Cartoonist Niki Smith is again with a brand new graphic novel, The Golden Hour. First introduced final yr, Smith’s newest is due out in October, and at this time The Beat is proud to current a primary take a look at the duvet for the forthcoming guide.
Right here’s how writer Little, Brown describes the guide, launched underneath their important Books for Younger Readers imprint:
Fighting anxiousness after witnessing a harrowing occasion of gun violence, Manuel Soto copes by way of pictures, utilizing his cell-phone digital camera to seek out anchors that maintain him grounded. His days are a lonely, latchkey monotony till he’s teamed together with his classmates, Sebastian and Caysha, for a bunch undertaking.
Sebastian lives on a grass-fed cattle farm outdoors of city, and Manuel finds solace within the open fields and within the antics of the new child calf Sebastian is hand-raising. As Manuel aides his new pals of their preparations for the native county truthful, he learns to open up, confronts his deepest fears, and even finds past love.
The Golden Hour is the newest graphic novel from Smith, who has additionally contributed to publications from The Nib to Past: The Queer Sci-Fi & Fantasy Comedian Anthology, amongst many others. Smith’s first graphic novel, Crossplay, was launched by Iron Circus Comics in 2018, and her most up-to-date guide, The Deep and Darkish Blue, was revealed by Little, Brown in January of final yr; amongst different accolades, the guide was lately included on this yr’s ALA Rainbow E book Record of the highest 10 titles for younger readers.
The subject of youngsters coping with the aftermath of gun violence is, sadly, one which’s grow to be more and more related over the previous a number of years, and it seems like simply one in every of many themes that Smith will likely be exploring within the new guide. The cartoonist has additionally shared a few teasers for the guide by way of Instagram, and the inside paintings appears to be like great.
The Golden Hour is due out from Little, Brown Books for Younger Readers on Tuesday, October twenty sixth, 2021.
