The Secret of Danger Point (Surfside Girls #1)

After the owner of Danger Point dies, 12-year-old Samantha Taylor and her friend Jade Lee take to their surfboards to explore the private waterfront property in their West Coast town of Surfside. Sam discovers that ghosts are living on the grounds, and they beseech her to protect their refuge from the mayor's plan to develop it into a resort. Samantha must persuade others that the ghosts (including a cute young pirate named Robert) need protection, but it isn't easy. First-time graphic novelist Dwinell creates spacious panels with a less-is-more approach to detail that evokes the wide-open ocean and beach environment, keeps readers focused on the characters and their concerns, and creates a sense of otherness where the pallid ghosts are concerned. Multiple convenient revelations solve Sam's problems a bit easily, but Dwinell confidently balances Sam and Jade's independence and agency with the fact that they aren't yet teenagers. With echoes of Steven Universe and Scooby-Doo in its combination of coming-of-age story and otherworldly mystery, this first book in the Surfside Girls series bodes well for future volumes. Ages 8-12. (Aug.)

Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

"I loved this book! Surfside Girls is exactly what I wish all my summer vacations had been like. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to the beach!" — Janet Lee, Eisner-Award-winning artist of Return of the Dapper Men

"Kim Dwinell's Surfside Girls has a timeless quality. With its likable characters, sunny colors, and supernatural mystery, it's a perfect summer read." — Brigid Alverson, School Library Journal's Good Comics for Kids

"The cheery, doodle-like depictions... are perfectly in keeping with the breezy, warm-hearted tone. Sam and Jade's friendship, which is changing as they approach tweendom, adds a nice dose of realism." — Sarah Hunter, Booklist

"Perfect for an endless summer vacation, with supernatural mystery-solving thrown into the mix. I highly recommend The Secret of Danger Point for all ages." — Leroy Douresseaux, Comic Book Bin

"Kim Dwinell supplies a great-looking world of infinite potential... Anyone fondly remembering the tenacious and good-hearted Nancy Drew adventures from their youth can locate a spiritual successor for their own children in Surfside Girls." — Slings & Arrows