Bunt! Striking Out on Financial Aid

Molly Bauer—an aspiring architectural illustrator with dark brown skin, green braids, and two moms who own a hardware store—is excited about attending Peachtree Institute of the Collegiate Arts with a full-ride scholarship. Not even the cynicism of her dropout friend Ryan, who considers college an “intellectual Ponzi scheme,” can get her down. But a snafu with her tuition payment leads to desperate measures: when she learns about an obscure athletic scholarship that requires her to assemble a softball team and win one game, she recruits a ragtag crew, including white-cued furniture designer Virginia, who travels with her own handmade chair; Black-cued fashion student Faith, who is financially supported by her parents, with many strings attached; and secretive, East Asian–cued Susanna. In this jam-packed graphic novel romp, Ukazu (Check, Please!) portrays the successes and roadblocks—such as the $60,000-a-year price tag—of applying for art school. Paired with debut illustrator Rupert’s expressive character designs and detailed backgrounds, which enrich the work’s already savvy and humorous tone, the creators offer a jovial and highly enjoyable story that underscores issues surrounding financial precarity and educational inequity. Ages 14–up. (Feb.)