New Release: AGENTS OF S.U.I.T.: FROM BADGER TO WORSE

AGENTS OF S.U.I.T.: FROM BADGER TO WORSE by John Patrick Green, with Christopher Hastings and Pat Lewis (First Second Books, Feb 2024)

In the first book of AGENTS OF S.U.I.T., eager rookie agent Cilantro stepped into the spotlight―and rocketed into space! Now it’s time for the B-Team to show why they’re so un-B-lievably B-loved.

That’s right, Bongo and Marsha, the super-spy Badgers, are on the case…and way over-budget. When S.U.I.T. realizes just how much money the Badgers waste with their gadgets and spy vehicles and custom plush toys, they’re sent to Bora Bora to investigate a case…the old-fashioned way. The bees―that’s “bee-ee-ee,” like the insect―that run the resort are hiding something under the tropical sands, and Marsha and Bongo are just the bumbling agents to crack this pineapple-flavored case wide open.

Select praise for the series:

• School Library Journal review: “…All the same great punny humor and built-in suspense as the original InvestiGators books… this series is likely to bring in loyal and new readers.”

New Release: RUINED

RUINED by Sarah Vaughn, Sarah Winifred Searle, and Niki Smith
(First Second Books, Nov 2023)

The whole town is whispering about how Catherine Benson lost her virtue, though they can never agree on the details. Was it in the public garden? Or a moving carriage?

Only a truly desperate man would want her now―and that’s exactly what Andrew Davener is. His family’s estate is in disrepair, but Catherine’s sizeable dowry could set it to rights.

After the two wed, Catherine finds herself inexplicably drawn to Andrew. But could falling in love with her husband tear her marriage apart? In this richly detailed Regency romance, duty and passion collide in a slow-burn tale of intertwined fates.

Select praise for RUINED:

• Shelf Awareness starred review: “Readers looking for a quieter Bridgerton or a more diverse, steamier Austen novel will love this graphic novel.”

• Booklist review: “Sure to be a delight for fans of the show Bridgerton and other similar adaptations… Modern Austen fans should take a look.”

• “Ruined is a gorgeous historical romance you’ll immediately fall for.” - Culturess.com

New Release: CHUBBY BUNNY

CHUBBY BUNNY by Julie Murphy and Sarah Winifred Searle
(Balzer & Bray, Oct 2023)

The debut picture book from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’, with illustrations by acclaimed cartoonist Sarah Winifred Searle.

Barbara “Bunny” Binks comes from a long line of Barbaras, that started with her mother and grandmother. She loves putting her hair up in “bunny buns,” playing with her rabbit Ralph, and eating marshmallows.

Then one day, she participates in her favorite marshmallow eating contest at field day called “Chubby Bunny,” and her classmates start teasing her.

But with a little help from another Barbara, Bunny figures out a very sweet solution. 

Select praise for CHUBBY BUNNY:

• Booklist starred review: “Adorable Bunny is an exuberant and inventive protagonist, approaching life with zeal and creativity. The supportive familial relationships are a joy, and happily, Bunny is given the agency to reclaim her name and confidence on her own terms.”

• School Library Journal review: “Adorable, inclusive illustrations will draw many young readers in as they identify with one or more of the characters gracing the pages of this smart, fun, empowering story.”

New Release: INVESTIGATORS: ALL TIDE UP

INVESTIGATORS: ALL TIDE UP by John Patrick Green
(First Second Books, Sept 2023)

Unsinkable detectives Mango and Brash are back in InvestiGators: All Tide Up, a high seas adventure that takes the hit series by John Patrick Green to uncharted waters!

When a cruise captain is found drifting at sea and delirious, the search begins for his missing ship and passengers! Did it sink? Was it boat-napped? Are supernatural forces at play? And can the InvestiGators unravel this maritime mystery before a second cruise befalls a similarly unfathomable fate? Seas the day and find out in this new nautical adventure!

Select praise for ALL TIDE UP:

• School Library Journal review: “Green outdid himself in this [volume]. The humor is on another level… So don’t just pick up volume 7 of this series, but go back and read and re-read all of them.”

New Release: MALL GOTH

MALL GOTH by Kate Leth (S&S Young Readers, Sept 2023)

Liv Holme is not exactly thrilled to be moving to a new town with her mother. After all, high school can be brutal, even more so when you’re a fifteen-year-old, bisexual goth. But Liv is determined to be who she is, bullies or not. Still, being the new kid and the only out student brings her a lot of unwelcome attention, and Liv flounders in her search for community. The only person who makes time for her is one of teachers, but Liv isn’t sure how to feel about the way he behaves toward her.

Thankfully, she’s found the perfect escape: the mall. Under its fluorescent lights, Liv feels far away from her parents’ strained marriage and the peers who don’t understand her. Amid the bright storefronts, food court smell, and anonymous shoppers, Liv is safely one of the crowd and can enjoy the feeling of calling the shots in her own life for once.

With the help of her suburban refuge, Liv sets off on a journey of self-acceptance and learns to navigate the ups and downs of high school and to recognize true friendship.

Select praise for MALL GOTH:

• Kirkus review: “Liv’s emotional struggles, vividly shown in the expressive art, will feel relatable to many readers… a thoughtful, relationship-driven story.”

New Release: A GUEST IN THE HOUSE

A GUEST IN THE HOUSE by Emily Carroll (First Second Books, Aug 2023)

After many lonely years, Abby’s just gotten married. She met her new husband―a recently widowed dentist―when he arrived in town with his young daughter, seeking a new start. Although it’s strange living in the shadow of her predecessor, Abby does her best to be a good wife and mother. But the more she learns about her new husband’s first wife, the more things don’t add up. And Abby starts to wonder . . . was Sheila’s death really by natural causes? As Abby sinks deeper into confusion, Sheila’s memory seems to become a force all its own, ensnaring Abby in a mystery that leaves her obsessed, fascinated, and desperately in love for the first time in her life.

Select praise for A GUEST IN THE HOUSE:

• Booklist starred review: “Carroll brings her deliciously disquieting style to this gothic tale of a new marriage and the sinister secrets lurking beneath the veneer of cozy domesticity.”

• NPR review: “What makes Carroll’s work such a compelling read are the visuals, which are consistently surprising and expertly move from one stylistic tactic to the next, each creating its own particular mood. A Guest in the House rests on atmosphere, delivering an uncanny, wild ride.”

• “Emily Carroll is the master of comics horror, we can only thank whoever blessed/cursed her with the gift to creep under the skin and thrill with visceral image as only she can. Reading A Guest in the House is to feel small and sad and longing, but curious, sensual, forbidden - then terrified, trapped, racing to an end you can’t look away from. I loved it, of course I did!!”
  - Kate Beaton, creator of Ducks

• “With the hypnotically brilliant A Guest in the House, phantasmagoria meets family psychodrama. I’m left agape and haunted, and wanting more.”
  - Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World

New Release: PRISM STALKER: THE WEEPING STAR

PRISM STALKER: THE WEEPING STAR by Sloane Leong
(Dark Horse, July 2023)

The planet Eriatarka grows more inhospitable as it’s colonization at the hand of the Chorus continues.

Vep and her fellow students are reaching the end of their basic combat training in the pneumatic arts and begin to exercise their abilities outside the colony-city of Elefstris. Their objective: subdue the unruly planet bent on scouring the Chorus’ presence from its surface. But what exactly are they subjugating? And what will the cost of conquering be?

Select praise for THE WEEPING STAR:

• “Prism Stalker rewires your brain with every page turn, leaving you both entranced by its invention and emboldened by its indignation. This is big-idea sci-fi of the highest order, and a rare depiction of the alient that feels truly and thoroughly ALIEN.”
  - Ezra Clayton Daniels, author of Upgrade Soul and BTTM FDRS

• “The most visually innovative graphic novel in years, Prism Stalker pairs stunning art with a richly layered sci-fi thriller… Book of the year, hands down.”
  - Alex de Campi, creator of Dracular, Motherf**ker! and Twisted Romance

• “Electrifying and hallucinatory… like a psychic bomb exploding in your conscience. It’s a nuanced meditation on settler colonialism in space. But it’s also a mind-blowing, eyeball-melting trip through biological cities and sentient planets, full of flesh-ripping battles and satisfyingly incomprehensible alien life. The gorgeous, wild characters in this book will blast their way into your heart and refuse to leave.”
  - Annalee Newitz, author of The Terraformers and Autonomous

New Release: CLEMENTINE FOX AND THE GREAT ISLAND ADVENTURE

CLEMENTINE FOX AND THE GREAT ISLAND ADVENTURE by Leigh Luna (Scholastic Graphix, May 2023)

Meet Clementine Fox, Professional Amateur Adventurer!

Clementine is supposed to be on her way to school... but why not go out for a day of adventure and exploration instead? She recruits her friends Nubbins Squirrel and Penelope Rabbit and heads to the beach, where Jesse Otter is preparing to take his giant Turtle, Annabella, to a mysterious local island. Clementine’s great-aunt Marnie lives there -- far away from math tests and tutors -- so Clementine and her friends hitch a ride to the island as stowaways. What could go wrong?

This is Leigh Luna’s funny and charming debut graphic novel about a group of young animals who set out on an adventure and learn the true value of friendship, family, and what it means to stick together and work things out!

Select praise for CLEMENTINE FOX:

• Kirkus review: “Winsome adventures in friendship, magic, and hands-on visual learning.”

• PW review: “Warm colors provide a welcoming feel, animated facial expressions add verve, and themes of communal care, friendship, and overcoming obstacles permeate this gently humorous narrative.”

• School Library Journal review: “A perfect addition to any middle grade collection!”
  

New Release: AGENTS OF S.U.I.T.

AGENTS OF S.U.I.T. by John Patrick Green, with Christopher Hastings and Pat Lewis (First Second Books, Feb 2023)

InvestiGators fans, rejoice! Get ready to dive into the first volume of AGENTS OF S.U.I.T., featuring the weird and wacky co-workers of everyone's favorite sewer-sleuthing super-agents, Mango and Brash!

At S.U.I.T. headquarters, Cilantro the Chameleon finally gets what she’s been waiting for: a field assignment. Only…it’s literally out in the middle of a field, and her orders are so vague, she can hardly tell what she’s supposed to be investigating. But as she begins to uncover a sheep-led worker’s rights revolt and an alien invasion conspiracy―not to mention a spooky haunting at the abandoned S.U.I.T. field outpost―Cilantro steps into her own V.E.S.T. as a valued member of the S.U.I.T. team. From InvestiGators mastermind John Patrick Green, the world of S.U.I.T. has never been more fun!

Select praise for AGENTS OF S.U.I.T.:

• School Library Journal review: “…All the same great punny humor and built-in suspense as the original InvestiGators books… this series is likely to bring in loyal and new readers.”