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.)

When the town's library faces demolition, who will save the day? None other than Donutella Hamachi! Donutella is a sweets-and-makeup-inspired drag superhero of a comic book created by 12-year-old Korean immigrant Jae Han Kim. At school, Jae Han's bullied by a group of jocks. At home, Jae Han's parents dismiss his passion for drawing while heaping praise on his athletic older brother. But the tween has a diverse, close-knit group of friends, fellow misfits who take refuge at the library and hone their creative talents. When the mayor announces that the library will be razed to make room for a shopping mall, Jae Han deputizes his friends as the Library Avengers to save the day. While the storyline is fueled by power-hungry businessmen, unfair parental expectations, and corrupt politicians, the creative kids--and their vivid imaginations--keep the pace light and lively. The pages of girl-inspired comics of Donutella are hilarious and help Jae Han process each serious situation with outrageous solutions. Co-authors Chi--star ofRuPaul's Drag Race--and Lee sensitively explore themes of identity (in particular, Jae Han's love of fashion and beauty, which his parents don't understand) while celebrating a loving community as it speaks truth to power. Filled with sparkle and creativity, a tale of youngsters rallying to do what's right.(Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.