Kazu Jones and the Comic Book Criminal

March 15, 2020
Gumshoe Kazu Jones and her detective friends are back in this sequel to Kazu Jones and the Denver Dognappers (2019). Having solved the dognapping case, Kazuko Jones and her friends pick up a new mystery to solve after three comic-book stores are vandalized with anti-comic graffiti. With pal March's uncle's comic-book shop as a possible target, March wants to expose the villain. When March takes the lead and ex-bully Madeleine rejoins the group, the kids start butting heads. The team uncovers the vandal's connection to a rare comic-book character, but when they keep running into dead-end clues, everything starts to fall apart. Kazu's home life isn't much better. Kazu's mother is bedridden, and her grandmother from Japan, Baa-chan, has come to help around the house. No one will tell Kazu why her mom is sick, so she must uncover the truth on her own. This sequel is just as suspenseful as the first, but it also tackles more emotional issues, like adults keeping secrets, friend fights, and a parent's mental illness. The characters are well developed and distinct, expressing feelings kids will recognize, like anger, confusion, uncertainty, and grief. With Baa-chan comes Japanese vocabulary and items that play an essential role in the story. Kazu is biracial, with a Japanese mom and white dad; March and CindeeRae present white, and Madeleine is Korean. A suspenseful yet small-scale mystery for lovers of comics, art, and adventure. (author's note) (Mystery. 8-12)

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May 1, 2020
Grades 4-6 Kazu and her detective crew are ready to take on a new mystery, this time involving a graffiti vandal striking local comics shops, who Kazu's friend fears might target his uncle's store. As Kazu and her crew begin gathering clues, her baa-chan arrives from Japan to help around the house while Kazu's mom recovers?from something. Neither Baa-chan nor Kazu's dad will tell her what is wrong with her mom, leaving Kazu with another mystery on her hands. As the team gets closer to finding the culprit, Kazu and her friends all deal with their own personal struggles away from and within the group. Refreshingly, the kids grow together and work through their difficulties in a realistic way. With the same fast-paced action and clever mystery solving of the first book (Kazu Jones and the Denver Dognappers, 2019), this sequel will continue to excite readers with action, adventure, and humor, here colored by comic book culture. A satisfying second installment in a fantastically fun series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)