I was buried by an avalanche of graphic novels this week, which I managed to claw through, writing reviews as I dug my way out.

Blood City Rollers by V. P. Anderson, illustrated by Tatiana Hill (Labyrinth Road, 192 pages, grades 5-8). Mina’s a figure skater with Olympic dreams about to win a big competition when she sees some dark figures crouched in the rafters of the skating rink. Distracted, she falls and breaks her arm in what may be a career-ending injury. On her way out of the hospital, she’s abducted by a group of girl vampires and taken to an abandoned mall, where she learns their plan to make her the jammer on their roller derby team (their rules dictate that the jammer must be a human). Her arm magically healed, Mina is amazed to begin feeling more like herself as part of the vampire team than she ever has as a figure skater. A crush on the team captain adds to her emotional turmoil, and as the big match against the witches approaches, Mina wonders if she should become a vampire herself. Another injury forces her to return home, and when she finally makes her way back to the mall, she finds that it’s been abandoned by the vampires. They’ve left her a note, though, and the final page promises “to be continued…”.

Imagine Roller Girl with vampires, and you’ll get the vibe of this girl-powered story with a main character who learns to be herself and the hint of a queer romance or two thrown in. There are so many characters and subplots that I found myself confused at various points in the story, despite the excellent guide to all the team members early in the book.

Wires Crossed by Beth Fantaskey, illustrated by ONeillJones (Clarion Books, 240 pages, grades 3-7). Mia’s going through a tough time in middle school, as her former best friend Addy is making a move to get into the popular group. So it’s good timing when she learns that her science camp best friend Tariq is moving to town. When Mia’s family picks him up from the airport, though, Mia’s shocked to see that Tariq has traded his glasses for contacts and has shot up several inches. The girls at school all love Tariq, but he’s a loyal friend, and pretty soon he and Mia have paired up for the science fair, adding quirky girl Kinsey and loveable goofball Ethan to make a team. The four become good friends, and soon Kinsey has replaced Addy as Mia’s best friend. There’s trouble brewing, though, when Mia discovers that Tariq and Kinsey are going to the big dance together, but some heart-to-heart talks get everything straightened out. After a hilariously disastrous science fair presentation, the four friends end up going to the dance together, and even Addy comes around for a reconciliation.

This is your standard middle school graphic novel fare, now familiar to fans (like me) of the Raina Telgemeier genre. I appreciated the loveable nerdiness of the characters, as well as their ultimate decision to choose friendship over romance.

The Egg Incident by Ziggy Hanaor, illustrated by Daisy Wynter (Cicada Books, 72 pages, grades 1-4). Humpty Dumpty’s nephew Humphrey has the world’s most protective parents, who caution him to look where he’s going at all times, never run and jump, and of course, NEVER climb a wall. When Humphrey arrives at the park one day (after a s-l-o-w walk to get there), he meets an adventurous girl who tries to get him to climb a tree, play tag, or catch a ball. Humphrey will have none of it. When they finally decide to head home, they discover the gate is locked, and the only way out is–you guessed it–to climb the wall. Humphrey’s new friend coaches him up to the top, where he enjoys the beautiful view before losing his balance and falling! Surprisingly, he’s okay, and his friend, who turns out to be a princess, takes him to see the king’s men, who not only give him a clean bill of health but assure him that the Humpty story is a rumor. The last they heard, Humpty was running a rock-climbing school in Scotland. From that day on, Humphrey is a new egg, and even convinces his parents to take a few risks and have some fun.

Okay, it may not be great literature, but this book not only cracked me up (pun intended) but deftly delivered a message for overprotective parents. I thought it was a picture book, but at 72 pages, it’s a bit long for that designation, although a bit short to qualify as a graphic novel. It’s engaging enough that kids with a decent attention span could enjoy reading or listening to it in a single sitting.

Continental Drifter by Kathy MacLeod (First Second, 224 pages, grades 4-7). Kathy lives in Thailand with her American father, Thai mother, and older sister Jennie. She attends an international English-only school in Bangkok and feels more closely identified with her American side. But when the family spends the summer in Maine visiting her dad’s relatives, Kathy feels like an outsider wherever she goes, especially during her three weeks at summer camp. In addition, her parents are older, both were married before, and Kathy feels like she knows very little about them and their pasts. In Bangkok, they don’t spend much time together, so it feels strange at first when they do so much together in Maine. By the end of the summer, Kathy is coming to appreciate the parts of herself that are unique, and feeling less of the need to blend in with everyone else, but she realizes that whether she’s in Thailand or America, she’ll always feel a longing for the other country.

Kathy MacLeod’s memoir masterfully captures what it’s like to have strong connections two different countries and cultures as she navigates both her Thai and American roots. She makes astute observations about her family dynamics, which often sadly four lonely people whose fears kept them apart from each other.

Shiny Misfits by Maysoon Zayid, illustrated by Shadia Amin (Graphix, 256 pages, grades 4-8). Bay Ann loves to dance and is excited to perform as a tap-dancing zombie bride in the Halloween talent show. Despite her cerebral palsy, her dancing is good enough to earn her the top prize. When her crush, Alyee Maq, gives her a kiss, it seems like the perfect night. But the kiss knocks Bay Ann over, and the next day it’s all over social media, showing Alyee Maq rescuing “a special girl,” whose face is blurred out. Bay Ann is determined to both get revenge on Alyee Maq and have her own posts go viral. She’s helped by her two best friends, her talking cat, her understanding father, and–occasionally–her strict, demanding mother. Not only do they support Bay Ann in her endeavors, but they try to hold her back when her revenge plans get out of control. This causes sparks to fly on occasion, but in the end, Bay Ann learns to shine and that being a loyal friend is more important than going viral.

I had high hopes for this book, and it is a fun story featuring a character with CP who is athletic and determined. Although it’s probably an accurate portrayal of a middle schooler, I found Bay Ann a bit too uncaring of the feelings of her family and friends as she doggedly pursued her revenge. And far be it from me to judge middle school crushes, but Alyee Maq really did not seem worth the effort.

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.

Alterations by Ray Xu (Union Square Kids, 240 pages, grades 4-7). 10-year-old Kevin Lee has more than his share of difficulties at home, with a recently divorced mom who works long hours at her alterations shop, a feisty Chinese grandmother who doesn’t stand for anything resembling nonsense, and a teenage sister who blames much of her unhappiness on Kevin. At school, Kevin tries to stay under the radar, but a lunchtime incident earns him the nickname Egg Boy that he can’t seem to shake. A field trip to an amusement park results in a near-disaster, but also gives Kevin the chance for a transformation into something resembling a superhero.

Taking place in Toronto over a week in 1994, Kevin’s real-life story is interspersed with some of his daydreams about his favorite comic book characters (which I’ll confess, I mostly skipped over). Kevin deals with family issues, friendship difficulties, and the struggles that come with being a second-generation Chinese kid in a mostly white school. Many readers will find something to connect with in Kevin’s week, and the final transformation, while a tad unrealistic, was lots of fun.

The Racc Pac by Stephanie Cooke, illustrated by Whitney Gardner (Simon and Schuster, 184 pages; grades 2-5). Meet the Racc Pack: Dusty (the brains), ReRe (the muscles), and Scraps (the tech guy, and actually a possum who believes he is a raccoon). They spend their nights scavenging the streets of Toronto (again!), despite the city’s best efforts to keep raccoons out of the trash. When they discover a dumpster full of food behind the Well Bean grocery store, a battle ensues between the wily Racc Pack and villainous store owner Jeff Bean. JB, a mysterious black cat with a grudge against Bean, proves to be a helpful addition to the team, and the animals end up with a win against the humans, at least for now (this is billed as book 1).

My somewhat low expectations were definitely exceeded by the humorous high jinks of the Racc Pack. Adults will enjoy the social commentary as the hardworking animals unite to bring down the wealthy store owner, and kids will get a kick out of the clever shenanigans and plot twists throughout the story.

The Adventures of Invisible Boy by Doogie Horner (G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 176 pages, grades 3-6). Evil boy genius Gene invents an invisibility potion. Awkward new kid Stanley accidentally spills it on both of them. With time running out before the change becomes permanent, the two square off in Gene’s basement lab, eventually joining forces to create an antidote just in the nick of time. And they discover something each one needed even more than a superpower–friendship.

Try this one out on Dog Man or Wimpy Kid fans. The humor, adventure, and references to superheroes should prove to be a winning combination. I saw a review that mentioned the similarity in the artwork to Calvin and Hobbes, and Gene and Stanley seem to have both Calvin’s vivid imagination and knack for getting into trouble.