Way off track

Gr 5 Up--Like many cultures, Jamaican folklore features a trickster figure: Anansi the spider. Nansi, a seventh grade girl who aspires to be the fastest runner in the world and win every medal, follows in her namesake's steps--or shoes in this case. Everything is great for Nansi until the track race where she loses to one of the most annoying girls in school, Tania. It's bad enough that Tania is always making fun of Nansi and looking down on her, and now she has beat her in the race. Nansi thinks the only way Tania could have won is with the new shoes Tania bought, so Nansi simply must have those $340 shoes for herself. In order to get the money, Nansi pleads, schemes, and uses tricks in the hope of beating Tania in the next race. The illustrations are reflective of Nansi's over-the-top emotions and her fun but mischievous ways. The art is filled with bright colors, animated faces, and a diverse cast of characters. The story is well told just through the visuals, which perfectly represent Nansi's various moods, from her thoughts and dreams of Power Puff Girl characters to being cast aside by her friends. VERDICT With an excellent, fun, and unique voice, this graphic novel introduces a new trickster and is a great option for those looking for a quick read and some laughs.--Richard Winters

A budding track star desperately wants new sneakers but instead needs to learn a few life lessons. When Nansi loses a race to her nemesis, Tania, it never occurs to her that Tania may have trained hard for her win. Instead, Nansi becomes fixated on Tania's expensive kicks; she's certain that with the same sneakers, she could regain her spot as the fastest kid in seventh grade. Confident Nansi narrates with a sense of braggadocio, though she acknowledges the importance of her two best friends, Ayesha and Angela, and her family--even as she constantly eschews their advice while hatching her schemes. Crisp, digitally rendered artwork makes for easy-to-read panels, while cleverly funny storytelling renders the plot points accessible for young readers. Nansi may not initially seem like much of a role model initially; she even blackmails her brother into covering some of her shifts at the salon where she's started working. But she's undeniably charismatic and relatably naïve. And despite running into challenges, she learns plenty along the way, because her support system wouldn't have it any other way. Nansi and her family are Black; the use of patois implies Jamaican heritage. A thoughtful tale of a speedy youngster whose path to maturity is slow and steady.(Graphic fiction. 8--12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.