Blue Stars: The Vice Principal Problem by Kekla Magoon and Cynthia Leitich Smith, illustrated by Molly Murakami (Candlewick, 176 pages, grades 3-7). Cousins Maya and Riley are almost polar opposites, but they’re forced to share a room at their grandmother’s house when Maya’s military parents are stationed in Japan and Maya’s family moves away from the Muscogee reservations for opportunities in Urbanopolis.
At the start of sixth grade, outgoing Riley gravitates towards gymnastics and a big group of friends, while Maya prefers her own company and working on robotics. They unite against the villainous vice principal, though, when they learn of his plan to cut all after-school clubs to fund the expansion of his detention space. Working together, they discover each one has talents that lend themselves to the defeat of this plot. They begin to see themselves as superheroes, befriending two boys who become their sidekicks and assistants. The kids manage to save their school activities, but the vice principal is still at the school plotting his evil deeds, making a sequel seem inevitable.
Next Stop by Debbie Fong (Random House Graphic, 272 pages, grades 4-7). Pia’s family has endured an almost unimaginable loss, and they are dealing with it in different ways. Her mother has become withdrawn and depressed, while her dad insists that they move to have a “fresh start.” Pia is caught in the middle, blaming herself and trying to navigate her parents’ emotions. When she’s offered a bus trip to a lake rumored to have magical powers, she jumps at the chance.
The journey proves memorable, with a quirky cast of characters that slowly starts to feel like family as they travel to such sites as the world’s smallest corn maze, the Prickly Park cactus cruise, and a motel shaped like a chicken. The tour guide, a friend of Pia’s father, looks after Pia, who develops a memorable friendship with the guide’s daughter. There’s an older couple desperately seeking a cure for the wife’s illness, and a family with a young daughter with whom Pia bonds. The story of the trip is interspersed with flashback scenes in a more muted palette, slowly showing the reader what has happened to Pia’s family. When the tour finally reaches the lake, a dramatic scene unfolds in which Pia begins to get closure and to forgive herself for what happened. It may not be exactly what she was hoping for, but it helps her family move toward healing when she returns home.
Having just disparaged graphic novels for not being more creative, I am now forced to eat my words after reading these two. They both offer something new, and I found the format and story of Next Stop particularly compelling. The family tragedy and the sadness that pervades the story may make it a bit more appropriate for the older end of the recommended age range. As for Blue Stars, I loved the premise and the contributions to the story by both of the award-winning authors. I wished the book had been a bit longer to develop the plot more fully (the girls went from being enemies to close friends in the space of about a page and a half), but I think kids will love this series opener and will look forward to more to come.