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Chicken Heart
by Morgan Boecher
One standup comedian goes on a journey of self-discovery and explores the pitfalls and power of choosing one's own queer narrative. Jackie Locklear is a stand-up comedian who is trans and doesn't know how to confront that part of himself. His Aunt Sheila's death spurs Jackie to take a trip to the refuge Sheila built for trans folks, the Chicken Heart Love Commune. The people there represent a range of backgrounds, in contrast with the world where Jackie was raised. But as a city kid still coming to terms with his trans identity, and struggling to process his grief, the bucolic place and its residents don't make him feel like he fits inches Through the power of humor and acceptance, Jackie is able to make space for himself. An emotional, powerful story about finding one's heart and opening up to people who are willing and able to love.
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Mama Came Callin': A Graphic Novel
by Ezra Claytan Daniels
Kirah was born from an improbable interracial relationship that, in central Florida's infamous Asurupa County, defied all the odds. But her idyllic childhood was shattered by an urban legend come to life. The "Gatorman" was a nightmare on the lips of kids and grown-ups alike all the way back to Jim Crow: a monster with the body of a man, the head of an alligator--and a taste for Black children. That's who crawled into Kirah's window when Kirah was just five years old. According to the police, it was Kirah's own father who put on that gator mask and tried to kill her. Twenty years later, Kirah works hard to build a life unburdened by the traumatic events of her childhood. Just when it seems like she's managed to find her stride, her dad, fresh out of prison, crashes back into her world with a chilling message: "He's coming for you." Finally forced to face the hideous family history she's been avoiding, Kirah sets off to discover where, and who, she truly came from. And the more she learns, the more disturbing the whole picture becomes. Turns out there's a lot more to the Gatorman than Kirah thought, and even worse: he isn't through with her just yet. A clever hybrid of swamp noir, slasher horror, and social satire--and brought to life by Camilla Sucre's vivid illustrations--Mama Came Callin' is a story about family and legacies, both the ones we inherit and the ones we can't escape.
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Groupies Vol. 1
by Helen Mullane
A sexy, fem-focused look at the dark underside of music fandom, informed by Mullane's research on the real women labeled groupies and illustrated by one of the industry's top artists! Celebrated filmmaker Helen Mullane teams up with superstar artist Tula Lotay for sex, drugs, and rock and roll on the Sunset Strip! On a wild night out at the Fox Club, the coolest, hottest, and wildest girls on (or off) the Strip meet the edgiest up-and-coming band in town, and sparks fly. The Moon Show's stardom is about to rise as they celebrate getting signed to the legendary Asmodeus Records. As the story unfolds, the excited groupies head on tour with the band - living the dream - but their tuned-in and dropped-out idyll is about to unravel. Something dark is pulling the strings, and the girls are about to discover the true cost of rock and roll.
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Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 2: As My Mothers Made Me
by Kelly Thompson
Trapped in the Maze, Forged by Myth--Wonder Woman Faces Her Greatest Test Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 2: As My Mothers Made Me continues Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman's bold new vision of Diana of Themyscira. As Diana confronts the horrors of man's world and the truth of her Amazonian legacy, she must choose between rage and compassion, isolation and connection. With supernatural threats erupting across the globe, Diana's journey becomes a battle for identity, justice, and the soul of humanity.
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A Brief History of a Long War: Ukraine's Fight Against Russian Domination
by Mariam Naiem
A beautifully illustrated and comprehensive graphic history of Ukraine's centuries-long struggle against Russian domination, from the Middle Ages to today's devastating war, by an award-winning journalist and Ukrainian cultural historian The conflict between Russia and Ukraine began long before the 2014 war that led to the Russia's invasion in 2022. The Ukrainian people have been subjected to systematic persecution and mass atrocities by Russian and Soviet authorities across centuries--from the linguicide of the Ukrainian language and censorship of literature in the 1860s to the Holomodor famine of the 1930s, and more. InA Brief History of a Long War, distinguished Ukrainian scholar, activist, and journalist Mariam Naiem presents a panoramic overview of the major moments in this longstanding conflict. Alongside gripping accounts of the historical foundation of the modern Ukrainian state as we know it today, Naiem seamlessly incorporates current narratives about the harrowing realities of war and the lengths citizens must go to survive. Featuring gorgeous illustrations by Ukrainian artists Yulia Vus and Ivan Kypibida,A Brief History of a Long War is an ode to the moments of resistance and resilience from the Ukrainian people in the face of Russia's oppressive, colonial history.
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Young Adult Graphic Novels
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Wake Now in the Fire: A Story of Censorship, Action, Love and Hope
by Jarrett Dapier
NATIONAL BESTSELLER - A BOOKLIST BEST YA GRAPHIC NOVEL OF THE YEAR - In this thoughtful, personal, and deeply relevant (Booklist, starred review) 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. An inspiring, clear-eyed tribute to intellectual freedom and the impact of youth-led resistance.--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) A timely piece of literature and an urgent call to action.--School Library Journal (starred review) It starts as an update at one Chicago high school: copies of a certain book are no longer allowed in the 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 with the order. One thing is clear: The book, which tells a story of oppression, survival, and resistance against authoritarian power, is seen as a threat, dangerous enough to ban. One other thing is clear: Some of the students aren't going to let this go without resistance of their own. As the extent of the ban becomes known, the students rise up. They organize a school-wide walkout and library sit-in. They publicize the banning in every forum they can: social media, the press, classes, clubs, the school paper. And most of all, they get everyone they know to read the book: Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi. Told from multiple perspectives, based on extensive interviews with the real-life students and teachers who were affected, and written by the librarian who exposed key information about the Chicago Public Schools censorship decision, Wake Now in the Fire is a fictionalized account of a true event that galvanized a community. With illustrations by Alex Award-winner AJ Dungo that perfectly capture the everyday joys, heartbreak, and stresses of high school, this graphic novel is an inspiring portrayal of student activism taking on one of the most urgent issues of our time, and a passionate reminder of why protecting the books we love matters.
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Tripping Over You 2
by Suzana Harcum
A winding romantic relationship between an energetic theater kid, Milo, and his withdrawn classmate, Liam. Perfect for fans of Heartstopper! Now that they've graduated high school, our secret lovebirds face a whole new set of challenges as their career prospects begin to pull them in different directions. Milo rents a tiny studio near his new university, and throws himself into his goal of becoming an actor. He takes several jobs with the hope of climbing in the industry, and packs his work-study schedule full to bursting. Liam moves back into his childhood home, begrudgingly following the trajectory his father had long steered him toward: law school, then working for his father's law firm. As the sneaking around, stress from not having enough time to spend with each other, and hurt feelings snowball, the two decide it is finally time to come clean to their families about their relationship and desires for the future.
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Lovely Recipe
by Myra Rose Nino
What does cooking have in common with falling in love? They're both matters of chemistry! It's Sofia's last year in high school. All her friends are getting ready to go to far away colleges, but she doesn't know if that path is right for her. What Sofia does understand is that, ever since her grandma died, her mom has been distant. But maybe, if Sofia can learn how to make one of grandma's most cherished recipes, she and her mom's relationship can go back to the way it used to be. The only problem with that idea? Sofia is terrible at cooking. Enter Anna Marie, Sofia's super cute classmate who's everything Sofia isn't-- driven, disciplined, and a gifted chef. Despite getting on each other's nerves, Anna Marie starts teaching Sofia how to cook in exchange for her help around Anna Marie's family's restaurant. And soon enough, they discover that the sparks between them are more than just stovetop flames. But can love blossom when Sofia's and Anna Marie's lives are changing so much? Or will the impending pressures that come with graduation break them apart?
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Ruridragon Vol. 3: Kinda Gross
by Masaoki Shindo
Ruri faces the usual high school issues--pushy classmates, annoying teachers, and waking up with dragon horns?! Just after starting high school, Ruri gets hit with the biggest reveal of her life: she's a dragon! Though they didn't start off on the right foot, Ruri and Akari become friends and end up leading the sports festival action committee together, putting even more eyes on Ruri at the worst possible moment, just as another wild new change spills over into her already hectic daily life.
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Love Me to Death: Volume One
by Toonimated
Whoever said 'til death do us part wasn't trying hard enough. Toonimated's wildy popular Webtoon is now in print with a never-before-seen short story For fans of Anatomy: A Love Story and Lore Olympus comes a graphic novel romantasy about the love triangle between a necromancer, a resurrected bride, and her very-much-alive groom. In the city of San Guadario, necromancy has been banned for one hundred years. Every aspect of life, from buying food to getting married, requires a signature written in one's own blood. If a necromancer were to sign, their identity would be revealed by the magic that courses through their veins. As a necromancer, Victor and his cute one-eyed cat must live a discreet life, constantly on the run. Everything changes when the wealthiest patron in San Guadario hires Victor to resurrect his recently deceased, and impossibly beautiful, bride. The catch? Victor must perform an ancient ritual which eternally binds himself to this bride. After he brings her back to life, Victor finds himself magically entangled with the bride and groom and caught in the middle of more romance than he knows what to do with. Adapted from the wildly popular webtoon series, Love Me to Death is a gorgeously illustrated saga that is bound to stop your heart..
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April 23 - National DNA Day
It commemorates the Day in 1953 when a group of scientists published papers in the journal Nature on the structure of DNA. Below are some graphic novels where DNA plays an important part in the story.
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Angel Catbird, Volume 1
by Margaret Atwood
On a dark night, young genetic engineer Strig Feleedus is accidentally mutated by his own experiment when his DNA is merged with that of a cat and an owl.
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Descender, Volume 1: Tin Stars
by Jeff Lemire
Ten years after planet-sized robots called Harvesters appeared and wreaked havoc across the galaxy, a young robot named TIM-21 wakes to find that all robots have been outlawed. But TIM may hold the secrets to the Harvesters in his machine DNA and he quickly becomes the most wanted robot in the universe. With bounty hunters and threats lurking at every turn, TIM embarks on a mind-blowing adventure through the stars along with his robot dog, Bandit, and the lumbering mining droid, Driller
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Marvel Ultimate Spider-Man Web-Warriors 1: Spider-verse
by Danielle Wolff
While grappling with the Green Goblin, Spider-Man is pulled into a portal where he finds himself in alternate universes where he teams up with Spider-Man of 2099 to keep the Goblin from stealing their DNA and Spider-Girl to defeat Norma Osborne, the Goblin Supreme.
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Batman Arkham: Clayface
by Various
A down-on-his-luck actor once sought to be more, he fell into the hands of the Penguin and became a villain who has stories are now cemented throughout Gotham's history. Clayface is now one of the most recognized villians in the Batman universe, with a unique ability to shape-shift and copy DNA, even for a time posing as Bruce Wayne and causing chaos through the streets of Gotham!
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Mercer County Library System
2751 Brunswick Pike Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648 609-882-9246
https://mcl.org
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