Black Canary: Ignite

Gr 5-8–Thirteen-year-old Dinah Lance has always been a loudmouth. Career week at Gotham City Junior High has her wondering how she will use her powerful voice in her future. Will she become a cheerleader? Or a rock star with her band? Or follow her true dream: to become a Gotham City police officer like her father? But lately Dinah’s voice has been causing more trouble than fun. Every time she gets angry or upset, nearby glass mysteriously shatters. When the escaped villain Bonfire breaks into Dinah’s mother’s flower shop, her mother reveals her own superhero past: she was the one who put Bonfire behind bars. Dinah’s future as a caped crusader has suddenly become clear, and now she must evade Bonfire, who’s dead set on revenge. Cabot’s take on this origin story is delightfully breezy, as the author once again displays her remarkable knack for capturing the middle school voice. Her Dinah is refreshingly audacious and charmingly flawed, quick to stand up to bullies but also to put her foot in her mouth. McGee’s illustrations are confectionary. Her palette overflows with bright purple, pink, and turquoise. Characterization is spot on—Dinah is kinetically fierce, but the characters also have a manga-esque sweetness.