Let’s Go, Coco!

Gr 4-6–Eleven-year-old Coco’s best and only friend Blair just moved out of state. How will Coco manage sixth grade? With a new technique she learned from her brother to help her face her fears, Coco joins the basketball team and discovers a new group of kids with similar interests. New teammates don’t automatically mean new friends though, especially when Coco is navigating crushes, a broken arm, anxiety, and team drama. A diverse cast of characters helps round out this generally straightforward graphic novel about middle school relationships, with Coco having a crush on her teammate Tami, and nonbinary Zander having a crush on Coco (oh the dynamics of middle school feelings!). Fox’s purple and orange palette gives the book a cozy, fall feel, while also highlighting the colors of the lesbian pride flag. The use of wavy, flamelike tendrils to showcase Coco’s anxiety highlights the stress and emotional upheaval of the middle school years.