by Rick Remender (Adult)

 

Set in a brutal, fully painted world of anthropomorphic animals, Escape is a gritty, bullet-riddled journey through war's scorched aftermath. Milton Shaw is a battle-hardened bomber pilot, flying missions over a war-torn world ruled by a ruthless empire. But when his plane is shot out of the sky, Milton wakes up behind enemy lines in the ruins of a city he helped burn. And in less than 24 hours, his own side is dropping the big one. Injured, unarmed, and being hunted, Milton's only shot at escape comes from the unlikeliest place: a grieving father and his son- civilians shattered by the same fascist regime that rules this land with an iron claw. Together, they'll have to fight their way out before the bomb drops and erases everything . . . and everyone.

Wake Now in the Fire
by Jarrett Dapier (Young Adult)

 

In this empowering graphic novel based on a true story, a group of high schoolers in Chicago work to overturn the system-wide ban of Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis. It starts as an update at one Chicago high: copies of a certain book are no longer allowed in classrooms or the library. But it’s not just one high school- it’s all Chicago public schools. Not even the principals know why this is happening; they just know they must comply. One thing is certain: the book, which tells a story of oppression, survival, and resistance against authoritarian power, is seen as dangerous enough to ban. One other thing is certain: some of the students aren’t going to let this go without resistance of their own.

by Niki Smith (Juvenile)
 

Kenzie and Quinn aren’t just stepsisters- they’re best friends. They’re spending the summer with their grandmother, in the coastal islands she calls home. The Outer Banks are also home to a herd of wild ponies, and the girls fall in love with a fragile foal they name Starling. But even blue skies and sandy beaches can’t distract from what’s going on back home. The constant fights between their parents have left Kenzie and Quinn anxious and confused. They can’t remember a time when they weren’t a family. If their parents divorce and Quinn and her mom move away, will they even still be sisters? As the world shifts around them, the girls do the one thing they can: keep Starling safe.

Lore Olympus
by Rachel Smythe (Adult)

 

 

- Pantheon by Hamish Steele

- Fables by Bill Willingham

by Zachary Sterling (Young Adult)
 

First-generation Filipino siblings, JJ and Althea, struggle to belong at school. JJ wants to fit in, while Althea wants to be accepted as she is. Between the leftover Filipino food their mom packs for their lunches to having a last name nobody can pronounce, belonging seems like a long shot. But when witches, ogres, and other creatures from folklore appear in town and threaten their family, JJ and Althea realize the myths their parents have always told them may be more real than they'd suspected.

 

by Nelson Yomtov (Juvenile)