Bounce Back (Misako Rocks!)

Lilico, with the help of her cat, must learn to adjust to a new country, a new school, and new pressures in this middle grade graphic novel from author/illustrator Misako Rocks! about finding your team and finding yourself. Lilico, with the help of her cat, must learn to adjust to a new country, a new school, and new pressures in Bounce Back, a middle grade graphic novel from author/illustrator Misako Rocks! about finding your team and finding yourself. Lilico's life in Japan is going well. She has great friends and is the captain of the school's basketball team. She's happy! Then comes her parents' news: they're moving to America! Before she knows it, Lilico finds herself in Brooklyn, New York, forced to start all over. And that won't be easy with her closest friends thousands of miles away or a school bully who immediately dislikes her. Luckily, anime-loving Nala and Henry eventually befriend Lilico and with help from them-along with her guardian spirit who looks a lot like her cat, Nico-Lilico just might figure out where she fits in. This is age-appropriate, kid-friendly manga for kids - both elementary and middle school - that tells a story about friendship, new beginnings, and doing what you love, no matter what. Misako Rocks! is a Brooklyn-based manga artist. Her first break came when The Onion decided to use her illustrations for their "Savage Love" column. Shortly afterward, in 2007, Misako self-published her autobiographical comic, Rock and Roll Love, which was featured on the New York Public Library's Best Books for Teens List. Outside of the U.S., she has published several books in Japan, including How to Learn English with Misako's Method. She teaches manga drawing classes at numerous middle schools in New York City, as well as at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Cherry Blossom Festival. "This story hits all the middle school sweet spots-friendship struggles, bullying, popularity, and awkward crushes....Though this book will have special appeal to manga readers, the universal story and engaging art will delight a wide range of middle schoolers." -School Library Journal