Stars in Their Eyes

Looking for a light-hearted sort of “one shot” queer graphic novel for fandom loving teens? Pick up Stars in Their Eyes by Jessica Walton and Asaka. This was recommended to me by one of my tweens who loves queer graphic novels and I trust her taste. This was a really quick, light read that’s more about experience than plot, and is perfect for tweens and teens who love fandom, going to cons, and want queer and nonbinary representation, as well as disability representation and discussion of authenticity in fandom.

Maisie and her mom are on their way to her first fandom convention, and Maisie, who had her leg amputated several years ago due to cancer, is excited to meet her hero, Kara, who is also an amputee. But going to conventions can be hard with a disability, and then you had in a first flirtation/kiss…because Maisie meets Ollie, a nonbinary volunteer working the show with their dad, and the two hit it off. We get to spend time with them, relaxing between panels, going to panels, experiencing the disappointment of a panel being cancelled last minute, the exhaustion leaving, etc. It’s a very experiential read, you feel like you’re right there with Maisie, and while the romance aspect is cute, there’s not any real stakes here for the reader, which can be nice at times!

The disability representation in this book is well done to a non-disabled reader’s eyes, and some of the conversations that Maisie, Ollie, and other characters have about the importance of representation on screen will be great conversation starts with tweens and teens as well.

While this is a YA graphic novel in my system, I think it’s fine for tweens as well and maybe better aligned to the art style MG graphic novels see, plus a little kissing.