WWW.PUBLISHERSWEEKLY.COM 71Review_CHILDREN’S
gentle pokes at society. Trapped in a
superficial world, Edie emerges as a noble,
genuine heroine, who (usually) remembers
to follow her late mother’s advice: “If you
let your heart drive, don’t forget to bring
your brain.” Ages 14–up. (Dec.)
Point of View
Patrick Bard, trans. from the French by
Françoise Bui. Delacorte, $17.99 (192p)
ISBN 978-1-9848-5176-5
Growing up in Chartres, teen Lucas has
been addicted to online porn for years.
Despite blatant warning signs that he is
in trouble (falling grades, antisocial
behavior), he manages to keep the truth
hidden from everyone until his computer
crashes. While his father’s friend is
making repairs, Lucas’s browsing history
is revealed, and his stunned parents are at a
loss about what to do. In his first YA novel
to be translated into English, French
writer Bard tackles a provocative subject
with objectivity and unabashed honesty.
His reporterlike narrative stays focused on
facts, allowing readers to form their own
judgments about characters and their
decisions. Relevant to adults as well as
adolescents, the book examines how
Lucas’s curiosity about sex evolves into an
obsession, how his image of women
becomes warped, and how his addiction
pays a toll on his parents’ marriage. After
he enters a specialized center for teens,
Lucas’s recovery is a slow, arduous pro-
cess, but the benefits of intense therapy
are clear as he experiences his first
healthy relationship with a female peer.
The story’s journalistic quality may be
off-putting to some, but Bard’s exposure
of a universal, rarely discussed issue is
commendable. Ages 14–up. (Dec.)
Comics
Karen’s Witch
(Baby-Sitters Little Sister #1)
Ann M. Martin, adapted and illustrated by
Katy Farina. Graphix, $18.99 (144p) ISBN 978-
1-338-35611-3
Thirty years after Martin branched off
from the Baby-Sitters Club with the Little
Sister books, this graphic novel adaptation
revives their tried-and-true plots. Readers
need not know BSC regulars to follow along;
six-year-old Karen is the stepsister of BSC’s
13-year-old Kristy, and they see one
another (and Boo-Boo the cat) during
Karen’s biweekly visits to her father’s
new home. Despite a rule of “no spying”
at her dad’s place, Karen speculates about
the imposing Victorian house next door
and its occupant, a woman she dubs
Morbidda Destiny. On “a witchy, autumny
night,” Karen’s imagination keeps her
wide awake and frightened, posing a baby-
sitting challenge that Kristy overcomes.
By the reassuring light of day, Karen ropes
her reluctant friend Hannie into a dubious
mission to reveal the witch’s identity. In
her debut title, Farina, a background
painter at Dreamworks TV, sustains
momentum with pared-down, emotive
panels and close-ups of the wide-eyed,
conflicted Karen, who dares to confront her
fears. Diverting and funny for those new to
sitcom hijinks, this spin-off of a spin-off
bodes well for this series. Ages 7–10. (Dec.)★ Cub
Cynthia L. Copeland. Algonquin, $24.95
(240p) ISBN 978-1-61620-993-3
In her debut graphic novel for young
readers, Copeland (Middle School Secrets)
presents a memoir set in 1972–1973,
when the then-12-year-old job-shadowed
a local news reporter. If the lingo (“far
out!”), heartthrobs (John Denver), and fads
(sea monkeys) are dated, the references to
Troll dolls, Earth Day, and Watergate have
direct, contemporary links. When Cindy’s
best friend takes up with “the predators,”
three stylish girls whose clique name is
inspired by both Jaws and Wild Kingdom,
Cindy joins a goofy but loyal circle.
Concurrently, the ERA makes headlines,
and Cindy’s father talks about careers only
with his sons. After Cindy meets Leslie, a
lone “female reporter” at a daily paper, she
gains confidence by practicing writing
and photography. Engaging full-color
illustrations include Leslie’s handwritten
edits of the cub reporter’s typewritten
ledes. Deftly juggling Cindy’s school days,
internship, and home life, Copeland crafts
a multilayered, year-in-the-life story
within a complex historical context: “Our
country is in turmoil: chaos in the White
House, a senseless war, environmental
crises, women having to fight for equal
rights.” Ages 8–12. Agent: Daniel Lazar,
Writers House. (Jan.) ■PICTURE BOOKS
Hey Grandude! Paul McCartney, illus. by
Kathryn Durst. Random House, ISBN 978-0-525-
64867-3, Sept.
Look, It’s Raining Mathieu Pierloot, illus. by
Maria Dek. Princeton Architectural Press,
ISBN 978-1-61689-828-1, Sept.
Oak Leaf John Sandford. Cameron Kids,
ISBN 978-1-944903-73-2, Sept.
Wrinkles JR and Julie Pugeat. Phaidon,
ISBN 978-1-83866-016-1, Sept.
FICTION
Crier’s War Nina Varela. HarperTeen, ISBN 978-
0-06-282394-6, Oct.
Dance with Your Heart Bronwyn Mulrooney.
Bronwyn Mulrooney, ISBN 978-0-620-71245-3,
self-published.
Every Stolen Breath Kimberly Gabriel. Blink,
ISBN 978-0-310-76666-7, Nov.
The Girl the Sea Gave Back Adrienne Young.
Wednesday, ISBN 978-1-250-16848-1, Sept.
★ The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan
Sherry Thomas. Tu, ISBN 978-1-62014-804-4,
Sept.
★ The Secret Commonwealth (The Book of
Dust #2) Philip Pullman. Knopf, ISBN 978-0-553-
51066-9, Oct.
Sisters of Shadow and Light Sara B. Larson.
Tor Teen, ISBN 978-1-250-20840-8, Nov.
★ There Will Come a Darkness Katy Rose
Pool. Holt, ISBN 978-1-250-21175-0, Sept.
Wayward Son (Simon Snow #2) Rainbow
Rowell. Wednesday, ISBN 978-1-250-14607-6,
Sept.
NONFICTION
The Apartment: A Century of Russian History
Alexandra Litvina, illus. by Anna Desnitskaya,
trans. by Antonina W. Bouis. Abrams, ISBN 978-1-
4197-3403-8, Nov.
★ Infinite Hope: A Black Artist’s Journey
from World War II to Peace Ashley Bryan.
Atheneum/Dlouhy, ISBN 978-1-5344-0490-8, Oct.
My Story Starts Here: Voices of Young
Offenders Deborah Ellis. Groundwood,
ISBN 978-1-77306-121-4, Oct.
Our House Is On Fire: Greta Thunberg’s Call
to Save the Planet Jeanette Winter. Beach
Lane, ISBN 978-1-5344-6778-1, Sept.
Sleep: How Nature Gets Its Rest Kate
Prendergast. Candlewick, ISBN 978-1-5362-0798-9,
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