Global: One Fragile World. An Epic Fight for Survival.

Alternating survival narratives depict two youths in different locales overcoming perilous situations caused by climate change in this heart-pumping graphic novel from Colfer, Donkin, and Rigano, the team behind Illegal. Twelve-year-old Sami subsists by fishing with his grandfather in the Bay of Bengal. Brutal waves and mudslides routinely threaten his community's ramshackle homes; to conjure better fortune, he plans to dive for his family's lucky knife, which Sami believes sunk into the bay following a monsoon that submerged his home and killed both his parents. Meanwhile, 14-year-old Inuit-cued Yuki's arctic circle town in Northern Canada is beset by hybrid grizzly-polar bears known as grolars, which have been pillaging human food stores due to declining resources in their natural environment. Angry that humans destroyed the grolars' habitat, Yuki sets off into the icy landscape with a camera, a bear blind constructed out of an umbrella, her family's carved seal harpoon, and her dog, Lockjaw, intending to snap a photo to garner sympathy for the bears. Realistically rendered, suspense-filled illustrations by Rigano, presented via straightforward paneling, portray the children's harrowing experiences with sharp clarity. Colfer and Donkin's tense narrative clearly outlines contemporary climate change-related realities amid relentless, riveting action. Extensive back matter concludes. Ages 10-14. (Apr.)

Gr 3-8--Sami is a 12-year-old boy with light brown skin and brown hair who lives in a fishing village on the Bay of Bengal. Yuki is a 14-year-old girl, cued as Inuit, living in a small village inside the Arctic circle. Though they live on opposite ends of the globe, both kids' lives have been directly and negatively impacted by climate change, and both refuse to sit idly by. They each set out on a dangerous journey, braving the elements and risking their lives to enact change. The story adeptly switches perspective back and forth between Sami and Yuki, while subtly showing connections between their very different lives. Beautiful full-color illustrations immerse readers in their precarious and dynamic world, while the fast-paced text keeps the tension high. Though Sami and Yuki's story is fiction, Colfer reminds readers in an end note that all the impacts of climate change that the characters experience are real and currently happening across the globe. A "What is Global Warming?" chapter at the end provides a brief overview of climate change and how it will directly impact children around the world. VERDICT With this newest work, Colfer has created a gripping graphic novel that is a hopeful call to action for all readers. Highly recommended for purchase.--Laken Hottle

"Offer[s] accessible and memorable entry points to a topic that can easily become overwhelming in scope...vibrant and rich." ― Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Vibrant…the two perspectives are beautifully captured." ― Youth Services Book Review