A fun mystery perfect for the Halloween season.
Three siblings and their pet bat investigate local spooky legends in Mueller’s middle-grade graphic novel.
Leo, Martin, and Rebecca Silver live with their talking pet bat, Bat Pat, in the quiet town of Fogville. At least, it’s usually quiet—but one night, while on a bike ride, someone is attacked by a witch. Bat Pat and Rebecca want to investigate, and Leo and Martin get dragged along (“Sometimes I really wish I was an only child,” complains Martin). As they question a townsperson about the attack, the witch dives down again, and Rebecca gets hold of the broom—along with a clue. Research at the library leads the crew to the witch’s cottage in the middle of the woods, where they learn that the witch, who is named Belisande, isn’t intentionally attacking anyone; she’s just bad at flying. Thinking quickly, the siblings affix wings—which function as “training wheels”—to the witch’s broom, and with a quick flying lesson from Bat Pat, all is well. If the trio can solve the mystery of the witch, they can certainly investigate the strange stories of people being chased by the legendary Headless Horace or the mysterious, monstrous creature stealing everyone’s food on the nearby Black Skull Island. Middle-grade readers eager for a fun read during spooky season will delight in this tale of Bat Pat and his human family. Walko contributes distinctive character designs that make each sibling unique, and the vivid color scheme pops. The siblings’ empathy for the plights of the witch, the headless horseman, and the Black Skull Island creature encourages younger readers to listen, not judge, and to offer help when they see someone who needs assistance. With Bat Pat and the Silver siblings on the case, no mystery will go unsolved, and no creature (no matter how scary they might initially appear) will go unaided in their time of need.
A fun mystery perfect for the Halloween season.Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9781545820506
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Papercutz
Review Posted Online: Oct. 17, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An emotional, much-needed historical graphic novel.
Sandy and his family, Japanese Canadians, experience hatred and incarceration during World War II.
Sandy Saito loves baseball, and the Vancouver Asahi ballplayers are his heroes. But when they lose in the 1941 semifinals, Sandy’s dad calls it a bad omen. Sure enough, in December 1941, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor in the U.S. The Canadian government begins to ban Japanese people from certain areas, moving them to “dormitories” and setting a curfew. Sandy wants to spend time with his father, but as a doctor, his dad is busy, often sneaking out past curfew to work. One night Papa is taken to “where he [is] needed most,” and the family is forced into an internment camp. Life at the camp isn’t easy, and even with some of the Asahi players playing ball there, it just isn’t the same. Trying to understand and find joy again, Sandy struggles with his new reality and relationship with his father. Based on the true experiences of Japanese Canadians and the Vancouver Asahi team, this graphic novel is a glimpse of how their lives were affected by WWII. The end is a bit abrupt, but it’s still an inspiring and sweet look at how baseball helped them through hardship. The illustrations are all in a sepia tone, giving it an antique look and conveying the emotions and struggles. None of the illustrations of their experiences are overly graphic, making it a good introduction to this upsetting topic for middle-grade readers.
An emotional, much-needed historical graphic novel. (afterword, further resources) (Graphic historical fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5253-0334-0
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A thoughtful, humorous, community-centered exploration of identity and Buddhism.
Stories of Buddha’s past lives help a young boy “find [himself] in the moment.”
Binh and his siblings, who are of Vietnamese descent, can’t believe they’re spending the weekend at a silent meditation retreat. Binh would rather play his Game Boy so he doesn’t have to meditate and inevitably think about the bullies at school. It is only when Sister Peace tells stories about the Buddha and his past life that Binh is able to imagine himself entering a video game–inspired world and thus process his feelings of shame, isolation, and anger. With each Jataka tale, Binh’s awareness expands, and so, too, does his ability to be present for and helpful to those around him. A welcome addition to the handful of middle-grade stories featuring Buddhist protagonists, this exploration of identity and Buddhist principles will find an audience with young readers who love Raina Telgemeier but aren’t quite ready to level up to the complexity and nuance of Gene Luen Yang’s epic American Born Chinese (2006). The video game elements are compelling, although they understandably diminish as the story progresses and the protagonist’s inner life grows. Warm fall colors and luscious black lines anchor the story as it transitions among flashbacks, stories, and the present day. Filled with talking animals, the parables can be a little heavy-handed, but the witty banter between Binh and the narrator during fantasy sequences provides levity. (This review was updated for accuracy.)
A thoughtful, humorous, community-centered exploration of identity and Buddhism. (bibliography) (Graphic fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9780759555488
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Little, Brown Ink
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
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