Downloading Séance Tea Party:

Lora wants to stay a kid forever, and she'll do anything to make that happen . . . including befriending Alexa, the ghost who haunts her house. A middle-grade graphic novel about growing up that's perfect for fans of Ghosts and Making Friends .

Growing up sounds terrible.

No one has time to do anything fun, or play outside, or use their imagination. Everything is suddenly so serious. People are more interested in their looks and what others think about them than having fun adventures. Who wants that?

Not Lora.

After watching her circle of friends seemingly fade away, Lora is determined to still have fun on her own. A tea party with a twist leaves Lora to re-discovering Alexa, the ghost that haunts her house -- and Lora's old imaginary friend! Lora and Alexa are thrilled to meet kindred spirits and they become best friends . . . but unfortunately, not everything can last forever.

Reimena Yee brings to life a story about growing up, childhood, and what it means to let go. A fantastical story following lovable characters as they each realize what it means to be who you are.

Gr 3-6-Even though her middle school friends have all traded make-believe play for video games, memes, and parties, 12-year-old Lora Zi is reluctant to let go of childhood. An impromptu solo séance sparks a friendship with Alexa, a ghost girl who will never grow up. But despite Lora's efforts to avoid adulthood, she finds herself changing-reconnecting with the friends she feared had left her behind and making new ones. Meanwhile, Alexa reunites with Diana, her best friend from when she was alive. A children's book author, Diana has grown old in the years since Alexa's death, but she prides herself "on being a child at heart." Dialogue and illustrations have a lively, liquid flow. Yee's art is whimsical and engaging, reinforcing the graphic novel's themes of memory, magic, and change. The palette relies on shades of transition: the hues of dusk and dawn, of autumn and spring. Yee dedicates her book to "every child-and young adult-who is afraid of growing up," and her characters embody this theme, drifting apart and reuniting, pulling together and learning to let go. VERDICT A beautifully illustrated, bittersweet coming-of-age story for anyone grappling with the joy and sorrow of growing up, growing old, and moving on.-Amanda Charles, Los Angeles P.L.α(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

“ A perfect choice for young readers coping with the death of a loved one or even those beginning life in a new school or new city, Alexa and Lora show that nothing you love is ever truly gone and growing up can be a blessing . ” —The Bulletin, Starred Review

"A coming-of-age tale that is both comforting and wonderfully peculiar." —Kirkus Reviews

“[The] art is loose and bright, and the colors are vibrant, bringing a diverse cast to life. An empathetic look at a late bloomer.” —Booklist

Reimena Yee is an illustrator, writer, and designer. Hailing from the dusty metropolis of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, she is now based in Melbourne, Australia. She once was a STEM student, but left to pursue her passion for the world and all of the histories and cultures within it, which she weaves into her art and stories. She is the co-founder of UNNAMED, a comics collective that builds community and resources for visual-literary creators in Southeast Asia.

She is the author-illustrator of the gothic comics The World in Deeper Inspection and the Eisner and McDuffie-nominated The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya. Séance Tea Party is her debut middle-grade graphic novel.

@reimenayee