I'll be moderating a graphic novels panel at the LA Times Festival of Books this weekend!

I'm so looking forward to this!

I'll be moderating the Young Adult Graphic Novels: Drawing You In panel on the YA stage, Saturday at noon.

The panelists are author Cecil Castellucci (speaking about her "Soupy Leaves Home"),

Author/Illustrator Faith Erin Hicks (speaking about the second book of her The Nameless City triology, "The Stone Heart")

and
Author/Illustrator Matt Phelan (speaking about his "Snow White: A Graphic Novel.")

Here's the announcement from the festival website:

If you're there, say "Hi!"

Plain Janes, The

By Cecil Castellucci (writer) and Jim Rugg (illustrator)

In this graphic novel, after teenage Jane is injured in a terrorist attack in Metro City, her parents drag her off to live in suburban Hell. That's where she teams up with three other girls named "Jane."

Together with their Gay friend James they launch "art attacks" in their conservative community to make life more interesting. Local teens love it - the adults freak out about it, and the Plain Janes need to figure out how important being authentically different and true to yourself really is...


I was fortunate enough to talk with Cecil recently about the upcoming sequel - and she shared with me that as the story progresses, the GLBTQ content jacks up, including James' roll, his being gay, and a few other Queer surprises.

Add your review of this book in "comments!"