So far, Cici's tenth birthday isn't shaping up well. For starters, her dad just left, her crazy abuela moved in, and her best friend wants to go to a party thrown by the popular girls. This all would be more than enough to handle, but on the morning of her birthday, Cici wakes up with . . . wings?? Thankfully, her grandmother is here to help her out, explaining that fairies run in the family, and Cici has begun to discover her powers. But Cici has only one day to decide if she wants to embrace her fairy heritage or forget and be human. The bold panels are large and bright, making it easy for younger readers to follow along. Cici's adventures are humorously depicted. Her fairy sight allows her to see things as they are, which means her multitasking mom suddenly has octopus arms, and the popular girls are all identical, chattering hens. The multicultural cast and universal themes make this a promising start to a series and a solid introduction to graphic novels.

Gr 3-5 Ten-year-old Cici has been through a lot. Her parents announce that they are getting divorced, she feels pressured by her friend to grow up, and she suddenly realizes she has magical powers. And now Cici has only one day to decide whether to keep her newfound powers or discard them. The story moves exceptionally fast, rapidly switching between scenes, which makes it difficult for readers to connect with the characters or learn about their motivations. Refreshingly, Cici's problems don't magically go away by the end, and while she loses some friends, she winds up with stronger ties to her family. The illustrations are colorful and wonderfully explore the magical world. VERDICT A decent graphic novel addition. Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI