The Bizarre Bazaar: Mirror Town

Gr 3-6–Not much is going right in Abel Azari’s life—his mom is busy working two jobs to keep them afloat, his impending summer plans are underwhelming, and he is firmly in the friendzone with his crush Ginny. Things begin looking up for Abel when he happens upon a brand-new, super mysterious shop of curiosities. The suspiciously helpful shopkeeper shows him the perfect gift to woo Ginny, but in order to secure the trinket, Abel needs an item to trade. With limited resources, he agrees to a shady deal with neighbor Mrs. Branley for a full summer’s worth of yardwork in exchange for a dusty antique mirror from her garage. But on his way home, he falls through the mirror and into the parallel universe version of his life, in which all of his previous problems disappear. If Abel doesn’t clue into what is going on fast, he may be stuck there forever. Printz Award-winning Nayeri (Everything Sad Is Untrue) freshens up the trope of middle school angst with fully realized characters and a disarmingly creepy narrative. Enright’s cartoonish and vibrant panels lull readers into believing all is well, despite Abel’s perilous situation in both the ordinary and extraordinary worlds.