Feelings are universal. They transcend language and cultural barriers, and are major influencers in love and war. Even folks who identify as being more analytical and less emotional, such as myself, are not immune to experiencing a broad range of human emotions at any given time.
Because life can present enough emotional hurdles, I usually find myself actively avoiding books and other media that are intended to induce a deep emotional impact. I like to consume comics that distract my mind and feel like dessert after handling the responsibilities of an average day. Despite this, I intentionally explored our curated All The Feels list to discover which ones might create the most emotional impact for readers, and my six picks this month brought all the feels.
I also created my own “Feel-O-Meter” to identify which emotions each title induced so readers can make informed decisions before diving in.
Young Readers
Magical Pet Vet: The Sad and Laggin’ Dragon by Jason M. Burns, Renata García, and Dustin Evans (Cherry Lake)
Feel-O-Meter: Sad—Lonely—Relatable—Inspired—Warm & Fuzzy
Magical Pet Vets Taye, Marta, and Emily specialize in the treatment of cryptids. One day, while working on their cryptid research database, the team hears a giant thud on their roof and runs to check it out. There they discover a despondent dragon whose tears are causing an unexpected rain storm that threatens to drown their fairy garden. Through their cryptid database, they learn that this is a spiritual dragon named Shenlong, who also happens to be a master of storms.
Emily converses with Shenlong and learns that he is deeply lonely, having just moved here, and Marta is able to connect with him over their shared experience of being in a new place and missing their homes, family, and friends. Connecting with Marta, and learning he is not alone in his experience, causes Shenlong to cheer up. The team invites him to a party they’re having later so that he can meet a number of other equally displaced cryptid creatures.
The story does a great job introducing young people to the physical signs of illness that can manifest from mental distress. Concepts such as depression and social anxiety are introduced through the story in an accessible manner and defined in separate text boxes. Kids will quickly relate to the dragon’s bravery in showing up alone to a party where he doesn’t yet know anyone, and his initially awkward interactions attempting to make small talk.
This book is part of the Magical Pet Vet series which is aimed at exploring STEM and social emotional learning concepts through the team’s encounters with magical creatures. It’s a must-read for animal lovers and cryptid enthusiasts.
- Comics Plus Collection(s): Elementary, Children’s Public Library, All-Access for Schools, Full Collection
Middle Grade
The Fantastic Freewheeler vs. the Mall of Doom by Molly Felder and Yury Guzman (Capstone)
Feel-O-Meter: Curious—Intrigued—Inspired—Empowered—Satisfied
Drew Daniels is a middle school kid who loves sports, solving mysteries, and studying aliens. Drew has cerebral palsy, but remains unstoppable due to his own intellect and an alien-induced brain boost which enables him to become the superhero, Fantastic Freewheeler. When land developer Natalie Main swoops in with plans to tear down their only park—including a 200-year-old oak tree—to build a mall, Freewheeler and his friends spring into action.
They conduct online research, hoping to discover that Natalie is actually a super villain, but no luck. They hold a peaceful protest, but find the support for their cause is limited because the townspeople are excited to have a mall. Eventually, they discover time capsule items hidden inside the old oak tree and rush to the library to research the history of the tree and park. When the kids discover a historical connection between the time capsule and Natalie’s past, Freewheeler and his friends realize they just might be able to stop their beloved park from being destroyed.
This quick read is a good showcase of the power kids have when they unite for a common cause. From online research, community organizing, and using their library, it’s an informal guide for citizen advocacy, faking action for the betterment of the local community. It also raises awareness for an issue that many small towns face.
The Fantastic Freewheeler is a middle grade series that also highlights the realistic heroics of a boy who isn’t held back by his medical diagnosis. Drew is accepted by his peers, lives life to the fullest, and employs his wit and love of mysteries to expertly solve problems.
- Comics Plus Collection(s): Elementary, Middle School, Children’s Public Library, Teen Public Library, All-Access for Schools, Full Collection
Teen & Young Adult
Heart Transplant by Andrew Vachess and Frank Caruso (Dark Horse)
Feel-O-Meter: Angry—Sad—Hopeful—Inspired—Vindication
Heart Transplant opens with a nameless nine-year-old child explaining how bullying is portrayed in movies while showing a parallel of how it actually unfolded for him in reality. In movies, the main character endures bullying and eventually grows up to have a better life, maybe even laugh it off in hindsight. But for this young man, it takes learning to fight and getting badly beaten multiple times over, in order to earn a simple existence free of continued bullying. He is relentlessly teased and beaten at school, and his mother’s endless line of boyfriends give him the same treatment at home while she simply turns up the volume on the television.
One day, he comes home to discover his mother and her latest boyfriend—a particularly violent thief named Brian—shot to death in the living room. While the cops and social workers are distracted, a large, tough man arrives and reveals himself as Brian’s father. Despite having nothing but contempt for Brian, “Pop” offers the child a safe home instead of having to go into the system. This is the best offer the boy has ever had, and he enters into a secure, albeit hardened, upbringing under Pop’s kind and wise guidance. Through Pop, the child learns that even when the bullying stops hurting physically, it still needs to be confronted in order to stop it in the present, and avoid repeating it in the future.
The story is loosely based on author and children’s rights attorney Andrew Vachss’ formative years, and after his difficult upbringing, he has spent his life giving back. In a world where too many folks accept that “hurt people, hurt people,” it’s inspiring to see someone break the cycle, particularly at a time when few resources were available for young people dealing with similar situations. Heart Transplant instills a deep emotional connection in readers that sticks after the story is complete.
The physical layout of the book is also intriguing, including illustrations which are presented in a unique widescreen page layout. This choice makes the book feel cinematic, which is fitting for its parallel exploration of bullying in films. Backmatter includes an essay on bullying by a social worker, resources for further study, and creator biographies.
- Comics Plus Collection(s): Middle School, High School, Teen Public Library, All-Access for Schools, Full Collection
Click: A Story of Cyberbullying by Alexandra Philips, Anthony Zuiker, and Garry Leach (Zuiker Press)
Feel-O-Meter: Confused—Angry—Helpless—Hopeful—Redemption
Lexi is a teenage girl with a wonderful life. She is a gifted athlete from a happy home, has lots of friends, thrives at school, and genuinely feels good about herself inside and out. Her whole world abruptly crashes down after she accidentally utters a threat in the midst of a heated volleyball game. Suddenly, she’s in trouble at school, threatened with police intervention, and is thrown into a “24/7” world of relentless online and in-person bullying.
The onslaught is instigated by her former friends, twins Emmy and Emma, along with their mother. Together, the trio turns everyone at school against Lexi, even her other close friends whom the twins threatened with violence if they sided with Lexi. The bullying intensifies when “evil Maya” transfers to the school, joining in Lexi’s torment. Maya initially pretends to be Lexi’s friend but instead posts her secrets and unflattering photos on social media, amplifying the never ending torment. For her part, Lexi keeps her feelings to herself for almost an entire school year before confessing to her parents. By the time they intervene, Lexi truly believes that she is ugly and worthless and is teetering on the brink of self-harm.
Click is a true story told from Lexi’s first-person perspective. It’s a quick read with a thankfully satisfying conclusion that unfortunately isn’t the reality for other bullying victims. This one was interesting to read along with Heart Transplant, showing that bullying is an experience that doesn’t respect the boundaries of the victim’s privilege or upbringing.
This title is part of Zuiker Press’ Young Author Voices series, tackling difficult subjects that each young co-authors has faced in their own lives. Click should be read not just by teens, but their parents, too. Backmatter features a brief biography of Lexi at the time of publication, some photos of her growing up, and resources for parents to help navigate cyberbullying.
- Comics Plus Collection(s): Middle School, High School, Teen Public Library, All-Access for Schools, Full Collection
A Smart and Courageous Child by Miki Yamamoto (Tokyopop)
Feel-O-Meter: Excited—Anxious—Confused—Helpless—Tentative—Uplifted
Set in 2012, Sara and Kouta are over the moon about becoming new parents. The two prepare by buying every item on the baby list, plus reading every parenting book and biography about remarkable young people. As the pregnancy progresses, they craft a huge list of every class and skill the unborn child must take and master to become “smart and courageous.”
Their happiness is threatened one day as Sara is home alone and learns the news that Malala Yousafzai, one of the main inspirations for their dream child, was shot in an attempted assisination. This sends Sara down an abrupt and absolute downward spiral as she begins obsessively consuming stories about every heinous crime against children that she can get her hands on. Meanwhile, Kouta remains excited for their now late-arriving baby, and doesn’t understand Sara’s behavior, leading to some heated arguments that escalate into physical shoving matches. Will the couple get back to a healthy place in time for their baby’s arrival?
If you’ve ever wanted to read a book that took you through literally ALL the feels, this is the one. Despite the fact that the physical altercations the couple engages in are relatively mild, I found myself scared at the potential of seeing something bad happen to the heavily pregnant Sara. By the end, readers are relieved for the recovery of both the fictional Sara and the true resilience of Malala Yousafzai.
Author-illustrator Miki Yamamoto’s artwork is cute and makes A Smart and Courageous Child feel like a picture book, despite its deeper themes. She does such a good job of investing the reader in the adorable couple’s excitement, strapping them in early for the roller coaster of emotions to come.
- Comics Plus Collection(s): High School, Teen Public Library, All-Access for Schools, Full Collection
Adult
Barking by Lucy Sullivan (Avery Hill)
Feel-O-Meter: Confused—Claustrophobic—Angry—Relieved
Haunted by the death of her friend, Alix Otto has a mental breakdown and is institutionalized. Unfortunately, this attempt at healing backfires, as she is now trapped inside with nothing but her own mental demons, along with those of the other patients. One of Alix’s demons manifests in the form of a hulking black wolf that overshadows her encounters, unseen by orderlies and patients, but never missing a chance to run vicious commentary about Alix’s useless existence. The people around her have no shortage of hot takes and opinions on her mental state, ranging from “stop being so dramatic” to “why can’t she just follow the rules,” and “accept the lord to be saved.”
Barking puts readers in the front row for a descent into madness by someone who lived it. Part exploration into the depths of depression, park scathing examination of the abhorrent treatment provided by some in-patient facilities, it’s an incredibly jumbled and confusing read. This narrative structure was intentionally chosen to mirror the confusion in the minds of people struggling with trauma and severe mental illness.
Based loosely on the combined experiences of writer-illustrator Lucy Sullivan and some of her friends, the black and white illustrations reflect the turmoil within. This, along with the unique lettering that sees words scrawled over every page, sets the perfect tone for the subject matter. The story itself makes more sense after reading the included backmatter where Lucy explains her personal inspirations along with the convoluted pre- and post-2020 path for Barking to finally be published.
- Comics Plus Collection: Full Collection
Read All The Comics!
“An absolute game changer.” School Library Journal
With Comics Plus, schools and libraries can offer readers unlimited access to thousands of digital comics, manga, and picture books from popular publishers like ABDO, Andrews McMeel, Capstone, Cherry Lake, Dark Horse, Europe Comics, Fantagraphics, Humanoids, Image Comics, Kodansha, Lerner, Mad Cave, Manga Classics, Oni Press, Papercutz, Tokyopop, TOON Books, UDON Entertainment, Yen Press, and dozens more.
No holds, wait lists, or monthly borrowing limits—all at a price that won’t break your materials budget.
Learn more at comicsplusapp.com and sign up for a free demo account.
_____
Moni Barrette, MLIS is the Director, Collection Development for LibraryPass, as well as former President of American Library Association’s Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table, and co-founder of the nonprofit Creators, Assemble! Inc. As a former public library manager, Moni won the California Library Association PRExcellence Award (2018 & 2019) for library events aimed at underserved adult library users, and has proven success using comics to increase library circulation. She is a frequent panelist at San Diego and New York Comic Con, San Diego Comic Fest and Wonder-Con, hosting industry networking events and providing instruction to educators and librarians.
We curate high-interest, immersive digital content that helps schools and libraries expand and diversify their collections—without breaking their materials budgets.
