A bachelor uncle takes the young folks in his family on a hike to the makeshift museum he began years ago. He looks back at his life, he relates with his nieces and nephews, great-and great-great. What he discovers when they reach their destination surprised me, pleasantly.

As a curly haired little girl, the frustration of trying to tame my curls resonates. Even combing was a trial. The protagonist of this middle grade graphic novel gets it. Every Sunday, her mom makes her go to the salon to have her hair chemically straightened. How she comes to care for and even learn to love her hair and what it represents unfurls with verve and compassion. 

Dan Santat's award winning graphic novel, based on his trip in the summer after middle school to Europe, has everything. First love, museums, first heartbreak, unfamiliar Fanta varieties, and more. 

Feeling out of place, wanting to be an artist rather than a musician, and disappointing her mother while also contemplating whether or not she wants eye fold surgery as a graduation present, the heroine of this semi-autobiographical graphic work brings life to every page.