picture book, supported by explanations and illustrations of the printing process, notes on the holiday, and a glossary of art and Spanish terms.

In this celebration of the creative process, Henrietta receives a box of colored pencils from her mother and endeavors to write “The Monster with Three Heads and Two Hats.” Pushing past her writer’s block, the child bounces ideas off Fellini, her cat, and finally gets struck by the muse, her story unfolding in vibrant childlike drawings. This masterful graphic novel for emerging readers will delight budding artists and writers.

An eclectic and innovative collection of short comics created by and about Native peoples. Ranging in format, genre, and art style, this work features vignettes based on traditional stories by powerhouse authors Richard van Camp, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and many more, each presenting nuanced depictions of the diversity within the First Nations people. Masterful storytelling with awe-inducing art that jumps off the page.

A Thousand Nights, E.K. Johnston Hyperion, October 2015 Reviewed from ARC I already told you this is a great year for fantasy, and I’m back to today to continue building the case. And this is probably the one that most deserves the Printz, because for all the brilliance of The Scorpion Rules, the originality of […]