The Brainstormerz: Money Talks by Kwame Alexander and Cassidy Dyce, illustrated by Rashad Doucet (Little, Brown Ink, 248 pages, grades 3-6). Electric (Lex) is excited about his upcoming tenth birthday and his parents’ promise to buy him a phone. Unfortunately, they refuse to buy the expensive model he wants, so he and his two best friends decide to start a business to make up the difference. Dog walking turns out to be a disaster, and a magic show results in a failed Houdini-style stunt that leaves Lex locked in a locker. The kids finally get it right by designing greeting cards using Lex’s love of words and his friend DJ’s artistic talents. But when Lex discovers that his parents are on the verge of losing the bookstore that’s also the family home, Lex decides he’d rather use his money elsewhere. His parents reassure him that they’ve got the situation in hand, and after a happy birthday celebration, the action moves forward a few months when things appear to have been resolved.

This series starter graphic novel is sure to win a lot of fans with a winning team of three friends who each have a very distinct personality and set of talents, but who work together and always have each others’ backs. The story has both humor and heart, as Lex struggles with wanting both a fancy phone and to help his close-knit family.

A Fishboy Named Sashimi by Dan Santat (Roaring Brook Press, 160 pages, grades 2-6). “You know those stories that no one believes? Stories so wild you think they couldn’t be real? Stories that some kid heard from another kid? And THAT kid heard it from their cousin?” This is one of those stories, and that introduction plays over panels showing a small creature emerging from the sea during a thunderstorm and sneaking into a school. By the time the real story begins, this creature has gotten some clothes and is being introduced as Sashimi, the new kid in sixth grade. While others are put off by his sweaty appearance, bulging eyes, and fishy smell, new kid Joey is desperate enough for a friend to give Sashimi a chance. As events unfold, readers learn that Sashimi is fish on the top and human on the bottom (the opposite of the mermaids who raised him), a unique combination that makes him feel alone in the world. He’s heard rumors about the Beast of Barnacle Bay, who may be a relative, but his search for the Beast runs into some snags when he meets Joey’s grandpa, who claims to have once met the Beast and has sworn to hunt him down. Sashimi runs into enough difficulties to consider returning to his watery home, but Joey’s friendship keeps him on track to stick around. Book 2 is advertised at the end.

Who doesn’t enjoy a good fish-out-of water story? Kids will appreciate the humor of Dan Santat’s story and the illustrations about a couple of lovable outcast and will be eagerly awaiting book 2. This would make a good intro to graphic novel chapter books for readers ready to step up a notch from Narwhal and Jelly or Pizza and Taco.