The ten books she chose were:
Lowriders in Space Book 1 by Cathy Camper and Raul the Third (Chronicle): A trio of Spanish-speaking animals decorate their low rider by driving it through space. The 112-page hardcover is recommended for ages 8 to 12; MSRP is $22.99.
The Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew (First Second): A comic about a Chinese-American teen who becomes a superhero at his mother's urging and ends up having to fight some serious gangsters. The book was nominated for an Eisner Award, and Yang received the Best Writer Eisner in part because of his work on this story. He is also the creator of the award-winning American Born Chinese. The 176-page paperback is recommended for ages 12-18; MSRP is $17.99. (See "ICv2 Interviews Gene Luen Yang")
Little White Duck by Na Liu and Andrés Vera Martínez (Lerner): The memoir of a young girl growing up in China in the 1970s, after the death of Mao Tse-Tung. The 96-page paperback is recommended for ages 9 to 12; MSRP is $9.99.
Lola: A Ghost Story by J. Torres and Elbert Orr (Oni Press): A ghost story set in a multigenerational family in the Philippines. Torres was the writer for Teen Titans Go! from 2004-8. 9 to 12; MSRP is $14.99.
Phoebe and her Unicorn Book 1 by Dana Simpson (AMP): A young girl shares her life with a unicorn only she can see. The author is a transgender woman. The 224-page paperback is recommended for ages 8 to 12; MSRP is $13.99.
Lucky Penny by Yuko Ota and Ananth Hirsh (Oni Press): An 18-year-old loses her job, moves into a storage container, and strikes up a friendship that starts to head toward romance with a nerdy guy. Witty and over-the-top. The 208-page paperback is recommended for ages 13 up; MSRP is $19.99.
Telgemeier's Ghosts has received mostly good reviews (see "Review: 'Ghosts' GN") but has also drawn some criticism because of its depiction of the Day of the Dead and California history. It has been nominated for an Eisner Award (see "The 2017 Eisner Award Nominees"), and was the #2 graphic novel property for kids and tweens in the Fall/Holiday 2016 season (see “Top 10 Kids/Tweens GN Franchises – Fall 2016”).
The Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids Comics, named for the late comics and animation writer (Icon, Static Shock, Deathlok II) and co-founder of Milestone Comics, is presented each year at the Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival (see "'Awkward Wins Award for Kids' Comics"). At this year's event, the organizers announced that going forward, readers can nominate books for the award by e-mailing mcduffiekidsaward@gmail.com. Comics published in 2016 will be given honorable mentions. In future years, the public will be invited to suggest books for the award's shortlist.
