Watched by Marina Budhos

Naeem is a Muslim immigrant. He knows that his community is heavily watched by the cops. But he can’t help himself, he’s not the role model kid and he likes to hang out with his friend Ibrahim who is not necessarily the best influence. After getting caught with some stolen merchandise and abandoned by who Naeem thought was his best friend. The cops cut Naeem a deal; spy on his community instead of going to jail. This deal inevitably takes Naeem down a dark road within his own community, forcing him to make choices that will impact everyone around him. --Claudio Leon

Budhos, Marina. Watched. New York: Random House LLC, 2016. Print.

Famous Ladies Vol. I-III by Alexandra Beguez

Charming illustrations and excellent production make this series a perfect fit for incarcerated and detained youth, and school librarians may wish to order several sets to share with students.  

Each volume is printed on a single sheet of 11 x 17 lightweight cardstock and features fine-lined portraits of six historical female figures, some long since dead and some contemporary heroines.  The only text between the covers is  the names of the women, making the content fun to browse and giving the developing reader plenty of space.  The back covers feature three to four lines of handwritten text summarizing each woman’s accomplishments.

Younger readers may be confused as the descriptions are written in the present tense, however the educator can use this possible confusion to spark an inquiry project.  Highly recommended.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

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Tags: art, women’s history, zines

Disappeared by Francisco X. Stork

Sara and her brother Emiliano must make a run for the border. Sara fears for her life after discovering a dark truth connected to the disappearance of her best friend. Emiliano chooses to leave everything behind, including a new job offer that could change his life, in order to see his sister to safety. Disappeared is a great read for those that can withstand the slow-paced beginning of the book where Stork takes his time developing the characters and setting the plot. However once the pieces are in place, the book becomes a page turner as Emiliano and Sara must rely on each other to cross the deadly terrain and make it to the Mexican-American border. Students interested in underground crime syndicates and conspiracies will enjoy the overall plot and the plot twist reveals that this book delivers.--Claudio Leon

Stork, Francisco X. Disappeared. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2017. Print.

One Punch Man by Yuske Murata

What if there was no opponent in the world that could withstand a single punch from you? What if you defeated every opponent you encountered with a single strike? This is what life for Saitama is like. After being attacked for protecting a young man and nearly dying, he vowed to become the strongest hero in the world. But now that he is the world’s strongest superhero and there is no one strong enough to challenge him, life seems to have lost its meaning. Until he encounters Genos, who asks to become his apprentice. Could training Genos lead Saitama to a life of fulfillment? Or will he eventually find someone strong enough to challenge the One Punch Man? Students that have finished Dragon Ball Z and are looking for more hand to hand action should pick this one up.--Claudio Leon

Murata, Yuske. One Punch Man. San Francisco: VIZ Media LLC, 2015. Print.