Winging It

Luna barely remembers her mother, who died when the middle schooler was a baby. All she has left of her mom is pictures, as well as the memories shared by her loved ones, especially Luna’s single, hardworking father. Luna’s world is turned upside down when she and her father move from California to live with her distant maternal grandmother in a suburb outside of Washington, D.C. She begins seventh grade feeling lonelier than ever, as it seems difficult to find “a single human or animal... who actually wants to hang out with me.” As Luna settles into her new home, however, she and her grandmother bond over their shared grief and love for Luna’s mom. After Grandma gives Luna her mother’s old nature journals, Luna aspires to follow in her mom’s footsteps by creating her own diary and joining her school’s environmental club, despite Luna’s feeling like a “natural disaster” out of doors. Through her grief, she finds community, which Squished creators Lloyd and Nutter highlight via the protagonist’s budding friendships, her shifting dynamic with her father, and her deepening relationship with her grandmother. Eye-catching earth-toned color palettes emphasize the role that nature plays in healing old wounds in this gentle graphic novel. Luna has brown skin. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Aevitas Creative Management. Illustrator's agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary. (Oct.)