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.

Published by Little, Brown Ink

Summary:  Charlie’s lived all over the world as a military kid, but now that her dad’s retired, the family’s settled down in her parents’ old hometown.  It’s tough starting middle school three weeks late, but Charlie’s determined to fit in by studying fashion websites and magazines to perfect her clothes and hair.  A catastrophe the first day of school ruins her hairdo but gets her a new group of friends who call themselves Curlfriends after the curly hair they all have.  Although she likes the girls, Charlie’s afraid that they won’t like her if she shows them her real personality.  A series of mishaps finally shows her that being herself is best, and after letting down her guard, the Curlfriends are closer than ever.  288 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Fans of middle school graphic novels will love this family and friendship story that gracefully delivers a be yourself message and shows readers that you can start over any time.  I’m happy to see this billed as book 1 on Amazon, as it has the feeling of a successful series starter.

Cons:  I was starting to lose patience with Charlie.  She’s lucky she has such understanding parents and friends.