Summer (Haru #2)

Gr 4-8--The second in a fantasy series featuring an unlikely hero, Haru, and their best friend Yama, continues the story from Haru Book 1: Spring. Haru, a flightless bird, and Yama, a talkative boar, are in the woods after escaping the shopping mall on their quest to rid Yama of "the heart of briar." They have set into motion a prophecy involving Blight--a tremendous evil that seeks to destroy the land, which is actively seeking Haru to fulfill his rise to power. The color is splendid, switching from humble earth-tones for the heroes to vibrant splashes of red and black when Blight appears. The deliberately jarring juxtaposition, beautiful use of white space, and bleeds enhance the tension, tone, and conflict of the narrative. In one scene, when a golem comes to life, its hand breaks through the panel in a mass of gore to hiss "theeeere," as it points at an escaping prisoner. The neverending arm continues to reach out in subsequent horizontal panels until there is no panel but simply it, instilling heightened fear for the escapee. Genuine friendships, sibling love, positive support in the presence of self-doubt, and resilience are key components in this hero's journey. Bright moments of humor are apparent, but so are difficult, emotional elements, too. This continuing story ends with "to be continued," suggesting more to come. VERDICT An excellent graphic series to hook middle schoolers and a must-purchase for libraries, especially where Haru is popular, and readers will anxiously await the next volume.--Rachel Zuffa

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A lush and immersive sequel to lose oneself in.