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 Her mother has become withdrawn and depressed, while her dad insists that they move to have a “fresh start.”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.

Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Sixth-grader Lucy is dreading being in middle school with her older sister GiGi. When GiGi trips Lucy in the cafeteria on the first day of school, Lucy challenges GiGi to a duel.  The two girls were trained in fencing by their late father, and GiGi is the star of the middle school fencing team.  As they prepare for the bout, each girl is plagued with insecurities, both of them dealing with the grief of having recently lost their father.  Their mother, barely holding it together as she processes her own grief while trying to keep the family functioning, is not much help.  The whole school gets involved in the match, and the pressure becomes too much for both girls.  On the big day, they finally open up and confess their feelings to each other and to their mother, allowing themselves to move toward healing.  The duel still takes place, but it’s a friendly match now, resulting in a surprising and satisfying outcome.  Includes an author’s note telling of her experiences that inspired the book.  320 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This middle school graphic novel by a husband-and-wife team explores grief and sibling rivalry sympathetically.  The artwork cleverly helps tell the story with color-coded boxes showing each girl’s thoughts and blue pages to indicate flashback scenes.  A page from their father’s fencing manual begins each chapter, with the fencing information reflecting what’s going on in the story.

Cons:  Although I appreciated the fencing manual chapter openings, I found myself skipping them after the first few chapters.