Donutella Hamachi and the Library Avengers

A young comics artist in West Lansing, Mich., comes out of his shell to save his local library in this breezy novel from drag performer Chi, making an authorial debut, and Lee (K-pop Confidential). Seventh grader Jae Han Kim has been dealing with relentless bullying since transferring from public to private school. The most notorious of his tormentors is Adam, “the only other Asian kid at Bloomfield Prep,” who hides behind a socially conscious influencer persona. Lacking support from his Korean immigrant parents, who instead focus on his older basketball star brother, Jae Han’s only solace is the local library, where he draws comics about his original character, the fiercely fabulous superhero Donutella Hamachi. When the mayor announces that the library is being demolished to build a shopping mall—developed by Adam’s father—Jae Han works up the courage to fight back. Animated magical girl–inspired comics pages by Utomaru (A Kid’s Guide to Anime & Manga) skillfully complement the authors’ bouncy narration and cheeky humor. It’s a charming confection of a tale that grapples with weighty themes relating to political corruption, immigrant parent expectations, and duplicitous influencer culture. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: (for Lee) Brenda Bowen, Book Group. (Sept.)