New Ya Nonfiction And Comics Out In March

The theme of the book, as you can gather by the title, is the philosophy of metaphor. That sounds supremely heavy for a YA book, but there are a couple of things to know. First, this book is under 70 pages. Second, it’s designed so that a total of 24 metaphorical concepts are explored, and they’re paired with gorgeous illustrations. It’s the kind of book that is perfect for readers, and those who want to better understand what the meaning of, say, a metaphor about an iceberg or light really means.

Kirby Tan was one of the best rock climbers in her school, even earning the nickname of Queen of Balance. But when she takes a fall and gets injured, she’s out of commission for the season. To get extra credit, Kirby finds herself working for the school newspaper. She’s not especially excited, but it is what it is.

But when she’s asked by Bex Santos to help with her astrology-based love advice column, Kirby’s not so sure she cares about the way the stars could help a Libra or a Capricorn find their one true love.

The thing is, the more Kirby helps Bex with the column, the more Kirby begins to believe she and Bex are meant to be. Their romance might be budding — with or without the meddling stars — but Kirby knows that the relationship is challenged from the start. She has no idea how her family and her church will feel about her dating Bex.

This comic began as a three issue miniseries reimagining some of DC Comics’s classic magicians, and now you can catch the entire series in one sleek volume.

Zatanna and several of her peers are learning how to use their magic under Dr. Rose Psychic and her husband, Dr. Occult, who shares her body. Despite how good the lessons may be, these are still young magicians and their power might not be enough to protect them from Malevolence’s deadly force.

Zatanna should be worried about the evil prophecy, of course, but there are other concerns at the forefront of her mind. Will those distractions ultimately cause her demise (and the demise of her classmates)?

What are the lines between fantasy and reality? That’s the heart of this graphic novel, which follows Oberon Afolayan. He and his fellow humans have made their last attempts at utopia by settling in on an alien planet called Meridian.

Oberon cares about the big picture of the future, of course, but what’s on his mind right now is how his life is falling apart. He’s dropped out of university. He and his boyfriend broke up. And, oh, now he’s woken up with this weird ability to make his dreams come true in the real world.

These new powers come with a big side effect, and that’s Kon, Oberon’s former high school boyfriend who disappeared three years ago. Kon is there to help get Oberon’s life in order again, but it’s not entirely out of the goodness of Kon’s own heart. Dream World Kon has some pretty big secrets, too.

How can Oberon follow his dreams without being taken by them?

This looks like a great one for YA readers looking for older teen protagonists. It also looks like it has some beautiful, otherworldly art.

Fred Fordham, the illustrator on this comic adaptation of the fantasy classic, is behind several other comic adaptations of literature, including To Kill a Mockingbird and Brave New World. Readers who love Le Guin’s story will find a lot to love in the format, and the comic will likely bring new readers into the narrative series as well. It looks beautiful!

Essie is 17 and just starting her senior year of high school. It’s not the best time in her life, though, as her bestie is off at college, her brother is not at home because he’s in rehab, and things feel unstable with her long-time boyfriend (not to mention the challenges she’s having with her mom and their near-constant fighting). The thing keeping Essie going is applying to college so she can be reunited with her best friend and begin her real life. Plus, she’s stoked about the acting program at New York University.

But then Essie screws up her audition. She’s also dumped. Things have gone from bad to worse. Though she wishes she were doing community theater and not her school play, by taking a role in the school production, she finds herself working alongside Christopher Sun. He’s the younger brother of the person who contributed to Essie’s brother’s substance use disorder…and yet, Essie can’t help but find herself pulled closer and closer into his orbit.