Lo and Behold

Mass (the Twice upon a Time series) and debut illustrator Mendez navigate familial trauma and the impact of technology in this intricately rendered graphic novel that successfully captures the sometimes overwhelming nature of adolescence. When Addie's mother abruptly leaves, Addie's father attempts to distract her from the situation by taking her on a cross-country trip to Spring Haven University, where he will be working for the summer. But Addie is skeptical that she'll feel anything other than lonely, until she meets Mateo, the son of one of her dad's coworkers. Together, the tweens explore Addie's father's virtual reality lab, and Mateo helps Addie see her father's work--and her own circumstances--in a different light. As Addie delves deeper into the comforts of the digital world, however, she discovers that she's been avoiding her true feelings and the needs of those around her. Mendez's streamlined and consistent artwork tonally complements Mass's attentive consideration of the issues addressed. Edge-of-the-seat virtual reality adventure scenes are delicately balanced with accessible and thought-provoking plotting, juxtaposing video game-like escapism with emotionally complex conflict to deliver a solid read that encourages empathy and introspection. Ages 10-14. (May)

Gr 4-7--"He can make me go with him, but he can't make me interested." Addie packs up and spends a summer on a college campus where her futurist father is leading a team of students developing virtual and augmented reality projects. Despite Addie's initial reluctance, she becomes interested in VR as a way to escape and explore, and she even makes a friend in real life, Mateo. They share interests--geocaching, moon trees--before they finally share more personal stories, like what happened to Mateo's brother and Addie's mom. Ultimately, with the help of some students, Doug, Lily, and Surekha, they work together to develop VR experiences for people in the hospital where Mateo volunteers. At its heart, this is a story about empathy, whether it's a stranger with chemo or your own parent. Addie reflects, "I think it's harder to have empathy for the people we love the most. When they do something wrong it feels so personal." The layout is creative and dynamic, and the illustrations are full of relevant details. Mendez and Tse do excellent work with shadow and light, and the faint shimmer of VR. Panels set in the past have a gray outline with rounded corners, while VR panels have a half-round cutout along the middle of the bottom. Addie and her family present as white; there is diversity among the secondary characters. VERDICT No goggles or controllers are needed to fully immerse yourself in this summer STEM story about family, friendship, and empathy. Highly recommended.--Jenny Arch