Fearless: A Graphic Novel

by Kenny Porter, Zach Wilcox (Illustrator)

Overview

Fearless is a touching graphic novel about growing up, accepting change, and finding a way to be happy when you miss your best friend.

Kara hoped to spend the summer re-enacting episodes of her favorite TV show, Shinpi Rider, with her best friend Alice. But when Alice moves to a new home two towns over, everything changes. Alice mysteriously stops answering Kara's phone calls and letters.In order to reignite their friendship, Kara hatches a brave plan to bike over to Alice's new school all on her own. After all, "A rider never leaves a friend behind!" Kara's bravery on the journey proves how strong she is but when Kara finally finds Alice, her bravado fades: Alice has found new friends and has left Kara behind. Can Kara be fearless when she feels so alone?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338355871
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	05/04/2021
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	534,162
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Zachary Wilcox is a Philadelphia-based artist. He has a master's degree in fine arts for sequential art from Savannah College of Art and Design and a BS in Digital Media from Drexel University. He specializes in comics, illustration, and concept art.
Kenny is a comic book writer living in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He’s written for DC Comics, SEGA, Image/Top Cow, and more. He graduated with a BA in Writing from Grand Valley State University. You can find him at portercomics.com.

Editorial Reviews

03/01/2021

Combining middle school realism with a (super)hero’s journey, this relatable graphic novel follows Kara’s reluctant transition from ferret-owning fifth-grade fangirl to mature preteen. Kara and her ride-or-die bestie are suburban white kids who love reenacting their favorite episodes of a show called Shinpi Rider—or so Kara thinks, until Alice signals that she’d rather spend her time on science and fashion projects and then moves two towns away. Not great at reading the room, Kara ditches the first day of middle school to bike, uninvited, to Alice’s new town. Inspired by Shinpi Rider on the way, she helps a boy fix his dad’s fruit stand, encourages a kid to stand up to his brother, and cleans up a storefront destroyed by a rogue stag. Her newfound empathy helps her accept a difficult truth: that her friendship with Alice has changed, partly because she didn’t listen to her friend’s needs and preferences. When the Shinpi series itself transforms, Kara is mostly ready to start school and make new friends. Though some of Kara’s adventures, such as taking down a bike-stealing bully, skew a bit textbook, Wilcox’s gracefully laid out, anime-inspired illustrations complement Porter’s quirky and flawed protagonist. Ages 10–14. Agent (for author and illustrator): Mark Gottlieb, Trident Media Group. (May)■

Publishers Weekly

2021-03-17
Fandom and friendship collide when middle school BFFs are tested.

In this middle-grade graphic stand-alone, Kara Dawson absolutely loves the TV show Shinpi Rider, about a masked cyclist who always perseveres to save the day. Kara’s life is pretty great, basking in Shinpi fandom with her best friend, Alice, and trusty ferret, Gidget. When Alice’s family suddenly moves two towns over, Kara’s world is thrown into upheaval. She decides to skip her first day of school to ride her bike to Alice’s new house and surprise her. Predictably, her journey does not go as expected, but she meets new friends along the way: Joe, a boy struggling to lift a heavy burden; Elaine, whose bike has been stolen by a bully; and Simon, whose older brother is tormenting him. When Kara finally makes it to Alice’s new home, she finds her friend changed. The girls have a falling-out; is their friendship over? Kara’s subsequent self-realization, though clearly spelled out, is approachable and made with a light hand. Kara is flawed and engaging, capturing the adolescent dichotomy of both fearlessness (in her altruism with strangers) and thoughtlessness (with those she cares about). Wilcox’s full-color illustrations emphasize characters’ faces and emotions. Shelve this among Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham’s Best Friends series or Hope Larson’s All Summer Long (2018). Kara and Alice are White; supporting cast members are diverse.

Real and empathetic. (Graphic fiction. 8-11)

Kirkus Reviews