Another Kind by Trevor Bream and Cait May is a fun romp of a graphic novel. While the tale of “Irregulars” (essentially – mutants, paranormal creatures, and aliens) on the run has been told dozens of times, this story of found family has a strong heart and is very memorable. Intended for a middle grade audience, kids, teens, and sci-fi loving adults all will appreciate this one.

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The summary, from Amazon:

Six kids search for a new place to call home in this middle grade graphic novel debut by comic creators Cait May and Trevor Bream, for fans of Marvel’s Runaways and The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag. Another Kind is not your average monster story.

Tucked away in a government facility nicknamed the Playroom, six not-quite-human kids learn to control their strange and unpredictable abilities. Life is good—or safe, at least—hidden from the prying eyes of a judgmental world.

That is, until a security breach forces them out of their home and into the path of the Collector, a mysterious being with leech-like powers.

Can the group band together to thwart the Collector’s devious plan, or will they wind up the newest addition to his collection?

Buy Another Kind here.

Another Kind has some serious X-Men vibes, but is still very much its own story. I got a kick out of Newt, a lizard alien boy whose father is a politician. I also appreciated the discussion of pronouns when it came to Newt and another character. Maggie, with her tentacle-hair, is absolutely adorable and I appreciated the comment that her hair is wonderful. Omar, a Yeti, has a romance with Sylvie, a will o’ the wisp struggling to control her “good” and “bad” sides. And in this family we also have Jaali, a shapeshifting Nandi bear, and Clarice, a near-silent selkie. All of these characters brought their own magic, joy, and representation to the story.
Of course, like with most stories of this vain, there are problems with the way humanity treats Irregulars, and with the desire of some to control them. So many themes in this story reflect real-world issues in metaphors I think even the youngest of readers will understand.
While Another Kind might not offer anything new to the current narrative, it’s very enjoyable and an emotional read. I’m always here for stories of found family and rate it 5 stars.

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Another KindAnother Kind by Trevor Bream
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Has this X-Men-ish story been done before? Sure. But that doesn’t make it any less engaging. I loved all of the characters and devoured this story about found family. Kids will too.

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Book Club Questions

  1. Who was your favorite character? Why?
  2. What themes from this story remind you of real life?

Interested? Buy Another Kind.
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