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Graphic Novel

Care Bears: Unlock the Magic

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Care Bears: Unlock the Magic by Matthew Erman, Nadia Shammas, and Agnes Garbowska
Format: eBook, Book
Who it’s for: Kids (and kids at heart)

The time is ideal for a deep dive into Care Bears lore.

This graphic novel takes us on an adventure with Cheer Bear, Share Bear, Funshine Bear, Good Luck Bear, and Grumpy Bear, as they traverse the Silver Lining of Care-A-Lot in the Cloudseeker! There’s a report of unrest in the Whiffle community, which is bad news, because if the Whiffles are busy arguing with each other, it means they aren’t planting seeds of care!

The Care Bears descend upon the Glass Glaciers and spot the problem immediately: the glaciers, which are supposed to reflect the best versions of ourselves, have been tampered with by the villainous Bluster and his Bad Crowd, and are reflecting instead the worst versions of those looking into them! Our brave Care Bears must confront their worst fears if they are to defeat Bluster, soothe the dissension among the Whiffles, and continue spreading positive vibes throughout the realm!

This cute story is sure to delight fans of the Care Bears young and old, and teach some important lessons about friendship, forgiveness, and self love along the way. If you need a dose of magic in your life stat, then check this book out right away!

Scooby Apocalypse

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Scooby Apocalypse Vol. 1 by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, and Howard Porter
Format: eBook
Who it’s for: Adults, Teens

It’s everyone’s favorite meddling kids, re-imagined for a new generation. Meet:

Daphne Blake, host of a low rated cable TV show investigating supernatural phenomenon.

Fred Jones, Daphne’s loyal camera man, who has carried a torch for her for years.

Norville “Shaggy” Rogers, dog trainer for a mysterious science lab called The Complex.

Scoobert “Scooby” Doo, prototype of a Complex experiment to create intelligent dogs to serve in the military.

And Dr. Velma Dinkley, top scientist at The Complex, and maybe the world’s only hope at stopping an experiment gone wrong that’s turning the human race into monsters.

This unlikely gang traverse the land in a literal Mystery Machine (What is the actual purpose of this armored van they escaped The Complex in?) trying to survive… The Scooby Apocalypse.

This dark reboot of the Scooby-Doo franchise is fun for new and legacy fans alike. It’s the end of the world as they know it, but you’ll feel fine, when you check out Scooby Apocalypse on Hoopla right now!

Fraggle Rock: Journey to the Everspring

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Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock: Journey to the Everspring by Kate Leth and Jake Myler
Format: eBook
Who it’s for: Kids, Teens, Adults, Everyone

Dance your cares away! Worry’s for another day! Let the music play! Down at Fraggle Rock!

If you’re a fan of the Fraggles, you will love this graphic novel adventure. When a drought unexpectedly hits Fraggle Rock, our favorite Fraggle friends–practical Gobo, anxious Wembley, boisterous Red, mellow Mokey, and cautious Boober–must travel in search of the fabled Everspring, the source of Fraggle Rock’s water supply. Their journey takes many twists and turns, as they avoid spooky creatures, discover the Crystal Caves, and meet a new and unusual colony of Doozers!

The story has themes of friendship, finding one’s purpose, and environmental stewardship, and if you’re thinking “The thing I love most about Fraggle Rock are the great musical numbers,” well, this book has those too!

This Journey to the Everspring is fun for the whole family, and it’s available electronically via Hoopla, along with other Fraggle comics! It’s a great time to virtually hang out with the carefree Fraggles, so look them up in our catalog today.

The Wicked + The Divine

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The Wicked + The Divine
Format: eBook, Book
Who it’s for: Adults

The Wicked + The Divine takes place in a world much like the one we are familiar with, but with a unique twist: Every ninety years, a phenomenon called the Recurrence takes place, and 12 deities – gods and goddesses – incarnate the bodies of young people, imbuing them with supernatural powers. For two years these members of the “Pantheon” use their powers to create superhuman art, inventions, and inspiration. They are loved and hated. Then they die. And it’s happening again.

It’s the 2010’s, and our gateway to the Pantheon is Laura, a “fangirl.” Laura adores the Pantheon and would do anything to be among them. She attends a deity’s performance, gets to meet some, befriends one, and is then swept up into a vast conspiracy involving the all the gods, the mysterious person who discovers/awakens them, and the truth behind the Recurrence and what causes it.

The Wicked + The Divine is a story about life and death. It’s a story about music and how it can speak to us and through us. It’s a story about the desire to create, and how consuming that drive can be. It’s a story about the cult of celebrity: how we worship them, or attempt to “cancel” them. (The Pantheon are the ultimate stars; they even bare resemblance to pop music icons to reinforce this idea.)

If you like mythology, music, and mystery, check out the graphic novel series The Wicked + The Divine, starting with Vol. 1 The Faust Act. We have the complete series at the library, and digitally via Hoopla. See it in our catalog.

New Kid

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New Kid by Jerry Craft
Format: Graphic Novel
Who it’s for:  Kids, Teens, Adults

Jordan Banks is starting his 7th grade year in a new school.  A new PRIVATE school with lots of privilege and not a lot of diversity.  He really wishes to go to art school, but his parents think this new private school will be good for him.  It’s never easy for a new kid in any school, but this one isn’t in his neighborhood and none of his friends go there.  The first person he meets doesn’t even talk to him.  He quickly notices that he is one of the few black kids.  And yet, he makes friends and soon finds his way navigating the new school.  Now he’s worried he is going to lose his friends in his neighborhood.

Jerry Craft shows us what it is like to be the new kid.  And, he teaches us about micro-aggressions against marginalized groups.  We see the white teacher that can never get the black kids’ names right   And, we see the black kid getting the blame for what the bad white kid did.  Craft teaches us about racism and bias.  Jordan finds out that even he is biased when he has to sit with the weird girl and finds out more about her.

While there wasn’t a big story line other than what it is like to be a new kid in middle school, I think this is an important read for kids today.  You see Jordan’s perspective as a black kid, as a minority.  It’s funny and relatable and I think kids will like it.  I hope that Jerry Craft makes this a series so that we can learn more about Jordan and his friends.

Find it in the catalog.

The Power of the Dark Crystal

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The Power of the Dark Crystal
Format: eBook, Book
Who it’s for: Teens, Adults

If you’re a fan of the classic Jim Henson film The Dark Crystal and/or the Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance you will be pleased to know the story of The Dark Crystal does not end (or begin*) there.

The Power of the Dark Crystal graphic novels are a sequel to the film. Jen and Kira have ruled the mystical world of Thra for a great many trine [off and on] but their hard-earned peace lies in jeopardy when the fireling Thurma, arrives from a subterranean world and threatens to crack the Crystal of Truth and release the evil Skeksis upon the land once more. Thurma has only one ally, the gelfling Kensho, who trusts that together they can save both their worlds from destruction. Much like the original film, this series is a story about love, overcoming obstacles, and the importance of environmental stewardship.

If you enjoy The Power of the Dark Crystal, Kensho and Thurma’s saga continues in the graphic novel series Beneath the Dark Crystal.

And if you really can’t get enough of The Dark Crystal you might try J.M. Lee’s YA series of novels about Thra, starting with Shadows of the Dark Crystal, which features several characters from The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and seems to take place concurrent with the TV show.

*There is also The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths shedding light on how the world of Thra began. Witness the birth of Aughra, and her son Raunip, the arrival of the urSkeks, as well as the Great Division, among other “historical” events.

See everything The Dark Crystal in our catalog.