Table Titans Club
by Scott Kurtz; illus. by the author; color by Steve Hamaker
Middle School    Holiday    224 pp.
3/24    9780823453160    $22.99
Paper ed.  9780823456819    $13.99
e-book ed.  9780823457571    $10.99

Valeria has struggled with fitting in and fighting in the past, but she is moving to a new middle school—again—and hoping for a fresh start. After some boys in her class observe her obstreperous behavior on the first day, one of them invites Val to join the Table Titans, their tabletop gaming club. Val doesn’t know anything about Dungeons & Dragons, but she is a fast learner and excitedly joins them mid-campaign. When the team unexpectedly needs a new club advisor, the only teacher available makes them a deal: he will serve in the role if one of the kids fills an open spot on the wrestling team he coaches. Val makes the cut and discovers both D&D and wrestling to be empowering outlets for her outsized imagination, energy, and emotions. This graphic novel’s clearly delineated visual narrative effectively moves between scenes from Val’s real, everyday life and moments of make-believe. Simple backgrounds spotlight characters and their actions (both real and imagined). D&D vocabulary and concepts are naturally embedded in the narrative, offering context for readers unfamiliar with the gaming world. Themes of nonconformity and being true to oneself will resonate with the audience, and the characters’ interactions with one another—both humorous and awkward—are realistically portrayed. An unapologetic celebration of growing up and finding one’s passions.

From the May/June 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.