(W) Craig McDonald (A/CA) Kevin Singles Aging crime novelist Hector Lassiter thought that his adventures were long behind him. But then he's delivered a treasure worth killing for: the skull of Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. With brooding poet Bud Fiske and hard-as-nails beauty Alacia Vincente, Hector must make a mad dash across the American southwest. If he can sell the skull to highest bidder he'll score big. But in the meantime has to dodge bullets from deranged fraternity members, aging soldiers of fortune, and crooked feds. Originally published as an Edgar-nominated novel, this adaptation is brought to life with beautiful two-color art reminiscent of the classic era of pulp fiction.

(W/A/CA) John Green When Hippo left the zoo, he was ready for adventure! But is he ready for his first job? The zoo isn't what it used to be. It's run-down and falling apart. Hippo hardly ever gets any visitors. So he decides to set off for the outside with his friend Red Panda. To make it in the human world, Hippo will have to become a Hippopotamister: he'll have to act like a human, get a job, and wear a hat as a disguise. He's a good employee, whether he's a construction worker, a hair stylist, or a sous chef. But what he really needs is a job where he can be himself.

(W) Alex Graudin (A) Kate Hannigan Turn back the clock with History Comics! Following the success of Science Comics, First Second is launching a new nonfiction series: History Comics! Travel back in time to the launchpad at Cape Canaveral, the deserts of the American southwest, the riot at the Stonewall Inn, and beyond! The past comes alive in a way that's edifying, entertaining, and relevant to our modern lives. In the debut this volume, turn the clock back to 1871. Red-hot embers swirl on a dry prairie wind, igniting a blaze that will engulf Chicago for two terrifying days. As a young brother and sister rescue a helpless puppy, they race to stay one step ahead of the devilish inferno and reunite with their lost families. With downtown reduced to a charred skeleton of itself, how will the once-proud city ever rebuild? Available in softcover and hardcover editions.

(W/A) Chris Schweizer Turn back the clock with History Comics! This volume of First Second's new nonfiction series introduces readers to America's first mystery, the disappearance of the Roanoke Colony. In this volume, turn the clock back to 1590. A century before the Pilgrims, the first English settlers established the colony of Roanoke. But without warning, all its inhabitants abandoned their homes and disappeared without a trace. Can you separate fact from fiction and solve this mystery filled with brutal battles, perilous pirate ships, ruthless queens, and enough skeletons to fill a graveyard? Available in softcover and hardcover editions.

(W/A) Chris Schweizer Turn back the clock with History Comics! This volume of First Second's new nonfiction series introduces readers to America's first mystery, the disappearance of the Roanoke Colony. In this volume, turn the clock back to 1590. A century before the Pilgrims, the first English settlers established the colony of Roanoke. But without warning, all its inhabitants abandoned their homes and disappeared without a trace. Can you separate fact from fiction and solve this mystery filled with brutal battles, perilous pirate ships, ruthless queens, and enough skeletons to fill a graveyard? Available in softcover and hardcover editions.

(W) Chris Duffy (A) Falynn Koch In this volume, learn how horses were brought to the Western Hemisphere by Spanish conquistadors and immediately became a crucial part of the American story. For the Spanish, they were a tool of conquest. For Native Americans, they brought on a new way of life where horsemanship and horse-trading were central. And for the entire world, wild mustangs became a renowned wonder of the American West.

(W) Chris Duffy (A) Falynn Koch Learn how horses were brought to the Western Hemisphere by Spanish conquistadors and immediately became a crucial part of the American story. For the Spanish, they were a tool of conquest. For Native Americans, they brought on a new way of life where horsemanship and horse-trading were central. And for the entire world, wild mustangs became a renowned wonder of the American West. Available in softcover and hardcover editions.

(W) David L Carlson (A/CA) Landis Blair As a child, Charlie Rizzo had been told that his father lost his vision in a hunting accident. It wasn't until Charlie found himself in a jail cell for his petty crimes that he learned the truth. Matt Rizzo was blinded by a shotgun blast to the face while working for the mob. Just a teenager and newly blind, he began his bleak new life at Statesville Prison. It was there that his life and very soul were saved by one of America's most notorious killers: Nathan Leopold, of the infamous Leopold and Loeb duo. From David Carlson and Landis Blair comes a moving biography of a remarkable man whose journey from despair to enlightenment mirrored the great works of western literature that ultimately saved him.

(W) Landry Quinn Walker (A/CA) Eric Jones The year is 2421. Awkward and shy, Pepper buries herself in the universe of the classic fictional superhero Supernova to avoid dealing with the perils of the ninth grade. But then fate intervenes when Pepper encounters a strange cat named Mister McKittens and stumbles into a volatile science experiment run by a sinister substitute teacher named Doctor Killian. Pepper is flung into another dimension, bringing her face-to-face with an order of cosmic beings who declare her to be the steward of their great power, champion of harmony in the universe, and protector of worlds present and past. Now, in the twenty-first century, Pepper finds that she herself is the real Supernova. But as Pepper soon learns, escapist fantasy and reality are two very different things! Available in hardcover and softcover editions.

(W) Landry Quinn Walker (A/CA) Eric Jones The year is 2421. Awkward and shy, Pepper buries herself in the universe of the classic fictional superhero Supernova to avoid dealing with the perils of the ninth grade. But then fate intervenes when Pepper encounters a strange cat named Mister McKittens and stumbles into a volatile science experiment run by a sinister substitute teacher named Doctor Killian. Pepper is flung into another dimension, bringing her face-to-face with an order of cosmic beings who declare her to be the steward of their great power, champion of harmony in the universe, and protector of worlds present and past. Now, in the twenty-first century, Pepper finds that she herself is the real Supernova. But as Pepper soon learns, escapist fantasy and reality are two very different things.

(W/A) John Patrick Green (CA) John Green Perfect for fans of Dog Man! This goofy graphic novel series follows the super spy alligator duo, the InvestiGators, as they travel through the sewers and fight the forces of evil! With their gadgets, know-how, and super-fast transportation system (they flush themselves down toilets to speed through the sewers!), Mango and Brash are the scourge of the super-villain landscape! As vest-wearing employees of the Special Undercover Investigation Teams, they solve all kinds of mysteries and frequently butt heads with their archnemesis: a former agent known as Crackerdile. Riddled with puns, potty humor, absurdism, and hilarious twists, InvestiGators is the perfect series for Dog Man fans looking for their next great read! It's kid-friendly comics at their best.

(W/A) John Patrick Green (CA) John Green InvestiGators Mango and Brash don their fanciest vests for InvestiGators: Off the Hook, the next mystery in the hilarious adventure series from John Patrick Green. The InvestiGators are the best crime-fighting duo in the world. But not even their hi-tech training programs can prepare them for the return of their greatest nemesis, Crackerdile, in a shocking new form! Even worse, he's creating a team of super villains! Faced with the choice between saving themselves or catching the crooks, can Mango and Brash make sure the gator good prevails?

(W/A) Evan Dahm Sola is cursed. At least, that's what everyone tells her. It all started the day the Monster came to the island. While others fled, Sola stood before the creature, alone and unafraid. Since then she's been treated like an outcast. Shamed and feared for an event she doesn't understand, Sola sets out to sea looking for answers. In an endless ocean far from home, she discovers that her island isn't alone-and the Monster isn't the only life to be found in these uncharted waters. Boundless adventure awaits in Island Book, an epic tale of friendship, teamwork, and the wisdom we gain when we face the unknown with bravery and an open heart.

(W/A) Ulysse Malassagne Nills and Anaelle were looking forward to the first night in their rustic cabin in the woods. But the couple's idyllic vacation is suddenly thrown into turmoil when a strange flash of light bursts from the fireplace. A portal appears and out of it spill dragon-like creatures that are armed to the teeth. They grab Anaelle and flee back through the portal, leaving a distraught Nills with a sudden decision: stay behind or leap through after her? He leaps. And that's when things get really weird.

(W/A/CA) Lucy Knisley If you work hard enough, if you want it enough, if you're smart and talented and 'good enough,' you can do anything. Except get pregnant. Her whole life, Lucy Knisley wanted to be a mother. But when it was finally the perfect time, conceiving turned out to be harder than anything she'd ever attempted. Fertility problems were followed by miscarriages, and her eventual successful pregnancy was plagued by health issues, up to a dramatic, near-death experience in labor and delivery. Kid Gloves follows Lucy's personal transition into motherhood, and it also illustrates the history and science of reproductive health from all angles, full of curious facts and inspiring (and notorious) figures in medicine and midwifery.

(W/A/CA) John Green Construction has never been cuter than in this graphic novel for very young readers! Can you be too cute for your own good? Sadly, the answer is yes. In a world where kittens and humans coexist, several talented kittens with skills in architecture, construction, engineering, and plumbing have discovered that nobody will take them seriously in the workplace because they are just too darned adorable. So the kittens take matters into their own hands, and form their own all-feline firm: the Kitten Construction Company! They're going to build the best mayor's mansion the city has ever seen, just as soon as they can stop chasing laser pointers.

(W/A/CA) John Green Kitten Construction Company returns, this time with dogs! Construction has never been cuter than in this graphic novel for very young readers! Marmalade and her crew of construction kittens are in high demand! Their latest assignment (and biggest job yet) is to build the new Mewburg bridge. But with the bridge comes the one thing that cats hate most of all-water! As the team struggles to face their fears and do their jobs, they are forced to get help from some unlikely allies. . . slobbery, car-chasing dogs.

(W/A/CA) Jay Hosler Nestled in the grass under the big palm tree by the edge of the desert there is an entire civilization, a civilization of beetles where beetles write books, run restaurants, and even do scientific research. But not too much scientific research is allowed by the elders, who guard a terrible secret about the world outside. Lucy is not one to quietly cooperate, however. This tiny field scientist defies the law of her home and leads a team of researchers out into the desert. Their mission is to discover something about the greater world - but what lies in wait for them is going to change everything. Beetles are not the only living creatures in the world.

(W/A/CA) Jason Walz Aliens have kidnapped most of mankind, leaving behind those they deem unworthy, the 'last picked.' The future for Sam is bleak and unthinkable. A galaxy away from her twin brother, she is a pawn in the aliens' bloody civil war. But with her new friend Mia, Sam has found a way to resist her captors and hold onto her humanity. Back on earth, Sam's twin, Wyatt, is leading a resistance of his own. With a ragtag army of the old, the young, and the disabled, he has a plan that brings the fight to his alien captors. But to defeat the aliens, Wyatt may need to befriend one. Available in softcover and hardcover editions.

(W/A/CA) Jason Walz After aliens kidnap the most able-bodied humans, those left behind-the last picked-must save the planet in this first book of a YA graphic novel trilogy. An alien abduction has left behind only those younger than sixteen, older than sixty-five, or too 'disabled' to work. In other words, people who weren't a threat-until now. Twins Sam and Wyatt are ready to chuck their labels, break free from their captors, and inspire others to do the same. It's time for 'the last picked' to step into the game. Jason Walz pairs vivid world-building and a fast-paced adventure in a beautiful story of sibling devotion. With humor and action, Last Pick shares an empowering message about the dangers of labeling and writing people off.

(W) Kate Reed Petty (A) Andrea Bell Ruth Keller is brash and precocious; she argues with her dentist, her parents, and her teachers. So, when she discovers a strange black slime in the man-made lake of her suburban neighborhood, she decides to investigate. Fortified by the encouragement of those around her, Ruth seeks the truth at all costs, even if it means taking on the rich local country club owner, who she believes is responsible for the pollution. Between the teasing of former friends, and a sudden viral spotlight, Ruth discovers how difficult it is for a journalist to take a stand for what's right in the face of critique and controversy. Available in softcover and hardcover editions.

(W) Kate Reed Petty (A) Andrea Bell In this compelling middle-grade graphic novel, Ruth, a young journalist, takes on issues of corruption, pollution, and freedom of the press, determined to uncover a secret that threatens her town. Ruth Keller is brash and precocious; she argues with her dentist, her parents, and her teachers. So, when she discovers a strange black slime in the man-made lake of her suburban neighborhood, she decides to investigate. Fortified by the encouragement of those around her, Ruth seeks the truth at all costs, even if it means taking on the rich local country club owner, who she believes is responsible for the pollution. Between the teasing of former friends, and a sudden viral spotlight, Ruth discovers how difficult it is for a journalist to take a stand for what's right in the face of critique and controversy. From writer Kate Reed Petty and illustrator Andrea Bell, comes a story about corruption, pollution, and freedom of the press, and the young journalist at the center of it all.

(W/A/CA) Ben Hatke When a little girl finds an adorable robot in the woods, she presses a button and accidentally activates him for the first time. Now, she finally has a friend. But the big, bad robots are coming to collect the little guy for nefarious purposes, and it's all up to a five-year-old armed only with a wrench and a fierce loyalty to her mechanical friend to save the day!

(W) Colleen AF Venable (A) Kathryn Hudson The family toaster is preparing to take over the world, and he needs your help! Several obstacles lie in his path to greatness: your homework, household chores, and a dastardly kitty cat. All you have to do is build an army of robots, and world domination is within reach! Anyone can build a robot if they have the right tools! With some wire, a battery, and a simple motor - which you can often find lying around the house - building a robot is within your reach. Available in softcover and hardcover editions.

(W) Colleen AF Venable (A) Kathryn Hudson Inside Build a Robot!, the latest volume of First Second's DIY comic series, you'll find step-by-step instructions on how to construct six different robots! The family toaster is preparing to take over the world, and he needs your help! Several obstacles lie in his path to greatness: your homework, household chores, and a dastardly kitty cat. All you have to do is build an army of robots, and world domination is within reach! Anyone can build a robot if they have the right tools! With some wire, a battery, and a simple motor-which you can often find lying around the house-building a robot is within your reach. Follow the easy step-by-step instructions and you can learn to make these robots! Brush bot Art bot Scare bot Noisy bot LED throwie Remote controlled car bot

(W/A) Sarah Myer Learn simple techniques to make over six costumes-and dream up your own designs-in First Second's new DIY graphic novel series! The comic convention is just a few short weeks away. All Bea and Connor need now are great costumes but won't they cost a fortune to make? Not if they follow some simple instructions from Bea's pet hamster: Costume Critter, the world's cutest cosplayer! With Create a Costume! you can create fun, easy, budget-friendly costumes. And you don't have to start from scratch: a few simple modifications can transform thrift store clothes into a variety of costumes. Even mastering the sewing machine isn't as hard as it looks! You can make amazing costumes-all you need are the right tools, a little know-how, and a lot of imagination.

(W/A/CA) Chris Schweizer Learn how to maintain your car and handle tricky roadside repairs in this volume of First Second's new DIY graphic novel series! Lena, Mason, Abner, Rocky, and Esther only have one thing in common: They're crazy about cars. A few of them already have their driver's licenses. And even though Rocky and Esther are too young to drive, they still have a lot questions. In Car Club, Ms. Gritt has all the answers. When is the best time to check the oil? How do you change a tire? And why is Mason's car making that squeaky noise? Before you get behind the wheel, learn what's going on underneath the hood. Follow along as Ms. Gritt covers all the basics of preventative maintenance and roadside repairs. Colorful diagrams illustrate the inner workings of complex parts and systems. With Maker Comics: Fix a Car!, you can keep your automobile in tip-top shape!

(W) Alison Wilgus (A) Wyeth Yates Travel to deep space and back again with The Mars Challenge, a nonfiction graphic novel for teens about the science and logistics of a manned mission to Mars. Nadia is a teenager with a dream: to be the first woman on Mars. But there are a lot of obstacles in her way: gravity wells, interplanetary trajectories, space weather, and that pesky rocket equation. It's a good thing Nadia's friend Eleanor is a space wiz. Eleanor explains how scientists are working to overcome the numerous challenges involved in a manned mission to Mars. The challenges are great, but not insurmountable. Humans can reach Mars in our lifetime, and this book explains how it can be done. Available in softcover and hardcover editions.

(W) Alison Wilgus (A) Wyeth Yates Travel to deep space and back again with The Mars Challenge, a nonfiction graphic novel for teens about the science and logistics of a manned mission to Mars. Nadia is a teenager with a dream: to be the first woman on Mars. But there are a lot of obstacles in her way: gravity wells, interplanetary trajectories, space weather, and that pesky rocket equation. It's a good thing Nadia's friend Eleanor is a space wiz. Eleanor explains how scientists are working to overcome the numerous challenges involved in a manned mission to Mars. The challenges are great, but not insurmountable. Humans can reach Mars in our lifetime, and this book explains how it can be done. Available in softcover and hardcover editions.

(W/A/CA) Alina Chau Jordan's days as star player for her school's basketball team ended when an accident left her paralyzed from the waist down. Now, she's still the team captain, but her competition days seem to be behind her... until an encounter with a mysterious elephant, who she names Marshmallow, helps Jordan discover a brand new sport. Will water polo be the way for Jordan to continue her athletic dreams - or will it just come between Jordan and her best friends on the basketball team? And with the big tournament right around the corner, what secret is Marshmallow hiding? Available in softcover and hardcover editions.

(W/A/CA) Ben Hatke The garden behind Jack's house has gone wild with creatures set loose by the magic beans Jack and his kid sister Maddy planted. One particularly mean creature has kidnapped Maddy and carried her off. Now Jack and his neighbor Lilly must follow her to a world between worlds beyond the vines and stalks, where giants grind the bones of human children to feed their beast in the castle up above, and a fearsome goblin king rules down below. It'll take more than Lilly's bag of concoctions and tricks, and more than one hero, to rescue Maddy, reunite Jack's family, and bring them all safely home again. Available in Softcover and Hardcover editions.

(W/A/CA) Ben Hatke It's the middle-grade team-up of the century as the heroes of Ben Hatke's New York Times-bestselling Zita the Spacegirl join forces with Mighty Jack and his friends to save the world! Jack and Lilly are no strangers to heroics. They've befriended dragons, battled giants, and even earned the loyalty of a goblin army. So when they meet Zita the Spacegirl, fresh from her interplanetary travels and seeking their help to face a new threat, they're more than ready for another adventure. But the danger growing just outside the door to their world is greater than anything the new friends could have imagined. An army of giants and screeds stands ready to lay siege to Earth, determined to put the age of humans to an end. With the gate between worlds growing weaker and time running out, can the heroes come together to save their world from their greatest enemy yet? Available in softcover and hardcover editions.

(W/A/CA) Ben Hatke Jack might be the only kid in the world who's dreading summer. But he's got a good reason: Summer is when his single mom takes a second job and leaves him at home to watch his autistic kid sister, Maddy. It's a lot of responsibility, and it's boring, too, because Maddy doesn't talk. Ever. But then, one day, she does talk. Maddy tells Jack in no uncertain terms to trade their mom's car for a box of magic beans. It's the best mistake Jack has ever made. The little garden behind his house is about to become home to tiny onion babies running amok, dangerous biting cabbages, and, in a fiery cliff-hanger at the end of this first volume: a dragon.

(W/A/CA) Ben Hatke Ben Hatke, the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Zita the Spacegirl, concludes his latest middle-grade fantasy-adventure series with the energetic finale to his retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. The garden behind Jack's house has gone wild with creatures set loose by the magic beans Jack and his kid sister Maddy planted. One particularly mean creature has kidnapped Maddy and carried her off. Now Jack and his neighbor Lilly must follow her to a world between worlds beyond the vines and stalks, where giants grind the bones of human children to feed their beast in the castle up above, and a fearsome goblin king rules down below. It'll take more than Lilly's bag of concoctions and tricks, and more than one hero, to rescue Maddy, reunite Jack's family, and bring them all safely home again.

(W/A/CA) Ben Hatke It's the middle-grade team-up of the century as the heroes of Ben Hatke's New York Times-bestselling Zita the Spacegirl join forces with Mighty Jack and his friends to save the world! Jack and Lilly are no strangers to heroics. They've befriended dragons, battled giants, and even earned the loyalty of a goblin army. So when they meet Zita the Spacegirl, fresh from her interplanetary travels and seeking their help to face a new threat, they're more than ready for another adventure. But the danger growing just outside the door to their world is greater than anything the new friends could have imagined. An army of giants and screeds stands ready to lay siege to Earth, determined to put the age of humans to an end. With the gate between worlds growing weaker and time running out, can the heroes come together to save their world from their greatest enemy yet?

(W) Jack Baxter, Joshua Faudem (A/CA) Koren Shadmi Mike's Place was one of the few spots in Tel Aviv where Jews, Christians, and Muslims could hang out peaceably, surrounded by the expats who filled the bar every night. It was a cosmopolitan haven from the conflict, a local gem that many pointed to as a hopeful sign that peace could come to the Middle East after all. In the spring of 2003, filmmakers Jack Baxter and Josh Faudem had just begun making a documentary about the phenomenon of Mike's Place. And then the bar was destroyed in a suicide bombing that took three lives and wounded another fifty people - an attack that changed Jack and Josh's lives forever. Mike's Place is a gripping nonfiction accounting of the lives of a handful of people who came together in hope, then had to find their way together through despair.

(W/A/CA) Faith Erin Hicks Every nation that invades the City gives it a new name. But before long, new invaders arrive and the City changes hands (and names) once again. The natives don't let themselves get caught up in the unending wars. To them, their home is the Nameless City, and those who try to name it are forever outsiders. Kaidu is one such outsider. He's a Dao born and bred--a member of the latest occupying nation. Rat is a native of the Nameless City. At first, she hates Kai for everything he stands for, but his love of his new home may be the one thing that can bring these two unlikely friends together. Let's hope so, because the fate of the Nameless City rests in their hands. Available in softcover and hardcover editions.

(W/A/CA) Mike Cavallaro All our favorite ancient myths and legends get an Adventure Time-y makeover in this hilarious middle-grade graphic novel. Got a problem? At Vulcan's Celestial Supply Shop, you can find the magical merchandise to set things right. The seasoned staff-a kid named Nico Bravo, a sphynx named Lula, and a unicorn named Buck-pride themselves on providing 'legendary service and expertise in all areas of the arcane.' But Nico's world is about to be turned upside down, and it's all thanks his latest customer: Eowulf, the pint-size descendant of the monster slayer Beowulf. Determined to carry on the family business, this would-be warrior plans to slay Cerberus, the terrifying, three-headed hound of Hades. There's just one problem-Cerberus is the only thing preventing the hordes of the Underworld from entering the land of the living. Can Nico stop Eowulf from unleashing a zombie apocalypse?

(W/A/CA) Mike Cavallaro All our favorite ancient myths and legends get an Adventure Time-y makeover in this hilarious middle-grade graphic novel. Got a problem? At Vulcan's Celestial Supply Shop, you can find the magical merchandise to set things right. The seasoned staff-a kid named Nico Bravo, a sphynx named Lula, and a unicorn named Buck-pride themselves on providing 'legendary service and expertise in all areas of the arcane.' But Nico's world is about to be turned upside down, and it's all thanks his latest customer: Eowulf, the pint-size descendant of the monster slayer Beowulf. Determined to carry on the family business, this would-be warrior plans to slay Cerberus, the terrifying, three-headed hound of Hades. There's just one problem-Cerberus is the only thing preventing the hordes of the Underworld from entering the land of the living. Can Nico stop Eowulf from unleashing a zombie apocalypse? Available in softcover and hardcover editions.

You wouldn't expect Nate and Charlie to be friends. Charlie's the laid-back captain of the basketball team, and Nate is the neurotic, scheming president of the robotics club. But they are friends, however unlikely - until Nate declares war on the cheerleaders. At stake is funding that will either cover a robotics competition or new cheerleading uniforms - but not both. After both parties are stripped of their funding on grounds of abominable misbehavior, Nate enrolls the club's robot in a battlebot competition in a desperate bid for prize money. Bad sportsmanship? Sure. Chainsaws? Why not. Running away from home on Thanksgiving to illicitly enter a televised robot death match? Of course!