Max and the Midknights, A Graphic Novel by Lincoln Pierce

Possible concerns:

• Fantasy. Magic, sorcery, undead monsters
• Name calling. In the beginning, a main character calls a classmate a witch. Several times, “idiot” is used.
• A villain is described as “butt ugly.” (see below)
• Sorcery. The heroes and villains use magic. There is an image below that includes levitation.
• Gendered vocation. The main character, Max, ends up actually being a girl; she surprises several people with her identity. (There is a ponytail under the hat). Max wants to be a warrior knight, and this brings up questions of whether a girl can be a knight. In the end, the king pronounces (with regard to vocation), “You can be whatever you want to be.” I had great conversations with my kid about how girls and boys can choose jobs that align with their gifts and passions, and it doesn’t make them any less of a girl or boy. There is diversity; not all military personnel are men and not all caregivers are women. To be clear, the king’s pronouncement is with regard to vocation, not with regard to gender identity.