Full of wonder, humor, and heart, Girl Haven is the newest original story from the author of Lumberjanes . Three years ago, Ash’s mom left home and never returned, leaving behind a husband and child and a shed full of mystical curiosities related to the all-girl fantasy world she’d created as a child—Koretris. One day Ash invites a new group of friends from Pride Club over, and they try one of the spells to enter Koretris. To their amazement, they’re all transported to a magical realm filled with human-sized talking animals who are fiercely protective of their world and are ready to fight to protect it. But if Koretris is real, why is Ash there? Everyone has always called Ash a boy—shouldn’t the spell have kept Ash out? And what does it mean if it let Ash in? Gr 4-8-When Ash befriends the members of Marsha P. Johnson Middle School's Pride Club at lunch, she doesn't expect the encounter to lead to an otherworldly adventure. Ash, who was assigned male at birth, has been thinking that she feels more like a girl, but she doesn't yet share this information with her new friends Eleanor, Junebug, and Chloe. Ash invites the gang over to her house to show off her mother's studio; before mysteriously disappearing, Ash's mom had created artwork and stories about a magical, all-girl land called Koretris. While dressing up and playing, the kids are unexpectedly transported to Koretris, where a war is underway between the good citizens and the evil Scourge. Could Ash's mother still be alive somewhere in this world, and could Ash be the chosen one Koretris has been waiting for? While Ash hopes that being in girls-only Koretris will affirm her identity, the appearance of rebel boys sends her into confusion once more. There is much to love here: an endearing group of protagonists, a lively fantasy realm, and a strong message of support for embracing and expressing one's identity-as Ash learns, "The accident of your birth is just the first page in that story. Your heart writes the rest." The full-color illustrations are cartoonish and expressive, and characters' emotions and inner turmoil are palpable. Back matter on identity and pronouns support the message of the story. Ash and Eleanor are white, while Junebug and Chloe are dark-skinned. VERDICT Spunky, sweet, and full of magical high jinks, this is a first purchase wherever fantasy adventure comics are popular, and especially where titles by Noelle Stevenson and Katie O'Neill circulate well.-Darla Salva Cruz, Suffolk Cooperative Lib. Syst., Bellport, NYα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. "Part fantasy-adventure, part coming-of-age story, Girl Haven is a ripping yarn that also does a fine job of explaining a singular gender experience while making it clear that there are many different gender experiences, none of which is wrong." ― Booklist "Spunky, sweet, and full of magical high jinks, this is a first purchase wherever fantasy adventure comics are popular, and especially where titles by Noelle Stevenson and Kay O’Neill circulate well." ― School Library Journal Lilah Sturges is the author of many comic books. She lives in Austin, Texas, with two daughters and two cats.