BLUE STARS: MISSION ONE: THE VICE PRINCIPAL PROBLEM, written by Kekla Magoon and Cynthia Leitich Smith, illustrated by Molly Murakami (Candlewick, 2024). Ages 8-up.
Two everyday superheroes set out to save the world–starting with their school–in an exciting new middle-grade graphic series from two award-winning authors and a debut illustrator.
When cousins Riley Halfmoon and Maya Dawn move to Urbanopolis to live with their activist grandma, they get off to a rocky start. Outgoing Riley misses her Muscogee cousins but is sure that she and Maya will be instant BFFs. Meanwhile, introvert Maya misses her parents, on active duty in Japan, and just wants some space to herself.
At school, Maya joins Robotics Club and Riley bonds with fellow gymnasts. Just when they start to feel at home, their school culture is threatened by an influential foe in disguise. Joining student council feels like a way to help, so both cousins toss their hats in the ring for sixth-grade class president. But when they realize what they’re up against–money, power, and lies–they quickly shift from competition to cooperation, joining forces as superheroes.
Riley is savvy with people; Maya is a whiz with gadgets. In no time, this dazzling duo is off to save the day! Relatable and rich in themes of family, community, and compromise, the Blue Stars series will entertain and empower, inspiring readers to be the stars they are.
Visit the Blue Stars microsite from Candlewick Press.
Order BLUE STARS: MISSION ONE: THE VICE PRINCIPAL PROBLEM by Kekla Magoon, Cynthia Leitich Smith, and Molly Murakami.
Pre-Order Links: BookPeople (paperback; hardcover); Amazon; Barnes & Noble; Books a Million; Bookshop.org; Hudson Booksellers; Target; Walmart.
Depending on the title, Cynthia’s books may be found from Native bookstores like Birchbark Books and Native Arts and Red Planet Books and Comics, her local independent BookPeople in Austin, other terrific Texas bookstores like Blue Willow Bookshop and Brazos Bookstore, retail sites supporting indie bookstores like BookShop (Affiliate), IndieBound and Libro.fm (audio books), brick-and-mortar chains like Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million, and online retailer Amazon.com (Author Central).
- Diverse-Owned Bookstores You Can Support Right Now by Alaina Leary from We Need Diverse Books.
- Junior Library Guild Selection
Cover Reveal for Mission One: The Vice Principal Problem by Kekla Magoon and Cynthia Leitich Smith, illustrated by Molly Murakami by JoAnn Yao from We Need Diverse Books.
CYNTHIA: It’s a series, and the stories all include family and friendship dynamics alongside the bigger, bolder missions. I love the interwoven humor, innovation, and heart. That said, the main takeaway is that, working together in family and community, we can raise up and safeguard our communities.
KEKLA: We want readers to have fun with the characters first and foremost, but also definitely to walk away feeling empowered by the knowledge that creating change is possible when you band together with those who share your convictions.
Kekla Magoon enjoys reading outdoors, solving puzzles, and eating ice cream. She has written more than a dozen acclaimed books for children and teens, including THE SEASON OF STYX MALONE, HOW IT WENT DOWN, LIGHT IT UP, X: A NOVEL (with Ilyasah Shabazz), and the ROBYN HOODLUM ADVENTURES series. Recognitions for her work include the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, an NAACP Image Award, three Coretta Scott King Honors, the National Book Award Long List selection, as well as the Margaret A. Edwards Award for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature. Her office houses her pet turtle and appears cluttered at first glance, but that’s just part of her cover—her superpower is organizing thoughts and ideas!
Molly Murakami is a cartoonist, illustrator, and writer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She likes to make work about family, shared histories, and identity. Molly has worked with Bleacher Report, Candlewick Press, Densho, First Second, IDW, and others. She enjoys reading all kinds of books, helicopter-parenting her house plants, and looking up the ends of movies on Wikipedia.
March 2024 | 9781536204995; 1536204994 | Candlewick | Hardcover
March 2024 | 9781536228663; 1536228664 | Candlewick | Paperback