An Indie Bestseller!
An Indie Next List Pick!
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
An Amazon, School Library Journal, and Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
A Little Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List Pick
A 2024 Barnes & Noble Children's & YA Book Awards Nominee
"Absolutely gorgeous and a completely unique adventure. Remy Lai is a master storyteller!" —Christina Soontornvat, two-time Newbery Honor Winner
"Spooky, spellbinding and full of heart!" —Kayla Miller, bestselling author of Click
"A deliciously spooky, funny adventure. I adored this story of friendship, loss, love, and dumplings! July Chen is a kid I would gladly follow to the Underworld and back." —Jessica Townsend, bestselling author of The Nevermoor series
"Lai finds that razor’s edge between life and death, light and dark, fairy tale and ghost story." —The New York Times
* "An entertaining, engaging read with echoes of Miyazaki's film Spirited Away." —Horn Book, starred review
* "Lai navigates profound questions of fate and friendship via Chinese mythology in this playful graphic novel ghost story [with a] richly imagined underworld." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "Lai is a master of middle-grade sensibilities . . . An unforgettable adventure full of surprises, laughs, ghosts, and dumplings." —Booklist, starred review
* For kids who eat up graphic novels like Anya’s Ghost, Pilu of the Woods, and Ghosts, Ghost Book will make a perfect addition to their shelves." —BookPage, starred review
* "Ghost Book expertly balances eerie ghoulishness with lighthearted fun for a memorable middle-grade adventure." —Shelf Awareness, starred review
"Fans of Disney’s Coco and Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away will find this graphic novel filled with humor and love, with unforgettable characters and unbreakable friendships." —BCCB
"A delightful balance of spooky, sweet, and funny." —Kirkus
Praise for Pawcasso
An ALA Best Graphic Novel for Children * Booklist Editors' Choice Winner * NYPL Best Book of the Year * CPL Best Book of the Year * TLA 2022 Little Maverick Pick
"A skillfully woven story of acceptance and forgiveness." —New York Times Book Review
"It's tail-wagging entertaining!" —Kelly Yang, New York Times bestselling author of Front Desk
* "Brightly colored, inviting artwork." —Booklist, starred review
"Move over, Jeff Kinney . . . Lai’s finger is always precisely on the pulse of kid humor." —Horn Book
Praise for Fly on the Wall
A Best Book of the Year for Kirkus, Booklist, CPL, and SLJl!
“Funny, enthralling, and a great reminder that being a little odd isn’t a bad thing.” —Kayla Miller, author of Click and Camp
"Bright, funny storytelling." —The New York Times Book Review
* "Henry’s character development in this illustrated novel leaves Greg Heffley in the dust." —School Library Journal, starred review
Praise for Pie in the Sky
Winner of the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor! A Parents Magazine Best Kids Book of the Year! A NYPL Best Book of the Year! An NPR Best Book of the Year! A Horn Book Best Book of the Year!
"Heartwarming and rib-tickling." —Terri Libenson, bestselling author of Invisible Emmie
* “Perfect for fans of Gene Luen Yang and Victoria Jamieson.” —Shelf Awareness, starred review
2023-05-09
A girl helps the wandering soul of a boy escape death.
“Twelve years ago, the girl lived. The boy lived. One should have died.” July Chen might as well be invisible, as she’s usually forgotten by everyone around her. Using her ability to see ghosts, July tries to summon one in hopes of making friends. In addition to calling a hungry ghost, July meets the wandering soul of William Xiao, a boy whose physical body lies in a coma. William has experienced multiple near-death incidents, and he collects information on the underworld in the notebook he calls his Ghost Book. Using the Ghost Book, July helps William evade hungry ghosts and underworld underlings who are trying to claim his soul. While trying to find a way to get to the underworld and back to save William, the friends discover an unfortunate secret truth about their intertwined lives. This full-color graphic novel skillfully balances dark, humorous, and heartwarming elements. Themes of friendship, kindness, sacrifice, and being remembered, both in life and in death, are prominent throughout. July and William’s adventure exquisitely captures Chinese mythology, traditions, and beliefs surrounding the afterlife, like burning joss paper offerings during Hungry Ghost Month. The clean and expressive illustrations complement the story, being a bit eerie and scary but leavened with humor and lightness.
A delightful balance of spooky, sweet, and funny. (Graphic fantasy. 8-12)